On Friday we had the party for the kids and it was a great success. Lots of volunteers helped out (even those from the school) which was great. We had tons of food, decorations, games, presents, party bags, and dancing. Despite a few minor issues (they arrived quite late, Peruvian time, and one of the cabs of children got quite lost), everyone had a great time, we were all very happy. At some point I will be able to share pictures. At the beginning of our meal I was made to give a speech in Spanish, which was a little embarressing. I hate giving speeches in front of people in English, let alone in my second language which I definitely don't speak as confidently. I couldn't really tell you what I said, but apparently it made sense. I am really excited for the beach this weekend, it's just really nice spending time with the kids out of the orphanage because they are able to be more free which is great for them.
Yesterday I decided to be a tourist with two of my friends to the house and we went to visit Arequipa's biggest attraction, the Monasterio Santa Catalina, which is this massive convent which is essentially a city within itself that was built in the 1500s. We decided to spring for a tour, and it was totally worth it because it was really very interesting. Normally I'm not that interested in tours, but this one kept my attention. I won't bore you with too many facts, but here is a brief history. Basically when it was built, it was essentially a sign of prestige to be able to send your daughter there, and it was always the second daughter who was sent there without a choice, obviously. The girls entered when they were about12 and were never permitted to leave for any reason for the rest of their lives. Doctors came to visit, and they were even buried there. The father had to pay 20 gold coins for his daughter to join the convent, which is about the equivelent of 12,000 US dollars today, imagine how much that would have been back in the 1500s, very expensive. They also paid more for the "houses" where the girls lived, some were nicer than others. So it was definitely a sign of class. Some even had servents. It was mostly European women who lived there, back in that day Arequipa was known as the "white city" because it was settled by Europeans, not Incas like most of the rest of Peru. It's interesting because the nuns used their own hair to decorate all of the figures of Jesus and Mary that decorate the convent, so you can see brown, blond, and even red human hair on these statues. They also made the robes worn by the figures by hand from silk and gold thread. It was pretty cool to see that still intact after all these years. So basically, in the 1800s the Pope at the time was very upset by the goings on at the convent so he sent a nun to be in charge and change, so they opened it up to all people, making it free to enter, changing the rules and dynamics. Anyways, that's probaby enough facts, but it was incredibly interesting. If you ever find yourself in Arequipa, I would definitely reccomend paying the convent a visit.
We were planning on doing some more touristy things today, but as of right now we can't get out of our house, the lock on the huge gate outside is broken, so we can't open it. Hopefully that issue will be solved soon, at least before it rains. But as usual, it's looking pretty cloudy.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
More Rain
Rainy season has definitely arrived.
Tomorrow is the big birthday party, we are all very excited. I just got back from the market buying fruit, a toy for the babies and some stuff for the kids. I am definitely not leaving my house the rest of the day, it is way too wet outside. But even though the rain is sucky, I must say I love the market. I know I talked about it before, it has everything foodwise, but it all has, well, everything. It's kind of like Wal-Mart (in that you can buy lots of cheap stuff) but way better because a.) it's not Wal-Mart b.) there are lots of different people to support so you know your money is not going to a huge, corrupt, corporation c.) you can find things that Wal-Mart probably doesn't have like magnifying glasses, chicha, chicken with their claws still attached, childrens toys with descriptions written in incorrect English, and real homemade potato chips. Needless to say (again), it is a great place.
Yesterday a new baby arrived at the orphanage, but not the baby we were expecting. This one is only a month old and his name is Orlando. He is so so tiny, I am always a little afraid to pick him up. All he really does is sleep, eat, and poop, so he is much easier to take care of than the older babies. But for some reason, when I was standing over his crib watching him sleep for the first time, I felt an intense sadness that I hadn't really felt before. Or maybe I just hadn't come to terms with it yet. I hear stories about where the kids come from, and of course daily I think about how sad the reality of their situation is. But when I was looking at this tiny little baby, this little bundle who just really needs his mother more than anything in the world, I could feel my heart aching and I was nearly brought to tears. I think also the fact that I knew he had spent the first month of his life living in the hospital and other government institutions, that just added to my sadness. All I know is, that someday, when I am a mother, I will love that little one with every fiber of my being no matter what. I just can't imagine it any other way. I do always try to remind myself that I just don't know and understand the situations of these parents, but sometimes it's hard to think with that mindset. At the very least, the children at Casa Hogar are well taken care of and they are loved. All I can do is smile, play, help out the best I can, and give plenty of kisses and hugs.
Tomorrow is the big birthday party, we are all very excited. I just got back from the market buying fruit, a toy for the babies and some stuff for the kids. I am definitely not leaving my house the rest of the day, it is way too wet outside. But even though the rain is sucky, I must say I love the market. I know I talked about it before, it has everything foodwise, but it all has, well, everything. It's kind of like Wal-Mart (in that you can buy lots of cheap stuff) but way better because a.) it's not Wal-Mart b.) there are lots of different people to support so you know your money is not going to a huge, corrupt, corporation c.) you can find things that Wal-Mart probably doesn't have like magnifying glasses, chicha, chicken with their claws still attached, childrens toys with descriptions written in incorrect English, and real homemade potato chips. Needless to say (again), it is a great place.
Yesterday a new baby arrived at the orphanage, but not the baby we were expecting. This one is only a month old and his name is Orlando. He is so so tiny, I am always a little afraid to pick him up. All he really does is sleep, eat, and poop, so he is much easier to take care of than the older babies. But for some reason, when I was standing over his crib watching him sleep for the first time, I felt an intense sadness that I hadn't really felt before. Or maybe I just hadn't come to terms with it yet. I hear stories about where the kids come from, and of course daily I think about how sad the reality of their situation is. But when I was looking at this tiny little baby, this little bundle who just really needs his mother more than anything in the world, I could feel my heart aching and I was nearly brought to tears. I think also the fact that I knew he had spent the first month of his life living in the hospital and other government institutions, that just added to my sadness. All I know is, that someday, when I am a mother, I will love that little one with every fiber of my being no matter what. I just can't imagine it any other way. I do always try to remind myself that I just don't know and understand the situations of these parents, but sometimes it's hard to think with that mindset. At the very least, the children at Casa Hogar are well taken care of and they are loved. All I can do is smile, play, help out the best I can, and give plenty of kisses and hugs.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Update
It's been very cold and rainy today and yesterday which just makes me want to sleep a lot. Life at the orphanage has been good, I finally feel as if I can remember everyone's names and I would even say I have pretty much mastered the art of Peruvian cloth diapers. The rumoured new baby has yet to arrive, even though each day I hear that "today is the day." Who knows.
We have planned a trip to the beach. In the beginning of February I will be going to the coast of Peru with all the kids, Tias, and four other volunteers for 3 days. It should be a whole lot of fun, I am really looking forward to the sun and I know that the babies love water therefore absolutely love the beach.
