fiesta…

Every once in a while I stumble on a lovely something I was not expecting and I do love the surprises that fall like gifts in my path.

I arrived in La Paz at 7am after a long  night on a luxury bus with a high tech seat back that couldn’t quite make up its mind between springing up or falling down.

I was staying at someone’s house again, so had to make a mad dash across the city to get to his place before he had to go to work. Sleepy and ladden up with bags, I had one of those moments when I remembered I have a bank account bank home with more money the handful of notes in my pocket – I splurged wildly and spent $4 on a taxi, sparing myself the morning muddle of public transport.

The taxi driver and I squabbled over the price for ten minutes then, that settled, he began genially harangued me for being old and yet still unmarried. ‘I don’t know why’ is a phrase that has got to be almost a little too comfortable for me in Spanish…

When he finally he moved on from my grand old age, he mentioned there was a party the next day – Gran Poder. 

I didn’t understand enough to know what it was, why it was or what would be there but thought it could be worth checking out.

The next morning found me wide eyed with wonder watching a procession like I had never see before –  around 25,000 people dancing through the cities streets in elaborate costumes and colourful joyful abandon..