Final Days in Cochabamba, February 20th & 21st

The last two days I've slowed down a bit and spent some quality time with my family.  I'll only get to see them every few years, so I wanted to make sure that my time was well spent.

I did manage to make it up to the statue of Jesus (the Cristo de la Concordia) overlooking the city yesterday.  Today I went into the cancha and took a few more photos and did a little shopping for my family.

This will be my final post from Bolivia, so I thought I would summarize my thoughts on the country.  I have really enjoyed my time here. 

One thing I'll always remember are the coca leaves.  I've seen many wads in men's and women's mouths.  I've seen wads of them on the ground.  And I even had some coca tea to settle my stomach when I was sick in Oruro.  I'm not sure if it helped, but it tasted great!

Carnival is obviously an event that will stick with me forever.  Anytime you put 28,000 dancers and 400,000 spectators together in a midsized mining town, it is going to be a spectacle. 

In some ways it was more amazing than I could have imagined (I had no idea costumes and masks could get that elaborate and colorful).  It was fun to see the importance to many of the spectators and their culture.  They can sit squeezed into a little spot on a temporary wooden bleacher for many, many hours at a time to make sure they don't miss anything.  Seeing the young and old get into the spirit of spraying each other with foam and water and nobody getting upset about it was pretty incredible.

In other ways I was kind of surprised with some of my observations.  Some of the dance groups felt like they were going through the motions, but others were amazing.  The groups get fairly repetitive.  The locals see the little nuances that make them different, but to the untrained eye you feel like you are hearing the same music and seeing the same costumes over and over again.  The organization of the event was also insane (the bleachers were still being build late the night before it started).

Bolivia, like many developing countries, has quite a mix of the old and the new.   You have the Quechua and Aymara women with their babies wrapped in colorful blankets that are comfortably holding onto their traditions and past.  It is definitely part of life and not forced.  But then right next to them, you'll have someone wearing fancy jeans and the coolest shirt they can buy.  You also see it in the architecture.  Some parts of town are very modern and you would feel like you are in a city in the United States.  While other areas have many unfinished buildings, standing water and the poverty that many developing countries are saddled with.

My biggest challenge in Bolivia was getting the photos I wanted.  The people here do not want to have their picture taken.  Every time I asked I would get a solid no.  The portraits you do see are people that I had to really talk to for awhile and even then it was difficult.  Many times they would laugh and joke about it with the people around them, but when it came down to it they still wouldn't let you take it.  I saw many amazing people that unfortunately I wasn't able to document this time around.

Overall I have really enjoyed Bolivia and experiencing their culture and traditions.  Maybe if I come back some day more of them will let me take their picture!

Cristo de la Concordia that overlooks Cochabamba, Bolivia.A butcher inside a neighborhood carniceria in Cochabamba, Bolivia.An elderly man having a smoke in the cancha in Cochabamba, Bolivia.A Quechua street vendor in the cancha in Cochabamba, Bollivia.A man wearing a mask for Carnival pushes a wheelbarrow through the cancha in Cochabamba, Bolivia.Aymara women sitting and talking in the cancha in Cochabamba, Bolivia.An elderly Quechua woman sits in the cancha in Cochabamba, Bolivia.A baby sits on his mothers back in her blanket in Cochabamba, Bolivia.A Quechua woman stuffs bags with confetti for Carnaval in Cochabamba, Bolivia.Offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth) are made by burning these symbols during Carnaval with the items they hope they are given over the coming year.A woman selling knitted hats from alpaca wool in the cancha in Cochabamba, Bolivia.Anybody want a llama purse?A Quechua woman crocheting a blanket.

Day 2 of Carnival, Feb 19th

Carnival goes until 4 or 5 in the morning and revelers are literaly drinking and dancing in the streets.  Due to my experience the day before, I was out by 10. 

Heading out the next morning we definitely got to see the aftermath of the previous night's partying.  There was literaly beer covering the streets.  The second day of the parade has a much different feel.  The stands are fairly empty in the morning. The people wearing the masked costumes take them off and march without them.  This is obviously to get some fresh air as many of them are hungover or even still drunk from the previous night's festivities.  The dancers are the same groups as they day before, but they are more laid back making it easier to take portraits.

One of the great things about Oruro's Carnival is that if you are a caucasian with a nice looking camera they don't care if you jump the fence and take pictures on the parade route.  I guess they figure the more people that know about it, the better!  I had done it the night before and did it again to get my last few shots of Carnival. 