I finally brought my camera in and allowed some of the kids to take pictures, however this computer is being slow and dumb and not allowing me to upload them, so I'm afraid I might have to wait until I am in Chile and reunited with my laptop to share any more pictures.
In other news, I have had issues with bedbugs. I think it is now resolved, my entire bed frame and matress have been changed, but for a few days I was getting destroyed with bites. It was pretty itchy and awful. On Saturday I went to a Pharmacy and they give me some pills, an antihistame I'm assuming, and they helped a lot. Here in Peru you don't always need to go to the doctor as you do in the states to get medicine. Alot of times you can just go to the Pharmacy, tell them what's wrong, and they will sell many different kinds of medicine to you by the pill. I like it this way, a lot less hassle than in the US.
I have decided to stay an extra week at the orphanage, so I have 3 more (almost just 2 and half now) weeks to go. Then I will have a little over a week to travel back to Chile before my dear friend Sue arrives to visit! I am so looking forward to seeing her.
Overall life right now is calm and peaceful, I feel quite settled, and I am enjoying the feeling.
We have planned a trip to the beach. In the beginning of February I will be going to the coast of Peru with all the kids, Tias, and four other volunteers for 3 days. It should be a whole lot of fun, I am really looking forward to the sun and I know that the babies love water therefore absolutely love the beach.
I finally brought my camera in and allowed some of the kids to take pictures, however this computer is being slow and dumb and not allowing me to upload them, so I'm afraid I might have to wait until I am in Chile and reunited with my laptop to share any more pictures.
In other news, I have had issues with bedbugs. I think it is now resolved, my entire bed frame and matress have been changed, but for a few days I was getting destroyed with bites. It was pretty itchy and awful. On Saturday I went to a Pharmacy and they give me some pills, an antihistame I'm assuming, and they helped a lot. Here in Peru you don't always need to go to the doctor as you do in the states to get medicine. Alot of times you can just go to the Pharmacy, tell them what's wrong, and they will sell many different kinds of medicine to you by the pill. I like it this way, a lot less hassle than in the US.
I have decided to stay an extra week at the orphanage, so I have 3 more (almost just 2 and half now) weeks to go. Then I will have a little over a week to travel back to Chile before my dear friend Sue arrives to visit! I am so looking forward to seeing her.
Overall life right now is calm and peaceful, I feel quite settled, and I am enjoying the feeling.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The days seem to fly by
Yesterday, after spending the morning in the orphanage, I decided to go to the school in the afternoon. They are a bit short on volunteers this week as four people recently left, plus I really wanted to see what it was like. The school, Flora Tristan, is run entirely by TNT volunteers and offers free English classes to the children of the community for two hours every afternoon Monday through Friday. It's located on the outskirts of Arequipa, in an obviously quite poor area. It's strikingly different from the rest of the city, very dusty, everything the same color. The kids were really sweet, very used to new people coming in and all greeted me respectfully. One thing I noticed about the kids is that they all have really dry skin, especially their cheeks, red and chapped. It does get quite cold there at night. It was really just a harsh looking place.
I was in the Babies classroom, ages 3 to 5. I thought, perfect, just the age I am used to. But it was defintely different from being in a classroom at the British School. There seemed to be no rules in the classroom and the kids mostly all shouted at the same time. They were super cute though, and it was only for an hour, so we just did our best to keep them entertained. After words all the kids go to this basketball court to play for another hour. It was fun to play with kids, picking them up and twirling them around. It was quite different from the orphanage, but also a great experience, I'm glad that I have now been to both places.
Today was a very busy day at the orphanage, we were just told today that a new baby is arriving, supposedly later today. I don't know much else yet, like whether it's a boy or a girl or how old it is. But we were very busy preparing today. They wanted us to clean everything and we basically reorganized the babies' room. The best part of the day though was when we gave two of them a bath. It was seriously one of the cutest things I have ever seen, they absolutely loved it. When water was poured over baby Cristian's head, he would close his eyes and just squeel with delight, waving his arms around. It was really a lot of fun watching them enjoy themselves so much. They don't get baths like that very often so it's very exciting for them when it does happen.
We got the go ahead for the babies' birthday party, which we are going to have in the volunteer house. We have started planning, it's going to be great. We haven't told the kids about it yet though, they are going to be really excited. One of these days I will bring my camera in so that I can share some pictures, I just keep forgetting.
Here's something random about the city I live in that I wanted to share. In Peru, the garbage trucks play music so that people know to bring out their trash. I have heard this many times, usually they play children's songs. This morning, while eating my breakfast, I heard the truck that passes by my house, and the song it was blaring was none other than the band Aqua's smash hit "Barbie Girl." It's pretty hilarious, and a very accurate version. Apparently they always play that song. I wonder if the driver ever gets sick of it..
I was in the Babies classroom, ages 3 to 5. I thought, perfect, just the age I am used to. But it was defintely different from being in a classroom at the British School. There seemed to be no rules in the classroom and the kids mostly all shouted at the same time. They were super cute though, and it was only for an hour, so we just did our best to keep them entertained. After words all the kids go to this basketball court to play for another hour. It was fun to play with kids, picking them up and twirling them around. It was quite different from the orphanage, but also a great experience, I'm glad that I have now been to both places.
Today was a very busy day at the orphanage, we were just told today that a new baby is arriving, supposedly later today. I don't know much else yet, like whether it's a boy or a girl or how old it is. But we were very busy preparing today. They wanted us to clean everything and we basically reorganized the babies' room. The best part of the day though was when we gave two of them a bath. It was seriously one of the cutest things I have ever seen, they absolutely loved it. When water was poured over baby Cristian's head, he would close his eyes and just squeel with delight, waving his arms around. It was really a lot of fun watching them enjoy themselves so much. They don't get baths like that very often so it's very exciting for them when it does happen.
We got the go ahead for the babies' birthday party, which we are going to have in the volunteer house. We have started planning, it's going to be great. We haven't told the kids about it yet though, they are going to be really excited. One of these days I will bring my camera in so that I can share some pictures, I just keep forgetting.
Here's something random about the city I live in that I wanted to share. In Peru, the garbage trucks play music so that people know to bring out their trash. I have heard this many times, usually they play children's songs. This morning, while eating my breakfast, I heard the truck that passes by my house, and the song it was blaring was none other than the band Aqua's smash hit "Barbie Girl." It's pretty hilarious, and a very accurate version. Apparently they always play that song. I wonder if the driver ever gets sick of it..
