Buenos Aires is flooded with film lovers in April - that's because it's film festival time! The Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Film, is also known by its Spanish acronym BAFICI: "Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente". 

The 11-day film festival showcases the very best independent films and projects in cinemas and theaters in the cultural center of Buenos Aires, the downtown neighborhood of Recoleta.

• The films are for 18+ visitors but since 2009, the organization has added the BAFICI category to the festival. This category offers children's films so that children also have the chance to attend the festival.
• Argentina is the leader in the South American film industry and Buenos Aires is therefore a very important film city. Because of this, many film and media students can be found in the Recoleta neighborhood during BAFICI.

BAFICI has been around since 1999 and is growing more and more each year. Last April was its 17th edition and as many as over a million people attended the festival. This film festival is known as one of the most important film festivals in the world by promoting independent film productions so that the most innovative, risky and dedicated films can be shown to the world. Especially for Argentine and Spanish films, BAFICI is a very important event.

BAL, the Buenos Aires Lab is one of the main institutions during the festival. This institution belongs to the city's Ministry of Culture and has a very strong international jury. The winner of BAL, gets to go to the Cannes Film Festival. This has been a tradition between the organizers of the Cannes film festival and of BAFICI for many years. BAL strives to support projects that have a unique character and a link to Latin American cinema. Films and projects that did not make it to the festival are also given a chance during CineMart, the Rotterdam film festival.

The BAFICI is a very popular event in Argentina but also among international film lovers. For visitors who do not speak Spanish, the festival offers Latin American films with subtitles. The festival also offers the chance to speak with producers, directors and actors about their films. During the Buenos Aires cinema event, several awards are handed out for best film, best director, best actor/actress and best script. There are also awards for "Film of The Future," Best Children's Film and a UNICEF human rights award. For many visitors, it is a sport to visit as many films and projects as possible during the festival. Consequently, it is completely planned out what is going to be seen. Tickets can often be bought online in advance, so be there on time. For true film and culture lovers, the Buenos Aires film festival is definitely recommended!

Versión española

“Spain, a desert for jazz.”

This quote by the famous British jazz composer Leonard Feather, paints a rather gloomy and unprofitable picture of the state of jazz music in Spain. It also justifiably raises the question why is it worth writing a whole article about this genre? I think the answer to this question lies not only in the past but also in Spain´s current musical scene.

In this article I aim to look at what Spain has and had to offer in this style of music reflecting on three main questions: How did jazz develop in Spain? What characterized this development? And finally what is the state of jazz music nowadays?

• Jazz in Spain has undergone a roller-coaster ride throughout Spain´s political history.
• This genre can be seen as an important part of Spain´s current musical culture

Spain´s first major contact with this genre can partly be attributed to western influences. In 1929 Samuel Wooding, a famous American jazz conductor, and his “Chocolate Kiddies” performed concerts in Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastián. However, it was not only this performance but their subsequent recording of discs in Barcelona which gave Spain a real taste of this American music. Another notable musician responsible for increasing the Spanish public´s awareness of this form of music is Jack Hylton who performed, with his British Orchestra, in the Barcelona Universal Exhibition in 1930.

Although these musicians increased the popularity of jazz and revolutionized the public´s perception of this genre, Spain´s indirect contact with jazz can actually be traced back to the 1920s. In ballrooms, in cities such as Barcelona, jazz originally appeared in the form of African-American and Afro-Cuban dances such as the foxtrot, ragtime, rumba and habanera. Famous composers like Debussy further increased the importance of this primitive style of jazz by incorporating it into their pieces. After the introduction of this musical genre, it increased in popularity with Barcelona becoming the Spanish hub for this type of music. Indeed in 1934 the first jazz club opened its doors in this city.

However this so-called “golden age of jazz” music was not to last and with the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and Franco´s reign in 1939 jazz music started to be suppressed. Franco´s “Hispanization” of Spain aimed to get rid of western ideas and influences which included jazz replacing them with Spanish traditions such as folk songs. This censorship of jazz led to the closure of clubs and many jazz musicians left the country.  However, Franco´s reign did not lead to the complete disappearance of jazz music. In fact, in the 1940s and 1950s the jazz industry underwent a partial revival with the opening of a “Hot Club” in Barcelona in 1946 and then one in Madrid two years later.

