Fighting for Life in Oruro's Carnival in Bolivia

11 - 19 February 2010
The most astounding thing about Oruro’s Carnival is the shear size of it! It is amazing, it has been included in UNESCO’s Heritage of Humanity list, and is considered the most folkloric of all the Carnivals. This year,  it involved 250, 000 visitors to a city which normally houses about 300,000 people, and I read in the newspaper that it involves 50,000 dancers and 6000 musicians!
   I think I started arranging my stay in Oruro in about October, I had danced with a Bolivian guy at the Casablanca Salsa club in Brisbane and he had told me about it. I contacted a Couchsurfing member (www.couchsurfing.org) for more information. This proved to be a good move…. He had about 40 requests and he managed to arrange accommodation for all of us!
   I arrived on the Thursday prior to Carnival, but even on that day a parade was happening, a much more ‘traditionally dressed’ parade. There were another 3 people staying in the same house as me, 2 Swedish girls, and a girl I had met in La Paz, from Canada.

   I entitled this blog ‘Fighting for Life…’ because I want to tell you about 2 frightening events that happened to us in Oruro:
   On the Friday night our host took us (not the Swedish girls... later) into the Plaza area where live music was playing, the place was crowded and we pushed our way into the crowd for a better view. The atmosphere was exciting! But soon, the crowd got, well, too crowded. Bodies pushed against bodies, sometimes the crowd surged and we were forced to surge with it. It got  scary. Our host decided it was time to leave, much to my relief.
   We were all headed out together, when I realised that there was a fire at the side of the crowd, and it flared and subsided, and this was what was causing the crowd to surge. I got a fright, panicked and left. It wasn’t until I got well clear of the crowd that I thought of the others. I had a bad experience with fire as a child, and so fire can scare me a lot. It was a weird experience. I lost my beautiful scarf, a gift from friends in Australia, but I didn’t care… I was out!

   The Swedish girls hadn't come with because they were both suffereing with Altitude Sickness. I offered them my medication, as recommended by WHO (World Health Organisation), and they both took it. The next day the brunette was quite well, but the blonde wasn't. She had been sick all night, vomiting and unable to breath properly. She was anxious and frightened and kept breaking into tears. I kept offering to take her to hospital, but I guess she didn't want to put us out, or she hoped it wasn't necessary. I thought maybe it would help if she ate, so I cooked her a simple porridge, and she kept it down, so then I suggested we go for lunch. But she barely made it to lunch and struggled through sitting in the restaurant. I decided it was time to get tough, she had to go to hospital. I told her that if my Mum were there, she's insist that this girl went to the hospital and so we were going.
   They immediately put her on oxygen, and fully checked her over. Then they explained to us how dangerous Altitude Sickness can be (it can kill), and what it can do to your lungs and brain. I was glad she couldn't hear or understand all of this, but was finally getting help! They insisted she go back again at night, morning and lunch for more oxygen, and took it easy. The next day, when they checked her over, they told her it wasn't good, and told the two of them to take the bus to the coast of Chile (it's the nearest). She thoroughly thanked me for my strong action, in insisting on going to hospital. I'd like to thank my Mum.

   Carnival itself was magnificent. Big, beautiful, interesting, exciting, patriotic, and I really can't imagine Rio to be any better (but I might have to find out one day).

 

Thursday was very tradition in it's style.

  

The main focus of Oruro Carnival is El Diablada, where the Angels, rule the Devils (if I got it right?).

  

Groups of Musicians, 6000 total musicians, were intersperced between the dancers, 50,000 of them.

  

This gives an idea of the general scene - all day and night Saturday... I don´t know when it eventually stopped, I stopped watching Sunday night.

  

Note the poor deceased Armidillo, which they swung thousands of on sticks as a kind of rattle!

 

Aside from watching the parade, you were also likely to get soaked in water or foam, see the people between the dancers and the barricade.

