Never heard of Lucha Libre?

Neither had we. But we freaking love it. This is WWF Bolivian style: ninja turtles, men in skin tight leopard print suits, midgets, pyrotechnics, army dudes, bitch fights. You name it, they've got it and then some.

A ninja turtle wrestling a skeleton? Now we've seen it all.

Lucha Libre is Sunday night entertainment for the locals of El Alto, a sprawling city just outside of La Paz stretching from the rim of Rio Choqueyapu across the Altiplano. El Alto is the place to go for a taste of indigenous Bolivia if you don't have time to venture far from the capital. It also offers the best views of La Paz - from up here, you can see the the neighbourhoods of mud brick houses that spill over the canyon rim and down the slopes on three sides to the business districts and wealthier neighbourhoods that occupy the more tranquil lower altitudes. In the background looms the snow-capped peak of Mt Illimani (6402m). But none of that compares to Lucha Libre.

When we arrived, the stadium was packed with Bolivian families. They scream, they cheer, they throw food and drinks at the wrestlers. The wrestlers throw stuff back at them. Fights break out in the stands, the announcer gets attacked and his microphone stolen. A midget gets thrown across the ring, the army dude runs around screaming when his crotch is set alight. 'Paramedics' run onto the stage and administer magic water. And kids line up to get their photo taken with their favourite wrestler at the end of each match.

The highlight: cholita wrestling

It's nuts, that's for sure. But its not the highlight. This business is all about the cholitas - Quechuan and Aymara women who live in the city but continue to wear traditional dress - and they don't disappoint. Dressed prettily in full skirts, crocheted shawls and bowlers hats, these chicks are hard-core. They pull at each others plaits, punch, kick, throw each other across the ring and take out the referee. They don't hold back. And when they lose they get brutal. Full bottles of soft drink are pegged into the crowd, railings torn down and abuse screamed over the microphone. WWF ain't got nothing on these crazy ladies. Lucha Libre is where its at.