The focus on folk songs such as flamenco and the comeback of jazz led to a new fusion style called “Jazz-Flamenco.” Pedro Iturralde, a Spanish jazz saxophonist, is considered to be the progenitor of this style. One of his notable works is his collaboration with the flamenco guitarists Paco de Algeciras, the pseudonym of Paco de Lucía and Paco de Antequera. Mention must also be made of Jorge Pardo, a famous jazz flautist and saxophonist, who recorded with the flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and the American jazz pianist Chick Corea.

Considering jazz´s chequered past what is the state of this musical genre nowadays? Although Spain is perhaps not renowned for its jazz music, it does have some important yearly jazz festivals which attract artists from around the world including Jazzaldia in San Sebastián, Barcelona´s International Jazz Festival and Vitoria´s Jazz Festival.

In conclusion, in view of the above is Spain as much as a desert for jazz as suggested by Leonard Feather? In the past there were certain moments where this genre did not flourish but its roots were never completely destroyed and talented musicians nourished them and gave jazz a new Spanish identity by combining it with traditional musical styles. If you like this genre do not miss out on Spain´s jazz festivals and you could even combine them with a Spanish course in an exciting city like Madrid or Barcelona.

Mendoza, located in western Argentina and known for its wine production. The area produces as much as 80 percent of Argentina's total wine production. The capital of Mendoza province of the same name hosts the "Fiesta de la Vendimia," also known as the Harvest Festival, every year during the first week of March. A popular festival in Argentina in which 400,000 visitors celebrate the harvest of local grapes and shake up the northern city.

• Fiesta de la Vendimia, Mendoza's harvest festival is number two on the World's Top 10 of Harvest Festivals according to The Guardian. This festival is one of the largest and most popular festivals in Argentina and Latin America.
•  The festivities consist mainly of beautiful parades where each chosen queen parades in an outfit based on characteristics of their region.
• The highlight and conclusion of the festival is the choosing of the Queen of the Harvest. Each of the 18 regions elects a Queen of the Harvest in December and the winner is chosen from among them during the first week of March.

The first week of March is very important in the city of Mendoza. The whole community celebrates together the harvest of the grapes and that the long year of hard work with many efforts is over. For those who suffered from the hail storms and lost their grape harvest as a result, it is time for their hope to be reborn. The harvest festival is not just a week-long celebration. It is a long process and begins as early as the Argentine summer (December). Each of Mendoza's 18 regions first selects a "Queen of the Harvest," who will represent the region during the festivities in the city of Mendoza.

The festival officially begins on the first Friday of March with the first event "Via Blanca. The 'Via Blanca' is a parade in which symbolic vehicles from each region transport their queens through the streets of downtown Mendoza. In decorative outfits, they show the character of their region to more than 200,000 visitors. Be sure to catch one of the bunches of grapes thrown by the queens! The next morning, the "Carrusel Vendimial" takes place. It is a daylight parade where the queens are accompanied by men on horses dressed in Gaucho outfits. The parade is followed by wagons and carriages from colonial times, dancers representing different Argentine and South American regions and musicians. The celebration ends with the "Acto Central," at the famous Frank Romero Day theater, a Greek theater in downtown Mendoza. It is a spectacle with many dancers, lights and folk music. At the end of the show, the Queen of the Harvest is chosen and it concludes with a beautiful fireworks show.

The Mendoza Harvest Festival in Argentina is one of the most famous celebrations of wine and the wine industry worldwide. According to National Geographic's Top 10 World's Harvest Festivals, the Mendoza Harvest Festival ranks No. 2. As such, it is one of the most popular festivals in Argentina and in South America. The atmosphere, the people, the folkloric music, the Harvest Festival in Mendoza is definitely worth a visit. Especially for people who are into wine; it is a carnival party for wine lovers!

Spanish cinema has just had its best year ever with record attendance and box office earnings. So what can go wrong? With films like Spanish Affair and El Niño generating millions at the box office and delighting Spanish filmgoers, it is hard to believe that anything can be wrong. But to some people in the film world, all of this success hasn't translated into recognition or invitations and nominations to the most important film festivals or major film awards. (The last Spanish film to be nominated for an Oscar was The Sea Inside, which also won the award in 2004) According to some, it appears that in the industry's attempt to raise flagging attendance, they have sacrificed some of the elements that captures the attention of serious film lovers and critics.

