ARTICLES OF Ollie Vargas

STONE SOUP

29 Apr, 2014 | Ollie Vargas

A Quechua soup originating from Potosí, kallapurca is thought to have been popularised around the 17th century. Characterised above all by the fact that the broth is boiled using heated pieces of volc...

LOS HELADEROS

29 Apr, 2014 | Ollie Vargas

The Precarious Prospects of La Paz’s Ageing Ice-Cream Men A ubiquitous sight across the plazas and pedestrian walkways of La Paz are the city’s army of ‘heladeros’ (ice-cream men). Mostly male an...

FUTSAL: THE MINIATURE VERSION OF FOOTBALL

25 Jun, 2014 | Ollie Vargas

Bolivia is known for not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup since 1994, when it was eliminated in the group stage. The country is far better known in the world of futsal, or indoor football, coming...

PORN IN LA PAZ

21 May, 2014 | Ollie Vargas

IT´S A COMMUNAL THING Nothing quite defines the seedy underworld of La Paz quite like its many ‘adult cinemas’ or cines privados, as they are called. Watching a bunch of old men sitting together...

LLAJUA

29 Apr, 2014 | Ollie Vargas

Llajua, the Bolivian hot sauce, is not just popular, but also an essential part of Bolivia’s social fabric. It’s eaten in every corner of Bolivia, transcending cultural and regional divides, from the...