Pass the Pepper Please

Remember that joke about eating “over” a ton of dirt? (it’s hilarious when you’re 7 J)

Well, now I can say I’ve eaten over a ton of SALT!

Recently, I went on a rugged adventure through Bolivia’s salt and sand desert. The salt part is 12000 sq km, and several feet thick of hard white salt.

Our group was 15 people from language school.

Tour guides took us in 3 Land Cruisers, along with all the food, cooking equipment, and gasoline we’d need for 3 days. They worked so hard for us and did a great job.

We saw red lakes….

And green lakes…

A volcano…

And geysers...

Llamas…

And Flamingos...

An "island" with cactus...

And some rail road tracks...

But NO telephone poles!

Bouldering is so much fun!

The incredible desolation was so peaceful. We drove 800 km seeing not much more than sand, salt, distant mountains, and some tough wildlife that had to be pretty serious about living to survive (I’m convinced a certain type of Alpaca/Deer can sustain itself from eating stones… ) and it was so beautiful!

Down with this Dope

Your fears have been realized folks; the local industry has gotten a hold of me. 

Maite offered me some Coca Tea, and I couldn't D.A.R.E. to say no.

"What is cocoa tea?" I wondered. "Is it really tea made from chocolate?"

Um… no. Coca. Cocaine. While Maite assures me that the tea is processed in a way so that it has none of the narcotic/stimulant, my brother is pretty much saving up for bail. Ha. But I’m down with this tea. It’s pretty dope. J

As for other foods here... they aren't the greatest, but I can't complain. (I'm just spoiled 'cause I grew up on the greatest. J) Bolivian food can be summed up with, "Bland carbs, and lots of 'em!"

Bolivians love fried anything - bananas, rice, potatoes, pastries... you name it. The pastries are good. They're called "empanadas" and are bread pockets filled with anything such as meat, cheese, or jam. Thousands of places around the city (generally wheel barrows on the sidewalk) sell this popular food. 

Food is part of the adventure. I'm learning to rave about tough meat (hey, at least it's meat!), and politely decline stale bread. However I really am enjoying the fresh pineapples and avocados that are plentiful here, and was served the best lasagna I've ever had!

Oh, and take a look at this PIZZA!!! Who says everything's bigger in Texas?

Who's Who - Savannah

Ya'll should have a face to put with all the names I'll mention on this blog. So, I'll introduce you to the people one at a time. :-)

This is Savannah. Marathon runner, UVA nurse. She has been here for 2 months, also working at the orphanage. Besides being extremely caring (both to the kids and me during my adjustment!), she's just plain pretty awesome. 

For one thing, she NEVER complains. She has been way more sick than I have, yet she's always chipper and positive. (I wish she'd complain every once and a while, 'cause until she does, I sure don't have a right to! J) Yeah, she's taught me a lot about grinnin' and bearin' it. When I'm like, "I'm dyin'!" she's like, "I'm dyin'... I think I'll go for a run first." J

Also - she knows the Lunsfords!!! She was doing clinicals at UVA while Christen was there. How cool is that? 

Well, it's a perfectly lovely hot day, so excuse me as I leave now for a walk... I might take pictures of the gorgeous flowers hanging over walls, and the enormous mountains in every direction; I might stop for fresh orange juice (squeezed and sold out of a wheel barrow), or hot empanadas. *sigh* Isn't my life rough?  

Be jealous. J

Munchkins

These are the darlin' little apples of my eye at the orphanage:

The most enjoyable part of working with the kids is giving LOTS of hugs! As a snuggle-bug myself, it’s so rewarding to love on the kids who are so eager for affection. It’s amazing how quickly they open up their hearts to another “Tia,” as they call us. The very first day I arrived, a 3-year-old kept asking me to sit down, just to crawl up onto my lap!

Another striking thing about the Baby Homes here is how, even with so many kids, there is a definite structure to each day and they all know the program! As I watched a 6-year-old take almost 10 minutes to make her bed PERFECTLY, I was astounded at how kids are capable of so much, and how easily they rise to the occasion when something is expected of them.

My 5-Year-Old Buddy

An active 5-year-old brain is an interesting thing. 

It's completely random, with rapid, spontaneous changes of subject. For instance:

"I know karate and kung fu. I’m a ninja my dad’s 37." 

And how 'bout this snatch of our 2-hour conversation:

J: It’s so hot down here in the summer. It’s like Egypt. Egypt is really hot too.

Me: Have you been to Egypt?

J: No, but my dad… knows where it is.

Me: *laughing* Well then, you've practically been there, huh? =)

We May be Nauseous, But We Don't Have Gas!

The whole city was out of gasoline last night!

In other news, there are lots of tenacious critters in the water down here.

I've been sick (diarrhea, nausea) almost constantly since I got here, but have recently taken a big turn for the worse. Between amoebas, parasites, and the altitude, I'm extremely weak and have spent most of the last 3 days in bed. 

But, this is a normal reaction for up to 4 weeks! 

Stay tuned... =)

Say Llama?

Okay, here's just a few random notes and journals from the past few days for all my die-hard fans J: 

 

Llamas are a highly revered animal here. They have long been a part of Bolivian culture, used for farming, yarn, food, and rituals. (Some believe that burying a Llama fetus under the cornerstone of a new house will bless the house). There are wild Llamas on the mountains, the fetuses are sold at the market, and really cool “cave art” style Llamas are embroidered on much traditional clothing.

 

The standard greeting here is a “kiss” on the side of the cheek. It’s not necessary to actually touch one’s lips to the other person, just the sides of your cheek while making a kissing sound. Everyone – men, women, and children – do it upon arriving and departing.

 

The people here are interesting. I’ve been spending lots of “Spanish-only” time with Maite & Teresa (hosts) and my tongue is finally loosening up to the language. There are also people here from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, Switzerland, and Tanzania! It’s really weird to be talking with someone else in Spanish who also speaks it as a foreign language. Lots of fascinating stories.

 

Maite is my buddy down here. We walk all over town together, have long conversations, talk and play on a see-saw like chicititas, and dare each other to try Tabasco sauce in mint icecream (an improvement in my book… whoever thought of putting toothpaste on cake anyway???J)

 

Saturday (10-24): I went to a concert at CIC (Cochabamba International Church). True to Latin American culture, they had AMAZING sound and lighting equipment – and this was just a temporary outdoor setup! Christian songs were played with traditional Bolivian instruments, and there was also some people dancing in traditional costumes. Keyword: LOUD!

Sensory overload!!

 

Sunday (10-25): Went to CIC, then to another church for a musical puppet show for the kids. (A couple days ago, Maite asked me if I wanted to come to watch their puppet show practice. {Me *laughing: “Why not?”} So, today was the show and I got to operate a puppet. I made sure that it sang its head off, lol.)

I never see gringos walking around town, but there were a lot at the cross-cultural church today. Even though I’m trying very hard to not permit English to enter my ears or escape my mouth, there is something very refreshing about simply talking with your own countrymen. It’s more than the language, though. “Home” is the people who know the place. And it’s lovely to have a bit of home here. Oh, and at the evening sermon today, the preacher started talking in Quechua (a major local Indian language). Then, I realized that it wasn’t Quechua after all, but English in an extremely thick New Zealand accent!