Monday was a day of firsts, starting with pizza for lunch! A Bolivian woman came to the institute during lunch time with homemade pizza that was SO delicious! This may not seem blog-worthy, but it definitely felt like I was in America again for the approximate 2 minutes it took me to devour it. Then, after my morning classes, I went to a nearby children's hospital with my Marquette professor and one other student to volunteer. Although our director called ahead to let them know we were coming, it was obvious they weren't really prepared for us. We ended up spending an hour or so in a hospital room with six children recovering from various treatments. To me, it didn't seem like we actually did much to help, but it was difficult to seem them struggling. There was a little girl just over a year old with respiratory problems, so she had a tracheotomy and could not eat. Sadly, every time a nurse entered the room to feed another child, she cried and pointed at her, making it clear that all she wanted was real food. It broke my heart when she looked at me with teary eyes and there was nothing I could do but try to comfort her. However, the hospital seemed to be safe and reliable for the community, and I found out that all children under the age of five receive free healthcare for basic needs. It was obviously different from American hospitals, but it comforted me to know they were getting proper care (at least those who could afford it). We returned from the hospital for afternoon class, and then it was soccer time! We played on a cement court right next to the institute, and it was so much fun! Quite a few of us participated, including some faculty, and it felt great to get a touch on the ball again!
Since I didn't feel like much of a beneficial volunteer at the hospital, I decided to try somewhere else on Tuesday. After lunch, two other students and I headed to what we were told was an after school center called ¨Nuestra Casa.¨We were greeted at the gate by the cutest little 10-year-old girl who took us to one of the employees. We were then given a tour of the center and got to meet some of the girls, ranging in age from six to 16. Afterward, we realized that it's definitely not just an after school center - all of the girls had beds there, so we assumed it was an orphanage. If that is the case, it's devastating to think that all these precious girls are without parents, but it was also uplifting to see how happy they were there. They were all very friendly and wanted to know a lot about us. For me, it was a much better service opportunity, because I was actually able to interact with these girls who don't have much in their lives. I'm really hoping we will be able to return next week, but it depends on my class schedule (it changes every two weeks, so I could have classes in the afternoons starting on Monday).
Today was yet another day of firsts. It is technically a national holiday in Bolivia, but I set my alarm for 2:52am in order to be at the institute by 4am. Then, a large group of us headed up to the Cristo once again to celebrate the Aymara New Year. The Aymara are a large group of indigenous people in Bolivia, and June 21 marks the end of their harvest season and the beginning of planting season. Across Bolivia, these people climb to the top of mountains to receive the first sun rays of the new year on their palms. For them, this signifies luck and energy for all their farming in the coming year. It was breathtaking (although a bit chilly) to look out over the lights of the city before the sun rose, and equally as interesting to observe the indigenous people's activity as it came over the mountains, which was also very beautiful. However, there was still one major aspect left to this holiday...a llama sacrifice. While I know it is very meaningful to them, it was definitely something I chose not to watch, especially after petting the clueless llama before it's time came. Afterward, they also put some of it's blood on people's hands as a blessing. Regardless of avoiding the sacrifice, it was a really incredible and unique celebration that I feel honored to have witnessed.
Lastly, I finally made it to ¨La Cancha¨today. As I said before, it is a huge market in downtown Cochabamba...but I would've never imagined just how huge it was before experiencing it for myself. We didn't spend much time there, but I was easily lost after turning down the first street. There are stores and street vendors everywhere! I was overwhelmed enough as it was, but then some of our group led us to one ¨hallway¨that passes between some of the open-front stores, and it was like another world existed beyond the stores on the streets. It was somewhat like a flee market, but crazier and bigger! I seriously felt like I was in a maze of stores that sold everything under the sun. I didn't end up buying anything, but I will definitely be returning to purchase some traditional Bolivian goods to bring home with me.
Looking forward to this weekend, we leave for the Jesuit Missions early on Saturday morning (yet another early day with a lot of traveling) and return Monday, so I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and post about it when we get back! Thanks for reading :) chau!
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