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Welcome to one of the world's greatest, and most unknown, festivals.
San Ignacio de Moxos was founded by the Jesuit order, a group of Spanish evangelical priests, in the late 1660s. The jesuit order being founded by a man called San Ignacio and the Moxos being the name of the ancient civilisation that ruled this region of Bolivia.
For around 120 years, instead of being subjected to the horrors of Spanish colonial rule, the natives of Moxos were converted to Christianity and lived life in these missions. The price they paid was the loss of many of their native languages and cultures, the local people now all speak 'Ignaciano'. But that was better than the near-slave-like conditions indigenous Bolivians had under the Spanish, and their descendants, until they got voting rights in the 1950s.
The Fiesta de Moxos is a festival celebrating the arrival of the Jesuits in the Moxos plains, the bringing of Christianity to the region and evangelizing of the indigenous peoples. Some say it is a celebration of the region being 'civilized' by European influencers. Others say the fiesta is a celebration of the fusion of indigenous and European culture.
I had planned to get up at 4am this morning because apparently there was an event on. But I 'woke up' in a half dose and realised I really couldn't be bothered to get out of bed so fell asleep again, having not heard anything anyway.
It was a slow start to the day. San Ignacio is swelteringly hot, and much more humid than further east. As soon as Britain cools, I get hot weather. However, despite the slow start, there was a palpable feeling the town was about to explode into action.
After a weird breakfast with the family of the hotel owners - one of whom was complaining about local indigenous people were burgling her cattle ranch - I went into the plaza, sat and waited.
Then, the drums started playing.
First came the Tintiririnti, a man on horseback who declares the beginning of the festivities. The Tintiririnti is followed and guided by the Achus. The Achus are men and boys dressed in sincere, suit-like outfits, whilst wearing rather Doctor Who like facemasks. Among the Achus is a 'fake horse' who occassionally disobeys and runs at the crowd.
The Achus and Tintiririnti circled the plaza a couple times before entering the Indigenous Cabildo - a council so to speak - at the pack of the church. Here, the Macheteros, dressed in white, meet the Tintiririnti, before a series of parades begin launching out of the cabildo onto the streets. It did seem like a very well produced village play, except with about half of the village as oppose to a select cast. People were dressed in a variety of outfits, from old ladies dressed in shiny pink dresses, to kids dressed as Jaguars.
On leaving the Cabildo, the parades pass the church. Emerging from the church, following the Macheteros with their fabulous, spiral headdresses made of macaw feathers, is the tomb and stuffed cast of San Ignacio himself. San Ignacio is then paraded around the town, San Ignacio de Moxos, behind the series of dancing jaguars, achus and old ladies in pink dresses, visiting every street. With a marching band. They then return to the plaza, hot, bothered and very tired.
Still, it's a spectacular display. The heat really is oppressive here, and I've sort of been a bit dazed all day thanks to the heat and tiredness. I'm definitely looking forward to just being able to chill in La Paz (well, have to write the articles, but chill from a travelling around the place perspective). It is quite exhausting, especially having been ill, and it's weird being covered in a layer of your own sweat having been so used to cold the last few weeks.
Beni is a completely different side to Bolivia. People seem a lot less reseverved down here. They're also a lot fatter, and generally, whiter or at least more Spanish looking. Today was when the local people put on the show, but tomorrow is when the authorities go to town so its the biggest day of this festival. It's incredible to come to such a remote place, be so far from the gringo hoards and see a display of faith as remarkable as this.
Vamos!
EDIT
Luckily I managed to stir with just enough time before midnight to head to the church and see one of the most spectacular, and most dangerous, aspects of the Fiesta de Moxos.
The headdresses of the Achus get covered in fireworks and placed on anyone mad enough to wear them, before they run, ideally snaking side to side a bit, into the crowd, to disseminate the fireworks all over the crowds! 10s and 10s of people with fireworks exploding from their heads ran out of the church and it was an adrenaline filled half hour or so working out whether to run for your life or try take a photo for the magazine with my really slow blurry camera.
Other than some smokey eyes, and accidentally running over a couple toddlers trying not to get burnt by the fireworks, it was a truly phenomenal showing of Latin American madness. Plus, I managed to get a chorizo kebab for free! All in all a very successful evening.
Vamos!
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