Urkupiña

Coming up this week is the festival of the Virgin of Urkupiña. Today we went to Quillacollo to the church of Urkupiña. The tradition is that you buy things in miniature that you want for your life, light a candle and ask la Virgen de Urkupiña for them and she'll grant you your wishes. I bought a certificate of good health, an elephant for luck, and a Bolivian passport with flight tickets to ensure my visa will be approved and I'll get to travel around. Here are some pictures of today.


 Here are some of the miniature things they sell to ask for from the Virgen de Urkupiña...houses, cars, money, babies, wedding toppers,

 People bring their personal statues of the saints to Mass to be blessed

 Big ol' statue of Urkupiña in the glass case in front of the church.

 Walking around Quillacollo

 Healthy infrastructure?

 Snack after Mass, vanilla and strawberry ice cream and a cheese empanada.

 Cholas: indigenous women of Bolivia

 We happened upon the tail end of a parade.

 This is what my host sister asked for her future. A nice little house with a garden and car.

 This is my passport, lucky elephant and certificate of good health

And our neighbor bought a cute little puppy!

And some pictures of my little Pepito: !!!!

Wrapped up tight like the little baby he is!

 Made Pepito a collar

He loves the sun

 And he loves my computer. He likes to try to help me work.