Cholitas Wrestling

Most tourists visiting La Paz have seen the adverts for Cholitas Wrestling and we literally jumped into the tour bus the moment we got back from Copacabana. Cholitas wrestling is a show in which traditional Bolivian women with pigtails (the cholitas) throw themselves at each other in something that is more of an acrobatic display than a real fight (that's wrestling right?).

A sense of humour is a must for the show given the exaggerated nature of every part of the 'fight'. Spectators in the 'VIP' zone should watch out, the fighters regularly leave the ring and throw each other into the plastic chairs around the ring. Once the Cholitas have left the ring they climb onto a stage and pose for photos with the hoardes of spectators (both Bolivians and tourists).

The only strange thing about the event (apart from the pretending to fight) is the segregation of the tourists and the Bolivians. The Bolivians, who arrive by their own means at the event, are put in the terraces and the tourists, who usually arrive by bus with a tour, are put in the 'VIP' area around the ring.