Every 24th of January in La Paz, Bolivia, the people flood the streets in the name of hope and little things. It is known as the holiday of miniatures, or more formally, the festival of Alasita. Paceños (people of La Paz), partake in a city-wide ritual of buying and selling miniature representations of aspects of their lives, with the hope that fortune will smile on these things in the upcoming year. The story goes that on this day, the god of abundance, Ekeko, (who comes from the pre-Incan Tiwanaku culture)arrives in La Paz to grant the wishes of the citizens. At the vast Alasita market, which stretches literally all over the city, one can buy a plethora of small things, including miniature cars, houses, dollar bills, animals, babies, food, passports, wedding certificates, diplomas, or job contracts. Then people line up for hours outside of any church to have the items blessed.
I joined the masses and couldn´t resist getting myself a mini job contract in hopes of obtaining meaningful employment upon my return to the states. After some wandering and marveling at the mini world laid out on folding tables, I tried to capture some of the action on film. But a crowd yearning for prosperity is a ruthless one, and I was buffeted around to the point of feeling like a ping-pong ball. I was forced to retreat into my favorite cafe to read the paper.
