Girl Power Bolivian Style

"Ladies and Gentlemen!
Welcome to El Multifunctional in El Alto for La Lucha Libre!
Tonight we have a star studded line up just for you. Its a special evening indeed. The ticket you hold in your hand is priceless my friends.

For your eyes only tonight we have Ninja Boliviano, Gitano, El Magnifico and Jaider Lee.
Back from the dead we have Gran Mortis and Cobarde.
Back from the future Picudo will try to command the ring.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it´s the Titans of the ring we bring.

Now boys and girls don´t be frightened but we wary, for the grand finale we have caged back stage two terrible monsters - Momia Negra and Hombre Lobo!
My friends, tonight is special for these two beasts for a full moon shines above our heads. Hooowl!!!!

And as always for your viewing pleasure we have the world famous wrestling Cholitas, Martha La Alteña and Yolanda La Amorosa.

Give a cheer for our first wrestling star to grace the ring, the powerful Mr........Atlas!
Mr. Atlas will face....lets see who rips through the curtain...ladies and gentlemen it´s the super small but super fast Super Ratoncito! And it looks like

Ahh ref!

Martha La Alteña is teaming up with Super Raconcito.

Oh my god what a night we have in store!"

This was the first wrestling match Jessica and I had ever been to. We had no idea of what we were in for and even less of an idea what the ringmaster was shouting, but I guessed it went a little something like the rant above! We are not fans of wrestling in anyway shape or form but when we heard that women in traditional dress wrestle men, sure we felt obligated to take a look. What else would we be doing on a Sunday evening in La Paz?

We had found out about the wrestling that takes place in El Alto while learning how to breath in a new way in La Paz (it is the highest capital in the world and one of Bolivia´s two capitals. Sucre is the other. Bit strange having two, but who says you can´t? Spread the love!) So on our last Sunday in La Paz we took a bus up to El Alto and took in the unusual view of the city with snow white peaks in the background. La Paz sits in a valley shaped like a bowl. One main avenue splits the bowl right up the middle and the streets run uphill on either side. Up on the rim of the bowl is where El Alto sits. After that it is the wide open prairies and the high harshness of rugged Bolivia. The night view of La Paz from El Alto is spectacularly eerie with light riding up the valley sides. It is as though someone took the ground beneath the city´s feet and it just sagged.

After buying sweet giant corn snacks that tasted like sugar puffs (good for throwing we were told), we stood in line with about fifty excited locals for tickets. Doors opened at 4pm and it was a free for all for the best seats. Here we go!

Right from the beginning the whole show was bizarre. Eye of the Tiger blasting from the speakers. The ringmaster shouting his head off. First Mr. Atlas bursts through the curtains, his cape flapping behind. And then Martha with her Charlie Chaplin hat and glittery dress is accompanied by what I can only describe as a moustached midget with a redfaced rats head. Priceless! What a start.

All three proceeded to throw one another around the ring in a chaotic display of play acting. Martha and the midget rat were losing badly. Mr. Atlas swung Martha around like a rag doll while the ref was kicking Super Raconcito in the stomach as he/it lay on the ground. Booooooooo. There seemed to be no return. Oh, whats this? ...Martha is fighting back, the crowd go wild! In the end Martha and the Ratboy won. I think it was a fix!!!

And so the night continued with one bizarre match after another. There was as much so-called wrestling going on outside the ring as inside. Lots of masks and costumes. People booing, shouting and throwing popcorn at the ring.

At one stage a nasty wrestler from two matches previous showed up in the refs uniform for the next match. The crowd were going crazy. Booooooo. His first bit of reffing involved holding one wrestler by the arms while the other wrestler (his mate) took full advantage. He then pleaded innocence to the mock judging panel - with his performance he could have had a future as an Italian footballer.

I will give the wrestlers this: in a part of the world where a run to the end of the block would leave me semi-asphyxiated, they can do back flips and drop each other from six feet high and still carry on regardless. The women were the real crowd pleasers. They were well able to fling the men around the ring which was a great laugh.

So for any ladies out there who feel the need to unleash some aggression and throw a man around, head to La Paz and sign up to La Lucha Libre!

From James

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