This weekend La Paz hosted Gran Poder. It’s a carnival-type parade where people dance in traditional and It was an amazing spectacle of color and music and dancing. We were lucky enough to get invitations from Mariel’s friend, Marcia, who works with the Governor; she organized the whole event and got us seats among the many dignitaries. The seats were amazing! We were right in the front, and I felt very important presenting my invitation and sitting with all the illustrious folks and various government officials.
That's Marcia there on the right.
We spent several hours there watching the parade and people, enjoying complimentary Pace as, a beer made here in La Paz. I’ll include a couple of pictures here but it takes so long to load them that I will put many more on my Facebook page if you are interested.
The costumes were incredible. They are hand-made each year just for the parade, and each dancer has several thousand dollars worth of jewelry adorning.
Several groups perform, representing different aspects of the culture, history, and society of Bolivia. Each group has up to several hundred performers and they dance several types of dances; each of them different and stunning. They are followed by their own band.
We spent several hours there watching the parade and people, enjoying complimentary Pace as, a beer made here in La Paz. I’ll include a couple of pictures here but it takes so long to load them that I will put many more on my Facebook page if you are interested.
The costumes were incredible. They are hand-made each year just for the parade, and each dancer has several thousand dollars worth of jewelry adorning.
Several groups perform, representing different aspects of the culture, history, and society of Bolivia. Each group has up to several hundred performers and they dance several types of dances; each of them different and stunning. They are followed by their own band.
After the parade we wondered around the center of town taking in the sights. It was a beautiful, bright and clear day, and I finally got to see the impressive Illimani Mountain that dominates the skyline of La Paz.
To the left there is Illimani and just to the edge at the right is the Devil’s Molar.
Afterwards we had lunch with Mariel’s family and spent a lazy afternoon dozing in the warm, bright winter sun. That night Mariel’s friend Adriana hosted a dinner party for us. I was able to meet several of Mariel’s friends, and they were all very kind and welcoming. The dinner was extraordinary. Check the facebook page for pics and be jealous! There was much laughing, some dancing, and I learned a new word: SEKO!
Actually, Mariel taught me this word before I arrived, but this was the first time I saw it in action…loosely translated it means “bottoms up…right now…and finish it.”
And that’s when we went out dancing. Let me tell you that drinking and dancing at this altitude creates an entirely different sensation than I am used to. But we had a great time and the damage was minimal.
The next day….err…well, maybe afternoon, when we got up, Mariel and her mother went to buy Saltañas…I think that is spelled correctly. This is a Sunday afternoon food. In form it is kind of like a hot-pocket, only it tastes delicious. It’s kind of like a soup in a dough pouch. IT ROCKS! They come veggie, beef, chicken, whatever…we had veggie and beef, and it was some of the best stuff I’ve ever had. A meal designed for hangovers. However, they do take a bit of training to master. The first one I bit into squirted soup-juice all over the Luza’s table cloth. But I think they were prepared for that. I got better by the last one.
So, it was a great weekend full of fun, family, and friends and food. What more could one ask?
Chau till next time.
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