4.30am. Get up after 5 hours of sleep. For some reason, it’s easier than dragging myself out of bed at 7am.
5.15am. Our tour bus leaves La Paz for Oruro. I get some sleep.
9am. We take our seats at the stands on Avenida 6 de agosto (aka Avenida Folclórica). Parade’s already begun, other stands are gradually filling up, sun is out.
Partly what you’d expect when you think of carnaval in Rio …
… And partly not.
So not.


Each group is headed up by a car bearing the Virgin. As in a doll, one of many. I have an automatic reaction to this idol, which I don’t have to any other part of the parade – not the devils, not the skimpy clothing, nada. I blame two years as a missionary in Ecuador.
12.30pm. After lunch, the rain buckets down. Some souls are brave and soldier on down the avenue; others are wise and don ponchos to protect their fancy costumes.
4.30pm. Grab a photo with a couple of capoleros on the way out of the procession. They’re like dancing power rangers – ie. the height of awesomeness 🙂
Get smothered in foam trying to get my revenge on two armed kids.

6.30pm. Well, in between packing the car and enjoying a free dinner, we leave a little later than planned … but what a sunset!
Ahora, ¡rumbo a Tarija! (See Act II).
Quick facts about carnaval in Oruro
- It’s a big deal. Biggest celebration in Bolivia, and probably the second biggest in Latin America after Rio de Janeiro.
- Given that, there are less foreigners than you’d expect. I was told 10%, and I think that’s about right – it’s mainly Bolivians.
- You can participate! Several foreigners dance in Bolivian troupes, and if you’re not into that, you can still jump into the parade and take pictures with dancers.
- It’s fairly pricey. There are transport and/or accommodation + entry packages for anywhere between 300-1200Bs (A$50-200), and just the entry will likely cost you A$50-100. If you’re happy to rough it, you can poke around and find a gap between the stands that gives you a decent view. Our one-day tour cost 870Bs (about A$150) and included: comfortable bus there and back from La Paz; packed breakfast; lunch; 2 drinks; carnaval pack with mask, poncho and spraycan of foam; reserved seats for the parade.
- Carnaval runs from Saturday to Tuesday. Saturday in Oruro is sufficient – parade starts 7am and goes until the early hours of the morning. Then it starts all again on Sunday – the same thing but everyone is (far more) drunk doing it.
- This is pretty much your only reason to go to Oruro. There’s nothing to see or do any other time of year.
This looks like so much fun! Love the colors, great photos!
Thank ya! It was a lot of fun – if you get the chance, carnival in Oruro is worth the visit 🙂
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