February 18 A Fabric Shopping Adventure in La Paz

Today was a much anticipated shopping trip for those hearty shopping souls in our group. Several of the men went together to a tool “Swap Meet” that was more out of curiosity than anything else. We did not see very many big finds come back from their venture but they had some good stories to tell.

Several of us ladies headed off to a “full-service” Mexican fabric shop. One of our caravan staff members had visited this store before and knew what was awaiting us. The store was very large and had a wide assortment of fabric…much of it typical of the bright colorful Mexican clothing. There was also beautiful laces, trims, florals and notions. The first thing that hit me as I entered was polar fleece. I guess it gets cold enough there for fleece but I was pleasantly surprised at the price. It was the equivalent of $1.80 per meter (39 inches to a meter)…what a bargain for my veteran blankets I make. I bought 20 meters and also more than enough blanket binding (33 cents a meter which is usually 1.50 per yard at home). I had also purchased a sun hat out on the street and had fun picking out a pretty, sparkly lace to dress it up with.

The procedure of making purchases in this store was different but really made sense. You picked out what you wanted and found a clerk to cut the items for you. They wrote up a ticket and they kept the item. You accumulated your tickets and took them to the cash window to pay. After you paid, then you checked in at a counter to pick up your packages. Worked quite well and you were not carrying around your purchases while you shopped.

That evening we had a real treat. Taxis arrived at dinner time and took us to a resort nearby. We were escorted past towering fountains and outdoor swimming pools to an outdoor balcony overlooking the sea and sunset beyond. Before beverage drinks were distributed and we all posed for couple pictures and then a group picture with the sunset in the background.

Then we moved inside for an excellent meal followed by a fantastic Mexican Fiesta show put on by a local dance troupe. They performed a variety of traditional dances. The costumes were bright and colorful with all the fancy laces, bright colors and rhythmic high heeled boots. Most of the dances portrayed a story that crossed the language barrier and shared with us their love of their country, dance and history.

All in all it was a fantastic day.