BUYING FRUIT

Today I was walking on the Ceja. Ceja is the center of El Alto. It is always crowded and one can find nearly everything to buy on the streets. Today we fortunately had a sunny and beautiful day, appropriate to buy some fresh fruit. So, I decided to buy some peaches and grapes.

“How much is a pound of grapes?”, I asked to the seller.

“3 bolivianos”, she answered.
“Then, I will take 2 pounds”, I said.

She took the balance and measured 2 pounds, and she gave me yapa too. Yapa is a native word that means an additional amount. For example, if you buy a certain amount of fruit or vegetables, the seller gives you a bit more of the product free.

“And how much does the peaches cost?”, I asked.
“25 peaches, 7 bolivianos”, she said.
“Then, I will take 25”, I said.
She counted 25 and gave 3 more peaches as yapa.

It is better to buy by 25, 50 o 100 in some products because the cost is lower than buying by smaller quantities. In the case of other products we buy by pounds.