The Infamous Lake

Biking in La Paz = another awesome time! We biked from the world´s highest ski slope (yes with lots of snow) to the humid depths of the jungle. It was lots of fun... and much easier than the previous ride, although I did still fall. No harm done though.

After a day of recovery and some more site seeing in La Paz (including the Jail San Pedro where the inmates run it themselves, have restaurants and stores, buy and furnish their own rooms, and can have their families live with them... strange), Alexa, Kelly, and I headed to the shores of Lake Titicaca and the relaxing town of Copacabana. Here there is pretty much just restaurants (mostly pizza and trout!!), gift shops, and tour companies, but it was wonderful to sit on the shores of the massive lake and sip tea!

The next day we took a boat out to the Isla del Sol where we had a massive hike from the north end to the south end, but got to see a set of labrinth ruins and the wonderful views from high above the lake. It was more like an ocean than a lake... very impressive!! However, the boat ride was so slow we felt like we were going backward more than forward.

The next morning we headed to Puno.... a crummy town, but we had fun visiting the "floating islands". These are man-made islands covered in reeds with reed houses, reed hotels, reed boats, and reeds for food. The people really depend on their reeds :) There was a nice presentation by some locals about how they build the islands and what life is like there and we took a ton of pictures!!

Yesterday I spent in Cusco... an amazing colonial city... with an Argentinian kid that I met on the bus. I also met up with one of the pervious volunteers and we had fun catching up, walking around, watching Spain win the European Soccer finals, and eating dinner with her family! This is definitly a town to visit again. Today I am in Aguas Calientes, which is a small town outside of Machu Picchu. I met a girl from Seattle (?!?!?!?) on the train ride up and we are headed up on the first bus tomorrow to see the ruins. I can´t wait to finally experience what I have heard so much about!
Then one more day in Cusco and back home again. This will probably be my last post before I get home, so thanks for reading!!!
Chao

The New Year Just Isn´t The Same As In The States

In Bolivia they have a ton of new year celebrations. On Friday the Aymarans, a native tribe, celebrated their new year, which coincided with the winter solstice. The celebration took place in a set of ancient ruins called Tiuanaco... just out side of La Paz. Since we can never pass up a fiesta in Bolivia, all the volunteers and I jumped on a bus Friday afternoon to get to the event. We arrived in La Paz first, stored all of our luggage (which luckily I have impressed every one with how little I have... thanks Dad and Shannon!) and jumped on a PACKED bus to Tiuanaco. While sitting on the floor near the door, hoping it would not fly open, we waited in anticipation for our arrival. After 1.5 hours, at 10:00pm, we were dropped off since the traffic was so rediculous that we couldn´t go any farther. We walked into the main square of the town where, from a giant stage, Bolivian bands of all genres were playing music. We got some food from a street stand and joined the locals who were setting off fireworks, enjoying beverages, huddling around fires to stay warm, dancing, and making friends. At around 4:00am the crowds started to move into the ancient ruin site... this posed a bit of a frustration for us since we couldn´t find the entrance. But eventually we made it and huddled together with everyone in anticipation for the sun rise. It was sooooo cold. I was wearing three shirts, a sweater, a jacket, my hat, gloves, fleece socks, and still cuddled up in my fleece blinket (thanks mom!). Just before the first rays on sun shone through the ancient sun gate, a helicoptor arrived... it is said that there are only two helicoptors in Bolivia, one for Evo Morales and one for the police who need airlifting in to control protestors.... let me tell you that there were no police needed at this event. It was EVO... the president of Bolivia!!! He landed and joined locals in a ceremony and held up his hands with all of us and the sun rose over the horizon. It was pretty magical, but I was also VERY tired from being up all night.
At 8:30am we all packed back into a mini bus and headed to our warm hostel in La Paz. It was such a relief to have pancakes and a hot shower unpon arrival (this is the Brewery Hostel that we love in La Paz!). We napped for the rest of the morning and then got up for some sight seeing.
Alexa, who has spent so much time in La Paz that she is basically a local, took our friedn Justin and I on a "tour" of the city. We saw a beautiful cathedral and there was a wedding happening outside (with bagpipe players). Then we went to the quarky Coca History museum... Justin (a medical school student) and I spent about 20 minutes checking out the studies done on nutrient absorbsion, hormones, endurance, and fatigue when someone has chewed coca leaves and when they had not..... very cool results!! Our bodies are so amazing!
Then we went on a tour of Iglesia San Francisco... we got to see the crypt and hike up to the roof and bell tower. It also had a huge collection of art and a bodega where they made wine and spirits. There was a garden surrounded my the rooms for the monks and some awesome new areas that boasted incredible architecture.
We had a lovely, early night in bed (after our free homebrew and some Japanese food) and got ready for our bike ride the next day!

