My last day in South America. I am running all over the city trying to see as many things as possible (and buy a flag). The weather is actually cooperating for the most part. But everything I want to see is, of course, miles from each other. It`s a bit hot and thankfully internet cafes all have AC.
Anyway, I will be cabbing to the airport in about 4.5 hours. And I still need to pack. Thanks for reading and commenting. See everyone State-side soon.
Ciao!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Special Thank You
I arrived to Buenos Aires in the pouring rain this morning after an all night bus ride from Mendoza. Turns out it was a pretty big storm. Parts of the city flooded and it was impossible to get a taxi most of the day. So I have spent most of the day inside. Not exactly what I wanted to do during my last two days.
But since it is my next to last day (will probably be heading to the airport in about 25 hours), I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to the person who made this trip possible: me.
Just kidding.
A HUGE thank you to my boss, Denise, for working with me and the people in charge at my company to allow me to take so much time off - and still have a job to come back to. She was open to the suggestion the moment I asked and made sure everything went through the proper channels so that it could happen. She also took a big leap of faith that I would actually return. But knowing that I am coming back to work for some one who is looking out for me is insentive enough to return. Despite the stack of work supposedly sitting in my chair.
I also want to thank my company for letting some one leave for a reason other than having a baby.
See you all on Monday.
sigh
But since it is my next to last day (will probably be heading to the airport in about 25 hours), I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to the person who made this trip possible: me.
Just kidding.
A HUGE thank you to my boss, Denise, for working with me and the people in charge at my company to allow me to take so much time off - and still have a job to come back to. She was open to the suggestion the moment I asked and made sure everything went through the proper channels so that it could happen. She also took a big leap of faith that I would actually return. But knowing that I am coming back to work for some one who is looking out for me is insentive enough to return. Despite the stack of work supposedly sitting in my chair.
I also want to thank my company for letting some one leave for a reason other than having a baby.
See you all on Monday.
sigh
A Big Loss
I have lost many things on this trip. The worst to this point was a memory card with pics from Bolivia, Brazil, and Buenos Aires. Fortunately I had taken some of the more significant pics and put then on a flash drive already so they could be uploaded to the blog.
But I have just discovered the biggest loss to date. And only two days shy of me leaving South America. I have lost my notebook. It`s the notebook I have all my spanish notes in. It also has all the contact info for people I have met along the way. But most importantly, it had a journal entry and notes for every single day of my trip. I have no functioning memory so this notebook was very important. Unfortunately this also means I have nothing to look back at when trying to write stories after Bolivia.
Technically ìt`s not lost. I know exactly where it is. OR at least was. I left it in an internet cafe in Mendoza the morning I arrived after a night of no sleep. Just in case I have emailed a friend I met traveling that was staying there when I was. That`s a long shot though...
I am bummed.
But I have just discovered the biggest loss to date. And only two days shy of me leaving South America. I have lost my notebook. It`s the notebook I have all my spanish notes in. It also has all the contact info for people I have met along the way. But most importantly, it had a journal entry and notes for every single day of my trip. I have no functioning memory so this notebook was very important. Unfortunately this also means I have nothing to look back at when trying to write stories after Bolivia.
Technically ìt`s not lost. I know exactly where it is. OR at least was. I left it in an internet cafe in Mendoza the morning I arrived after a night of no sleep. Just in case I have emailed a friend I met traveling that was staying there when I was. That`s a long shot though...
I am bummed.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Long Goodbye: Day 2 (a month ago)
The actual day my coworker was to leave Bolivia and go back to the States started much like the previous: with a lunch at another tio & tia`s house. I was in pretty bad shape after the late night that had ended just a few hours before. My coworker took this into consideration and told his tia that I had a sore throat and might not be able to make it.
She told him to bring me anyway. She had drugs.
This was the day I was supposed to do my bike ride down...ready for it? THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD. I was to meet the group at 7am in the center of town. But having arrived back at the house at just 5am, I decided riding a mountain bike in the rain down THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD while still very much hungover was not such a good idea. And so I called and asked to reschedule (for a fee of course).
