Bolivia is weird

As I'm writing here, I am being serenaded very loudly by Mariachis. I'm in my room, they are somewhere outside with microphones and speakers... I actually really enjoy the randomness of this! If they're still playing around midnight I might have to get violent.

This tops a really funny weird day for me. Not really that weird given I've been here often, but still. Today I went back to Tiwanaku because it was the opening of a weekend long festival (the most important one for Tiwanaku given the solstice is a national holiday rather than a local one), in honor of the Señor de la exaltacion which is another name for Jesus. Here he is, pretty similar to regular Jesus:

I went there alone assuming I would know some people. First people I knew I finally encountered were two Bolivian archaeologists that work within the site. However, they looked slightly different than usual...
In typical Tiwanaku fashion, the "entrada" (people dancing and making an entrance I guess) started 3 hours late, which meant I missed most of it. I wanted to leave around 5pm to make sure I could find a bus back and wouldn't be in La Paz too late. I did forget to pack some food and most of what was being sold was "street food" which isn't always to the peak of cleanliness standards. Although I never heard of "listeriose" here... Plus they don't give you cutlery so you have to eat with your hands.

I was going there mostly to see one of my favorite person in the world, our cook Aurora, dancing. Turns out her "help" Eli who has been working with us for two years and is a sweetheart was dancing too! And luckily, they were among the first groups to dance so I actually saw them before leaving. I figured I should introduce them to you since they are so important to me, my belly, and my expanded figure (I'm now going to the gym and eating less because what I cook isn't as good so none of you will see me in the expanded state). Although I wondering if I did post pictures of them before, and I can't go check right now. Anyways, they're good pictures too.

Here is Aurora:
And here's Eli:
On a side note, the mariachis are still playing...

Oh, and as far as introduction goes, I thought I should post a picture of Tiwanaku's mayor because I was shocked the first time I saw her. First of all, it's a "her". Second of all, I think she's my age. She's dressed up in the blue cholita outfit to the far left (although last time I saw her she was wearing jeans so she usually doesn't dress as a cholita). She was signing papers right before doing her walkabout in the plaza.As you may have noticed, I'm a bit tired and don't have much to say. I sort of prefer showing pictures right now, so I think I'll just end with a medley of weird pictures...

For that last picture, I just liked that it was written "coqueto" on the back of their costumes. I'm not sure what it means in spanish, but in french, coquet would be someone who's really careful about their appearances, on a vain and slightly effeminate tangent... Update: after talking with Machi and Tony, sounds like coqueto means pretty much the same thing in spanish although you need to add "flirty" to the list.

And speaking of liking their appearance. This guy asked me to take a picture of him. And he's pimp.