Today I went into the Jungle....

....And what a place it was!! We spent last weekend in a small town on the edge of the Bolivian jungle called Villa Tunari. We decided that everyone there was a little confused about where they were and what they were doing, despite the fact that everything was name "Villa Tunari"... Tienda Villa Tunari, Hostel Villa Tunari, Calle Villa Tunari, Parque Villa Tunari, Restaurante Villa Tunari.... I will admit that it was a bit confusing.

So we arrived and after lunch we went to La Jungla... a playground type place with wooden bridges between trees and four GIANT, rickety swings! The tallest of which was about 55 feet. It was awesome. We got to try all the swings, hang out in the tropical treetops, and see the beautiful river running by.

Afterwards we returned to our hostel for a shower and changed our clothes. Through curiosity about seeing a view of a river, the boys had gotten us an invitation to the grand opening of a new hostel. So we went and spent the evening with the owners and all their friends and family. We ate traditional Bolivian food, drank chicha (corn based alcohol) from plastic buckets, danced and listened to a saxaphone player, chatted all night, and were involved in their traditional offering for good luck with their business! It was such an amazing time!! We all spoke Spanish all night, learned about their ideas and traditions, and had much more fun than going to a restaurant and sitting in our hostel all night (this was a very tiny town with not much to do). And the most amazing part what that it was all free... it is amazing how Bolivians have no expectations and are so welcoming!The next morning we woke up early, went back to the newly opened hostel for one of the most delicious breakfasts ever and then headed out with a guide to the river Espiritú Santo. Here we each recieved a lifejacket, helmet, and an intertube.... and off we went for a rafting adventure. We spent the whole day on the river going down rapids, stopping for empanadas, swimming around, and enjoying the warm weather of the jungle. It was pretty fun, even though the last hour it started pouring down rain. We figured it was much nicer to be already wet in the river than walking through the jungle in the rain. When we got back to our base camp, the monkey

refuge had closed so we missed them, but we had an incredible fish dinner (one of the few times I have eaten it and one of the most famous dishes in Villa Tunari) and hopped into the mini-van bus back to Cochabamba.

This week I have been wrapping everything up and Thursday we had a good-bye dinner with all of our friends at a wonderful Italian restaurant (supposedly the best Italian in Bolivia!). We also went salsa dancing and said good-bye to those who are not coming on the next leg of the trip with us. Today a bunch of the volunteers and I are headed off to La Paz and a wonderful set of ruins just outside the city. Tonight is the new year celebration where they stay up all night sacrificing, celebrating, and waiting for the sun to come up through the sun gate! It should be a pretty unique experience because we will be in the middle of Aymaran ruins with hundreds of people and no houses, stores, or anything in site. Then another bike trip in La Paz, a visit to Lake Titicaca, and exploring the ruins in Machupicchu where I finish my trip. See you all for the 4th of July!

Boliva has stolen my heart!!

Pictures for the Next Three Blogs Coming Soon.. I Hope!

Wednesday we said another good-bye to our friend Peter. For his celebration we rented out an Art Center called the mARTadero. This place used to be a matadero, or a slaughterhouse, and is now being converted into the art center. They had a few exhibits up and we got to use their cozy cafe for eating the famous "Interminable" pizza which is about the size of me!!! We had a bunch of friends and staff from the Projects Abroad office and had a great time dancing and eating reguardless of the fact that we were walking where cows had been killed :)

Then I took two of my kids from work to the pool on Thursday!!! It was an amazing success. It turns out our center shares a wall with a swimming club and they let me rent the pool for an hour... and no one else is there. That means no distractions for the kids, lots of space and the water is even a decent temperature! One of my girls was a little apprehensive, but the other was almost swimming on her own with a floating noodle. She is normally in a wheel chair, but in the water she had the freedom to kick around, reach and pull, and explore the new sensation of the pool!! It was lovely.

