"Carnaval" in Bolivia

Over the last week I have been experiencing "Carnaval" in Bolivia...and it's been quite an adventure into colors, customs and cuisine! The opening event was "Dia de Comadres" a wonderful day of sharing friendship among women! My friends and I were invited to attend a "girls only" celebration and had no idea how wild and racuous a party of Bolivian women can be! We were initiated into the fiesta with water...thrown at us in bucketfuls...then some of my friends were literally baptized in the homeowner's pool! We danced out in the street to the music of a local band and ate typical "carnaval comida" of meat, cabbage, potatoes and rice covered in picante sauce. Needless to say, we limped home...exhausted but happy!

My second carnaval experience was on Friday, March 4th at the Maryknoll Institute where a group of the employees and professors lead us through the custom of Ch'alla. This custom is usually done on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but because the Institute was to be closed for carnaval...the ritual was prepared early especially for the students. Bolivians believe that Carnaval is a time to give thanks and gratitude to "Pachamama" (Mother Earth) for the fertility of the harvest. Each home and workplace presents a blessing (ch'alla) to "Pachamama" in the form of a burned offering of sweets, herbs and vegetables. As the humble offering was carried throughout the Institute, I couldn't help but think of the catholic ritual of blessing with incense.

On Saturday, March 5th, I travelled by bus with friends to the "Carnaval" in Oruro, Bolivia to experience what UNESCO has declared is a masterpiece of oral and intangible Bolivian heritage. What a day! As I have mentioned before...bus rides along Bolivian mountain rodes can be a threat to the passenger's heart and stomach and this trip was no exception...no guardrails, no bathrooms along the route...you can use your imagination! When we arrived at Oruro we were all quickly made aware of the fact that we were at 12,500 feet above sea level...as some of us started to experience symptoms of altitude sickness...headache, light-headedness and nausea. Our guide led us through the crowds to our seats in the bleachers along the parade route, gave each of us some bottled water or beer (!) to drink and then suddenly the whole scene errupted with the sound of marching bands and the site of joyful Bolivians dancing in the street.

The dancers were all wearing intricately designed costumes...reflecting themes of indigenous Andean culture...in all colors of the rainbow. To my eyes it seemed like the earth had suddenly opened up and flowered with people...the crowds chanted "beso, beso" (kisses) as the beautiful dancing girls passed by.

The parade lasted for hours...and we took just a short break for lunch and returned to our seats only to be sprayed by cans of foam and pulmetted with balloons filled with water! Luckily our guide had given each of us a plastic pancho to cover our clothing!

Unfortunately the day had to come to an end at dusk...and luckily for me...I remember very little about the 5-hour bus ride along the dark, serpentine mountain road back to Cochabamba!

But my most memorable and fun-filled Carnaval experiences have been with my Bolivian family, yesterday and today...eating Bolivian BBQ, setting off firecrackers, listening & dancing to Bolivian music and offering the "ch'alla" to this home which has given me so much love and support over the past two months while I have adjusted to life in Bolivia. Blessings to Henry & Lily and their family.

Feliz Carnaval!