A Fiesta in the Amazon: San Ignacio de Moxos (Parade)

San Ignacio de Moxos is a small town between Rurrenabaque and Trinidad in Bolivia's Amazon Basin. We heard that it hosts one of the best festival's in the Amazon, so we flew to Trinidad (the road is terrible), and made our way to the small town to be there for the 324th fiesta. Started by jesuit missionaries, the UNESCO world heritage festival combines local indigenous traditions with Christian imagery. The celebrations last several days but the highlight of the festival is the colourful street parade that involves hundreds of people in traditional costumes following the procession that is headed by the statue of Saint Ignacio.

Saint Ignacio; a sun costume, particulalry important to indigenous cultures; pan pipes.

Despite stifling heat and humidity, the parade lasted several hours as people danced and sang their way around town. There were colourful dresses and hats, as well as the iconic feather headdresses, which were absolutely stunning. Community groups, school children, sport teams, old and young alike all participated wearing different costumes. The indigenous worship of the sun, moon and animals was strongly present in the costumes represented by horses, feathers of colourful parrots, jaguar skins, jabiru heads and paper maché figures of deer, goats, birds, fish and a giant anaconda. The whole town seemed to be out celebrating.

Mother's Club.

Animals were a common feature. Clockwise from the top left: cow, jaguar (real pelts were used), and a red deer.

The masked Achus are another icon of the festival. The hats they are wearing later held spinning fireworks.

The amazing feather headdresses were particularly spectacular and are most famously associated with the festival.

 

Posted back when bell bottoms were cool.