I have become pretty good friends with one of the physiotherapist at my work named Elva. She has been so nice to me and now is going extremely above and beyond to get me involved in the physio community as well as the university. First, she took me to talk with some of her old professors about sitting in on some physio classes in the coming weeks. When I was introduced to her favorite teacher, the first thing she asked me was "why are you not coming to my classes?" She is an amazing lady, very passionate and she pretty much wants me to stop working at the center and come to all of her classes and workshops for the next two weeks. So speaking of workshops, while we were there, the professor mentioned that Friday and Saturday is an international workshop on spinal column physiotherapy and she invited us to come!!! So after some deliberation with work, we both got the day off on Friday and paid the rediculously cheap price of $20 for two days of speakers from all over South America, snacks, materials, and a certificate of completion at the end! I couldn´t believe it.
So the last two days I have met about every professor in the University´s PT department, heard speakers from Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and Bolivia, made a bunch of new friends (cause I was the only person in the room with blue eyes and that automatically makes you popular!!), and learned a ton! I actually understood most of the speeches, even though they were in spanish, and I took tons of notes to review later :) I have also been invited to another week long workshop (but I really have to work) and to visit the pool and burn unit at the hospital. And in two weeks I will be sitting in on the "care and prevention" class! It was incredible.

After our lectures on Friday, I took Elva to my yoga class... something she has never done before. It was awesome and so peaceful because it was dark outside and we had a small class. We spent a half hour meditating in the end and Elva just loved it! Afterwards, we were invited to stay in the garden and star gaze with some people who come every Friday night! They had some pretty neat telescopes and explained EVERYTHING to us. We got to see two shooting stars, star cluster, many of the zodiac constillations, and Saturn!!! It was unreal!!! The yoga instructor even brought us all coffee and we had a great time chatting, gazing, and hanging out under the stars. We also got invited to come back every Friday night and next week one of the guys, who plays the trumpet, is playing a jazz concert down town. So of course we were invited to this too! Have I mentioned how nice everyone is in Cochabamba. And then to top it all off, a friend invited us to dinner and one of the astronomer guys overheard my conversation and said "oh, I´ll drive you there because I live right next to the restaurant". It was so nice!!

And, because Bolivia just loves to celebrate everything, we saw traditional dancing in the plazas, offerings being burned in the businesses, and everyone going out to eat and dance because it was the first Friday of the month!! Pay day I think :) But apparently every month they celebrate the first Friday. What an amazing and wonderful place. Bolivia really has stolen my heart. I can´t wait to come back again!!

Tomorrow is a trip to the near by national park for some early morning hiking :)

Green Acres is the place to be: the hills and the Campo

So last weekend we got to know a little more of the city. Saturday, we climbed over 1,000 steps to Christo de ls Concordia... their giant christ statue that is taller that the one in Rio!! It was a really tough climb, but the views from the top were amazing. In addition, we got to climb up in the actual statue for an even higher view! Then we went to a local health center and picked up four lovely children who have been burned and have to stay in the center since they live too far to travel everyday for their physiotherapy. One of my friends works with these kids and since there is not much for them to do, we took them out for lunch, ice cream, biking in the park, and dancing to their favorite songs back at the center. It was a great day and we were all exhausted by the end.
Sunday we headed to a little town in the countryside (el campo) about 20 minutes away called Quillacollo. Sunday is market day so it took us much longer to get through everything, but we switched buses and headed up to a pool in the hills heated naturally by a hot spring. When we got part way up the hill, the driver stopped and told us we had to walk the rest of the way... another 30 minutes up hill!!! Luckily we had the pool to jump into at the top! It was sooooo full of Bolivians. We were the only white people there, but it had a slide (none of us were brave enough to try it) and a cooler and warmer pool. It was pretty nice and they views were just incredible since it was located in a valley. A great morning excursion. One the way back down we got a little bus until the road was blocked and then we had to walk and then get another one on the other side of the blocked road. We were hoping to see a soccer game that afternoon, but since the team was playing in La Paz, we ended up staying in Quillacollo and tasting their famous drink, chicha. I think it is made from corn?! It was pretty interesting and you can buy it buy the glass or by the plastic beach bucket... very classy! We sat around in the outdoor restaurant listening to a live mariachi band and playing "cacho"... the Bolivian version of yatzee!!