Monday, January 17, 2011
Settling
I am starting to feel much more comfortable and settled at the orphanage. Today I spent a lovely calm day with the babies. I feel like I have a better grip on what I am doing, even when it comes to changing cloth diapers. It's also nice because I am starting to get to know each baby a little better, they each have distinct personalities. Each one is so precious and adorable in their own way. I can already tell it's going to be hard to say goodbye. Feeling more comfortable with what I am doing is definitely helping me enjoy myself more, and I think the babies feed off of the positive energy.
Along with some of the other volunteers, we are working on planning some events to do with the kids. Hopefully we will be able to take them (minus the babies) to the movie theater this week. We are also trying to plan some fun craft activities. Plus, two of the babies are turning one very soon (they were born a day apart) so we have begun planning a party for them. We are thinking it would be nice to have it here at the volunteer house so that the kids get to go out somewhere, plus we have a small yard, perfect for playing games. We still need to run by all these plans with the director, but I'm sure they will pan out. If you have any good ideas about activities that might be fun to do with the kids, either in the house or ideas of trips we could take, please let me know either in the comment section or send me an email.
Finally, if you are willing and able, there is a way you could be a lot of help. The orphanage is going to have to move to another site within the year because the owner of the building that Casa Hogar is currently in wants it back. The director has land, but lots of help is needed to build a new orphanage on it. You can help by buying a brick! Also check out the website, maybe you will feel inspired to donate to the organization, or the school, or the orphanage. Or maybe you are going to Peru (or know someone) and would love to help out as a volunteer. So far, I would highly recommend volunteering with Traveller Not Tourist. The staff are very helpful and enthusiastic about what they do, and I really think this is a great way to experience a different country and culture. I have already learned quite a bit in just a week. Alright, done promoting. But if you can help in any way, it would be well appreciated. This is an organization worth supporting.
Thanks for your support! Peace and love!
Along with some of the other volunteers, we are working on planning some events to do with the kids. Hopefully we will be able to take them (minus the babies) to the movie theater this week. We are also trying to plan some fun craft activities. Plus, two of the babies are turning one very soon (they were born a day apart) so we have begun planning a party for them. We are thinking it would be nice to have it here at the volunteer house so that the kids get to go out somewhere, plus we have a small yard, perfect for playing games. We still need to run by all these plans with the director, but I'm sure they will pan out. If you have any good ideas about activities that might be fun to do with the kids, either in the house or ideas of trips we could take, please let me know either in the comment section or send me an email.
Finally, if you are willing and able, there is a way you could be a lot of help. The orphanage is going to have to move to another site within the year because the owner of the building that Casa Hogar is currently in wants it back. The director has land, but lots of help is needed to build a new orphanage on it. You can help by buying a brick! Also check out the website, maybe you will feel inspired to donate to the organization, or the school, or the orphanage. Or maybe you are going to Peru (or know someone) and would love to help out as a volunteer. So far, I would highly recommend volunteering with Traveller Not Tourist. The staff are very helpful and enthusiastic about what they do, and I really think this is a great way to experience a different country and culture. I have already learned quite a bit in just a week. Alright, done promoting. But if you can help in any way, it would be well appreciated. This is an organization worth supporting.
Thanks for your support! Peace and love!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
First week in Arequipa
I've already been here almost a week, 3 more to go. I can't believe how quickly it's gone by already. I survived my first week at the orphanage, apparently it only gets easier. I do feel like I am starting to learn my way around. Yesterday I got to hang out with the kids without the babies for the first time and it was great. I let them play with my hair which may have been a mistake, I think I definitely lost some. They are a lot of fun, I've missed hanging out with kids. I have also learned how to use cloth diapers. I wouldn't call myself an expert yet, but I can manage. I am definitely learning some valuable skills.
Today I went whitewater rafting with some people from my house and it was so much fun. I managed to avoid falling off the raft although there were a few close calls. About halfway through the trip we stopped at an area that was a bit deeper and got to jump off this big rock, that was great. It was funny because I was wearing a life jacket so I just popped back up right away. I had a great time though and it was nice to start to get to know some people in my house. Tonight we are planning on going out so I will get to check out the night life in Arequipa.
It has been a little strange transitioning back into a normal routine after traveling, and I definitely miss traveling, but I am still enjoying myself and it's nice to get experience Peru in this way and meet lots of nice people.
Today I went whitewater rafting with some people from my house and it was so much fun. I managed to avoid falling off the raft although there were a few close calls. About halfway through the trip we stopped at an area that was a bit deeper and got to jump off this big rock, that was great. It was funny because I was wearing a life jacket so I just popped back up right away. I had a great time though and it was nice to start to get to know some people in my house. Tonight we are planning on going out so I will get to check out the night life in Arequipa.
It has been a little strange transitioning back into a normal routine after traveling, and I definitely miss traveling, but I am still enjoying myself and it's nice to get experience Peru in this way and meet lots of nice people.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Pictures, at last!
Finally I have a computer to upload some pictures onto. I have taken so many it's so difficult to choose what to share. In no particular order, here's just a small taste...
One of the awesome landscapes I saw during the 3 day tour in Bolivia.
Fisher Island, an island in the middle of the expansive Uyuni Salt flat . It has been converted into a park.
A very tall cactus on Fisher Island. Some of them are nearly a thousand years old.
Middle of the desert in Bolivia.
Bolivia.
Machu Picchu
Terraces left by the Incas in Peru
Isla del Sol
The sun setting over Lake Titicaca
Jumping for joy in the Uyuni Salt flat. It rained a little while we were there, making it ideal for reflection pictures.
Salt Flat of Uyuni, Bolivia
Middle of nowhere, Bolivia, during the three day tour
Right after reaching the top of the Machu Picchu Mountain. You can't tell, but I'm about 9,000 feet above sea level here. You can tell how tired I am.
One of the lagoons in Bolivia.
One of the awesome landscapes I saw during the 3 day tour in Bolivia. 
Fisher Island, an island in the middle of the expansive Uyuni Salt flat . It has been converted into a park.
A very tall cactus on Fisher Island. Some of them are nearly a thousand years old.
Middle of the desert in Bolivia.
Bolivia.
Machu Picchu
Terraces left by the Incas in Peru
Isla del Sol
The sun setting over Lake Titicaca
Jumping for joy in the Uyuni Salt flat. It rained a little while we were there, making it ideal for reflection pictures.
Salt Flat of Uyuni, Bolivia
Middle of nowhere, Bolivia, during the three day tour
Right after reaching the top of the Machu Picchu Mountain. You can't tell, but I'm about 9,000 feet above sea level here. You can tell how tired I am.
One of the lagoons in Bolivia.Tuesday, January 11, 2011
First Day
Today was my first day at the orphanage, and I think it went pretty well. It was a bit intimidating, as there is just so much to learn and so much to do, but I enjoyed it overall. I was thrown into caring for the babies, which to me was a bit terrifying, I have almost no experience caring for babies. So for most of the day it was just me and three babies in a room. If nothing else I am going to learn some valuable mothering skills for sure. Despite the fact that I don't really know what to do with babies, I think I handled it pretty well all things considering.
