Once again, I don't even know where to start! I had an amazing weekend in Copacabana, a Bolivian tourist town on Lake Titicaca, but last week was eventful as well.
First, it was another pretty touching week at the orphanage. I went on my own on Tuesday and had such a good time getting to know the girls a bit better. When I arrived, Dana immediately took me to their common room to play airplane. We laid next to each other on a mattress like we were sleeping on the plane, and she kept snuggling up next to me and whispering jokes in my ear...so cute! Then two of the older girls joined us, and one started braiding my hair and asking me about myself, boys, the United States, and how to say a wide variety of things in English. I left there so happy (and with a head full of braids), feeling like I finally really made a connection with them. I returned with Abbey on Thursday, and we had another great time playing cards with Maria Elena, a 10-year-old who is so friendly and a lot of fun. To know they really enjoy our visits is so rewarding and something I look forward to every week. As expected, it's been an extremely eye-opening experience, especially when it comes to comparing the younger girls to the older girls. The younger ones are always playing and so happy despite their situation, while some of older girls seem to have more of a hopeless attitude. However, I've also talked to a couple who plan on going to college, which was really uplifting to hear, and I hope they get the chance to do so. Ultimately, my time at the orphanage has made me so thankful for everything I have, family more so than anything. I can't even imagine being in their position, but I'm also glad they have a safe place to stay with caretakers and friends who have become like family to them. On Thursday, Abbey and I also witnessed a tough situation on the way back to the institute. We were in a trufi (basically a taxi with a designated route) and stopped at a stoplight. At the intersection, there were several little boys who did cartwheels in front of the stopped cars and then walked to the windows asking for money. It was so hard to see such young kids doing literally anything they could to make some money...Bolivia is a constant reminder to appreciate all the luxuries we have in the United States.
On to a happier subject, Wednesday was the 4th of July! Admittedly, it was one of the only times I was a little bummed to not be in the States. With Independence Day being one of my favorite holidays, I had to rep the red, white, and blue, although subtly so as not to draw attention to myself as a gringa. I also told my host mom how much I love it, and she decided we would celebrate with wine after dinner. It was actually pretty funny, because she hates Bolivia's president (Evo Morales, a very controversial figure) and said we would celebrate in spite of him, because he thinks America is the reason for all the problems in the world. It ended up being a really great bonding night for Betty, Nayra, Merijke and I...I think the wine loosened us up a bit, and we ended up talking for a couple hours about all sorts of things, some pretty serious and some more light-hearted topics. It felt like we were kind of a real family - pretty cool!
Thursday was our second soccer game experience! It was against the same rival and even crazier than before, because it determined their seedings for the Bolivian league winter tournament. Plus it was a night game, so they turned off all the stadium lights for a pre-game show, including fireworks and girls in light-up bikinis - it was pretty incredible, and the game was so much fun to watch! However, one of the highlights of our night had nothing to do with the game. Just like any major league game in the US, they have vendors who walk around selling food and drink, but many of them are young children. This little boy kept coming by us with pop, and Abbey told him to come back in 2 hours, then an hour, then half an hour, and so on. Finally, she bought a $4 Coke from him, giving him $10 and telling him to keep the change. He didn't even know how to respond (tipping isn't very common here), but he came back about 10 minutes later with a sandwich and soda in hand. We invited him to sit with us, and he seemed so content to just watch the game, eat food, and tell us some jokes that we couldn't really understand - very well done by Abbey. We returned to the stadium again on Monday for the first round of the tournament...we've really become invested in our Wilsterman boys!
