Saturday was interesting. Somehow Joeline got us invited to a big Dinner/Dance for people who are from Oruro. It was a big Reunion. Are we from Oruro? Not that I know of, but we yelled "VIVA ORURO", all night long with the best of them.
By the way, Oruro is a city where the largest Carnival in Bolivia s held. We are actually going there next Saturday for Carnival.
Anyway, the affair started at 7:30, but we were told not to show up until 9:00 as the first hour was a business meeting. Well, I was ready at 8:30 and Joeline finally came out at 9:15, looking very good - but late as usual. We got to this big Club at 9:30. And guess what, the business meeting had not even started. Just about every person in the place gave a long speech - ended it with Viva Oruro and a toast - the toasts were taken with a drink called a SHUFLY - a Bolivian drink.
These went on until after 11. Finally they served dinner, and it was just in time, because by then I had drank three or four Shuflys and needed something else in my stomach. (Since I have been in Bolivia I have been told to never drink more than two Shuflys - for obvious reasons)
Dancing started - a large orchestra and the biggest dance floor you have ever seen.
Everyone jumps up to dance. Not like the states where people sit around and talk. When the music plays everyone dances.
Now these are not waltzes (not one all night), or two-steps, but dances we had never seen before. The lucky part for us is that the dances involved just walking around. No intricate steps, no spinning your partner, nothing but walking. BORING!
This is a wonderful country, great weather, great food, terrific, friendly people, but their music and dance stink.
Fianlly after an hour and a half of the same song, same beat, same dance, the band stopped and tapes came on. Guess what, jitterbug, jive, rock and roll.
Joeline put on a show - even a few lifts were involved, if I remember correctly - by then I was on my eight Shufly.
By three in the morning - yes THREE AM - I was on my thirteenth shufly and then the two other guys at the table just started pouring the liquor in my glass without the Sprite, lime, ice, etc. that you mix with the stuff. Half a tea glass, straight up for me, while they still mixed theirs.
Finally their wives took them home - Joeline and I closed the place. Band stopped, records stopped and we took a taxi home.
Regardless of what Joeline writes, I made it home fine, was up by nine the next morning, even went to a bar-b-que at a board members house at noon.
We had a ball! The pictures which I will post later today are at the party.