Last Fri. before we left for Oruro to celebrate Carnival, Carl's school had it's own Carnival Celebration.  I was amazed at how talented his students were and how serious they take their cultural dances and traditions.   Some of the staff, (they included me) were invited to participate and do a traditional dance for the students and their parents. Now I am thinking Rio  type dances and costumes!  Ok, if I can just get a spot light rigged up, we are good to go!   I really should have gone with them to pick out the costumes!  They had selected a dance performed by the slaves, and you can only imagine what those costumes looked like.  Not one sequin or fringe anywhere.  Well it seems even Bolivia was involved in the slave trade.  They brought in black slaves to work in the tin mines.  The weather  was too cold for them, the mines were at 10,000 to 15,000 elevation, hard conditions and very cold.  It killed most of the slaves and the rest were sent to the lower elevation and warmer weather.  They did leave their mark on the country with their music and dance and one of the favorite traditional dances is for them.  This dance we attempted to perform and evidently we were a hit.  I think we were actually the comic relief for the afternoon.  After all the performances the entire school and parents moved from the gym out onto the beautiful grounds of the school for food booths and games.  Yes, of course the ever present water balloons or globos aqua were everywhere.   The last picture with the young man in the aqua and white outfit is one of the best dancers in Cochabamba.   He belongs to a dance fraternity and they dance and compete all year.  It is a very strenuous and athletic activity. Notice the large gold bells from his knees to his ankles.  You cannot imagine the sound of 50 to 100 dancers coming down the street, all in beat with each other and the 100 man band following them.  It is awesome!  He is really a great kid, father is a very successful business man here in town.  The kids have all been a real joy to be around, now that doesn't mean they don't like to have a good time, but they are super kids.