Now, finally to Copacabana! We flew to La Paz right after classes on Friday and spent the night there before making the four hour drive to Lake Titicaca. Although we got into La Paz pretty late, it was a beautiful city and fun to experience a little bit of the nightlife. The city has a lot of hills (somewhat San Francisco-esque) and some very cool architecture. It's also at a much higher altitude, so it was quite chilly. We walked to one of the main streets to find somewhere to eat and ended up at a restaurant with an antique ambiance, eating (llama) by candlelight. Then we headed back to the hotel, where I shared a room with Sam and Abbey. Despite the fact that we had to be up at 5am, we stayed up for hours talking about all sorts of things like we were middle school girls. Thus, we now refer that night as "The Sleepover" - in case you haven't noticed, we like to name a lot of random parts of this trip. Anyway, on to Saturday. After the drive to Copacabana, which included a short boat ride across the lake due to the lack of a bridge, we settled into our hotel, ate lunch at a delicious restaurant, experienced another incredible church, and got ready for yet another hike up a mountain. Of course the views didn't fail to wow us! We looked out over the lake and the surrounding town, which had a Mediterranean feel to it. Copacabana is much more of a tourist town, so Sam and I spent the afternoon shopping at stores along the street with all the Bolivian accessories and clothing you could ever want! Everything was handmade and really beautiful, so I wasn't shy about spending some bolivianos. That night, we had dinner at a nice restaurant, where Abbey and I had a momentary emotional breakdown when we realized we only had two weeks left. I'm definitely going to go through some Bolivia withdrawals when I leave, but it's pretty amazing to know I've made some lifelong friends here. Also, no worries...we cried and rallied, and I'll be good until I have to say the real goodbyes. On Sunday, we took an hour and a half boat ride to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). Unfortunately, it was rainy and cold almost all day. Regardless, we walked along the island and saw some impressive ruins from thousands of years ago. It finally started to clear up as we headed back, just in time for "The Couples Retreat." Once again, the title only refers to the fact that there were four of us (two guys and two girls) sitting on top of the boat on the way back. We really enjoyed ourselves, chatting, joking around, and taking in even more breathtaking views of the mountains of Bolivia, Peru, and Lake Titicaca between them. Overall, Copacabana is just one more Bolivian weekend that will be hard to forget!
That's about all for now. Time is flying here...I still can't believe I'll be back in the States in 11 days! Hope everyone is doing well :) chau!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Yo amo a Bolivia...I love it here!
I honestly don't even know where to begin. I've been putting off this post for some time now, both because I've been super busy and because there is so much to tell! I'm going to ignore chronology here and talk about the best stuff first...all of which happened this past weekend!
On Friday night, a group of us went to dinner at an Italian restaurant, where I ate a ridiculous amount of delicious pizza once again! Afterward, I went with another group to the concert of a really popular Bolivian band, “Los Kjarkas.” Unfortunately, it started about an hour late and we had to leave early to be rested for our climb on Saturday! Still, it was pretty fun to see them perform a few songs, especially because there we so many ecstatic Bolivian fans around us.
On to Saturday...a day I will always remember! We had yet another early morning bus ride that took us part of the way up Mt. Tunari, the highest peak in Cochabamba at 16,600 feet! We were dropped off at about 13,000 feet, and the climb began. We had all been told that the hike to the top was pretty tough, but I don't think any of us anticipated just how challenging it would be. I've never been so appreciative of the amount of oxygen intake I get at an Iowan altitude. The climb consisted of working our way up a steep grade of grass, dirt, rock, and shale for 5-10 minutes and then taking about a 5 minute break to catch our breaths. We also consumed a ton of water and chewed our fair share of coca leaves, which were surprisingly helpful with the altitude problems. After about 3 hours of hiking, we finally made it to the summit...something I will never be able to describe. There were never-ending views that were beyond breathtaking and seriously cannot be justified with pictures. Although it was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done, it was also hands down one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Plus, the extreme difficulty of it all made it a pretty cool bonding experience for everyone who pushed themselves to the top.
Tunari could've been the only adventure I had in Bolivia, and I think I would've been content, but the weekend only got better from there. After descending the mountain, I spent the rest of Saturday showering, eating, and sleeping, all of which were much-needed. The majority of Sunday consisted of relaxing with my family and watching the Euro Cup final. It was really nice to hang out with them for good chunk of time, not to mention the fact that the adopted daughter of Betty's sister spent the day with us...she is 1.5 years old and SO cute! Later in the afternoon, I headed to the institute to meet up with some friends and go to a huge Bolivian soccer game! It was between the two Cochabamba teams of a professional Bolivian league, so it was a super intense rivalry! The fans were crazy, shooting off fireworks and smoke bombs and constantly cheering. Despite being gringos, we did our best to fit in by decking ourselves out in jerseys and scarves before the game...and we got more into it than most of the fans around us! It was soooo much fun and made even better by the fact that our team came back to tie the game with 30 seconds left! For the amount of enjoyment we got out of it, it probably could've been a world cup game. The second leg of the series is on Thursday, and we are all beyond pumped to cheer on the Wilsterman Red Fury! After the game, we took a taxi to “Las Islas” to get our grub on at Cochabamba's famous “Choko Burguer.” It was a good burger, but the more eventful tasting of the night was that of cow heart. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant, but it ended up being pretty delicious.