All the children there are adorable and very friendly. They get very excited about new people coming in. There is another volunteer there named Kim so they all called me Tia Kimberly Dos, a nickname they seemed pretty proud of to have come up with. There are three women who live there, they seem pretty amazing to me. To them it's not just a job, it's their life. They have no breaks, there are just there 24/7 taking care of 16 kids. That's dedication. This experience is going to be great for my spanish since none of them speak English, I already learned a few new words today.
I was supposed to have a homestay but somehow that fell through. However, a spot opened up in the volunteer house so I will be living there. I'm actually pretty glad, it seems like it will be pretty fun here. There are about 10 people living here and it changes all the time as people come and go. All the people living here volunteer either at the orphanage or at the school that the organization works with. There are people from about 5 different countries and everyone seems really nice and generous. The only downfall is that English is the primary language spoken, and I was really hoping to finally be fully immersed in Spanish. However, a few of us started talking about how we should try and instill a mandatory Spanish time in the house. We are thinking about making it a weekly communal meal and throughout the cooking and eating process we must communicate in Spanish. It seems like most everyone is on board with that idea.
So I'm ready to kind of settle down for a little while and get back into a schedule. Plus it's going to be great learning more about Peru and the culture here. So far I have concluded that Peruvians are very friendly people who are very proud of their culture, especially proud of there food. Every Peruvian I meet asks me how I like the food. The also love to ask me questions about Chile whenever they find out about my background. Strangely enough they also seem way more interested in me being part Chilean than me being from the States. As soon as they find out that my family is Chilean, they seem much more comfortable talking to me. I find that very interesting. It's also interesting that the people I have met so far don't seem to know all the much about Chile other than the fact that they hear it's expensive there and that Chileans speak with a lot of slang they don't understand.
Tomorrow I will be attempting to get to the orphanage by myself for the first time. I am awful with directions and don't understand this city layout at all yet, so we'll see how that goes.
All the children there are adorable and very friendly. They get very excited about new people coming in. There is another volunteer there named Kim so they all called me Tia Kimberly Dos, a nickname they seemed pretty proud of to have come up with. There are three women who live there, they seem pretty amazing to me. To them it's not just a job, it's their life. They have no breaks, there are just there 24/7 taking care of 16 kids. That's dedication. This experience is going to be great for my spanish since none of them speak English, I already learned a few new words today.
I was supposed to have a homestay but somehow that fell through. However, a spot opened up in the volunteer house so I will be living there. I'm actually pretty glad, it seems like it will be pretty fun here. There are about 10 people living here and it changes all the time as people come and go. All the people living here volunteer either at the orphanage or at the school that the organization works with. There are people from about 5 different countries and everyone seems really nice and generous. The only downfall is that English is the primary language spoken, and I was really hoping to finally be fully immersed in Spanish. However, a few of us started talking about how we should try and instill a mandatory Spanish time in the house. We are thinking about making it a weekly communal meal and throughout the cooking and eating process we must communicate in Spanish. It seems like most everyone is on board with that idea.
So I'm ready to kind of settle down for a little while and get back into a schedule. Plus it's going to be great learning more about Peru and the culture here. So far I have concluded that Peruvians are very friendly people who are very proud of their culture, especially proud of there food. Every Peruvian I meet asks me how I like the food. The also love to ask me questions about Chile whenever they find out about my background. Strangely enough they also seem way more interested in me being part Chilean than me being from the States. As soon as they find out that my family is Chilean, they seem much more comfortable talking to me. I find that very interesting. It's also interesting that the people I have met so far don't seem to know all the much about Chile other than the fact that they hear it's expensive there and that Chileans speak with a lot of slang they don't understand.
Tomorrow I will be attempting to get to the orphanage by myself for the first time. I am awful with directions and don't understand this city layout at all yet, so we'll see how that goes.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Getting scammed, Arequipa, getting ready to volunteer
I made it to Arequipa last night after a long, not very good day. It was the kind of day where things kept going wrong. It started with missing clothes, a pair of pants I really like weren't returned to me with my laundry. Other minor things that went wrong: I dropped a cheese sandwhich on the ground at the bus terminal just after paying for it, I had an extraordinarily difficult time finding anything meatless other than bread to eat all day, and one of the buses I spent nearly five hours on had some kind of issue involving a gas leak or something causing a very strong smell and general haze inside the bus. It made me very sleepy and gave me a headache, occasionally while drifting uncontrolably to sleep I thought to myself, yeah I'm being poisoned, probably won't wake up. Thankfully I did, although when I blew my nose afterwards what came out was mostly black. The main thing that went wrong yesterday is that I fell for a bus ticket scam. I've read about things like this happening, but I had been lucky enough to avoid it, until yesterday. Here's what happened: a friend of mine decided to accompany me to Arequipa, he is meeting up with someone else here and he wanted to make sure where I was going was safe. So we went a day early to buy our bus tickets and essentially every company told us they only had night buses, but we wanted a day bus. While we were talking to one woman, a man came up and hear us ask for a day bus. She asked him if he had any, and he said yes, then offered to show us the bus. I thought it was strange he offered that, and it seemed strange that he showed up all of the sudden, but he seemed to be working with the woman behind the counter, she seemed to know him so I thought it was probably fine. Well he ended up selling us tickets for 85 soles each (around $35) which I now know is about three times the normal price, but I wasn't sure because that's about how much a comparable trip in Chile or Argentina would cost.
The next day we went to the bus station and ended up seeing the same man, he told us to go to lane number one, so we did. When we were loading our luggage on board, the man workinga sked for our ticket, then told us it wasn't valid. I began to argue a bit, telling him I didn't understand, and that we had paid for the ticket and this was where we were told to go. Two French girls behind us overheard and asked how much we paid. This is when I found out we had paid much more than we should have. They told us they thought we had been scammed and that we ought to go complain. Just as we were about to do this, the man who sold us the ticket suddenly appeared. He asked us what the problem was, produced two new tickets and told us everything was fine and to get on the bus. We were a bit confused, but we thought, alright, whatever, we just need to get where we are going. So we got on the bus, and right before it left the man appeared once more with an elderly man. He told us this man was the bus driver, not to worry that everything was safe and clarified with us where we were supposed to get off to change our tickets and change buses. We had done this once in Peru, the changing of buses. It was confusing and hadn't made much sense, but it had all worked out so I just assumed it was normal. So finally we got to Juliaca, the city where we were to change buses. I went to the counter of the company whose name was printed on the ticket we had. When I showed it the woman working she got very upset and told me that they did not even have buses to Arequipa. She told us to sit and wait while she called the Cusco office to try and clarify. We waited for about an hour, and each time I asked on the status update, she didn't give much information. She mostly seemed confused and irritated (not at me, but at whoever wrote out the ticket) and told me that this was the third time this had happened recently. Eventually we got tired of waiting and decided it was best to just suck it up and buy another ticket, we didn't want to risk the buses filling up and being stuck overnight in that tiny town. And since my complaining wasn't doing much, we just left and bought another ticket and some food. While we were waiting for the next bus, a woman I had never seen came up to us asking if we were the tourists with the ticket from Cusco. I explained to her that I thought we had been scammed and I realized it wasn't her fault, but we were not happy and had chosen another company to travel with. She apologized and offered me 20 soles, about $7. Even though that didn't compare to the money we had lost, I accepted it and decided there was some kind of lesson to learn from all of this. I was grateful that I was not alone in dealing with this, that would have been worse. Either way, we made it onto the second bus, although that was the bus that probably shortened my life a little bit from the toxic air. Eventually we made it to the hostel, about 5 hours later than we had planned.
