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