   I stayed another 4 nights in Oruro, thanks to the hospitality of the Couchsurfers´ Cousin. The couchsurfer himself had invited me to a family lunch the Monday after Carnival and I just stayed and stayed. The Monday night we went to a Karaoke- Disco where I was surprised, delighted, and shocked that they played carnival songs and everybody danced like they were in the parade. In the following days I visited the local thermal baths, ate yummy Llama stews and other specialty local dishes and visited a old mine (tour). I had fun, and I really appreciated the hospitality of my hosts.

Notes: 
Accommodation on couch in private house during Carnival $9 per night. 
Carnival seating $27. 
Carnival meal of dried Llama, boiled egg and corn $1.50. 
Cans of beer 90c.

La Paz, Bolivia

6 - 11 February 2010
   La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, didn't deserve 5 nights stay, but I was waiting for Carnival in Oruro, and I wanted to be sure to re-aclimatise before Carnival. (La Paz and Oruro are at high altitude).
   I did make a day trip out to Tiahuanaco, and important Pre-Inca site, but I think it wasn't so much worth the effort.

 

La Paz, Bolivia's Capital, is at 3,636m above sea level.

  

I went to the Cholita wrestling. It's all pretend and mildly entertaining. The main focus is traditionally dressed women, in skirts, fighting men and other women.

  

Tiahuanaco, pre-Inca site.

 

In the Witches market of La Paz you can buy dried Llama fetus's to offer to Pachumama (basically mother earth). I bought an Alpaca Sweater instead.... it cost $45! Bargain. (This time it's a real one).

Notes
Accommoation: Adventure Brew too hostel. $7.50 per night in 8 bed dorm, pancake breakfast included. *** ok.
Santa Cruz to La Paz.... I flew! I couldn't bare the idea of a long bus ride with possible delays due to flooding, so I taxi'd to the airport and got a flight at the last minute $120. 1 hour. (16-36 hours by bus).

Ginger´s Paradise ain´t no paradise! Samiapata, Bolivia

3 February - 6 February
    I had seen some advertisements pasted around Santa Cruz and Samaipata for a place called ´Ginger´s Paradise`, and thought it sounded like a really interesting place to visit. The advertisements and the website claimed that you could help out on this farm, with things like making soya milk, cheese and yoghurt, and in return for doing such activities, for 2 hours a day, you would pay 65b´s for your bed, breakfast and lunch, instead of the 80b´s. Great, I thought, I can learn some interesting things.
   There were 3 other adult ´volunteers´ there when I arrived, and when I first arrived the owner wasn´t there and I was very confused about whether to stay or leave. But I stayed. The owner (Cristabel, American) and his family got home for Santa Cruz at about 10.30 that night, I was sleeping in a hammock, exhausted from the party the previous night.
   Unfortunately a horse died that night. These things happen I guess and it needed to be buried, so we grabbed the picks and shovels. After a while I thought to ask if it was known why the horse had died, Cristabel said in town that morning he was informed there was a virus going around and that he should have vaccinated his horses against it, but hadn´t known. My mind sprung to the Hendra Virus breakout in Australia last year, and I wished I had paid more attention to what it was all about. After an hour it was offered that I could do some weeding, it had been noted, I guess, that I´ll no talent on a shovel or pick.
    After lunch, I started weeding again (hey 3 hours work before lunch now there was more!). The farm, 25 hectares, is across a ravine, which you walk across a suspension bridge to get to. The road on the other side is in reasonable condition but apparently about once a year a car misses the corner and goes over the edge. It happened that afternoon, while I was weeding. I didn´t see it happen, but the occupants needed help. I guess, judging by the flood markers under the bridge, that the drop was about 10 metres. The driver was ok, it seemed, but the woman passenger was not. The men got heavy blankets to use as a stretcher and carried her out. Then we waited for a car to stop and help.
   Most cars didn´t stop.. Miraculously, the first car that did stop didn´t help. The occupants got out and took photo´s and drove off. The woman was unconscious, and clearly needed help, I thought that although the car was full they could have taken the woman and come back for their people. Eventually a taxi arrived (Cristabels son had bicylcled to town and acquired it), and took the woman away. I probably won´t ever know if she was ok. Ironically the car had driven right through 3 roadside memorials that were there to remember previous deaths in that spot.
   Some paradise!
   I had spoken to the others there and realised that interesting farm jobs, like advertised, didn´t really happen, and I decided I would probably leave the next day. But I woke up to rain and didn´t like the prospect of standing in the rain, roadside, waiting to see who would stop. So I decided to stay another night. At least, because of the rain, me and the other woman there got to help in the kitchen. We made bread, jam, soup. One of the guys got to help Cristobel carry 80kg beems of timber up the ravine all day, the other volunteered to pay for a craft lesson. When in the afternoon we started cleaning up for Ginger´s (the daughters name is Ginger) birthday party, I decide that I really didn´t want it to rain tomorrow, I wanted to leave. The next day I had breakfast and left. Instructions were being given for more carrying of timber.
    Cristabel is getting some really cheap labout here. A saving of 15b´s is about $2.25. From what I am told the locals would be paid quite a lot more. Well, I guess if he can find tourists / travellers dumb enough to do it! All the others had stayed at least 2 weeks. And they had arrived via the Wwoofing lift.
   Some Paradise!

