Bolivian Carnival Queens

My Cousin Vani - the model

The carnival is a special time in Bolivia.  It is when Santa Cruz shuts down for a week.  People have a water balloon day.  Everyone literally spends the day throwing water balloons at family, strangers, pets...no one is dry.  This is then followed by a paint balloon day in which the entire town is covered in different dark shades of rich fun.  As a child, I asked my mother what they do to the buildings that are covered in paint afterward.  She shrugged and said, oh they just repaint the entire city. 

My Aunt Ruthie walked from her house to her mother's and was completely purple.  It was quite lovely, she looked like someone out of a new age Broadway show.  Of course, the culmination is the crowning of the queen.  Being a woman in Bolivia is a tough business.  They never leave the house without make-up and a dress, usually accompanied by high heels.  Bolivian women are as strong as they are beautiful.  They accept compliments on their appearances gracefully, though they may have worked on these appearances for hours on end. 

But the truly amazing Bolivian woman is the carnival queen, (seen below),  who typically wears a sequined dress, matching heals and the most humongous head gear known to womanhood.  British women at the derby step aside, Las Vegas, you have nothing on us.  Most of these women are single because of the time it takes out of your life.  There are dress fittings, modelling shows, and public appearances.  I am proud to state that my cousin was a Carnival Queen. 

This is not my cousin, but she is an example of what I'm referring to.  With all that high head gear, who has time for a man?