Today, I want to share what happened on Saturday during the anniversary celebration of Vallegrande, here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The event was held at the Cambódromo, near my house. However, the experience was quite strange and somewhat disappointing because there was a clear commercial intent behind the event. I understand that these types of activities need to generate income, but let me explain what happened.
The Cambódromo was rented out for the Vallegrande anniversary, and the event was even announced in the media. Everything seemed fine up to that point. We decided to attend with my wife, my mother-in-law, and my brother-in-law to enjoy the celebration. Although we are not from Vallegrande, we enjoy their music and had visited the town before.
When we arrived, the parking situation was chaotic. Cars were parked all over the sidewalks, and we had to walk however we could to get closer. Once we reached the area, we saw lots of people selling food, but as we moved further, we encountered a metal barricade and security guards charging for entry to the Cambódromo. This came as a surprise because we thought the event was free since it was an anniversary celebration.
People around us mentioned there was another entrance at the far end of the Cambódromo, so we headed there. We managed to get in, but to our surprise, there were more barricades, and the organizers were also charging for entry at that point. There was no way to enter without paying. I imagine the people of Vallegrande, in particular, were even more upset about this, but overall, everyone seemed unhappy.
We were a bit frustrated, as we hadn’t expected this. The only thing we could do was stay outside and explore the small stalls where people were selling interesting items. Here, I’m sharing some curiosities I found during the event.!!
As we moved a bit away from the anniversary area, we came across some stalls selling miniature items. Many people buy them, believing they bring good luck. Let me tell you more about it.
There is a belief that if you have faith and purchase one of these miniature items, by asking deities like God, the Virgin, or the Ekeko, your faith can help make your wishes come true. In the end, destiny aligns to grant it. However, a small ritual performed by the seller is necessary to strengthen this intention.
There’s a wide variety of items, including houses, apartments, entire buildings, cars, professional degrees, pets, amulets, and so much more. The selection seems endless, but what truly surprised me was finding something in particular. Take a look at this.
It's the Baby Yoda I mentioned in my previous post, where I talked about the tragic story involving it. I didn’t buy it this time because I was afraid something similar might happen again.
There was also a civil registry where you could symbolically get married (obviously not for real). The belief is that if you have faith, it could eventually come true.
I jokingly pointed to the place and said to my wife, 'Look, honey, a civil registry! Let’s get married!' To which she laughed and replied, 'More like to get divorced!' Haha. Honestly, I didn’t find it very funny, but I’m sharing it anyway.
There are also piles of money, obviously fake, which according to the belief, are meant to attract good luck. Can you imagine if it were real? I’d use it to buy more HP, which is exactly what I’m missing. Haha!
