I will try to describe the first two days a bit shorter since the main events are saturday and sunday.
The carnaval of Oruro is a tradition that streches back more than 2000 years! Today it is one of the biggest carnavals in the world and many people travel from all over the world to watch this amazing event. A german orchestra actually travelled all the way from Germany just to compeed in the parade this year.
The carnaval of Oruro is a tradition that streches back more than 2000 years! Today it is one of the biggest carnavals in the world and many people travel from all over the world to watch this amazing event. A german orchestra actually travelled all the way from Germany just to compeed in the parade this year.
- I arrived in Oruro in the afternoon and found my way to the school where I was staying. I met Juan Carlos and Gabi who made it all possible. Both very nice and happy people which was a great beginning! Before they found out which classroom I was staying in, I had to wait. This was a great possibility to talk to Rose and Eline from Holland who was sitting outside on a bench eating lunch. We decided to go explore Oruro together.
As soon as we arrived to the market where there was a parade passing, kids started spraying us in the face with some kind of foam. It is prohibited to play with water during the carnaval, therefore all kids run around with this foam spray (some still use water though). White in the head we continued exploring. We first went to the market and afterwards we watched the small parade for a bit. There was a llama walking in it!
In the evening Juan Carlos had arranged a dinner for us. It was a great way to get to know people and start of carnaval with a few beers. We had to wait for 2,5 hour for the food which was some salad, rice, pasta and lentils. It tasted good though since we were all starving :)
Back at the school I spent half an hour talking to Manuel from France who I had great fun with during the carnaval.
Manuel and I
Friday February 8
- I slept really bad this evening. The school was quite cold since some of the windows to the classroom was broken, my mattress was thin and my blanket was very small. The blanket couldn´t really cover me and it couldn´t close for the cold air. Anyway, it was carnaval and all I needed was a coffee and the good atmosphere of the city. During the day we walked around a bit and then we had a few beers at the school and I played a basketball game. Me, Andreas and Manuel vs Tim, Matt and Alban - great fun! It was nice to finally do some sports again. It was hard in the altitude though and my bloodsugar was flying up. Fortunately we had a break where I realised this and I just took two units of NovoRapid and didn´t notice it anymore.
Juan Carlos had arranged for a band to come to the school and play for us. The music was great and at some point everybody was dancing in a huge circle! While they were playing, one guy from the band came and handed out free coca leaves for everyone. Afterwards we went to the plaza and partied. There was music and a lot of people. I even met squirrel fuck and another guy that I celebrated Australia day with in Sucre. It was a great night and all the dancing and a few beers helped me to sleep better this night.
 |
| Coca leaves from the band |
 |
| The band |
Saturday February 9
- Today was the day longest day with a huge parade! I woke up at 7:30 and went for breakfast with Manuel and then we found our way to our seats in the parade. The parade was absolutely amazing! All kinds of costumes and all kind of people were in it. There was indigenous costumes, animals, the spaniards etc. Even better, I was watching it with all my new friends from Couchsurfing which just gave it an even better atmosphere!
I went out to go to the bathroom. When I exited the bathroom I saw six kids with waterguns and foamsprays looking up on me. We looked at each other for five seconds and they looked at my one small bottle of foam. After exactly five seconds, the chase begun. The kids started to chase me up the street - two more kids who I had a small fight with earlier spotted me and started to chase me as well. Fortunately I had longer legs than them and they couldn´t enter at the actual parade. I got away with my pride burried in the ground ;)
The day was amazing. All day I had foam fights, great food which was not even overpriced (the same prices as before the carnaval) and I talked to a bunch of locals. I met several groups of locals around our seats who invited me for beer or hot coffee with Casa Real. It was great fun talking to them and practicing my spanish!
I met Dana from the states who was actually going to dance in the parade at 9pm. That turned up to be quiet a bit later. Most people went to bed, but after a run around I went back to the seats and mingled with some new people. At 2am Dana finally passed our seats as the last group. At this point I started following the end of the parade, dancing on the side and running around like a crazy person until we got to the plaza where it ended. I lost track of Dana and started to meet locals once again. Getting coca leaves and beer. At 4am I randomly meet James, Camille and Alban from couchsurfing. We partied until 7:30 in the morning!
Sunday February 10
- After 24 hours of partying and only 1,5 hours of sleeping, I went back to the parade. A nice lady in front of me turns around and hands me a choclo and a big peace of cheese! Everybody told me I looked dead, apparently this is why she gave it to me ;) Today was a bit like yesterday, just going to bed at 4:30am instead of 7:30.
The Carnaval was all in all a crazy experience! Saturday must have been one of the best days of my trip and one of the biggest experiences of my life!
I met Dana from the states who was actually going to dance in the parade at 9pm. That turned up to be quiet a bit later. Most people went to bed, but after a run around I went back to the seats and mingled with some new people. At 2am Dana finally passed our seats as the last group. At this point I started following the end of the parade, dancing on the side and running around like a crazy person until we got to the plaza where it ended. I lost track of Dana and started to meet locals once again. Getting coca leaves and beer. At 4am I randomly meet James, Camille and Alban from couchsurfing. We partied until 7:30 in the morning!
Sunday February 10
- After 24 hours of partying and only 1,5 hours of sleeping, I went back to the parade. A nice lady in front of me turns around and hands me a choclo and a big peace of cheese! Everybody told me I looked dead, apparently this is why she gave it to me ;) Today was a bit like yesterday, just going to bed at 4:30am instead of 7:30.
The Carnaval was all in all a crazy experience! Saturday must have been one of the best days of my trip and one of the biggest experiences of my life!
No comments:
Post a Comment