Part Two: La Paz, Bolivia

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At seven o’clock we picked up Hari, drove to the television station and got plastered - with make-up (!) - in the humble preparation room behind the equally humble TV studio. After a long wait - some political crisis had broken news (what else is new in Bolivia!?) - we were on. A short but cordial interview with Casimera’s co-host Gonzalo Rivero ensued. Hari was there to translate.

Why had I come to Bolivia? What did I think of La Paz? Had I tried any local food yet? What food had I prepared? I answered all the questions with as much charm and pizazz as I could muster, despite feeling like one of the stars of "Return of the Zombies". Hari spoke at length about vegetarianism and especially the forthcoming cooking classes that I would be conducting all week. We were thankful for whatever air-time we could get to promote the event. In a few minutes, the hot lights were turned off, and it was all over.


After the show, the whole crew including the cameramen and sound crew swarmed around to taste the food. We had made ample quantities, and everyone received a generous plate. The whole studio seemed to grind to a halt, and everywhere were happy people 'chowing down' on plates of samosas, chutney, and the buttery halava dessert, which was especially appreciated. Did our hosts enjoy the impromptu breakfast? Hostess Casimera gave me the thumbs up!

Today we would commence our 5-day cooking seminar at the Capitolia Convention Centre in the city. But first we would have to shop – till we dropped, as they say.Scaling the steep streets of La Paz was quite austere. The local fruit and vegetable markets were a colourful introduction to Bolivian street culture. Bowler-hatted indiginous ladies, named cholitas, plied their wares – piles of the famous local locoto chilies (called rocoto in neighbouring Peru), wonderful fruits, notably giant dark skinned pineapples, and a healthy selection of fresh herbs.

Spanish is the official language of Bolivia, and most people speak and understand it to some extent. However more than a quarter of Bolivia’s population speaks Quechua or Aymara as a first language. Mathuresh did all the buying and bargaining and seemed to do a damn good job. I was amazed at the abundance and freshness of the produce, especially the staggering variety of potatoes, which of course originally come from South America.

Everywhere were little carts of spices wheeled around by vendedoras (merchants) both young and old, who insisted I try their goods with the standard local mantra– “condimentas, caballero?” (spices, sir?). Though I was tempted to wander off and scrutinise the scene more closely, we had a strict schedule to stick to, so we quickly selected the vegetables, grains, dairy products and spices for today’s class, loaded up the van, and headed back to the downtown for the set-up for tonight's class.

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