Today I went to the office of organization that works with the orphanage I will be working at. The gave me the run down then gave me binder of information which I read right there. Because I speak pretty good spanish (at least compared to most volunteers, apparently) they decided I would be best used at the orphanage intsead of the school, which is what I wanted. However, they also asked if I wouldn't mind spending a few hours a week helping the school since I have some teaching experience. Of course I wouldn't mind, especially since I can use all the practice and experience I can get teaching English to children before I start my job in Chile. I think it's going to be a great learning experience at the orphange, but certainly a lot of work. Tomorrow morning I am going to meet with the head for a short interview and then I will be put to work. I'm still not entirely sure what to expect, although talking to the people at the office was helpful to begin to paint a picture in my mind. Tomorrow I will also meet the family that I will be staying with, so tonight is my last night in a hostel. I am looking forward to sleeping in the same place every night and having a place other than my backpack to keep my clothes. It will also be nice to be able to do laundry regularly. Also, I think I am going to enjoy Arequipa. It seems like a fun city, very lively and people are friendly. So hopfully tomorrow goes well. I have a feeling I will be working mostly with babies which makes me a little nervous because I have almost no experience with them. I will certainly be learning a lot.
Sidenote: Today is my parent's 30th wedding anniversary. Pretty amazing, huh? Both of them continously amaze me with their strength and unconditional love and support. I am a very lucky daughter to be blessed with such amazing parents. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love you and miss you!
The next day we went to the bus station and ended up seeing the same man, he told us to go to lane number one, so we did. When we were loading our luggage on board, the man workinga sked for our ticket, then told us it wasn't valid. I began to argue a bit, telling him I didn't understand, and that we had paid for the ticket and this was where we were told to go. Two French girls behind us overheard and asked how much we paid. This is when I found out we had paid much more than we should have. They told us they thought we had been scammed and that we ought to go complain. Just as we were about to do this, the man who sold us the ticket suddenly appeared. He asked us what the problem was, produced two new tickets and told us everything was fine and to get on the bus. We were a bit confused, but we thought, alright, whatever, we just need to get where we are going. So we got on the bus, and right before it left the man appeared once more with an elderly man. He told us this man was the bus driver, not to worry that everything was safe and clarified with us where we were supposed to get off to change our tickets and change buses. We had done this once in Peru, the changing of buses. It was confusing and hadn't made much sense, but it had all worked out so I just assumed it was normal. So finally we got to Juliaca, the city where we were to change buses. I went to the counter of the company whose name was printed on the ticket we had. When I showed it the woman working she got very upset and told me that they did not even have buses to Arequipa. She told us to sit and wait while she called the Cusco office to try and clarify. We waited for about an hour, and each time I asked on the status update, she didn't give much information. She mostly seemed confused and irritated (not at me, but at whoever wrote out the ticket) and told me that this was the third time this had happened recently. Eventually we got tired of waiting and decided it was best to just suck it up and buy another ticket, we didn't want to risk the buses filling up and being stuck overnight in that tiny town. And since my complaining wasn't doing much, we just left and bought another ticket and some food. While we were waiting for the next bus, a woman I had never seen came up to us asking if we were the tourists with the ticket from Cusco. I explained to her that I thought we had been scammed and I realized it wasn't her fault, but we were not happy and had chosen another company to travel with. She apologized and offered me 20 soles, about $7. Even though that didn't compare to the money we had lost, I accepted it and decided there was some kind of lesson to learn from all of this. I was grateful that I was not alone in dealing with this, that would have been worse. Either way, we made it onto the second bus, although that was the bus that probably shortened my life a little bit from the toxic air. Eventually we made it to the hostel, about 5 hours later than we had planned.
Today I went to the office of organization that works with the orphanage I will be working at. The gave me the run down then gave me binder of information which I read right there. Because I speak pretty good spanish (at least compared to most volunteers, apparently) they decided I would be best used at the orphanage intsead of the school, which is what I wanted. However, they also asked if I wouldn't mind spending a few hours a week helping the school since I have some teaching experience. Of course I wouldn't mind, especially since I can use all the practice and experience I can get teaching English to children before I start my job in Chile. I think it's going to be a great learning experience at the orphange, but certainly a lot of work. Tomorrow morning I am going to meet with the head for a short interview and then I will be put to work. I'm still not entirely sure what to expect, although talking to the people at the office was helpful to begin to paint a picture in my mind. Tomorrow I will also meet the family that I will be staying with, so tonight is my last night in a hostel. I am looking forward to sleeping in the same place every night and having a place other than my backpack to keep my clothes. It will also be nice to be able to do laundry regularly. Also, I think I am going to enjoy Arequipa. It seems like a fun city, very lively and people are friendly. So hopfully tomorrow goes well. I have a feeling I will be working mostly with babies which makes me a little nervous because I have almost no experience with them. I will certainly be learning a lot.
Sidenote: Today is my parent's 30th wedding anniversary. Pretty amazing, huh? Both of them continously amaze me with their strength and unconditional love and support. I am a very lucky daughter to be blessed with such amazing parents. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love you and miss you!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Machupicchu
Yesterday I visited South America's most popular tourist attraction. It would certainly touristy, but it was totally worth it. Because we don´t have a lot of time as I have to be in Arequipa ready to start at the orphanage on Monday, we opted not to do the 4 day hike along the Inca trail, which goes from Cusco to Machupicchu. It is something I would like to do someday though. Instead we took a bus and then a train, stopping at a few villages along the way. We spent the night at Aguas Calientes, the town which sits at the foothill of the mountains that surround the ancient Inca city. That town exists purely for tourists. It´s full of restuarants and bars and shops and that´s about it. And it´s very expensive. The whole thing was probably the most expensive thing I´ve done throughout my travels. But it is worth it to see Machupicchu. I feel like it is one of those places that you just have to see in life, like the Eiffel Tower or the pyramids in Egypt (haven´t seen the latter yet, someday).
