chico, chico, venga, venga!

Hi, I’m Charlotte. I’m the newest Black Tomato intern and I’ve been set a pretty fun task: brainstorming ways to keep you happy. Good huh? 2009 is all about giving our clients a lovely personal service, with lots of cutting-edge travel inspiration and money-can’t-buy perks. I’ve been thinking up creative ways to get this message across so hopefully we’ll inspire you to keep popping in for more chats when you fancy a break. It got me thinking of my recent time in Bolivia and how the locals would keep their clientele happy. Basically, it was all down to the fresh fruit salads. I just kept going back for more…

There was a fascinating mix of busy streets, sprawling with huge quantities of fresh bread rolls, herbal remedies, coca leaves in small mounds on the pavement; contrasting with the fresh tastes of a bowl of the most delicious strawberries, mangos, pineapples, papayas, bananas and grapes I’ve ever tasted. (Not forgetting the optional yoghurt, chocolate and quinoa sprinkles).

A moment of bliss on the chaotic streets of La Paz market.

It was simple as a tourist. A few words was all it took: “ensalada de fruta, por favour,” and the lady, towering high above from behind her stall, would silently chop up all the fruits packed tightly around her. The only time she would break her silence was to call out to eager looking passers-by – she was one of six fruit stalls you see, all set in a row. This was a cue for all the ladies to pipe up, shouting, “Chico, chico, venga, venga!” She’d continue peeling, cutting and beckoning out to people; sometimes winning over customers, sometimes losing to her rivals.

Besides their fantastic fruit salads, these women whipped up a mean smoothie – a myriad of delicious cocktails, sometimes mixed with milk, yoghurt or water. I’d sit on a bench placed outside the stall, looking out into the chaos. Women carrying large colourful bundles on their backs with children dragging behind; men blending into the background. That’s La Paz.

On my return home I reluctantly accepted that there’d be no more outdoor fruit salad stalls with unwashed, deliciously ripe fruit; instead I’d have to settle for the clinical and carefully wrapped fruit salads from the ever-multiplying chains. That is certainly why travelling makes a nice change. And for me, the kaleidoscope of tastes and smells I remember from that perfect La Paz fruit salad is a great metaphor for what Black Tomato aim to deliver to clients, and what we hope will keep you coming back!

CW