As part of the experience when you dance you need to work on your costume. I made my own hat and so I had to buy a lot of small decorations and ribons to put together. The mirrors on the women's hat is usualy used to send a message to your lover. You can also find a few belts that help support your back while dancing as your often bending over. 

The dance tinkus is based on a dual it means encounter in aymara. It is a dance in which two communities, two families or two villages will fight once a year to resolve their difference. This encounter ends in the death of one of the two elected fighter. When the death is proclaimed, the problem is resolved. Nowaday this is used only in one place in Bolivia. In the rest of the country people reenact the fights without killing.

For the most important carnival of the year (February, Gran Poder and university), the repetitions starts 2 months in advance. You usually wtrain every day of the week for a minimum of two hours. You do that outside and introduce more and more complexity to the dance. You also have some competitions to get the best dancer, the best band and the best spot in the cohort.

One hour and a half away from La Paz in minibus, you'll find the small village of Peñas. The small hostal and café are there to host people that go climbing or hiking around the area. You'll find the climbing area next to the village and more that 100 routes to climb of different levels. The map of the routes is for sale in the café if you need some help. 

A solid 3h away from La Paz in minibus and taxi (from Ayo Ayo), you'll find a massive rock in the middle of the alti plano. The area is amazing for staying a few days but you'll need to bring everything with you. You can do multipitch and a lot of different nivels of climbs.

Almost inside the city, the area is accessible by minibus and is very popular amogst the climbing community of La Paz. It offers a nice break from the city craziness. The nivels are again very accessible and diverse. The rock can be a bit polished in some areas but it is very appreciable.