 

When the vehicle landed the river didn't have so much water, it rained all night and I cursed myself for not having taken the photo the day before, when it first happened, but that seemed rude too. So this picture shows the 4wd, the suspension bridge and James (a Wwoofer). Ironically, the 4wd had better tires and was generally  in better condition than most the vehicles travelling on the road. The driver said he was going too fast.

 

Me, pulling weeds in 'paradise'.

Notes
Accomodation: Ginger´s Paradise . without work $12 for bed, breakfast and lunch. Reasonable value, if you don´t do the work option... the food is really good! The work option is completely to the farms owners benefit!
Taxi Samaipata to Ginger´s $4.25. Taxi Samaipata to Santa Cruz $4.

When she leaves the church, the town has a party!

(Samaipata continued)

I couldn´t help it, he was so cute!

Seriously now, we went to the Animal Refuge this inquire about renting horses. A young man came out with a monkey on his shoulder, the monkey promptly climbed down the man, up Kris, and across to me. Now this monkey has a reputation in town for biting, so went he started to kiss me on the lips, tongue and all I was´n´t sure what to do. I kept my mouth closed, and gently removed the monkey.

We hired horses at La Vispera instead of the Animal refuge (I didn´t want to go back there). We were told La Vispera had the best horses in town and I wanted a good horse. I felt so comfortable on this horse!

When she leaves the church, the town has a party!

   Oh, I do have to tell you about the big festival they had in Samaipata while I was there. It was for the Virgen of Candeleria (think Catholic church virgin saints on this one).
   As I mentioned in my last entry, I had decided to leave Samaipata, but then it rained and I postponed my departure for a day. That night as Kris and I were leaving the diner where we had eaten, we discovered a festival starting outside the church. At first we didn´t know what it was about and then we saw one of our National Park trek guides in the plaza and so he filled us in. And then his 8 year old daughter decided we´d be fun and so with his encouragement we hung out with Maria Jose. There were a lot of fireworks, many going sideways through the crowd. You had to actively avoid being hit! And then the Virgen came out of the church (see picture) and everyone, including us, followed her.
   We went to a private house where we were unable to avoid being given Chicha (a mind alcoholic fermented corn drink) and a cheese sandwich. Music was played to the virgen. We were told the party would recommence at 9am the next day and agreed to meet our junior guide, Maria Jose, in the plaza for another day of fun. We went back to the hostel, but the music continued all night!
    Maria Jose must have been excited, becuase she turned up at the hostel at 8.30 to pick us up. Kris wasn't ready, but I was. Kris said he´d catch us up, and Maria Jose made me run to church... she didn´t want to miss mass.
   It must be about the second mass I have been to in my life. I didn´t understand a lot of it. Maria Jose didn´t like that I wouldn´t cross myself (is that what it is called?), but I would have felt hypocrytical doing so.
   After mass, we followed the Virgen again, back to the same house. This time we were given big plates of cake and hot chocolate while a Mexican Mariachi band played to the Virgen. (It clearly was for her entertainment, the band members dedicated full attention to her.) Later in the evening the same house fed the public (me included) on pork, rice, potato and salad, and offered beer, whilst 2 big bands took turns playing music for the masses to dance to.
   Apparently this house applies for the privilege of hosting the town in their house for the festival and it is done at their own expense. They must have hosted at least 200 people, possibly more, and I heard that the Mariachi´s cost $100 per hour (a lot of money here). I do hope they get some good favours back from the Virgen!
   The next day, I finally left Samaipata, to go to Ginger´s Paradise.

