Any Given Sunday

On Sunday, Marie, Casey, Lysi and I went to San Francisco for mass. The walk there was fun because every single Sunday in La Paz, the streets are blocked off for a carnival. Bands, dancers, performers all set up little stages and shopkeepers set up kiosks with jewelry and hand-made goods. Because the referendum is coming up, there were several cars which were absolutely drenched in posters proclaiming Evo Morales as the savior of Bolivia, and people would walk around with megaphones saying vota por Evo! vota por Evo! Flags and posters everywhere, you can't escape anything.

San Francisco was so beautiful. Although my stomach wasn't in the holiest mood that day, the church is quite arresting. It affronts all your senses and then some. Gold inlay is everywhere you look, and the exterior is just as exquisite. It was built in 1549 and you can see a picture of it on this website: http://www.twip.org/image-south-america-bolivia-la-paz-church-san-francisco-church-gl-9346-2840.html

Anyways, during the offertory ceremony, an usher grabbed me and Casey and asked us to bring up this doll of a Bolivian woman riding a horse to the priest. We just walked really slowly and gave it to the priest but I felt so weird, like everyone was watching me. Well, they were. Also, I still haven't figured out why the priest needed this doll as part of the mass.

Afterwards, I bought Señora some roses that a woman was selling outside of the church. We had lunch together with Jovita in Café Fridolin, this Austrian pastry shop that is my new wifi hangout. I am here right now eating this cake called The Black Rose, which actually looks like rose, but the petals are thick slivers of dark chocolate. Jealous? Anyways, after lunch, the CFHI gang went to see some wrestling. I know, it sounds weird, but people get really into it here. There is an old tradition, Cholita wrestling, in which Cholitas from different villages fight each other before the harvest. If you water the ground with your blood, you will be rewarded with an abundant crop. Okay. Now mix this ancient tradition with Fox's WWF wrestling and there you have it. A Cholita cracking a wooden box over a guy's head, while a midget dressed like Aquaman runs between their legs. It was oddly entertaining but I don't think I need to see it again.


I forgot to mention something. When Alex and I took the minibus to El Alto to see the wrestling fight, I sat next to this old guy who was the nicest guy ever. I promised myself I would mention him here. He told us how to get to the stadium and to be careful, etc. and was so cute besides. He acted like it was the coolest thing that I was from the U.S. and asked me, how do you like Bolivia? Are we being good to you? Um, Yes!!! Big, hearty handshake on the way out of the bus. And then, when I was waiting in line to buy a ticket for the wrestling match, the guy in front of me in line gets me going on the same conversation. Wow! You're from the states? How do you like Bolivia? What have you seen so far here? Everyone is so proud of this country, they have a real team spirit going on. I think this will be what I miss most when I leave.