CARNAVAL!

Carnival in Bolivia is kind of like Mardi Gras. The heart of it lasts three days and on the first day is a parade of all the dancers that have come to town. Oruro has the largest carnival celebration in the country. Advise from other folks about whether to go or not swung like a crazy compass needle...But we decided we must go see it, as crazy as it sounded.

We opted for the 20 hour day tour. Four hour bus ride there and back and dancers going by all day during the "Entrada" or the entrance of the dancers. This photo above, Tom took of dancers from the low lands with exotic bird feathers. I learned recently some of the history of Carnaval, which started in the high Andes. When the first potato harvest is in, it was time to relax a bit and recharge for the next planting. Original peoples believed that there were spirits in the ground and you released them when you pulled up your potatos. These spirits were neither bad nor good. (The bad/good concept was introduced by the Catholics?). But the spirits did party with you for three days, and during these three days there was no God. It was time to let loose. When the party was over, you had to convince the spirits to go back into the ground to help your potatos grow in the next season. One way to help get them get back in, was to throw water. This has somehow lasted throughout the years but I'm sure the young people have no idea the water balloons, called "globos" here, they hurl at girls from car windows while going 30 mph are actually accomplishing such noble things. So water, specifically throwing it at someone else, is a huge part of Carnaval. Also such mutations as cans of spray foam and huge "super soaker" squirt guns.