Besides this past weekend of a lifetime, we spent the previous weekend at the Jesuit missions in a small town about 4 hours outside of Santa Cruz. The landscape on the drive from the airport to the town of Chiquitania was absolutely incredible...miles upon miles of tropical grassy areas and forests (for those of you who have read The Hunger Games, all we talked about was how we felt like we were living it out). While we were there, we toured some amazing churches with incredibly ornate architecture and decor, as well as eating several really tasty, authentic Bolivian meals. On Sunday, we went to mass at one of the huge mission churches, relaxed by the pool, cracked open a couple coconuts, and did a little shopping around the town. After dinner, we headed to the karoake bar across the street from our hotel and had a really good time singing, dancing, and just enjoying each others' company. We stopped at a place called “Las Piedras” on our way back from the airport on Monday and had a bit more time to relax and enjoy the vast beauty of the land around us, including more forest, a lake, crazy rock formations, and wild bulls. Overall, it was yet another extremely fun weekend that we now refer to as “The Retreat.”
Other than some really exciting weekend adventures, the weekdays have more or less been the usual...classes, volunteering, soccer, volleyball, and good times with friends and my host family (GTs cada dia...shout out to my girl, Sam)! However, my good friend, Abbey, and I had a pretty touching experience at the orphanage on Thursday. We ate lunch with the girls, and I sat with the younger bunch, who all wanted to know so many random things about the United States...it was really endearing, but also somewhat tough to talk about knowing how much less they have here. After lunch, Abbey and I spent about an hour playing with the cutest 6-year-old, Dana. She was in her own world, but so happy to have friends who were excited to play with her. At one point, we were playing dolls but with 3 flowers she had in a jar of water. She was so bummed when we told her we had to leave and gave us 2 of the flowers to take home with us. It was absolutely precious and heartbreaking at the same time...all I wanted to do was stay and play with her all day. However, at the same time, it was such a rewarding feeling to know I made her day a little better for that hour. And, now I'm so excited to go back and continue getting to know them tomorrow.
Since I've been staying busy with so many amazing activities, I've really come to love it here and made some wonderful friends. When I first arrived, I was nervous and a little homesick thinking about spending 6 weeks of my summer in an unfamiliar place. Now, as cheesy as it sounds, Cochabamba has become somewhat of a home to me, and I cannot believe my time here is already halfway over! I have some new, incredible friends to thank for making me love it as much as I do...I'm still looking forward to coming home, but saying goodbye is not going to be easy. While on the topic, I have to give a shout out to my boy Z for putting up with all the sarcasm from the girls, as well as to Bri for always making me laugh! I have seriously made the best friends in Bolivia.
My apologies for the length of this post, but there were just too many great pieces of Bolivia to include! Keep an out for a “day in photos” post later this week. Thanks for reading :) chau!
On Friday night, a group of us went to dinner at an Italian restaurant, where I ate a ridiculous amount of delicious pizza once again! Afterward, I went with another group to the concert of a really popular Bolivian band, “Los Kjarkas.” Unfortunately, it started about an hour late and we had to leave early to be rested for our climb on Saturday! Still, it was pretty fun to see them perform a few songs, especially because there we so many ecstatic Bolivian fans around us.
On to Saturday...a day I will always remember! We had yet another early morning bus ride that took us part of the way up Mt. Tunari, the highest peak in Cochabamba at 16,600 feet! We were dropped off at about 13,000 feet, and the climb began. We had all been told that the hike to the top was pretty tough, but I don't think any of us anticipated just how challenging it would be. I've never been so appreciative of the amount of oxygen intake I get at an Iowan altitude. The climb consisted of working our way up a steep grade of grass, dirt, rock, and shale for 5-10 minutes and then taking about a 5 minute break to catch our breaths. We also consumed a ton of water and chewed our fair share of coca leaves, which were surprisingly helpful with the altitude problems. After about 3 hours of hiking, we finally made it to the summit...something I will never be able to describe. There were never-ending views that were beyond breathtaking and seriously cannot be justified with pictures. Although it was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done, it was also hands down one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Plus, the extreme difficulty of it all made it a pretty cool bonding experience for everyone who pushed themselves to the top.