This is the Virgen de Candeleria. This is the one that the party was held for.

Kris and I trying to negotiate 9 pieces of cake and a hot chocolate. All free!

A bit longer than expected in Samaipata

23 January - 3 February

I did really really well to get this photo. Samaipata and it´s surrounds are just full of butterflies of all different types, but this one particularly got my attention! The wings are clear, you can see the buds and stem on the other side.

El Fuerte.... a very important site near Samaipata. It is one huge carved rock from civilisations prior to the Incas, although the Incas used it too. There are many theories about its purpose... I like the one about it being a landing pad for space craft the best. It is way more interesting in real life than in the photo.

There are 10 caterpillars, five on each side of the leaf, working in unison at eating the leaf.

When we got to the Bella Vista (Pretty View) the walking was easier. But we still had to get back down, and that wasn´t easy.

Me on a rock, Los Volcanos hike. There are no volcanos... they just call it that. It was a good hike, through rivers all day!

   The town of Samaipata is about 120kms from Santa Cruz, but takes 3 hours of driving around the edge of a ravine to get there. The town is on the southern edge of Amboro National Park, as Bolivias third most important park it features a large diversity of forest types.
   When I arrived I thought I would probably pass about 3 days in Samaipata, but the place was so nice, and the company so pleasant, that 3 days soon turned into 10. Although I arrived in town in a group of 6 (as per my last post), 2 of us separated from the group to stay in nicer accomodation, and we formed an agreeable bond, with similar tastes, and with this new partnership, it was easy to stay put in the lovely town.
   We visited the ruins (El Fuerte), did 3 different national park treks, rode horses, and wandered around the town. Just when I decide it was time to leave, it rained and, being that I was headed to a nearby farm, I decided to wait another day before leaving, and then, that night a major festival started in the town that would continue the next day and so I decided to stay to be part of that.
   Before I say anything else, I will give some detail of my company for the 10 days. It was the Belgian (mentioned in the last post), his name is Kris, and we have a lot in common. And yes, we are just friends.  
   The most interesting trek we did was possibly one called 'Bella Vista', only we didn't do the trek that they normally call 'Bella Vista', we did something completely different. I'm quite proud that they thought I was strong enough and that I 'made it'.
   Our tour group that day consisted of Kris, myself, a Spanish guy called Gabriel who was cycling through South America, our guide, our guides guide, and our guides guides son. Apparently the second guide was wanting to create a new 'Bella Vista' trek, and we were the guinea pigs (although they didn't tall us until the end of the day). They spend the day cutting our path with Machete's and there were times that they said 'oops, wrong way, turn back' (but in Spanish of course). At one point Kris and I realised we were walking on top of the bushes (covered in thick growth), and then we had to jump down off the bushes. I did start wondering how lost we were and if we would make it out alive, and we made it back to the car just as the sun went behind the hills. It was extemely challenging, but we made it, and I loved it. And I saw a Condor!
   At the end of the day they decided that the new trek is too dangerous and won't be used. So we can proudly say that we were the only tourist to do that trek, ever!
  
   ... To be continued (and photos to be added next time I have USB that works!)

Notes:
Accomodation in Samaipata: Andorina Hostel $6 per night, including wonderful breakfast. *****

