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!