Culture Shock! Bolivia - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

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GLOSSARY

A comprehensive Bolivian glossary would occupy a whole

volume. The most frequent and strategic words typical of

Bolivia have been chosen for this selected glossary.

Abra

Mountain pass (important mainly for

hikers/climbers)

Api A nutritious hot cereal drink

Ayllu

Native community structure, within

which functions the system of ayni

(community solidarity/sharing)

Aymara Language and people of much of

highland Bolivia, pre-dating the Incas

Camba Bolivian from lowlands of the east

Cambista Money changer working on the

street

Carnaval

Bolivian Mardi Gras, celebrated

all over the country but especially

famous in Oruro

Chagas

Also known as mal de chagas: a

slowly developing incurable disease

coming from vinchuca bug that lives

between poorly sealed adobe bricks,

mostly in temperate valleys

Cha’lla

Ritual baptism, as homage to the

Pachamama (Mother Earth) of a new

home, vehicle or piece of land, in

which alcohol or an alcoholic beverage

is used, occasionally accompanied

with confetti and the burial of a Ilama

foetus. Although this is an indigenous

custom, Bolivians of all ethnicities

and social classes may practice the

Cha’lla.