Day 37 - Tupiza, Bolivia

It is hard to believe that Bolivia and Argentina share a border. They couldn´t be more different. In Argentina, the people look very European because of the influx of Italian and Spanish immigrants, the cities are well-developed, and the people all dress in the latest style modern.

In Bolivia, the people are very short (even I feel like a giant) and look more like their ïndian¨ancestors: dark skin, dark watery eyes, and black hair. The older generation and people in smaller pueblos still wear their traditional dress. For the women, this consists of a bowling hat (it looks like a shrunken derby hat); a colorful, pleated skirt, and a multi-colored shawl wrapped around the shoulders to carry babies or other items. The function of the shawl is obvious. And, as I found out on my bus ride from Uyuni to Potosi, the skirt makes it easier for the women to go to the bathroom wherever they are, whether it be on the side of the road or in the fields. I still cannot figure out the hat though. It is too small to provide any protection from the sun.

I have only been to three cities so far (Tupiza, Uyuni, and Potosi), but I have yet to see a paved street. Many of the houses here are made of mud bricks or adobe and covered with a straw or corrugated metal roof.

The people here are extremely friendly. For example, on my first day in Bolivia, I hiked to the large Christ statue that overlooks the city. As I was walking back from this hike, I heard loud music coming from the other side of town. I followed the music to a large grassy area where people were gathered around a band. It was a festival. The music was so interesting. The whimsical wooden pipes were paired with a drumbeat that sounded like a tribal war dance. The band didn´t seem to have any set members. People joined and left as the music progressed. All the people watching the band were covered in colorful streamers. I was taking pictures of the band and the onlookers, when the band stopped and insisted that I play with them.

Now anyone who knows me, knows that the only instrument I know how to play is the radio. And Rod jokes that I don´t even play that well. I tried to explain this to them, but that didn´t seem to matter. Finally, after declining repeatedly, they settled for dancing. The dancing too was interesting. Two people link arms and start half-stomp half-prance in a circle around the band. There were about ten couples doing this while I was there. Then, for no apparent reason, one couple yells, ¨Da a vuelta¨and everyone turns around and stomps in the other direction.