Cafe La Valeriana

          On a free afternoon after class, a group of us look for shelter form a sudden onset rainstorm.  Nearby is the café La Valeriana, a place we know to have a great selection of pastries and coffee.  What better place to spend a few minutes in shelter from the weather?  This visit begins differently from the previous, as there are no seats left inside.  No problem, we think, we can enjoy our snack at one of the tables on the outdoor patio.  However, this simple change in location could not have had a larger impact on our experience at the café.

            This being our second visit to La Valeriana, we expect the service to come at a leisurely pace, giving us time to take in the people around us and the view of the buildings on the block.  Yet before we’ve even had time to peruse the menu, the first vendor approaches our table.  Similar to vendors up and down the streets, he greets us with an “hola amigas” and announces that he has original art for “almost free.”  At this point, I realize that we cannot ignore him or simply say “no thank you,” as we have done in most cases while passing unsolicited vendors on the street.  I begin to feel almost cornered, wary of the interaction that is about to occur.  Fortunately, these feelings were unwarranted, which I realize as the conversation continues.

            After inserting himself into our group, the artist actually turns out to be quite friendly.  Although he does try hard to sell us on the paintings in his folder, we wind up having a nice conversation unrelated to his work as well.  For example, he teaches us the difference between llamas and alpacas; you have to look at their ears.  He also teaches us some words in the indigenous language, Quechua.  Throughout the conversation, I am impressed by how well he speaks English, which he says to have learned just by interacting with tourists on the street.  When our food finally arrives, he takes his cue and respectfully leaves our table. 

At this point I realize another interesting aspect about these street vendors.  As soon as the artist walks away, the other vendors on the patio, who up to this point had kept their distance, start making their way towards our table.  In fact, it seemed as if they had been waiting for their turn to approach us and sell their wares.  I think the way in which these individuals took turns approaching us showed a form of respect they have for one another’s businesses, as they are all trying to make their livelihoods in the same manner.

Overall, I was grateful for the experience to chat with a local artist; however, by the time we left the café, I felt a bit worn out from the constant stream of people to our table.  The forwardness which the vendors demonstrated as they came up to our table is something I am completely unaccustomed to in the US.  I admired the confidence and persistence they had to keep returning to tables despite the majority of people not buying anything; regardless, I believe I will choose a table inside during my next visit to the café.