The only film to achieve some sort of success among film cognoscente in 2014 has been La Isla Mínima or Marshland as it is called outside of Spain. Is the only movie to have been received into the European film festival circuit of Venice, Berlin, and Cannes. Of course there is San Sebastian also, but since this is a homegrown festival there is always ample Spanish presence, in fact Spanish-Franco film Magical Girl won the Golden Shell award. But why is it that Spanish movies have such a hard time breaking through the selection process to the major festivals?

Looking back, the last Spanish film to appear in the official selection of Berlin was Dictado or Childish Games by Antonio Chavarrías. In Venice, Alex de la Iglesia's 2010 Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) was the last Spanish film to appear there. Almodóvar's 2011 film La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) appeared in Cannes and since then no other Spanish film has been part of the official selection there. There have been some Spanish co-productions present like last year's Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) or No Llores, Vuela (Aloft) but these were films partially financed from Spain but didn't count on a large participation in the cast or crew.

Independent film producer, Álvaro Longoria from Morena films (Che), believes that the Spanish industry's attempt to capture more audience together with the growing participation of Spanish television networks bankrolling major films are having a negative effect on independent film production. Movies like El Niño highlight this trend with its slick eye-candy cinematography, similar in look to Michael Mann's Heat, is becoming more and more common.

With Spanish television networks becoming increasingly more important in financing films, their objectives are very different from traditional producers. Maximizing audiences on the big screen and later reaping profits on the small, the order of the day for the networks is making Hollywood blockbuster-like movies and if it's not pulse thumping action then simple, yet entertaining stories will suffice. Taking a look at the types of movies that dominated the box office in 2014 as our reference, it appears as though 2015 will continue with this trend.

Longoria believes that Spanish language productions from Spain will have a more difficult time finding space in more important film festivals and independent Spanish movies will be made in other languages, like English, in an effort to get the funding necessary to film and subsequent box office. Right now in Spain according to certain people in the industry is that there are two types of movies being produced here: very commercial or very small scale independent productions.

But what's the problem if Spanish films are breaking records? For most films, the Spanish market is a small part of their overall income and for many, finding distribution in other countries is the key for the financial success of most films. For many, Film festivals are the ideal place for films to find distribution—especially if a film is among the 20-30 films in the official selection. Even if a movie makes it to a film festival that alone doesn't guarantee it distribution in other countries. Since there are over 300 films on the program of a large festival; if a film is not part of the official selection it will be very hard to get noticed.

While Spanish film is living a golden moment it is important to note the difficulty some producers and directors  are having in getting their works filmed and hopefully a balance will be reached in guaranteeing the continuance of Spanish independent film—in Spanish.    

A country on the west coast of Latin America, a rich culture and diverse gastronomy; Peru amazes everyone with its dishes. To let everyone enjoy these dishes, Peru has the world-famous and largest culinary festival in Latin America: the Mistura Festival! With the most traditional and all new Peruvian dishes prepared in all kinds of ways, Mistura is a festival that you really must have experienced once to understand its atmosphere. Besides the food, you can also enjoy traditional dance performances that will show you the real Peru.

Peruvian Cuisine

On the west coast of cultural Latin America lies the Spanish-speaking country of Peru. Peru is the land of abandoned Inca cities and spectacular biodiversity, as well as unique and varied cuisine. Peruvian cuisine is a mix of Indian, Spanish and African cuisine, complemented by the best of Asian cuisine. The country is known for its varied cuisine as it consists of as many as 491 dishes. One of the most popular dishes of Peruvian cuisine is ceviche, a dish that consists of a raw fish dish where a variety of fish can be used. The fish is marinated with sour orange, lime or lemon and onions and peppers are added. The fish dish is often eaten with a rich salada, corn, avocado and potatoes. Another popular and traditional dish is ocopa, consisting of potatoes topped with a sauce of green peppers, herbs and cheese. Almost every dish is eaten with potatoes and a drink. The drink can range from the commonly consumed pilsner beer to a popular drink of Peru: Inca Kola. This yellow-colored soft drink with a little pungency is made from lemongrass and chamomile and tastes like bubble gum.

