Happy Birthday Potosí!

The 10th of November is an important day in Potosí. Why, you might ask? I asked that same question around the office and around town. The best answer I received was that it was date that Potosí (as a Province) was created. Other answers I received varied from it being Potosí´s independence day to “I don’t know, but go watch the parade!”. Either way, I have never witnessed celebrations or spirit quite like this.

All week long, various marching bands were marching up and down the streets of Potosi practicing for the big day. Here’s a picture outside my office window! Ha ha! (Too bad I can’t convey a sound clip across this posting! Some of the tubas and big drums would make the windows rattle!) Things then got into full swing after work on the 9th. The parades through the big square in town (aptly named the “Plaza 10 de Noviembre”) had already started. It was complete with news reporters taping from the top of vehicles and loud speakers set up in from of the government buildings making various announcements about the history or giving info about the people walking by in the parade at the time. They even set up lights on the Cerro Rico, to highlight its silhouette in the night.


And of course, since it was a special time, there were constant fireworks / firecrackers / dynamite going off! Every time I heard the telltale “schwoofff” sound, I would plug by ears for the expectant subsequent 3 loud BANGS! Despite those efforts, my ears were still ringing by the time I headed to bed.

The next day the city was basically shut down. The “big” parade from yesterday paled in comparison to the festivities today! I stood crammed into the crowd, listening to the booming voice over the loud speakers and the marching bands, as the procession went by. Although I only watched for about 2 hours, the parade had started hours earlier and continued well into dusk. People from all the surrounding areas and towns had arrived to participate in the big day. If it weren’t for that reason, I wouldn’t have thought there was anyone left to actually watch!

As usual, I enjoyed watching the spectators as much as the event itself. Boys climbed the trees to get better views….

These guys managed to hide up on top of this tree for about an hour before the police guys came and ordered them down....
… or climbed onto window ledges….

….Even ladies perched themselves on small ledges hanging on to gratings to get a view over the crowds.

And, with every festival, the street vendors were out with a vengence. There was everything from women selling boiled corn….…. kids selling freshly made ice cream, frozen yogurt, and other forms of “helados”…..

… women offering a variety of goods from her basket or from inside the cloth tied to her back…..

…. And various carts set up selling everything from meat to puffed snacks…

The marching bands were interesting, all in their own uniforms.

Maybe the most disturbing, were the few female marching bands. The outfits they had to wear were incredible – especially considered most people are covered head to toe all day long! I was impressed that none of them tripped since they had to wear high heels (sometimes stilettos!) while marching and playing their instruments.

There were about 5 groups between each marching band. These groups varied from law enforcement (army, police, security guards, etc.)….


…. groups of miners…..
…. groups of “campesiños”…..
…. School groups…..
….. and everything else from business to politicians.

I was able to catch a glimpse of the newest political figure in Bolivia, the first Indigenous President since Bolivia’s independence: Evo Morales. He was decorated with flowers circling his neck and doing his duty of clapping and waving at everyone as they went by, flanked by other (important?) Bolivian officials.

Of course, with any big event like this, there was lots of law enforcement out to keep the peace, including this guy who was running to get this woman to move her fruit stand out of the way…
And still, even when I was going to bed, I could hear the marching bands cruising the streets, not ready to give up the celebrations.

I think Canada has a few things to learn about how to celebrate!