And so I found myself riding in a cab to Tia Marta & Tio Pepe`s house, still hungover, at noon. Tio Pepe is a military man and had just been reposted - though only a few streets from where he was previously posted. They were still having to move to a new house. So the house had packing boxes every where. I pretented to be slightly ill with a sore throat (not to hard because of all the drinking the night before and the large cigar I had smoked that afternoon), and tia Marta continued to push some sort of throat relief at me. I assured her my throat didn`t hurt so badly I couldn`t eat. I don´t think it would have mattered.
The meal was another traditional Bolivian one - one I can`t remember the name of (in one blog post I will make a list of all the unusual but delicious meals I had there). Still not really all that hungry after all the food I had the day before, I tried to pace myself. It was great food though. Neither Marta nor Pepe spoke much English so there was much translating to be done. Which is why, when I was told I would be driving with Pepe to get our next dish, I had a slight panic over what I would say to the military man with my delicate grasp of the spanish language.
Pepe was (is still I assume) a great and friendly man. I tried my best to chat with him in Spanish during our ride. I pointed to the military base and asked about how the consription worked in Bolivia. He explained it. In spanish. I still have no idea how it works. I asked about the dog that was riding with us. He seemed to take great pride in that dog. And when we arrived at the restaurant (some might say meat circus) he took great pleasure in pointing out the process through which the meat we were buying was cooked. Big giant vats of boiled pig meat. He explained that it was a traditional food from a certain area of Bolivia and that the best parts were the skins. Mmmmm...pig skins. He even offered to take pictures of me standing next to the hanging pigs (which, I was informed would be the next day`s fodder).
Our initial lunch was really filling. They always were. And I really didn`t have room to eat this pig skin "treat". But I tried a bit to be polite. Yep, exactly what I expected boiled pig skins to taste like.
With my coworker leaving that night and me staying in La Paz a few more days, tia Marta offered to feed me if I needed to be fed. Just come by and I will fix you something. "What, I don`t know. But there is something here you can eat". She and Pepe were gracious hosts and I thanked them repeatidly for having us over for lunch. Even as tia Marta told me to take care of my sore throat and offered more throat relief thingies.
My worker`s cousin picked us up and drove him back to the house so he could pack. Then she and I went in search of more dancers practising for the upcoming Carnival. We found them dancing down a side street. The guys were going all out - really entertaining to watch. And so we parked the car and walked along side the parade - me snapping away with my camera and trying not to step on the dozens of little children watching on the sidewalks too. The girls? Not so impressive. Much like the ones we had seen in the park before. And so there is no video of them. But there is a video of the guys; just follow the link below.
After following the dancers for a while it was back to the house to pick up my coworker and take him to the airport. All the cousins piled into the car for the 40 minute drive up into the hills. It was a quiet ride, my coworker clearly not excited about leaving Bolivia. Fortunately he didn`t have to. At least not immediately. The plane was delayed 2 1/2 hours.
The La Paz airport is not a big airport. There is very little do there. And so we sat and waited for two hours. I bought some postcards and wrote everyone (have they arrived yet?). The cousins joked amongst themselves. When the time finally came, there were sereval hugs and kisses on the cheek. When he was out of sight, I walked back to the car with the cousins - now all very quiet.
The boys were going home to keep an eye on their youngest brother who was home alone. Knowing I had nothing else to do, the other cousin offered to take me to a Peña. I had wanted to go to one while we were in Tarija but we never made reservations and thus never made it. Peñas are restaurants with live traditional music or dancing. I looked up a few names in my guide book and she asked around for a couple. We found one just in the center of town.