To celebrate the culinary tradition and allow everyone to enjoy what Peru has to offer, a festival is organized every year that today already attracts half a million people from all over the world. The festival is called Mistura and is held in Peru's capital city of Lima. In Spanish, it is also called La Feria Gastronómica Internacional de Lima. In 2008, Peruvian cuisine was first shared with the world in this special way and 23,000 people were able to enjoy Peru's flavorful and varied food. The festival lasts an average of 10 days, but this varies from year to year. Peru is very proud of its Mistura and rightly so, as the Mistura is the largest culinary festival in Latin America and culturally very important to Peruvians. The increase in the number of visitors in 5 years has meant that the number of restaurants has also increased, especially in Lima.

The festival has a theme every year, September 2013's theme was "water," where the best chefs went wild on all the fish and made amazing dishes out of them. In addition, the Mistura is divided into different worlds: north, south, east, Andes and the Amazon. There are also sections that focus specifically on certain dishes, such as popular Peruvian dishes like ceviche, quinua and anticucho. The Mistura festival brings everyone together; bakers, cooks, waiters, cooking schools, restaurants, food vendors and all cooking enthusiasts. Everyone engages in the delicious food found in Lima for 10 days. Although the food is the most important part of the Mistura, attention is also paid to traditional dance performances. Peru's cultural, culinary Mistura festival can be found every year in Lima and will be even more elaborate and better each year.

Oranges are popular all over the world, but where do the tastiest oranges come from? Spain is a major exporting country of oranges, with the city and region of Valencia in particular. Its Mediterranean climate allows these fruits to be grown here at the right temperatures. The sweet flavors of the perfect-looking Valencian oranges come out best this way. Moreover, different varieties are grown, each with its unique characteristics.

• Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for a human being and you can find it in an orange!
• There are even different varieties of the Valencian orange.
• Visit one of the many fields around Valencia to experience the unique taste sensation in the place itself.

That fruit is healthy, everyone knows. But that oranges, especially Valencian oranges, are good for various ailments of the body and your mood? Valencian oranges contain vitamin C, which is the tool to ward off your body from flu, colds and winter weather. On top of that, they are good against digestive disorders, headaches, rheumatism, stress and depression. So with a Valencian orange, you will always be in good spirits! They are used for a variety of purposes. Not only can you simply make juice from it or make it totally come into its own in a summer fruit salad, Valencian oranges are also used for Dutch jam because of its sweet-sweet taste.

Oranges are descended from a citrus fruit. The fact that the orange is related to the lemon is therefore no surprise. This delicious, orange fruit gets its best flavor when cultivated at a temperature averaging 23 degrees Celsius; the perfect place for this is the Valencia area! This is because Spain has a Mediterranean climate in the east of the country, long, hot summers and mild winters. This is perfect for growing oranges. An orange is smaller but sweeter than grapefruit and larger than a tangerine. The smell of an orange is not as strong as that of a tangerine.

There are different varieties of the famous Valencian orange. Not all oranges are round and orange. La Naranja Navelina is medium-sized, often just round but sometimes slightly oval, bright orange in color and has very juicy flesh. The perfect example of a Valencian orange is the Naranja Salustiana, the excellent fruit is very sweet and has lots of juice. Then you have the Naranja Navel lane late and the Navel late, they don't differ much, but just enough to separate them from kind. The Navel late is smaller and less popular because of its elongated shape and less thick but consistent skin. Its color is additionally less pleasant for an orange: light orange. However, this has nothing to do with the taste of an orange. The second perfect example of a Valencian orange is the Naranja Valencia, quite surprisingly.

The fruit is medium-sized, a little oblong and has a fine, thin skin. The taste is to write home about, Naranja Valencia has a very pleasant flavor; nice and sweet with a slight hint of acidity. It is the newest variety grown in Valencia and is considered one of the best. A distinct variety is the Naranja Sanguina. There cannot be much more different about an orange, yet this variety has something special; it differentiates itself from others by its red pigments in the skin as well as in the fruit itself. In addition, it has a little raspberry or cherry flavor in it, making it a unique type of orange.