Another game of basketball that night and a new restaurant called Paprika for dinner. They had a most delicious butterscotch ice cream for dessert! Yum

The World According to Cochabamba

What a weekend. This was my first weekend in Cocha and I wanted to write a bit about the city. First I have my home. This is my home; a six story apartment building and we live on the very top floor. We have an elevator luckily, because when I am brave and try to climb the stairs I have to rest for a few minutes before entering the house :) I try to take them when I can, but sometimes I just can´t be bothered to do it. Everyday I take a "Micro" to get into town. These are crazy red, white, and blue buses completely decked out inside with photos of famous people, funny sayings, religious pictures, skull stick shift knobs, and much more. Each one is unique to the driver and each one has a crazy route written up on the window. I try to stick with the same one everyday so I don´t get lost.... I have had some bad experiences when I try to go on a new one. They pick you up anywhere along their route if you just stick your hand out and they will drop you off whenever you call out that you want to get off. More often when I am coming home, these Micros get really full, but there is ALWAYS more space and they always stop to pick up another passenger. Some times people are even hanging out the door. I usually have to stand and I am surrounded by school children and people coming home from work. It can be quite a challenge to get someone off the bus. When I do get to sit though, I am often approached and people chat with me on the ride. On many occasions and I have been asked for a phone number or e-mail address?! I also made friends with some of the school kids who I see everyday and the lady who regulates what time the buses arrive. She sits near my house where I get the bus and we often chat while I wait.

Lately, before Spanish class, I have been going to a yoga class near our office. It is so nice to be able to continue my practice here and it is actually surprising what I can understand (because obviously it is all in Spanish). The class is in a woman´s home with a beautiful, peaceful garden outside and a wonderful space to practice in. I am joined by mothers and older people who have been so welcoming and enthusiastic! Once I am calm and relaxed, I walk around the block (sometimes I treat myself to a salteña... traditional Bolivian empanada type food with delicious meat inside) and join Jorge for my lesson. He is a grad-student at the University and pretty much teaches me what ever I want. I have forced him to take me to the huge market one day, an art museum, a church, the bus station (to buy tickets for a weekend trip), and we have watched a Spanish movie and listened to Spanish music. I also wrote him a list of Spanish grammer and things I want to work on so he gives me worksheets and practice to read and analyze. It is nice to have a one-on-one lesson and he has become our friend and been able to give us lots of info about the city.

My lessons are very close to the city center and main plaza. Here there are always protestors, marches, and events. The other day I saw children from a school marching through the streets with signs against the incresing food prices.

After another micro ride, I have lunch with my family. It always consists of a veggie & potato soup, s ometimes with quinoa or other add-ins, then we have rice and a meat for our second course. We also have fresh fruit juice everyday (apple, papaya, pear, peach, etc). Then I head to my work. Here are my views as I walk to work. Pim Pan´s which is a bread shop, the giant pinapple looking trees outside a posh apartment building, and my friend Palacido. He is an older man who invited my into his house one day, showed me a million pictures of his family, gave me a pomegrante from his garden, and now waits for me everyday to say hello and chat! Later in the evening we have been playing a lot of basketball in the park near my house. It is pretty fun, but they soccer players often claim the courts are theirs and try to kick us off :( Another thing about Cochabamba is the dogs. Everywhere you walk there are dogs on the streets. Luckily, you can tell the ones who have had rabies vaccinations by the green ribbon tied around their necks! They bark a lot, but they have a saying here that "a dog that barks, doesn´t bite". Whew. Most bark at me!

