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vegvacation
La Vida
Local
Take a 72-hour vegan voyage
through La Paz, Bolivia—where
high altitude, culture, and
great food converge.
by JEN SOTOLONGO
Food photo: Jen Sotolongo
62 VegNews JANUARY+FEBRUARY 2017

Peering out the car window and
over the edge of the road—down
into the deep gorge that houses La
Paz—you can’t help but feel butterflies
fluttering in your stomach. The Bolivian
city of nearly 800,000 sits 13,300 feet
above sea level—a sprawling metropolis
clinging to steep hillsides. Temperatures
can vary by as much as 50 degrees from
top to bottom, but the palpable energy
remains constant. Prepare yourself: La
Paz is loud, colorful, and—to be fair—a
bit chaotic, in the most charming way.
Represented by more than 36 different
native groups (indigenous people
constitute more than 60 percent of the
population), Bolivia is simultaneously
dynamic and rooted in a traditional
way of life. One of South America’s
still-underdeveloped countries, it has
lagged behind neighboring Brazil
and Chile on the creation of tourism
infrastructure. In recent years, however,
the country has evolved into a desirable
destination for travelers, with La Paz
seeing a 40-percent increase in visitors
between 2014 and 2015. Overall, the
lack of development—coupled with the
preservation of cultural heritage—means
that the city is still largely untouched by
international tourists.
Don’t expect to lounge in the lap
of luxury in La Paz. It is at once gritty,
rugged, and beautiful—the ideal
destination for the audacious traveler
seeking intimate interaction with locals,
deep cultural immersion, and traditional
foods made with plant-based ingredients
culled from the regional bounty.
Begin your 72-hour La Paz adventure
at a local marketplace and then soar high
above the city on public transport. Be sure
to leave room to feast on all the regional
vegan specialties.
Day 1: Market mania
With its unique geography—nestled in a
valley between the Andes, Lake Titicaca,
and the Bolivian Yungas rainforest—La
Paz offers an abundance of year-round
local produce, much of it organic. If native
to Bolivia, it is grown without GMOs as
dictated by 2012’s Law of Mother Earth.
Whereas other South American countries
export their goods, Bolivia preserves its
natural resources, and the markets boast a
vast variety of heirloom foods.
Start your first day by exploring on foot,
beginning at the open-air Mercado Robert
Rodriguez—the largest food market in the
city—to experience Bolivia’s edible bounty
firsthand. Though open every day, buying
and selling hits a fever pitch on Saturdays
when block upon block bulges with stalls
offering towers of tropical produce in every
color of the rainbow. Expect to see tubs
packed to the brim with peanut butter
ground from nuts plucked in a nearby
jungle, and towers of spices hand-ground
on the spot.
Running the show are the cholitas—
local women dressed colorfully in the
traditional costume of pleated skirts, leg
warmers decorated with llama patterns,
bright sweaters, and thick braids spanning
the length of their backs. Some arrive as
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vegvacation
early as 4am to prepare for the market’s
5am opening, and it’s not uncommon
to spot a sleepy cholita napping
among her wares.
“Que quiere?” they ask quietly as you
pass by while ogling pyramids of avocados
the size of softballs, with flesh so creamy
it spreads like butter. One can be yours for
about a dollar.
Rows of bins display the 200 varieties
of potatoes native to the region, including
the bright orange and purple sweet
ones that resemble witches’ fingers. The
bins also boast chuños—freeze-dried
spuds displayed like precious gems,
and the hairy, potato-like yuca sliced in
half to show off its blinding white flesh.
Wandering the foodie’s dreamscape takes
you past mounds of grains like millet,
quinoa, and its cousin, kañiwa. Save
room in your travel bag for the luxury
superfoods available at a fraction of the
price you’d pay in the United States—
among them Brazil nuts, cashews,
almonds, maca, and chia seeds.
Hungry in
La Paz?
Want to eat like the locals, but do it
vegan? Here are some of our favorite
eats from the Bolivian city.
Api
A deep-purple, hot beverage made
from maiz morado (purple corn),
this staple beverage is spiced
with cinnamon and cloves, and
reminiscent of mulled wine.
Sandwich de Palta
This simple avocado sandwich is a
typical snack for Paceños; be sure
to ask for it sin queso y mayonesa
(without cheese and mayo).
Jugos or Batidos
Sold just about everywhere, fresh
fruit juices and smoothies should
be ordered sin leche and con agua
purificada (without milk and with
purified water).
Handicraft markets merge with
Mercado Rodriguez on the side streets,
exhibiting the vibrant and intricate
textiles often hand-woven by the mamitas
themselves. Cholitas spin yarn or weave
patterns right on the sidewalk, in deep
meditation as their fingers fly over the
looms like concert pianists. Stacks of neatly
folded fabrics stand several feet high, a
colorful delight to the eyes.
On one end, Mercado Rodriguez
eventually morphs into the lively Witches’
Market, where the superstitious Aymara
people sell a variety of herbs and folk
remedies to appease the spirits, while
Yatiri (witch doctors) pitter around with
their coca pouches and dark hats offering
fortune-telling services.
If the market has left you with sensory
overload, the time is right to step into
Namas Té, a cozy vegetarian restaurant
ensconced among the market vendors
and auto repair shops. Namás Té offers a
wide range of comfort foods ranging from
international cuisine to traditional Bolivian
meals, veganized. Order the four-course
vegan menu of the day for a taste of typical
Bolivian fare like sajta, customarily made
with chicken. This meat-free meal starts
with crispy quinoa patties topped with
slivered red onion and diced tomato,
accompanied by the dried and starchy
chuño—a steal for less than $5. The
intention behind the restaurant has always
been to provide affordable, healthy food
to everyone, and the majority of diners are
resident Paceños, or La Paz residents.
