Picnic and Meeting in the Country

Recently I was invited on a trip to the countryside with the sponsorship program that I use to work with my first time in Bolivia. There would be morning meetings and a picnic. I put together a pasta salad with lots of veggies, and beans, and filled a water bottle with boiled water as my preparations.

It took a while for everyone to locate the park (do not think US park) and families and groups staked out areas around one section of the park. We were the only group there on a beautiful sunny Saturday. The view above was looking north into the mountains. Along with the sponsored children/teens were brothers, sisters, parents and even some grandparents.



It was interesting to see a meeting under the trees, a good part of the group is pictured above, there are about 100 sponsored kids, there are many pairings of siblings. I know I had a hard time paying attention. There was a meeting for the parents and some workshops for the kids and teens. Some parts were led by the youth that receive scholarships for helping with the program. These college students run after school programs and help with the functioning of the program. I would have liked a few to have helped me when I was the coordinator!!



Later I discovered the word I translated as picnic had many different meaning to each family. The group above roasted potatoes in this outdoor wood fired oven, and shared it with everyone. Another group cooked below the ground a chicken stew, of course they used pots. Other families barbequed beef, chicken, hotdogs or sausages, or sometime all of the previously mentioned. Other people brought sandwiches and things quick and easy to eat. Others had cooked at home and brought pots of food along.



The group above cooked a pot of rice on yet another wood fire, to go with the chicken stew and potatoes. (Notice the houses of the neighboring property in the background). Being an invited guest I was offered food from many families, more than I could possible eat. My pasta salad only stretched to share with 3 families, a plate for each family.

Besides eating which was the most major event, folks went off the play soccer games. I stayed behind with Alex, who had been in my daycare center, and is wheelchair bound. He is now an adolescent and it was nice to spend some relaxing time with him. Later all the kids played a group game and all the adults were invited in for the last round of the game, a good time was had by all.



Some of the moms focused on the meeting in the morning.

Candid Camera Bolivia

I usually ask people if I can take their photos, and even offer a copy, since most photographers charge the equivalent of a local lunch, and poorer people don't have cameras. I learned on our recent retreat that many missioners take secret photos with their zoom lenses, so I tried it out. The first picture in the church wasn't very secret. I took it after mass, because I always wanted to share a photo of the blessing with Holy Water that usually takes place after each mass. As noted in earlier blog, this is not common in my country.



This group of señoras were passing through the plaza, looking like they were to spend a girl's afternoon out without their families. They many have on their Sunday best, but the type of outfit is common in daily wear of significant percentage of women. I know someone who was asked by a priest (non Bolivian) not to wear the customary clothes, because they were working at a church. I was insulted for the person. Now she has moved on to being a stay at home mom, and has returned to her preferred clothing after 6 years of being told what to wear by a priest, who thought it was beneath a church worker to wear the pollera. This is interesting because in the Senate House, all the representatives wear what they please, even the miners wear their helmets to session!


This is a poorer woman leaving church, she has on a shawl, and an aguayo which is used to carry just about anything including babies. Her sandals are called abarcas, which are made recycled tires, they are cheap and last a long while. She is also wearing an apron, which is quite common, especially in the market place. In my mother's day, they wouldn't leave the house with their aprons on, here many vendors wear them even if they are not selling food.




Grandma hangs out in the plaza. Wow that is some thick tree trunk, I was focused on the woman, but I just realized the tree is a great addition.

Andean New Year

For the Winter Soltice there is another Bolivian National Holiday. Andean New Year is celebrated by greeting the sun as it rises on the first day after the winter soltice. It is celebrated in many different locations. The most famous in Bolivia would be at Tiwanaku located in the altiplano outside of La Paz. The president usually goes there. His inauguration was held at Tiwanaku.



Here in Cochabamba the famous location is the ruins of Incarakay located outside of the town of Sipe Sipe. Pictured on the right on an ordinary day. People go to mountain tops usually the night before, or arrive just before the sunrise. Hands are raised to greet the sun, various blessings and celebrations take place which change from location to location.

Corpus Christi

The Feast of Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. In the US the feast is celebrated the Sunday following Trinity Sunday, and is a Holy Day of Obligation. In the predominantly Catholic country of Bolivia it is a National Holiday. Schools, institions, government offices all close, but there is no rest for the taxi and bus drivers. Street vendors multiply hoping to making some extra money. Tradition calls for buying fruit, peanuts, and special baked goods. Prices rise in the days leading to the feast.