As far as food goes, Cochabamba is the place to be. Along with the usual pizza, pasta, and burger joints, they have a great Japanese restaurant (ironically called Brazilian Coffee?!?!), mexican food at a place called Picassos, Dumbo´s ice cream chain with tons crazy flavors, and a local place that makes coconut and cinnamon ice creams by had... only found in Cochabamba. Additionally, on every street corner there are ladies selling all kinds of nuts, dried and fresh fruits, and candies out of their wheelbarrows! Throughout the day there are specialties made fresh on tiny carts in the streets. The traditional morning snack it a salteña... a type of empanada full of yummy meat. In the evenings there are skewers of meat and potatos that are barbequed and, my favorite, sonso, which is a yuka based dough mixed with delicious cheese and formed around a sugarcane skewer. Then they barbeque it for a bit and take it off the skewer and you have a crispy outside with a gooey inside... yum!! We also went out for a good-bye dinner with some of the group to a restaurant that has an amazing salad and sides bar and then the waiters bring meat on spits around to your table and you can pick and choose what you want to eat. And the meat just keeps coming!! I ate a chicken heart and then some other more normal meats :)

Salar De Uyuni, Volcanos, Lagunas, Geisers

Sorry it has taken me awhile to get around to posting again. I think last weekend´s trip is best described in pictures, so here goes:

The Train Graveyard with trains that used to be robbed... maybe even by Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid!! (that´s me, my friend Kelly who went with me, and our new friend Nicole inside... sorry the picture is small). It was a really cool opportunity to take pictures of different textures and designs... and I got to drive the train!! (Monkey and the Engineer dad?!?!)







Perspective photos on the salt flats were a blast. We have a domino picture and lots with people sitting in our hands! This is where they are harvesting salt. We also went to a home and got to help them pack salt. Some one is going to buy my bag of salt!

This was one of the many random islands (because the whole salt flats used to be ocean), this one was shaped like a fish (from a bird´s eye view) and was covered in cacti. It was a pretty incredible contrast among the "snow-like" landscape. We stayed in a Salt Hotel the first night. Everything was salt.... tables, chairs, ground, bed frames... luckily we had matresses. It was actually one of the best night sleeps I have had! Dinner that night appeared to be a "leftovers" dish. It had french fries, hot dogs, beef, chicken, peppers, onions, and eggs. Surprisingly, it was really good!

We saw lots of llamas on the road side... even had a relative of the llamas almost stick its head in our window!! Our next stop was a lagoon with cool green, coral like rocks, a type of bird that is only found here, and rock climbing for the brave ones in the group!

Then our car broke down on Mars... or so it appeared. Red dust covered everything and rock slides off the mountains had placed giant, solitary rocks at the base. It was a very eerie experience being surrounded by a strange landscape with no one else in site.

Next we passed through the Dalí desert, which inspired his strange abstract paintings and saw a rock shaped like a tree! We also had lunch on another small salt flat and marveled at the dusty, salty tornados that were kicked up.

Next, we headed to Laguna Colorada, which is full of incredible red alge and also pink flamingos that eat the alge. With the bright blue waters and the towering mountains behind, it was a breathtaking view!

Another tiny hotel was our home that night... and boy was it cold. We wore most of our clothes and I was thanking my host mom for the sleeping bag and fleece she had lent me. We were up early the next morning to catch the geisers in action. We huddled around their bubbling mud for warmth! (can´t upload a picture)

After dropping a few travelers off at the border to Chile, we headed back to Uyuni. We had lunch in "toy town" where you could basically see over the tops of the houses and everything seemed miniature. Check out their main plaza with the tiny gazibo!

The last picture is the remaining 4 (of 7) at the highest point during our journey... 5,000 meters!! One of the guys took a jog up the hill and then had to rest for about 20 minutes. The altitude made me so lazy that I barely wanted to get out of the car to take pictures because I got so tired in the process.

What a trip. Lots of sitting, but Bolivia continues to amaze me! Every place I go is so unique and amazing. It was great to meet some new people, but also a relief to be back home Sunday afternoon and take a shower!!