What shape is it? Mind you, I understand. It is a rare privilege to be thus dressed in traditional costume Kallawaya. That's still six months since Jean-Luc the circle of the Kallawayas working in La Paz (1) and good, this photo taken in Lagunillas in September is a little token of our friendship for him. Between us, we call the Maestro Blanquito , Juanito professor Don Juanito and himself was baptized Kallawaya siete hierbas of (Kallawaya the seven herbs) . "Quite simply, he said, because I know seven herbs where the least learned of you know hundreds . By cons, herbs he knows now are the ones that few of us use and that many gringos looking for. I will be careful to give names eh!
But, but, but ... not without pointing out that the woman posing on the camera and dressed in traditional attire is none other than Aymara Doña Catalina, my dear and loving mother, back about that is mine today: c huspa.
It's all about the bag of colorful square and Jean-Luc door strap. It's still a great honor that my mother has agreed to build him a traditional chuspa . To date, she had done this kind of work for me, my brother and my father Nasario, the very scientist Don Faustino. This book represents three weeks of weaving. Decorated with symbolic designs and made very clear eighteen colors, all obtained from extracts of plants, chuspa is actually a compendium of science and know-how women Kallawayas on plants. That is my mom, who harvests the plants we just look at her, my brother, my father and me, once every three months. Because obviously, a plant that grows on our sacred land has not the same effect as a plant gathered around La Paz, a land rich in fertilizers and other junk. "We tests, but the plants harvested on land desecrated by chemical fertilizers no longer serve any purpose and are no longer effective , "says Don Faustino in a video filmed by JL La Paz, in my consulting room.
And these plants picked Dona Catalina, or let us precisely when we are away? Well we put in our chuspa , that is, with the fedora, the sign of dress that we can easily recognize in the midst of population La Paz.
Soul and body are contained in its Kallawaya chuspa , containers or it carries the synthesis of wisdom. Both depot, laboratory, oracle sanctuary and magical box of surprises, the chuspa is woven by indigenous expert hands and is usually decorated with ornaments and designs varied with the order and nature follow a codification rigorous. The chuspa itself is a magical tool that can bring both good and evil. For this reason, it is surrounded by a wonderful power that makes the uninitiated approach him with reverence and awe, not daring to touch it. It is said that Kallawayas attribute to their chuspa such supernatural power that touching one of its sides can cause death, while applying his backhand on the dead produced a phenomenon of immediate resurrection. There is no doubt that these suggestions very powerful on their chuspa the Kallawayas have wanted to convert it into an object taboo, untouchable, magical. Roots, plants, amulets, bones, shells, stones, coca mix happily in chuspa , forming a veritable totum revolutum magic.
When Jean-Luc
arrived in La Paz, the first time he came down the street, his body was immediately stopped in front of No. 271. He bought water to Dona Alicia, then he sat next to Don Martin, where one can still find today. In short, without knowing it, he moved directly to the middle of the group Kallawaya in front of our surgeries, so that there is absolutely no indication that this place is ours. Four days after his arrival, we were already accustomed to its presence. With confidence, we will confiions our folding chairs and our chuspas when we wanted to go for a walk in town and he was unaware of their side taboo, even if we felt he handled them with care and reverence. He could also not what a chuspa and was content simply to say "¡Que bonito ! ¡Que bonito! " admiring our art textiles. We, we wondered just what was this gringo among us, Kallawayas. But that day, then the fourth, Jean-Luc has made us laugh out loud: "Tell , he asked naively, that's four days that I'm here. I was told that 'there were shamans and Kallawayas and I do not see one. Where are they ? The most amusing is that when we ask this question, he sat on the seat of one of ours and was holding my chuspa . " Like what said after that there were laughter subsided, the body , wiser than me, took me more s ûrement here that would have made the mental .
arrived in La Paz, the first time he came down the street, his body was immediately stopped in front of No. 271. He bought water to Dona Alicia, then he sat next to Don Martin, where one can still find today. In short, without knowing it, he moved directly to the middle of the group Kallawaya in front of our surgeries, so that there is absolutely no indication that this place is ours. Four days after his arrival, we were already accustomed to its presence. With confidence, we will confiions our folding chairs and our chuspas when we wanted to go for a walk in town and he was unaware of their side taboo, even if we felt he handled them with care and reverence. He could also not what a chuspa and was content simply to say "¡Que bonito ! ¡Que bonito! " admiring our art textiles. We, we wondered just what was this gringo among us, Kallawayas. But that day, then the fourth, Jean-Luc has made us laugh out loud: "Tell , he asked naively, that's four days that I'm here. I was told that 'there were shamans and Kallawayas and I do not see one. Where are they ? The most amusing is that when we ask this question, he sat on the seat of one of ours and was holding my chuspa . " Like what said after that there were laughter subsided, the body , wiser than me, took me more s ûrement here that would have made the mental .
"Things are working perfectly unconscious" he says often. And I believe that it was after this episode proves it beautifully, a magical encounter as we like, we have adopted easily, where we are normally so cautious and reserved. Most guidebooks, Lonely Planet's in Backpacker, indeed ensure that we make no consultation to foreigners. What then of their possible training or information!
To finish this post way too long, here I remember something important and, perhaps, sollisciter your help, dear reader.
Bolivia is a country very poor. The eight villages in the Province of Kallawayas are very poor. Because of migration to large cities like La Paz, our culture is in grave danger. Despite their recognition by UNESCO, our knowledge, such as weaving and medicine, are lost. Our villages are being deserted, despite the progress made in recent years thanks to our remarkable indigenous president Evo Morales Don Juan, we are affected by high poverty. Kallawaya gives a consultation for 7 Bolivia, about 70 cents. So it's no big fortunes that we collect. Also if you notice in the videos and photos of fabrics, amulets, herbs, services may interest you and you'd be willing to pay tariffs to Europe, but still good for you, feel free to contact us, Jean-Luc or me, so we can see how we can send them to you.
------------ (1) They have formed an association, ASOBOCUMIMEKA, Bolivian Association of Culture and Medicine Kallawaya Millennium, with about thirty Kallawayas, all from Curva. My brother, Ka. Don Nasario Quispe, is the secretary general. Note that it addresses a Kallawaya by calling Maestro or Doctor . Kallawaya traditional medicine is officially recognized by the Bolivian state.