There was no dancing, but the singer and band were enough entertainment. My coworker`s cousin knew him by name and told me his history: used to be part of a duo, partner was killed a few years ago, official consensus was that it was because of his political beliefs, unofficially people believed it was his wife. All sorts of great drama. But the singer had a great sense of humor. While I didn`t understand many of the jokes he told between songs, he was spirited enough in telling them that I laughed along (and some times I laughed when he wasn`t telling a joke - awkward). He made an effort of finding out where everyone in the crowd was from and altering the traditional music to sound similar to music from their countries. The oddest had to be the Japanese/Bolivian mix. For the two hispanic U.S. girls upfront, he had the band turn their hats backwards, put on sunglasses, and did some reggaeton (effing reggaeton). All this over a meal of shredded llama. Mmmmmmm...
Afterwards I suggested we go to a jazz bar I had read about, but it was closed. Instead we met friends at a dance club. Um, yeah. The friends included a huge German guy, who grew up in Bolivia, went to college in Arkansas - where he played football, and tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, only to miss the opportunity after breaking a collarbone in tryouts. Lucas knew the right people at the club. Instead of waiting in line and paying the cover (a whopping $2 USD), we were led around to the back of the club and in through the back door, up to a VIP lounge. There, drinks were waiting for us. Dance clubs aren`t really my thing. But free drinks are. So I put on my happy face and mingled. Turns out there were several Germans there that had grown up in Bolivia. All were nice enough. All got drunk (or arrived drunk) quickly. Pretty soon I noticed everyone in the group was drunk. Might have been the endless supply of rum and whisky that kept funneling towards our booth.
I had just enough of said rum to get me on the dance floor. The club had gone from live music to U.S. pop music. And who doesn`t want to head to the floor when YMCA starts playing. Okay, usually I don`t. But as I mentioned I had had just enough rum at this point.
And as the day started much like the previous, it ended like the previous as well: me getting home around 5am full of rum. But this time minus my coworker. For the rest of my trip, I was on my own. With a little help from his cousins...
For a clip of the dancing, follow this link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvPvgToE5wc
She told him to bring me anyway. She had drugs.
This was the day I was supposed to do my bike ride down...ready for it? THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD. I was to meet the group at 7am in the center of town. But having arrived back at the house at just 5am, I decided riding a mountain bike in the rain down THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD while still very much hungover was not such a good idea. And so I called and asked to reschedule (for a fee of course).
And so I found myself riding in a cab to Tia Marta & Tio Pepe`s house, still hungover, at noon. Tio Pepe is a military man and had just been reposted - though only a few streets from where he was previously posted. They were still having to move to a new house. So the house had packing boxes every where. I pretented to be slightly ill with a sore throat (not to hard because of all the drinking the night before and the large cigar I had smoked that afternoon), and tia Marta continued to push some sort of throat relief at me. I assured her my throat didn`t hurt so badly I couldn`t eat. I don´t think it would have mattered.
The meal was another traditional Bolivian one - one I can`t remember the name of (in one blog post I will make a list of all the unusual but delicious meals I had there). Still not really all that hungry after all the food I had the day before, I tried to pace myself. It was great food though. Neither Marta nor Pepe spoke much English so there was much translating to be done. Which is why, when I was told I would be driving with Pepe to get our next dish, I had a slight panic over what I would say to the military man with my delicate grasp of the spanish language.
Pepe was (is still I assume) a great and friendly man. I tried my best to chat with him in Spanish during our ride. I pointed to the military base and asked about how the consription worked in Bolivia. He explained it. In spanish. I still have no idea how it works. I asked about the dog that was riding with us. He seemed to take great pride in that dog. And when we arrived at the restaurant (some might say meat circus) he took great pleasure in pointing out the process through which the meat we were buying was cooked. Big giant vats of boiled pig meat. He explained that it was a traditional food from a certain area of Bolivia and that the best parts were the skins. Mmmmm...pig skins. He even offered to take pictures of me standing next to the hanging pigs (which, I was informed would be the next day`s fodder).
Our initial lunch was really filling. They always were. And I really didn`t have room to eat this pig skin "treat". But I tried a bit to be polite. Yep, exactly what I expected boiled pig skins to taste like.