The next day we took a bus up to the park, because we were planning on walking around and walking down so we though it was best to conserve energy. At first, dealing with all the tourists so early in the morning made me feel slightly cranky. We ended up following a tour which was kind of interesting, but I usually to prefer to do those types of things on my own. I am never a very good listener when it comes to guided tours. But it was a nice easy way to start the day. After that we climbed up Machupicchu Mountain, which is the tallest peak surrounding the city. It's not the most popular one, that is Wanupicchu, people begin lining up as early as 3:30 AM to climb that one because the park only lets 400 people a day do it. We decided not to do that one. The peak we chose instead was much taller and much more difficult, therefore not as many people choose to do it. We signed in at the bottom at about 11:00 AM and I think I was only number 40 on the list. That's nothing considering there were thousands of people visiting that day. It was nice though to get away from all the people. The climb was definitely challenging. But I took it slow and managed to complete it. As usual, it felt great once I got to the top. Unfortunately the view wasn't that great because it is the rainy season, so it was very cloudy, plus it was raining. But we tried to be patient, and waited up there for about an hour. Finally we got a glimpe of the "Mysterious" Inca city. It was worth it for the view. I think the summit of the mountain is about 9,000 feet above sea level, so of course it's an awesome feeling to look down from such a high place. After that we climbed all the way down back to town which took a couple of hours, plus it was slippery. Suprisingly I didn't fall, although I came close a few times. After the long walk into town we celebrated accomplishing Machupicchu with pizza and beer. We definitely deserved it. We arrived back to Cusco at about midnight and I pretty much went right to bed, I was exhausted.
Tomorrow I head to Arequipa, it's time for me to part ways with my travel friends. Tonight we are planning to go out for one last night of fun. Plus, I have a reason to celebrate. Yesterday I found out I was accepted into the English Opens Doors program, a government initiative in Chile to improve the teaching of English in public schools. Starting the beginning of March, I will be teaching English in Chile. I don't know where yet, but hopefully somewhere in the South as I requested. I am very excited, it´s a job I really wanted, it´s going to be a great experience for me personally, culturally, and professionally. Everything seems to be falling into place, I am so grateful for the experiences I have had thus far, and those that are yet to come. I am even more grateful for all the wonderful and supportive people in my life. There's no way I could do all this without the great support network I am blessed with. Lots of love to all!
The next day we took a bus up to the park, because we were planning on walking around and walking down so we though it was best to conserve energy. At first, dealing with all the tourists so early in the morning made me feel slightly cranky. We ended up following a tour which was kind of interesting, but I usually to prefer to do those types of things on my own. I am never a very good listener when it comes to guided tours. But it was a nice easy way to start the day. After that we climbed up Machupicchu Mountain, which is the tallest peak surrounding the city. It's not the most popular one, that is Wanupicchu, people begin lining up as early as 3:30 AM to climb that one because the park only lets 400 people a day do it. We decided not to do that one. The peak we chose instead was much taller and much more difficult, therefore not as many people choose to do it. We signed in at the bottom at about 11:00 AM and I think I was only number 40 on the list. That's nothing considering there were thousands of people visiting that day. It was nice though to get away from all the people. The climb was definitely challenging. But I took it slow and managed to complete it. As usual, it felt great once I got to the top. Unfortunately the view wasn't that great because it is the rainy season, so it was very cloudy, plus it was raining. But we tried to be patient, and waited up there for about an hour. Finally we got a glimpe of the "Mysterious" Inca city. It was worth it for the view. I think the summit of the mountain is about 9,000 feet above sea level, so of course it's an awesome feeling to look down from such a high place. After that we climbed all the way down back to town which took a couple of hours, plus it was slippery. Suprisingly I didn't fall, although I came close a few times. After the long walk into town we celebrated accomplishing Machupicchu with pizza and beer. We definitely deserved it. We arrived back to Cusco at about midnight and I pretty much went right to bed, I was exhausted.
Tomorrow I head to Arequipa, it's time for me to part ways with my travel friends. Tonight we are planning to go out for one last night of fun. Plus, I have a reason to celebrate. Yesterday I found out I was accepted into the English Opens Doors program, a government initiative in Chile to improve the teaching of English in public schools. Starting the beginning of March, I will be teaching English in Chile. I don't know where yet, but hopefully somewhere in the South as I requested. I am very excited, it´s a job I really wanted, it´s going to be a great experience for me personally, culturally, and professionally. Everything seems to be falling into place, I am so grateful for the experiences I have had thus far, and those that are yet to come. I am even more grateful for all the wonderful and supportive people in my life. There's no way I could do all this without the great support network I am blessed with. Lots of love to all!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Death Road, Isla del Sol, Peru
Quite a bit has happened during the past few days but I haven´t had access to the internet for more than five minutes. At about five this morning we arrived to Cusco, Peru after a very long and uncomfortable ride on a bumpy bus. But before I get to that, let me go back a few days.
First off, I survived the Death Road bike ride. The ride was about 64 km long, mostly downhill and we decended all together about 6000 meters I think during about 4 or 5 hours. The road is known as the "Death Road" because of the extreme dropoffs on the side (of about 1,800) and there are no guardrails. So as a result many people have died driving and riding down that road. Of course today, now that it is a major tourist attraction it is much safer and accidents occur few and far in between. I must admit I was a little nervous to ride downhill so much, but really you are very in control of how fast you go. It was actually a lot of fun. We started riding down a part of the road which is paved, it was easier but a little scary as there were also many cars and trucks on the road. Then we got to the town of Coroico, where the road changed to gravel and suddenly we were in the rainforest. It was very humid and foggy, but the views were absolutely gorgeous. We road through and past many rivers and waterfalls. At the end we arrived to a small village where we had a delicious lunch and hung out by a pool. I did get bitten up by bugs and am still quite itchy, that was the one downfall. It was a pretty awesome experience though, and I´m glad I didn´t let my nervousness get the best of me.
The next day we left La Paz and took a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia, a town that lies on the coast of Lake Titicaca (a name I remember giggling about as a kid, never thought I would actually get to see the lake). We didn´t spend much time there, just long enough to have a delicious lunch, then we hopped on a boat and after about one and a half hours we arrived at Isla del Sol, a very hilly and rocky island where it is believed by the Incas to be the place where the Sun God was born. There are no cars on the island, therefore no paved roads. I was definitely not expecting how difficult it would be just to get to a place to stay.
