Yee haa!! Rodeo!

Even though I managed to miss every single actual rodeo event at this years rodeo... I still had an amazing time! The first day I didn't realize that the events were going on so early and missed them all and the second day I tried to get a seat in the stands, but it was soo hot and packed full of people it was impossible to see any of the action. Even though I was glad to miss such events as "pato entero" a kind of blind-folded knock the head off the half buried duck game, and the branding of the cattle... it would have been nice to see some bull riding or horse races. But it was just really great to see all those long lost friends again. The group in the Chaco is a lot of fun!

Ohh... look how cute we are. Me and Matteo, one of the sharpest dressed men in the Chaco.

Rodeo is not something I would normally get too excited about in the states, but in the Chaco where all the men claim to be macho vaqueros and cattle raising is such a huge part of the culture you just can't help but to get excited!

My new friends/dance partners.

The regional dance of Tarija and the Chaco is the chaquerera. A dance where the men do lots of fancy foot work and kick up dust with their boots (kind of like tap dancing but much more powerful and exagerated) and the women twirl around in their skirts. And there was plenty of dancing that weekend! I'm pretty sure we were the source of much amusment for all the Bolivians in the crowd with our rediculous gringo moves.