Heading for the Hippie Village

It is not necessary to have an address in order to find it easily. Everybody knows the Hippie Village at Mar de las Pampas. This is the gathering place for craftsmen, plastic artists and all those who feel the pleasure of holding a book in their hands and dive into it.

The unusual, young and ever changing proposal of the Hippie Village has been amazing tourists for years. The members of a community devoted to diverse crafts put together their cunning pieces in a common place and offer them for sale at colorful stands.

Many of the workshops have been settled at this location. We were dazzled by the techniques used to turn a piece of wood, leather or metal into a precious handicraft. Others show how fine knives are made, cartapesta and pottery techniques that respond to different schools.

But that was not all. There is also a reading space open to visitors, where some books may be borrowed and read under the trees or on the terrace. The idea is to discover the wonderful world of words and to spread texts amid adults and children alike.

An old truck drives around the village showing off its shelves teeming with books. Likewise, a kiosk offers the same service on the beach. Both are street libraries organized by the craftsmen with the same purpose.

Another activity encouraged by the Hippie Village group is chess. We could see young people sitting in front of the board concentrating on such passionate game, for free.

We enjoyed the show performed by street artists in front of a heterogeneous audience who left some coins in a cup to celebrate the work done by musicians, clowns and tightrope walkers.

Visitors to Mar de las Pampas, the slow-paced village, just need to reach the corner of El Lucero Avenue and Mercedes Sosa Street, where imagination becomes art and culture.