Saucy mushroom sandwich at Red
Monkey Patio (left) and nap time
at La Senda Verde wild-animal
rescue (right)
Day 2: Take flight
In the residential Sopocachi neighborhood,
yellow and green cable cars glide silently
overhead, ferrying passengers to the
neighboring El Alto district. Opened in 2014,
the Mí Teleférico cable car system has done
wonders to alleviate street congestion and
ease the burden of an overcrowded public
transit system.
For a bird’s-eye view of the city, walk to
the nearest Mí Teleférico station and soar
over the cliffs and jagged rocks of La Paz for
the 20-minute ride to Zona Sur. For less than
one dollar for the one-way journey, you
can marvel in awe at the homes clinging
precariously to the mountainside, and at
the serpentine roads that carve through
the city like a labyrinth as the tram plunges
deeper into the canyon. The wealthy flock
to this chic neighborhood brimming with
cafés that serve real coffee (only Nescafé
is available in most establishments) and
upscale boutiques. It’s here that you’ll
also discover Red Monkey Patio, the
first restaurant in La Paz to use the word
“vegan,” and which is, in fact, 100-percent
plant-based.
The popular lunch spot serves simple
dishes made with ingredients grown either
in the restaurant’s garden or sourced
locally. The Forbidden Black Rice Burger
($7) comes topped with grilled tomatoes
and velvety cream cheese, while the
colorful Tofu Pesto Sandwich ($7) is served
with bright-green cilantro sauce—a sharp
visual contrast to the tofu, which has been
stained an intense shade of orange from the
Photos courtesy Red Monkey Patio and La Senda Verde
64 VegNews JANUARY+FEBRUARY 2017

marinating spices. For dessert, don’t miss
what is quite possibly the best chocolate
mousse in the Americas; a thick and
silky raw blend made with macadamia
nuts, cacao butter, coconut milk, and
raw cacao powder procured from nearby
organic chocolate producers.
On Sundays, Red Monkey’s chef Pablo
opens the doors to Cocina Consciente,
the commercial kitchen in his family
home, serving a 10-course fixed-price
lunch. Book a reservation and plan
Sunday around a $12.50 feast, featuring
dishes like black sesame crêpes filled
with tofu; teriyaki green beans grilled to
perfection alongside a dollop of avocado
cream; or toothsome lentil and walnut
taco “meat” artfully arranged atop a
single brilliant purple radicchio leaf.
Day 3: Mas food + fun
With its close proximity to the
mountains, La Paz offers outdoor
adventure for adrenaline junkies eager
to escape the urban bustle. The nearby
Yungas region is home to what has been
dubbed “The Death Road” or “El Camino
de la Muerte,” daring some 25,000
thrill-seekers each year to brave the
steep drops and bomb down the narrow
43-mile road on two wheels. Local tour
company Gravity Bolivia offers daredevils
a day of adventure on mountain bikes,
beginning with a cruise down from
the snow-capped peaks and into the
sweltering jungle in just 40 miles,
culminating with a pasta buffet lunch
with vegan sauce and plenty of steamed
veggies. A shower at La Senda Verde, a
wild-animal refuge that cares for victims
of illegal trafficking, is a powerful postride
experience.
Nothing pairs better with physical
outdoor activity than beer, and at La
Paz’s Sol y Luna, thirsty adventurers
can swill a variety of local craft brews
like the vegan Saya or Stier. If your pint
and games of pool have revved up your
appetite, take a stroll past the Palacio
Quemado (the president’s residence) to
Ali Pacha, where diners can choose from
a five- or seven-course vegan menu ($20
and $29, respectively). Chef Sebastian’s
culinary creativity rivals what you’d find
at a swanky New York restaurant, but
at a fraction of the price. As each plate
Cómo se dice?
Learn these words and phrases to
navigate La Paz like a pro.
I am vegan
Yo soy vegano/a
Do you have soy milk?
Tiene leche de soya?
I don’t eat meat/dairy/eggs
No como carne (beef), pollo
(chicken), cerdo (pork), pescado
(fish) productos lácteos (dairy), ni
huevos (eggs)
arrives, a server appears tableside, raw
ingredients in hand, ready to explain the
food’s origins and the ways it is used in
each dish.
The bright pink and purple Beets
Three Ways is not just visually-pleasing,
but a delight to the palate, much like
the innovative quinoa cheese dancing
in tomato sauce. While the restaurant
is exclusively vegan, you won’t see the
“v” word anywhere. Ali Pacha aims to
educate guests about the social and
environmental responsibility of our food
choices without putting a label on dietary
boxes that may feel exclusive. For foodoriented
herbivores, a meal here is the
perfect cap on a La Paz vacation.
As the cultural hub of Bolivia, La Paz
might be off the tourist trail now, but it
won’t be for long. With its proximity to
Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and the
Salar de Uyuni—the world’s largest salt
flat—it’s the perfect place to stay and
savor the flavors of this picturesque and
biodiverse region. Pack your sense of
adventure and your walking shoes, and
prepare to be dazzled. The rawness and
fortitude that drive the city will convince
you to plan a return visit before you’ve
even left.
Jen Sotolongo (instagram.com/
longhaultrekkers) is a writer from Portland,
OR who is currently cycle-touring South
America with her partner and their Australian
Shepherd dog.
VEGNEWS.COM VegNews 65