Now first of all, I must mention the presence of children. As I said in an earlier post, child labor is without a doubt an issue in Bolivia. Well, our boat was captained by a child who couldn´t have been older than 10 and his first mate was probably about 6. Then, as soon as we got off the island we were approached by a swarm of 5 to 10 year olds trying to take us to hostels. We really weren´t sure that we should trust these young hustlers, so we waited until we found an adult to talk to, came to a deal, and then he called over a six year old to lead us to where we were to stay. I couldn´t help but laugh, and I had no choice but to follow him. This part was pretty awful. We had to walk uphill, very steep, on rocks while carrying our huge backpacks. It was really difficult for me, and it definintely put me in a cranky mood. But eventually we made it, I was able to rest, then explore the island. There are many Inca ruins on the island, but most of them lie on the North side. As we were staying on the South side, and it is a four hour walk to the other side, I didn´t get to see these ruins. We tried trekking over there the next day, but we didn´t have enough time because we had to catch the boat back to Copacobana to get on a bus to Cusco, Peru. The views of the lake from the island were awesome, I especially enjoyed watching the sunset over the lake while eating dinner. There are a few villages of people who live on the island, and most of those people seem to be farmers. The fields have been terraced so you can see the long history of farming on the island. There also many animals that live there, sheep, donkeys, pigs, goats, llamas. All day long you see people herding around there animals. It´s a very interesting little island, but I can´t imagine why anyone would want to live there because getting around is so difficult. Not only is it all uphill and rocky but it is already at such a high altitude making it difficult to breathe. Needless to say, one night there was enough for me.
So last night was spend on the bus en route to Peru. Crossing the border was hectic, but not too difficult, and right away you could tell that Peru has a more successful economy than Bolivia. I will definitely miss the wonderful cheap meals I had in Bolivia, but I am ready to explore a new country. So far I don´t have many opinions because I really haven´t seen much, just the taxi ride to hostel. I was so tired I went right to sleep upon arriving, so I haven´t done much exploring yet. I can say that the bed I slept in at this hostel is without a doubt the best I have had since travleing. The pillow was so soft and fluffy, the sheets smelled clean, and there was actually a duvet. After the range in quality of beds I have experienced, this bed was great. This hostel is pretty new, so I think that´s why it´s so comfortable and clean here.
So the new plan is as follow: spend some time exploring Cusco, go see Machu Picchu (probably by train for lack of time) then strating Monday I will be making Arequipa, Peru my home for one month. I will be living with a family and volunteering at an orphanage. I am very excited about this new chapter! I am also a little nervous, I have no idea what to expect, but I am sure it will be a great experience. It is something I have always wanted to do. I am a little sad to stop traveling, but as I will have weekends off, I will be able to explore the surrounding areas. It will be nice to get into some kind of routine, even if only for a month.
So far the new year has been great to me! I hope it has been for you too. Here´s to loving life and living it to it´s fullest each and every day! Peace.
First off, I survived the Death Road bike ride. The ride was about 64 km long, mostly downhill and we decended all together about 6000 meters I think during about 4 or 5 hours. The road is known as the "Death Road" because of the extreme dropoffs on the side (of about 1,800) and there are no guardrails. So as a result many people have died driving and riding down that road. Of course today, now that it is a major tourist attraction it is much safer and accidents occur few and far in between. I must admit I was a little nervous to ride downhill so much, but really you are very in control of how fast you go. It was actually a lot of fun. We started riding down a part of the road which is paved, it was easier but a little scary as there were also many cars and trucks on the road. Then we got to the town of Coroico, where the road changed to gravel and suddenly we were in the rainforest. It was very humid and foggy, but the views were absolutely gorgeous. We road through and past many rivers and waterfalls. At the end we arrived to a small village where we had a delicious lunch and hung out by a pool. I did get bitten up by bugs and am still quite itchy, that was the one downfall. It was a pretty awesome experience though, and I´m glad I didn´t let my nervousness get the best of me.
The next day we left La Paz and took a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia, a town that lies on the coast of Lake Titicaca (a name I remember giggling about as a kid, never thought I would actually get to see the lake). We didn´t spend much time there, just long enough to have a delicious lunch, then we hopped on a boat and after about one and a half hours we arrived at Isla del Sol, a very hilly and rocky island where it is believed by the Incas to be the place where the Sun God was born. There are no cars on the island, therefore no paved roads. I was definitely not expecting how difficult it would be just to get to a place to stay.
Now first of all, I must mention the presence of children. As I said in an earlier post, child labor is without a doubt an issue in Bolivia. Well, our boat was captained by a child who couldn´t have been older than 10 and his first mate was probably about 6. Then, as soon as we got off the island we were approached by a swarm of 5 to 10 year olds trying to take us to hostels. We really weren´t sure that we should trust these young hustlers, so we waited until we found an adult to talk to, came to a deal, and then he called over a six year old to lead us to where we were to stay. I couldn´t help but laugh, and I had no choice but to follow him. This part was pretty awful. We had to walk uphill, very steep, on rocks while carrying our huge backpacks. It was really difficult for me, and it definintely put me in a cranky mood. But eventually we made it, I was able to rest, then explore the island. There are many Inca ruins on the island, but most of them lie on the North side. As we were staying on the South side, and it is a four hour walk to the other side, I didn´t get to see these ruins. We tried trekking over there the next day, but we didn´t have enough time because we had to catch the boat back to Copacobana to get on a bus to Cusco, Peru. The views of the lake from the island were awesome, I especially enjoyed watching the sunset over the lake while eating dinner. There are a few villages of people who live on the island, and most of those people seem to be farmers. The fields have been terraced so you can see the long history of farming on the island. There also many animals that live there, sheep, donkeys, pigs, goats, llamas. All day long you see people herding around there animals. It´s a very interesting little island, but I can´t imagine why anyone would want to live there because getting around is so difficult. Not only is it all uphill and rocky but it is already at such a high altitude making it difficult to breathe. Needless to say, one night there was enough for me.
So last night was spend on the bus en route to Peru. Crossing the border was hectic, but not too difficult, and right away you could tell that Peru has a more successful economy than Bolivia. I will definitely miss the wonderful cheap meals I had in Bolivia, but I am ready to explore a new country. So far I don´t have many opinions because I really haven´t seen much, just the taxi ride to hostel. I was so tired I went right to sleep upon arriving, so I haven´t done much exploring yet. I can say that the bed I slept in at this hostel is without a doubt the best I have had since travleing. The pillow was so soft and fluffy, the sheets smelled clean, and there was actually a duvet. After the range in quality of beds I have experienced, this bed was great. This hostel is pretty new, so I think that´s why it´s so comfortable and clean here.
So the new plan is as follow: spend some time exploring Cusco, go see Machu Picchu (probably by train for lack of time) then strating Monday I will be making Arequipa, Peru my home for one month. I will be living with a family and volunteering at an orphanage. I am very excited about this new chapter! I am also a little nervous, I have no idea what to expect, but I am sure it will be a great experience. It is something I have always wanted to do. I am a little sad to stop traveling, but as I will have weekends off, I will be able to explore the surrounding areas. It will be nice to get into some kind of routine, even if only for a month.