With my coworker leaving that night and me staying in La Paz a few more days, tia Marta offered to feed me if I needed to be fed. Just come by and I will fix you something. "What, I don`t know. But there is something here you can eat". She and Pepe were gracious hosts and I thanked them repeatidly for having us over for lunch. Even as tia Marta told me to take care of my sore throat and offered more throat relief thingies.
My worker`s cousin picked us up and drove him back to the house so he could pack. Then she and I went in search of more dancers practising for the upcoming Carnival. We found them dancing down a side street. The guys were going all out - really entertaining to watch. And so we parked the car and walked along side the parade - me snapping away with my camera and trying not to step on the dozens of little children watching on the sidewalks too. The girls? Not so impressive. Much like the ones we had seen in the park before. And so there is no video of them. But there is a video of the guys; just follow the link below.
After following the dancers for a while it was back to the house to pick up my coworker and take him to the airport. All the cousins piled into the car for the 40 minute drive up into the hills. It was a quiet ride, my coworker clearly not excited about leaving Bolivia. Fortunately he didn`t have to. At least not immediately. The plane was delayed 2 1/2 hours.
The La Paz airport is not a big airport. There is very little do there. And so we sat and waited for two hours. I bought some postcards and wrote everyone (have they arrived yet?). The cousins joked amongst themselves. When the time finally came, there were sereval hugs and kisses on the cheek. When he was out of sight, I walked back to the car with the cousins - now all very quiet.
The boys were going home to keep an eye on their youngest brother who was home alone. Knowing I had nothing else to do, the other cousin offered to take me to a Peña. I had wanted to go to one while we were in Tarija but we never made reservations and thus never made it. Peñas are restaurants with live traditional music or dancing. I looked up a few names in my guide book and she asked around for a couple. We found one just in the center of town.
There was no dancing, but the singer and band were enough entertainment. My coworker`s cousin knew him by name and told me his history: used to be part of a duo, partner was killed a few years ago, official consensus was that it was because of his political beliefs, unofficially people believed it was his wife. All sorts of great drama. But the singer had a great sense of humor. While I didn`t understand many of the jokes he told between songs, he was spirited enough in telling them that I laughed along (and some times I laughed when he wasn`t telling a joke - awkward). He made an effort of finding out where everyone in the crowd was from and altering the traditional music to sound similar to music from their countries. The oddest had to be the Japanese/Bolivian mix. For the two hispanic U.S. girls upfront, he had the band turn their hats backwards, put on sunglasses, and did some reggaeton (effing reggaeton). All this over a meal of shredded llama. Mmmmmmm...
Afterwards I suggested we go to a jazz bar I had read about, but it was closed. Instead we met friends at a dance club. Um, yeah. The friends included a huge German guy, who grew up in Bolivia, went to college in Arkansas - where he played football, and tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, only to miss the opportunity after breaking a collarbone in tryouts. Lucas knew the right people at the club. Instead of waiting in line and paying the cover (a whopping $2 USD), we were led around to the back of the club and in through the back door, up to a VIP lounge. There, drinks were waiting for us. Dance clubs aren`t really my thing. But free drinks are. So I put on my happy face and mingled. Turns out there were several Germans there that had grown up in Bolivia. All were nice enough. All got drunk (or arrived drunk) quickly. Pretty soon I noticed everyone in the group was drunk. Might have been the endless supply of rum and whisky that kept funneling towards our booth.
I had just enough of said rum to get me on the dance floor. The club had gone from live music to U.S. pop music. And who doesn`t want to head to the floor when YMCA starts playing. Okay, usually I don`t. But as I mentioned I had had just enough rum at this point.
And as the day started much like the previous, it ended like the previous as well: me getting home around 5am full of rum. But this time minus my coworker. For the rest of my trip, I was on my own. With a little help from his cousins...