A row of dancers in traditional Quechua dress at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer smiles at the camera at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A young dancer poses in the street at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A young dancer poses for the camera at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Colorful Aymara dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An unmasked dancer poses for the camera at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Colorful costumes at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An Aymara woman selling her knitted goods in Oruro, Bolivia.Mannequins that will scare you into buying the shirt in Oruro, Bolivia.

Bolivia's Carnival, February 18th

I recovered enough from the day before to spend a full day shooting Carnival and it was amazing!  Photographing it was really a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget.

Instead of writing about it, I'll let my photography tell the story.  I normally try to limit my blog posts to no more than 10 images, but this is one time that I don't think that is possible.  After a lot of tough choices, I have it down to 60.  Enjoy Bolivia's Carnival!

An Inca queen at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An Inca king at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Bolivian men play pan flutes at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An ornate costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.

Women dancing at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.

Masked dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer smiling at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Dancing up the parade route at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An intricate mask of a woman at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Traditional Bolivia dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer getting sprayed by foam at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia. Dancers that fall behind get whistled at and sprayed as they try to catch up.The intricate costumes and amazing colors at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A large group of masked dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A drum line at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Traditional Aymara dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Beautiful Bolivian dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Dancers having fun at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An elaborate costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Colorful blue and yellow masks at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.The horn section of a samba band at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A young dancer in action at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer smiles at the camera at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An intense Inca warrior mask at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.The most ornate costume I saw at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A mask of an elderly man at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Dancer jumping in tandem at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A detail shot of costumes at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A bear costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A devil woman at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A demon woman dances at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A demon costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Spectators having fun at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia. The ponchos are to protect them from foam and water that is sprayed.A devil, el diablo, mask at at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Masked dancers on the parade route at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.An amazingly intricate mask at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A humorous mask at Carnaval in Oruro, Bolivia.A beautiful dancer smiles at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Aymara women dancing with their traditional braided hair at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.

This photo is to give you an idea of how crazy Carnival gets. This is a narrow street that the parade route goes down. The spectators are packed on both sides.Two young dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Two dancers in amazing costumes at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Two spectators covered in foam at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia. It is considered good luck and just fun to get sprayed, so everyone does. I was even hit a few times.Masked dancers at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A vendor selling cotton candy to spectators at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A traditional Incan dancer blowing a horn during Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A band member wearing devil's horns plays a clarinet at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer has fun at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Colorful masks at night at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer in a bear costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A dancer in an angel costume at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A man in a dragon costume blowing flames at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Traditional women masks at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Dancers wearing demon masks with a wall of fireworks behind them at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A devil mask at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.A drummer at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Native dancers at at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.Looking down the parade route at at Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.

Experiencing Travel, February 17th

Traveling internationally has a lot of positives (which is why it is one of my passions in life), but it also can have some negatives.  Unfortunately today I got to experience that side of things.  I got sick.  Really, really sick.

I got on the bus to Oruro to go to Carnaval and was looking forward to the excitement ahead and felt great.  About 15 minutes later I started getting queasy and then it hit.  Something I ate the day before nailed me and made the five hour bus ride the longest of my life.  When I wasn't throwing up out of my window, I felt like I was going to.  It didn't help that we were on winding mountain roads and at times over 14,000 feet.

We made it to Oruro and I thought my difficult experience was over.  I forced myself to go out later that afternoon because I couldn't imagine missing any of the experience of Carnaval, but with the 12,000 foot elevation and the smells from the streets and food vendors in a developing nation, my insides and energy level were struggling more than ever.  With my stomach doing somersaults, I only was able to stay out for an hour or so and then had to call it a day.  Not exactly what I had planned. 

I took a very limited number of photos during the day, but I wanted to share my favorites.

Cochabamba has the largest statue of Jesus in the world, Cristo de la Concordia, overlooking the city (yes it is larger than Rio's). This was the view of it the morning we left for Oruro.A Quechua man in the mountains of Bolivia that I took during the bus ride from Cochabamba to Oruro.A Quechua woman at her fruit stand in Oruro, Bolivia.An Aymara woman in Oruro, Bolivia.A Quechua woman and man talking on the street in Oruro, Bolivia. It is a good example of how the women have held on to their traditional dress, but most of the men have gone more modern with their clothing.A group of friends having fun on the eve of Carnaval in Oruro, Bolivia.Being sprayed with foam or water during Carnaval is considered good luck. This man just got his share of luck.

Going to Carnaval

I am off to Carnaval tomorrow morning!  I will be traveling to Oruro and photographing Carnaval for the next three days.  I will be unable to post daily blog entries during my time there.  I will post two entries a day upon my return to get the blog back up to date.