Tunari could've been the only adventure I had in Bolivia, and I think I would've been content, but the weekend only got better from there. After descending the mountain, I spent the rest of Saturday showering, eating, and sleeping, all of which were much-needed. The majority of Sunday consisted of relaxing with my family and watching the Euro Cup final. It was really nice to hang out with them for good chunk of time, not to mention the fact that the adopted daughter of Betty's sister spent the day with us...she is 1.5 years old and SO cute! Later in the afternoon, I headed to the institute to meet up with some friends and go to a huge Bolivian soccer game! It was between the two Cochabamba teams of a professional Bolivian league, so it was a super intense rivalry! The fans were crazy, shooting off fireworks and smoke bombs and constantly cheering. Despite being gringos, we did our best to fit in by decking ourselves out in jerseys and scarves before the game...and we got more into it than most of the fans around us! It was soooo much fun and made even better by the fact that our team came back to tie the game with 30 seconds left! For the amount of enjoyment we got out of it, it probably could've been a world cup game. The second leg of the series is on Thursday, and we are all beyond pumped to cheer on the Wilsterman Red Fury! After the game, we took a taxi to “Las Islas” to get our grub on at Cochabamba's famous “Choko Burguer.” It was a good burger, but the more eventful tasting of the night was that of cow heart. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant, but it ended up being pretty delicious.
Besides this past weekend of a lifetime, we spent the previous weekend at the Jesuit missions in a small town about 4 hours outside of Santa Cruz. The landscape on the drive from the airport to the town of Chiquitania was absolutely incredible...miles upon miles of tropical grassy areas and forests (for those of you who have read The Hunger Games, all we talked about was how we felt like we were living it out). While we were there, we toured some amazing churches with incredibly ornate architecture and decor, as well as eating several really tasty, authentic Bolivian meals. On Sunday, we went to mass at one of the huge mission churches, relaxed by the pool, cracked open a couple coconuts, and did a little shopping around the town. After dinner, we headed to the karoake bar across the street from our hotel and had a really good time singing, dancing, and just enjoying each others' company. We stopped at a place called “Las Piedras” on our way back from the airport on Monday and had a bit more time to relax and enjoy the vast beauty of the land around us, including more forest, a lake, crazy rock formations, and wild bulls. Overall, it was yet another extremely fun weekend that we now refer to as “The Retreat.”
Other than some really exciting weekend adventures, the weekdays have more or less been the usual...classes, volunteering, soccer, volleyball, and good times with friends and my host family (GTs cada dia...shout out to my girl, Sam)! However, my good friend, Abbey, and I had a pretty touching experience at the orphanage on Thursday. We ate lunch with the girls, and I sat with the younger bunch, who all wanted to know so many random things about the United States...it was really endearing, but also somewhat tough to talk about knowing how much less they have here. After lunch, Abbey and I spent about an hour playing with the cutest 6-year-old, Dana. She was in her own world, but so happy to have friends who were excited to play with her. At one point, we were playing dolls but with 3 flowers she had in a jar of water. She was so bummed when we told her we had to leave and gave us 2 of the flowers to take home with us. It was absolutely precious and heartbreaking at the same time...all I wanted to do was stay and play with her all day. However, at the same time, it was such a rewarding feeling to know I made her day a little better for that hour. And, now I'm so excited to go back and continue getting to know them tomorrow.
Since I've been staying busy with so many amazing activities, I've really come to love it here and made some wonderful friends. When I first arrived, I was nervous and a little homesick thinking about spending 6 weeks of my summer in an unfamiliar place. Now, as cheesy as it sounds, Cochabamba has become somewhat of a home to me, and I cannot believe my time here is already halfway over! I have some new, incredible friends to thank for making me love it as much as I do...I'm still looking forward to coming home, but saying goodbye is not going to be easy. While on the topic, I have to give a shout out to my boy Z for putting up with all the sarcasm from the girls, as well as to Bri for always making me laugh! I have seriously made the best friends in Bolivia.
My apologies for the length of this post, but there were just too many great pieces of Bolivia to include! Keep an out for a “day in photos” post later this week. Thanks for reading :) chau!
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