The centre of La Paz is like a huge market place, with streets specialiasing in different products: toiletries, booze, party decorations, clothes, and of course the famous Witches Market where llama foetuses and other exotic items are sold for health, wealth, and fertility etc.
We´ve learnt that guinea pigs should not be eaten unless you have raised said guinea pig. This is because it could have been used to cleanse someone of ill luck or illness which would then pass on to you!
In addition to cleansing, guinea pigs are also used to detect disease. For example, someone with an ailment would have a guinea pig that matched their age and gender placed in a bag on their chest for an hour. The guinea pig would then be removed and dissected. According to the locals, the state of the guinea pig´s organs would reflect those of the human being treated, and would indicate which organ required treatment.
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