I wanted to be in two places at once, in the city at the Cathedral (above photo) for mass and procession, and also in Sacaba for the mass and procession too. I had not been to Corpus Christi in Sacaba in almost 10 years and I had promised folks I would come for the feast. I was hoping also, to hear the ringing of the bells in Sacaba, but that would not come to pass on this day.



Starting about 4 or 5 in the morning, various groups of youth came to decorate the street for the procession that will follow the mass. This is a tradition in the larger cities in Bolivia. The youth mark out designs in chalk on the street and fill in sections with flower petals, leaves, colored sawdust or sand to create "alfombras" or carpets where the procession will pass. For those familar with Buddhist Mandalas it is similar, not as detailed or intricate, because it make take just 3 hours, not 3 days, or 3 months or 3 years. I believe too the mandalas are more ritualistic and prayerful. The making of alfombras is more celebratory to use in the ritual of procession. This view shows the block and a half leading to the Cathedral obscured by many people checking out the alfombras.








Students / youth putting finishing details on one of the carpets.









Another group works to complete one of the over 30 alfombras. They range in size from 8' X 12' to 16' X 40'. Like mandalas they are temporary, by the time the procession finishes the images are pretty much trampled.





One group just finished their task and posed for a photo. There were many people roaming around with cameras, a journalist field day!










Details of one of the alfombras. Two years earlier as part of the procession, and towards the end of it, I was only able to view the ruins of the artwork. I was happy to be able to see them all before the procession.








View of San Pedro de Sacaba through the main plaza.



The gazebo was decorated for the final altar, so it normally doesn't have curtains! I arrived at the church 15 minutes before mass to find it packed, with few seats available. My experience with mass is that only 1/2 the people arrive at mass on time, (about 1/4 during or after the homily). Usually only 10-20% partake in Holy Communion, for the feast well over 70% went to Communion.






The procession left after mass, with the family that sponsored the churches decorations, taking roles in the procession. Four staff bearers carry the Baldachin (the noble canopy) over the celebrant carrying the Monstrance, he should be the only one under the Baldachin. This family could have used practice, as the Baldachin sagged throughout the procession. There is a precise form to the procession, with candle bearers, cross bearer, bible bearer, incense bearer, and also in Bolivia someone who throws rose petals. This year the procession seemed (sadly) to get muddled because of the happily large attendance.





Sacaba tradition places young children dressed as angels before the procession leading the way. My first Corpus Christi in Bolivia, 6 boys from my Daycare Center led the procession with not more than a 1/2 a dozen others.





This year there were dozens of children and babies, many of the boys carrying little satin pillows with grapes attached. The girls carrying baskets with flower petals to scatter along the way.














At each corner of the main plaza where the church is situated, a family or group of people sets up an altar. This year one group was actually one of the Sacaba taxi companies. At each corner the celebrant places the Monstrance on the altar, he leads songs, payers and adoration.






After the final altar and the Monstrance is returned to the church, the pastor, priest and deacon all blessed the people with holy water. This is a tradition following most every mass here, unlike the US where the Holy Water is available for individuals to bless themselves when leaving (or entering) church. Here you would be hard pressed to find a Holy Water fount with water available for use. Flowers were dipped into the Holy Water and mostly sprinkled on the people, this day I would say the people were liberally doused. Father Richard (pictured below) who is now the pastor at San Pedro and his colleagues created a festive ending, bringing to mind Carnival and it's water antics!

Food Food Food

My friend Rick likes photos of things one wouldn't normally see in everyday life in the U.S. He liked various photos that I have taken and encouraged me to take more, I have been gathering photos since the beginning of the year. I met the woman in the above photo years ago when I first lived in Bolivia, she is the neighbor of my friend Berta. Recently when I went to Sacaba for a visit I found her right next to Berta, basically in the gutter of the street selling her produce, while she sits on the curb. Her layout is typical for a small time vender, small bunches or piles costing 1-2 bs (bs = bolivianos the currency here, 1 bs equals about 15 US cents) Many people shop just for the day's needs so small amounts are just right for soups.




Many people vend from carts, this one carries roasted nuts, beans, peas, and grains. Some people keep their carts at one location, others move from spot to spot, usually calling out what they have for sale. Since I didn't know the man I only asked to take a picture of his cart and not of him also. I know someone who had tomatoes thrown at them for not asking to take a picture! Below is a close up of the cart.



I could do a blog just on carts. There is the fresh squeezed o.j. vendor, ice cream of various types, popcorn, hotdogs, pizza, socks, cooking utensils, locks, dish towels... Okay just writing the list could take a blog, but you get the idea. If you can sell it, you can find it on a cart!



