Arrived by train from Uyuni at one of the most incredible carnivals I’ve ever seen; two days of thousands of participants and amazing costumes in an otherwise fairly dumpy, nondescript town about an hour South of La Paz.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures of what seems to have been a traditional carnival dish — fried sheep’s face. We met a bunch of Bolivians and Americans working at US-AID in La Paz who were participating in the festivities; they let us try on their (insanely heavy and elaborate) costumes. One young woman, who used to dance in one of the groups, explained that her initiation ritual had consisted of eating a plate of…sheep face. Mmh.
The whole affair was incredibly accessible, compared to the Rio Carnaval (at least in the Sambodromo); you could mingle with the parade, take photos with revelers, and generally have the run of the place, as long as you didn’t get in the way (those costumes will knock you down pretty easily) or squirt any of the probably carcinogenic foam spray sold for a buck a can on the outfits. That didn’t apply to the cops, though.
One gentleman helped me talk my way into the city hall, so I could get some shots from the balcony. Evo Morales showed up, and was a big hit, at least judging by everyone’s cheers and the comparative absence of security.
Antony Baker Photography
Paper Shadows Photography
Peter Norby Photography
In Focus
The Big Picture