It was very obvious that Lewis the Lion had entered a different country when he arrived in Bolivia, mainly because of the way the people dressed and in particular some of the women. Bolivia is made up of many indigenous groups and therefore people take a pride in showing their identity, often through the clothes they wear.
Lewis the Lion thought that some of the Aymara women, known commonly as Cholas or Cholitas looked very striking. They are normally dressed in big, voluminous layered skirts, sequenced shawls, bowler hats and with flat shoes. Often they have two long, black plaits running down their backs and sometimes these are tied together with colourful pom-poms. Lewis the Lion’s friend told him that this is sometimes a sign of whether a woman is married or not and represents her social status.
Women and men are often seen carrying goods (and sometimes babies) on their backs in brightly woven cloths. They are often striped and in bright colours.
Generally, the men tend to wear more western-style clothes: tracksuits, jackets, shirts, jeans, etc. but the difference is that the men also tend to wear caps. The same is true for the children. The hat is usually a sun-hat during the day or a warm woollen hat for the night-time. (Sometimes this wool is sourced from one of the local animals – alpacas).
Lewis the Lion just loved to sit and watch the world go by in Bolivia, particularly in La Paz where there was no shortage of women in bowler hats in the business district.
Here is a photo gallery of some of the people that Lewis the Lion saw whilst travelling around Bolivia:
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- Cholitas trade by Lake Titicaca
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- A mother and child with their hair plaited
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- A woman wears red pom-poms in her hair, Uyuni
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- A woman wearing her bowler hat
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- The hotel owner wears her summer hat
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- A woman sits on a doorstep in Uyuni
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- Dolls of women wearing traditional Bolivian clothes
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- A mother takes her son to school
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- Women gather in the market square in Potosi
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- Women in the market square in Potosi
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- Women near the Salt-Flats in Uyuni
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- An elderly woman and gentleman in La Paz
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- A traditionally dressed Aymaran woman in La Paz
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- Lewis the Lion sees this woman carrying her baby on her back
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- The Cholas dress beautifully for the feast of St. Anthony of Padua
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- The dancing Cholitas take a break, Isla del Sol
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- Lewis watches the dancers and musicians on l’Islas del Sol
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- Watching the crowds at the annual festival, l’Isla del Sol
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- Street life in La Paz
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- The audience at the Cholitas Wrestling in La Paz
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- Some of the spectators wear traditional clothes
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- A shop-seller in Uyuni
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- Children wearing hats on the streets of La Paz
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- Lewis the Lion says “hola” to a little boy on l’Isla del Sol
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- Children wearing their sunhats near Lake Titicaca
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- Children take a break by a market stall
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- Two children ride along the road
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- Women carry the traditional brightly coloured cloth bundles
For more information about clothing in Bolivia, go to this website.
Does the place where you live have a tradition way of dressing?
If so, what is it and when would you wear these clothes?
