Children, Tupiza, Bolivia

Children, Tupiza, Bolivia

Tupiza is a beautiful Andean town in the south of Bolivia, just a few hours from the border with Argentina. One day during my stay there were parades, races and other sporting events held in the streets of the town for the local school kids. It turned out that it was part of a nationwide day of protests about the FIFA high altitude ban (FIFA want to ban soccer matches held above a height of 2500m for health reasons).

The purpose was to demonstrate that it’s possible to play sports at high altitude. Tupiza, for instance, is a little over 2900 metres above sea level. Evo Morales, the Bolivian President, went on over the next week or so to publicly play soccer at ever higher altitudes, culminating in a bizarre 15 minute match at 6000m on one of Bolivia’s highest mountains.

I took out my camera to take some photos and after a minute or so the kids noticed me and within seconds I was surrounded by a large group of shouting and screaming kids, jumping up and down in front of the camera, who wanted their photo taken. This lasted until their teacher shooed them away.

This is the best photo and I like it because the boy’s smiling face is so clearly seen, but slightly blurred from his movement, and because of the expressions of all the other kids in the photo.