Life in Bolivia 2 ..

No self respecting street in Bolivia is without at least one Fotocopias and a Farmacia and most have more.
Photocopy stores abound because anything to do with anything even semi official requires at least one if not more photocopies of any related documentation.
This is because in the pùblic service each department is an island to itself and instead of actually being there to serve the public , it jealously guards its small feifdom meaning that knowledge is power and even if the person behind the counter knows that you will need an extra document when you go to the next department they won´t tell you. 
 This results in having to go back again when the next department tells you that you need that document and asking the person why they didn´t tell you that you needed that document can result in them feeling offended and the process taking even longer because you put their nose out of joint.
Pharmacies are not controlled or owned by larger groups, although there are some large chains. As in most developing economies it is possible to by antibiotics and a range of things over the counter and relatively cheaper.

In Bolivia and Peru many if not most retail stores and travel agents etc are open 7 days a week and till 8 -8:30 at night. There are some Farmacia chains and some restaurants in high tourist areas  that are open 24hrs.
It is a common site to see old ladies sitting under on a blanket under a lit building awning trying to eek out a small living. In the main for touristy stuff like llama and Alpaca garments I even saw one old lady selling bundles of wood.

Another very common shop are the llamadas - from llamar the verb to call. These places use VOIP to allow customers to call locally and internationally at VERY cheap rates.
From La Paz I called my bank in Sydney 4 mins cost me about 50cents.

Most food and grocery  and service based things are very cheap in Bolivia and a little more expensive in Peru. Unless it is imported and then it will be more expensive. 
On my last night in Sucre  I stayed in a 4 star hotel for the princely sum of $36 US.
But interestingly the most comfortable bed was in the Hostel in Aguas Caliente  which cost me only $17.
The other thing that a gringo has to re-educate themselves about is that that the toilet systems here are not designed to cope with paper so there are small paper bins next to the loos.