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

21 January - 24 January 2010

   There really wasn't a lot of reason to stay 3 nights in Santa Cruz. There isn't a lot to keep a tourist busy, but I kind of liked the city. It showed signs of wealth that I hadn't really seen in other parts of Bolivia, and although I have no need or want of brand name shopping, it intrigued me to see such an array of expensive brands available. But aside from that I also particularly liked the hostel, it had a pleasant tropical courtyard garden with hammocks, and, best of all, a pet Tucan.
   The Tucans name was Simon. I hadn't been reading in a hammock for long before Simon, just 6 months old and full of curiousity, jumped onto my chest. I thought he was friendly, but I soon dicovered he wasn't so interested in me as the pearls and beads on my necklace. He tried to steel them from me. This would happen anytime I didn't tuck them under my shirt and by the third day he had figured out that the black cord around my neck was attached to the glossy round things and he could pull them out by pulling on the black cord.
   I also visited the Zoo, and found it quite enjoyable. Now, of course, the standard isn't up to Australia Zoo's, but it was pretty good. I learnt than Condors are massive! (and I wished they weren't caged). Most exciting were the sloths that seemed to be allowed to roam freely.... I guess that if you spot a sloth getting too close to the exterior fence, you just pick it up and take it back to the center of things (Frustrating for the sloth I bet!). I actually saw zoo visitors pick them up, which surprised me.
   I left Santa Cruz on the Saturday, headed to the town of Samaipata, with 3 Isrealis, 1 Brazialian and 1 Belgian.

One of the sloths that freely roam the zoo.... slowly. It wasn´t hard to snap a photo!

Simon, now I know you might think one should take the cigarette butts off him, but I tried to take a loose bead from him the day before and he swallowed it to not lose it to me. Tucan beaks don´t seem too useful and he gives up on pulling apart the butts after a while.

Notes
Accommodation: Residencial Bolivar $6 per night, inc good breakfast ****
Dinner at popular restaurant for typical Bolivian fare: Casa de Camba $6 *****

Really off the beaten track.

18-20 January 2010
   When one visits the bus terminal in Tarija, you find that all buses leaving Tarija in the Eastern direction go at night. But really, I love seeing the countryside, and if I have to travel by night, with bad sleep and not seeing a thing, then I will leave Bolivia and go someplace else. So, I pushed the question, and found out that there was another bus stop on the edge of town with buses leaving by day, and so I got a daytime bus to a town called "Entre Rios". It was just over 100kms away, but the journey took over 3 hours.
   It was a beautiful small town (the name means Between Rivers), and I stayed in a nice comfortable place on the plaza and spent the afternoon walking in the countryside.
   The next morning the scenario of being told that there were only night buses was repeated. But I kept pursuing the question, refusing to believe it, until I learnt that if I walked out of town to the Mercado, I should find a bus going out late that morning. The bus took me to Villamontes. The 6 hour journey was amazingly spectacular, it wound around narrow roads that clung to the side of the steep terrain. At one point we had to wait while machinery cleared a landslide from the road.
   Villamontes has a tremendously pretty plaza, but all the side streets look like a construction team never finished. I had the most fantastic meal there too.... an Argentinian style Parrilla. I told the man I didn´t want much and he kindly brought me the best steak on the grill!
   From Villamontes I took a bus to Santa Cruz. Getting a day bus this time wasn´t as challenging, although the general attitude suggested I should be travelling by night.

Toy Soldiers? In the Town of Entre Rios there were a lot of men, aged about 15-25?, with wooden guns. It seemed to be some military training.

 

The Bus driver, Entre Rios to Villamontes. I sat up the front and watched. He stayed awake on Coca leaves and pills. I´m glad he stayed alert.

  Housing along the road.

  The views weren´t quite captured on photo, and they weren´t stopping for me to take photos-

 Ok, not the best photo, taken out the front windscreen of the bus, but I´m hoping you can see the way the road drops off, with no rail. It was like this most the day. I´m glad the driver had those coca leaves keeping him awake.

  The parrilla steak I enjoyed so much. Made all the better becuase I hadn´t had lunch. (You get used to people getting on the bus and selling food, and so you don´t bring any, and then nothing gets offered to you!)

 

 Wow... it´s so green, not a bit like home! Road to Santa Cruz.

Notes:
Bus Tarija to Entre Rios $3
Accomodation: Entre Rios: Plaza Hotel $5.50 *****
Bus Entre Rios to Villamontes $4.50
Fantastic Parrilla Dinner in Villamontes $4.50
Accomodation: Villamontes: Plaza Hotel $12 *
Bus Villamontes to Santa Cruz $7.50