Valencia has its fields for oranges in the area around the city and some of these can be visited. The orange trees in the city of Valencia are mostly just for ornamental purposes and these fruits do not have the real, distinctive taste of Valencian oranges. It is recommended to go to the largest fish, meat, fruit and vegetable market in Europe in the middle of the city, where you can buy the most delicious oranges!

Every year at don Quijote we welcome thousands of students who want to learn or improve their Spanish, but there is no greater compliment than students who come back to learn Spanish with us. To introduce you to these students, we would like to introduce one of them to you. Bernd Pappenburg is a Spanish teacher in Germany and because of his job he needs to have a good level of Spanish to be able to teach it well to his students at home.

Bernd has visited our schools all over Spain, in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and since 2006 he has been coming regularly to our school in Tenerife. It seems that in Tenerife Bernd has found his ideal place to combine work and vacation, and when Bernd refers to work we think he is referring to taking our Individual classes. These classes give Bernd the opportunity to address specific topics in a customized course. Bernd also said that one of the reasons he likes coming back to Tenerife is the family atmosphere (it is one of our smallest schools in Spain) and the fact that don Quijote's teaching method has been continuously improved over the last 25 years.

By combining his vacations with this customized course, Bernd not only has a high level of Spanish, he also improves his teaching skills to give his students the best learning experience possible. At don Quijote we are proud of all our students who come to take a course, but students like Bernd are special to us. Not only is Bernd a returning student, he is also a co-teacher who shows his confidence in don Quijote to best prepare him for all the challenges he may encounter while teaching Spanish in a high school.

Carnival in Spain: Tenerife and Cadiz

Everyone in the Netherlands knows the concept of carnival. Either because they have celebrated it themselves in the south of our country, or because of the summer carnival in Rio de Janeiro. But carnival is also a well-known celebration in Spain. Carnival is celebrated throughout the country but especially in Cadiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, carnival is celebrated in a big way.

• The third largest carnival in the world is in Cadiz.
• In 2015, carnival takes place between Feb. 12 and 22.
• The Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is the second largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro.

Carnival in Spain is celebrated in almost the entire country. This celebration takes place in the 10 to 14 days before Ash Wednesday. This is on the same date as the Dutch carnival. This year carnival took place between Feb. 28 and March 4.

The two most famous places where carnival is celebrated in Spain are Cadiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The world's largest carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro. However Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cadiz host the second and third largest carnivals in the world.

From home and abroad, many people come to visit the Carnival in Cadiz. Every day is a big party. Carnival in Cadiz is all about the singing, humor and irony. Even weeks before the carnival begins, carnival groups are practicing their songs. These songs make great use of humor and sarcasm. On the Friday of carnival, a carnival group that has won is announced. This is followed by partying until the early hours. On Sunday and Monday, it is then the honor of the choirs to perform their songs. In addition to all the singing during Carnival in Cadiz, several parades also take place. For example, the largest parade takes place on Sunday and the humorous parade on the last weekend.

Tenerife carnival opens with a big parade on the first Friday of carnival. Tenerife carnival is most similar to the Brazilian carnival. Exuberant costumes, floats and rhythm are several features of carnival in Tenerife. The election of La Reina, that year's carnival queen is one of the many highlights during carnival in Tenerife. Throughout the week there are several parades throughout the city. Carnival ends with "El Corso," which is the largest and most beautiful parade during Carnival. This parade takes place on the Tuesday of carnival and after this, carnival in Tenerife comes to an end.

Just talking about Spain’s capital city of Madrid conjures images of a rich variety of emblematic monuments and attractions. We also recognize it as a cosmopolitan city brimming with cultural, political, and economic energy.

Madrid however has not always been the wonderful city it is today. Urban development did not begin to thrive in the city until King Felipe II established it as the capital and placed the royal court here in 1561. Madrid’s inspired architectural heritage can be observed all around the city center, which is known as El Madrid de los Austrias since the Austrian Habsburg monarchs were responsible for transforming and modernizing the city.

As the home of the royal court the city’s demographics changed dramatically: when Madrid was first established as the capital it had just 10,000 residents, a figure that grew to 40,000 in just 15 years. By the end of the century the population was up to an impressive 100,000 people.

Let’s explore this downtown area, taking a special peek at some of the buildings and architectural ensembles that best capture its Habsburg period.

