María Cristina de Borbón y Bosch-Labrús, 3rd Duchess of Dúrcal

What people wore

Shawl fasteners: hooks and gold topos

For everyday wear, women secured their shawls with a metal hook, while on feast days they used a gold pin called a topo.

Getting around

Seasonal travel by mule

During the rainy season from November to March, wagon roads were often destroyed by floods, forcing travelers to use muleback routes instead.

At the table

Cooking Methods and Evening Meals

Kitchens were located in interior patios where families cooked using llama dung, called taquia, as fuel for their fires. At 6:00 PM, it was standard to have a light meal of oat or semolina soup, often followed by a dish of chard and noodles.

Music

Morenada was traditionally played with zampoñas

Before brass bands became common in the 1930s, the Morenada dance rhythm was traditionally played using native wind instruments like the zampoña. Indigenous groups participated in celebrations using their own traditional music rather than brass bands.

Daily life

Low school enrollment and outdoor learning

School enrollment was extremely low, with only one in forty-four children attending, and because of intense cold, some pupils in smaller towns were taught in the open air to enjoy the sun.

What it cost

Wages and Labor for Rubber Workers

In the early 1900s, rubber workers were sometimes paid 15 bolivianos per month and received certain foods for free, but had to work 90 days for free in exchange.