I was able to see a traditional festival that goes back for centuries with the indigenous people. They believe in Pachamama (Mother nature) and that blood must be spilled to by combatants to ensure a fruitful harvest or fertility. I went to the pueblo of Macha which is 4 hours from Potosí. I witnessed a lot of dancing and saw a little bit of fighting before the police broke it up with tear gas. The different village groups had differing attires from each other and only danced with their village. It was a very authentic cultural experience.
Prefestival dance on the hill above Macha
 |
| Sam (from OpenSpanish school) trying to blend in ;) |
That evening while in town surrounded by lots of people I had my wallet stolen. I didn't discover it being missing until some kids handed it back to me. Fortunately my passport and bank cards were still there. The thief only took the cash. It was my fault it was stolen as I got use to leaving it in my pocket in Sucre since its safe there. (I didn't find out until later that Llew also got robbed in La Paz on the same day as me. He lost all his bank cards.) Since I didn't have any cash, Sam was kind enough to cover for me until we got back to Potosí.
Monday, festival day and fighting.
A Fight...
That looks like so much fun and a great place. So sorry you got your wallets stolen. That is a true drag and time consuming. So glad you and Llewelyn re-connected. Guess you r on your way to Machu Picchu. On my list of things to do. Take care and keep the pics and stories coming. Xoxoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a great place and what a cultural experience. I just finished my trek to Machu Picchu. I'm lagging by a couple posts now. I will get caught up by next week hopefully. haha!
Delete