One of the city’s most symbolic and most visited attractions is the Plaza Mayor (main square). It has always been, and it still is, a meeting point for local residents. 237 balconies have overlooked the square for centuries, from which observers have witnessed bull fights, popular performances and acts of the inquisition. Noteworthy among the square’s establishments are the Casa de la Panadería (House of the bakery) and the Casa de la Carnicería (House of the Butcher Shop), both of which house different municipal institutions today. A statue of King Philip III on horseback occupies the center of the plaza. You can exit the square through any of its nine entryways, including the Arco de Cuchilleros, which leads us to the Cava de San Miguel, the location of some the area’s most traditional and popular taverns.

If we continue on this road we will reach the Palacio de Santa Cruz, the old city jail which currently houses the Department of Foreign Affairs (in the Plaza de de la Provincia). The 17^th century San Isidro Church is further along Calle Toledo, which has served as Madrid’s provisional cathedral since 1993.

Close by, in Cava Baja, we find ourselves near one of the city’s most worthy monuments: a restaurant called Botín, considered by the Guinness Book of World’s Records to be the oldest restaurant in the world. Botín has been pleasing picky palates since 1725.

After checking out San Miguel Market we arrive to Plaza de la Villa. This square is the location of historical buildings such as the Casa de la Villa, which was Madrid’s City Hall building until just a few years ago.

We make our way back to Calle Mayor then head along Calle Bailén toward the Plaza de Oriente, an enormous space that traditionally hosted grand celebrations during Franco’s dictatorship. The space is back dropped by the Palacio Real (royal palace), an impressive structure for its size and magnificence. Wandering around the gardens of Sabatini next to the palace we can see the Plaza de Isabel II and the hexagon shaped Teatro Real (Royal Theatre).  Following the crowded Calle Arenal, we end up at the Puerta del Sol for photo ops of a few of Madrid’s most recognizable spots: below the clock tower that Spaniards around the country tune in to watch on New Year’s Eve, in front of the kilometer zero mark (Spain’s road network was based on this point), or next to the statue that displays the symbol of the city, a bear and an Arbutus tree.

In the Netherlands, everyone has heard of the term "carnival. Either because you have celebrated it in one of the southern provinces of the Netherlands or because of the spectacular summer carnival in Rio de Janeiro. But carnival is not only known there. It is also exuberantly celebrated in Spain and the rest of Latin America. Around February, Carnaval de Oruro is the biggest annual event that takes place in Bolivia's folkloric capital, Oruro. Since 2001, Carnaval de Oruro has been listed on UNESCO's List of Masterpieces and Oral Intangible Heritage of Man.  

• Bolivia's biggest event and one of the largest carnival celebrations in Latin America.
• In 2014, the carnival took place between Feb. 28 and March 3.
  The Carnival of Oruro has a unique, religious nature.

Carnival is celebrated in many ways in Spain and Latin America, but the Carnaval de Oruro is different from other carnival events. This folkloric celebration is special because of its religious nature: the adoration of the Virgin (Holy Virgin) Morena (dark-colored) del Socavón (the mine shaft). Also called Virgin de la Candelaria, the guardian saint of the mine shaft.

The event officially begins 8 days before Ash Wednesday with the same devil dance every year, the "Diablada. Unlike Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, where a different theme is chosen each year.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the three main days of the carnival. Friday is the day the ch'alla ritual is performed. This ritual is very important for the miners of Bolivia. During this ritual, the Tío de la Mina, the mythological god of the mine, is honored and thanked for its protection. After this ritual, the miners celebrate a big party. Saturday is the day of pilgrimage and the parade "La Entrada," in which as many as 50 dance groups from the area participate and then present various Bolivian dances. The 'La Entrada' continues into the early hours, until the first rays of sunshine appear on Sunday. During these early morning hours, all the groups mingle with the crowd to greet the Virgin de Socavón.   

Carnival de Oruro is a popular attraction every year. Many visitors arrive from home and abroad. Accommodation prices rise during the event and bookings often fill up early. The city is equipped with benches and bleachers, and tickets can be purchased on the spot from various vendors. Day trips to Oruro are even organized from La Paz (the capital of Bolivia). An excursion to a ch'alla ritual is also very popular with tourists.

After this ritual, there is a grand celebration that involves lots of water and foam. Tourists are often targeted, so be prepared!