So far the new year has been great to me! I hope it has been for you too. Here´s to loving life and living it to it´s fullest each and every day! Peace.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
La Paz
After many obstacles we finally made it to La Paz on Thursday. That was probably the worst day thus far in terms of protests and general political unrest. Because bus companies were still on strike, we had to fly to the city from Sucre. Our flight ended up being about 6 hours delayed, so we spent the day in the airport. This delay was never quiet explained but I suspected it had something to do with the massive protests and violence that was happening that day right outside the airport. While we were waiting in Sucre, we say many violent images on the news depicting police opening fire on protesters, cab drivers being held and beaten by protesters because they were trying to drive past blocades, and there was images of cars of fire and trucks blocking the roads from the airport to the city. I must admit, I was feeling very nervous about going to La Paz after seeing all of this, but at the time it was our only option because there were no other flights available, and Sucre is to far from any borders to easily leave the country.
When we finally landed in La Paz my first instinct was to try to find a flight out of Bolivia but nothing was available for days. Many locals advised us to spend the night in the airport because many of the roads were blocked by the police and protesters, plus cab drivers were charging about five times the normal price. I ended up calling our hotel and they sent someone to get us, he turned out to be very nice, took us through back roads so we didn't encounter any problems, and he charged very little. Once we arrived to the hotel it was clear that the area we were in was safe. So we figured, as long as we stayed away from the more dangerous areas, it would be safe to stay here a few days.
I am very glad we ended up coming to La Paz. It's a very interesting city, very unique. Visually it's quite stunning, it's literally built into the mountains. The view as we were coming down into the city from the airport was breathtaking. It's a very vibrant city, full of life. Today, as it is New Years Day, the streets are quiet and mostly empty, but usually they are filled with people buying and selling all kinds of goods. Yesterday we went to the biggest market I have ever seen, we walked at least 7 or 8 blocks and we didn't even see all of it. It was really quite beautiful, so many colors from fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, all kinds of food. Life here for many people is certainly not easy, especially considering the recent events, the poverty is quite evident in some areas. But, it seems to me that people are just trying to make an honest living. I have never felt unsafe since being here.
Here are a few things I have noticed since being in Bolivia...
- Most people, especially women, often carry their belongings on their back, tied on with colorful fabric. Usually you see babies being carried this way, but yesterday I saw a man carrying a couch strapped to his back. Plus he was walking uphill, quite impressive.
- Pedestrians definitely do not have the right away here, no matter what color the traffic light may be. If you see a car coming, it's best to assume that is not going to slow down for you to cross the street no matter what.
- It can get a little scary with the cars because in many parts of this city the sidewalks are so full with people selling things that you have to walk on the street.
- It's very common to see people at work with their children. I have seen a child asleep on the dashboard of a bus, children playing in stores, at resturaunts, babies strapped to the backs of their mothers as they work. Child labor is also clearly a problem here, which I never had any idea about. But after seeing a five year old make my bed, it's definitely tough to swallow.
- Bolivians love their food, and it's actually really delicious and super cheap. There's a lot more spicy food than I had expected, since it's not so big in Chile or Argentina.
I can honestly say that Bolivia is one of the most interesting countries I have ever visited. Each city I have visited has been different.
Tomorrow we are doing the bicycle ride down the "death road" in a small town a few hours north of here. It's basically a downhill road down the mountains. It should be really awesome. The next day we are heading to Copacabana, a town on Lake Titicaca, then we are taking a boat to Isla del Sol, an island on the lake where we will spend the night. After that we will head to Cusco, Peru. The good news is that things seem to be returning to normal here in Bolivia, at least it seems that peace is starting to be restored, even if just temporarily. But most buses are running again, and prices are starting to go back to normal. We have already bought our bus tickets, so we just have a few more days left here in Bolivia.
Here's wishing you a happy and healthy New Year! Salud!
When we finally landed in La Paz my first instinct was to try to find a flight out of Bolivia but nothing was available for days. Many locals advised us to spend the night in the airport because many of the roads were blocked by the police and protesters, plus cab drivers were charging about five times the normal price. I ended up calling our hotel and they sent someone to get us, he turned out to be very nice, took us through back roads so we didn't encounter any problems, and he charged very little. Once we arrived to the hotel it was clear that the area we were in was safe. So we figured, as long as we stayed away from the more dangerous areas, it would be safe to stay here a few days.
I am very glad we ended up coming to La Paz. It's a very interesting city, very unique. Visually it's quite stunning, it's literally built into the mountains. The view as we were coming down into the city from the airport was breathtaking. It's a very vibrant city, full of life. Today, as it is New Years Day, the streets are quiet and mostly empty, but usually they are filled with people buying and selling all kinds of goods. Yesterday we went to the biggest market I have ever seen, we walked at least 7 or 8 blocks and we didn't even see all of it. It was really quite beautiful, so many colors from fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, all kinds of food. Life here for many people is certainly not easy, especially considering the recent events, the poverty is quite evident in some areas. But, it seems to me that people are just trying to make an honest living. I have never felt unsafe since being here.
Here are a few things I have noticed since being in Bolivia...
- Most people, especially women, often carry their belongings on their back, tied on with colorful fabric. Usually you see babies being carried this way, but yesterday I saw a man carrying a couch strapped to his back. Plus he was walking uphill, quite impressive.
- Pedestrians definitely do not have the right away here, no matter what color the traffic light may be. If you see a car coming, it's best to assume that is not going to slow down for you to cross the street no matter what.
- It can get a little scary with the cars because in many parts of this city the sidewalks are so full with people selling things that you have to walk on the street.
- It's very common to see people at work with their children. I have seen a child asleep on the dashboard of a bus, children playing in stores, at resturaunts, babies strapped to the backs of their mothers as they work. Child labor is also clearly a problem here, which I never had any idea about. But after seeing a five year old make my bed, it's definitely tough to swallow.
- Bolivians love their food, and it's actually really delicious and super cheap. There's a lot more spicy food than I had expected, since it's not so big in Chile or Argentina.
I can honestly say that Bolivia is one of the most interesting countries I have ever visited. Each city I have visited has been different.
Tomorrow we are doing the bicycle ride down the "death road" in a small town a few hours north of here. It's basically a downhill road down the mountains. It should be really awesome. The next day we are heading to Copacabana, a town on Lake Titicaca, then we are taking a boat to Isla del Sol, an island on the lake where we will spend the night. After that we will head to Cusco, Peru. The good news is that things seem to be returning to normal here in Bolivia, at least it seems that peace is starting to be restored, even if just temporarily. But most buses are running again, and prices are starting to go back to normal. We have already bought our bus tickets, so we just have a few more days left here in Bolivia.
Here's wishing you a happy and healthy New Year! Salud!
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