Can you name this? It's called charqui here, I would call it jerky. Sort of sounds alike! The old solar dryer (aka clothes line) doubles quite well for preparing charqui. My friend Olga was drying some on one of my last visits. When we were without electricity for a week, Fr Edwin suggested we make charqui out of all the meat that was in the freezer of the comedor (lunch program). I was glad it was the end of the month, because we would not have had enough time nor clothes lines to dry the 80 lbs of monthly beef.



The photo to the right is of Tunta, I am told, I write this because if I ask different people the will tell me different things. After harvest the potatoes are put in a mountain stream in the winter for 2-3 weeks, this cleans them and also begins the freezing process. The white ones are called tunta, when they are just freeze dried they are called chuño. Chuño which is darker gets foot pressed, like making wine, but to get all the water out. It is a way to preserve the potatoes long term. There are many national dishes made with chuño and tunta.




My friend Doña Berta sells Mote in a wheelbarrow covered with heavy plastic. She is too shy so no picture in the blog, so just her wheelbarrow. Some people say mote is only cooked giaganic kernels of corn, but when you ask people what they are selling they will say mote. Mote is a cooked bean, that people buy as a snack food, just peel off the outer skin and pop the inner into your mouth, it is very nutritious. Berta use to make a living hand washing clothes. The investment in the wheel barrow was a large one for her family, but one well worth it. She can make as much profit by wheeling her cart around town, and parking for periods, as she did in the hard labor of washing clothes. She says she also likes that she can hang out with her friends while selling, so a boost to her spirit as well.




Lots of fruit is sold from wheelbarrows too! Here we have peaches and grapes. Right in the city center, usually women roll wheelbarrows around with seasonal fruit, it is usually a little more expensive. Larger carts pushed by people on bikes sell fruit. Also pickup trucks make the rounds of the neighborhoods with larger quantities, announcing their producer from speakers, that one can hear from blocks away. Another blog that I have been wanting to do one the sounds of Bolivia!

Holy Week

Palm Sunday





On Palm Sunday one must buy their own palms here in Bolivia. In front of every church, vendors sell palms in all different forms. I like the ones in the form of a cross. These would cost about 15 - 30 cents, people do not charge much for their artistic labor.



We had an early procession on Saturday evening because the city closed down Sunday to only pedestrian traffic. We processed from the local Franciscan church of El Hospicio to the Cathedral where the above and below pictures were taken in a crowded standing room only mass with the Archbishop. As you can see from my photos my floorspot did not include a view of the archbishop.






The next morning, I joined the Palm Sunday procession all over again, with the parish of El Hospicio. We gathered near La Plaza de Las Banderas, (the plaza of flags) for a service and slow procession back to church to attend mass. Above Father Martin ofm, the pastor blesses the palms of the people. You can note some other forms of the woven palms. We sang songs, and Fr Martin and a female church elder took turns reading scriptures, offering prayers and leading the songs.

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday I again attended mass at the parish of El Hospicio. There was a reenactment of the Lord's Last Supper. As is traditional in many Catholic churches a priest of the parish washes the feet of 12 parishioners. Here it was 12 men and they played roles of the 12 apostles. The mass order was changed a little to accommodate the Gospel story. The hand shake of peace was earlier, and acting was put on hold to say the Eucharistic prayer. After communion, we returned to the story of Gethsemane, there was a processional around the church and all were invited to remain in prayer until midnight.

Some remained and others headed from the traditional visiting of other churches. I have heard it is traditional to visit 7 or 12 churches (or however many you would like). One must walk from church to church, which may sound difficult, but being in a city in a predominantly Catholic country, it is easier to do walking then driving, especially since all the roads are closed down in the center. My first year I could only find 6 churches, so I returned to the first and prayed longer, which was great because at that time of the night it was darker and quieter. Last year I went to the mass at San Carlos, which is a long walk to the other churches, and as I lived in the outskirts of the city, I didn't want to return home too late, so I only prayed at San Carlos.

This year I started out with 5 people then we added 3, but shortly after, by my fifth church we were down to three people. When Johnny finished his 7 he was ready to return home. Vania and I were on number 9, so we retraced a few steps, and continued on the journey. The last two churches I had seen but had never been in, the last was in the market place not far from San Carlos, and there were far less pilgrims in the street at that location and hour. I like that my final destination was quiet and reflective and we sat a while before heading out. Final photo 11:07 PM, mass started at 6, close to 8 we had started our pilgrimage.



I did take photos at each church, but I will just post these two.