For a clip of the dancing, follow this link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvPvgToE5wc
Monday, February 25, 2008
Countdown to Hell
Howdy blog readers. I am currently in Buenos Aires just hanging out after a quick jaunt across the river into Uruguay to spend 26 hours in the colonial town of Colonial (clever name). Wasn`t much to do there - the town is tiny - but it is a nifty little historic town and I got to see one more country (and mate-to-go). Tomorrow morning I am flying to Mendoza, Argentina, and doing a private vineyard tour. How cultured am I? Maybe I can finally learn how to pick a bottle of wine by something other than how cool the design of the lable is. I return to Buenos Aires on Thursday morning after an all night bus, and I will have two days to explore the neighborhoods I have missed before catching my flight back to the States. As the English would say, "buggah". Four months is almost at a close and it is a little depressing. This time next week I will be sitting behind a computer in a dark room probably laying out a Word document. sigh.
Hope those of you still reading (hi mom) have enjoyed the stories along the way. Sorry for the delay and my inability to keep up. But who wants to spend hours in a cyber cafe when you can be lounging in a hammock, drinking wine, and staring at the Lake District of Argentina? I can pretty much gaurantee there will be no new stories before I get home. Time is of the essence and I am going to try to make the most of it. But for those of you still interested in what happend during the past month and a half (hi dad), I will write up those stories when I return. Unpacking next weekend will probably get old fast and I will want distractions. Plus UNC is only playing one game on Saturday which means I have all of Sunday to put off unpacking.
Thanks for reading and commenting (hi Carrie). Keep checking in from time to time as new stories from the trip are posted along with pictures. I promise the pictures from Antarctica will be worth the wait. I just looked through them yesterday. Wow. That place was cold.
I will update the blog once or twice more before my plane leaves. As for now, ciao....
Hope those of you still reading (hi mom) have enjoyed the stories along the way. Sorry for the delay and my inability to keep up. But who wants to spend hours in a cyber cafe when you can be lounging in a hammock, drinking wine, and staring at the Lake District of Argentina? I can pretty much gaurantee there will be no new stories before I get home. Time is of the essence and I am going to try to make the most of it. But for those of you still interested in what happend during the past month and a half (hi dad), I will write up those stories when I return. Unpacking next weekend will probably get old fast and I will want distractions. Plus UNC is only playing one game on Saturday which means I have all of Sunday to put off unpacking.
Thanks for reading and commenting (hi Carrie). Keep checking in from time to time as new stories from the trip are posted along with pictures. I promise the pictures from Antarctica will be worth the wait. I just looked through them yesterday. Wow. That place was cold.
I will update the blog once or twice more before my plane leaves. As for now, ciao....
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
A Long Goodbye: Day 1 (a month ago)
My coworker had just two days left before his three week family reunion was over and I sent him back to the States to do my work at the office. His flight was sceduled for Saturday night, but it was only Friday morning and there were still several people to see and say goodbye to.
The morning started slow for me. My coworker was up and out at 10:30am to meet a close friend of his grandmothers for a salteña lunch. His grandmother and this friend used to make salteñas together from scratch and he had been telling me how great they were for a week. But I couldn`t muster the energy to get out of bed and told him I would just meet him later when we were to meet his other tio and tia for a second lunch.
At 11am I got a phone call. He was sending a cab to pick me up (he didn`t trust my spanish to get me to the right location) and meet him at the house of his grandmother`s friend. My impression was that he was finishing up and I was only picking him up to head to the other lunch. That wasn`t exactly the case.
The cab arrived at 11:30. The driver spoke no english so I tried my best to talk to him in spanish. Him not speaking english wasn`t so important since my coworker had prearranged my trip. But he asked me how I knew my coworker. I told him and the driver went on and on about how great he was. It seemed like they had known each other for years. He asked me about the States and said he dreamed of driving a cab there, but that it was too hard to get a visa. I told him to keep trying. It was about all I knew how to say. When we finally arrived my coworker was waiting outside and pushed me towards the house door while asking our driver to wait. As we went into the house he explained he wanted to introduce me to everyone. Everyone?
In the dining room was a crowd of people; the family of his grandmother`s friend. I made the rounds. Then I was offered salteñas. Salteñas are delicious. But I knew we had a large lunch coming up shortly. But the sweet older woman who offered them seemed so earnest in wanting me to try one. I had two. Then three. All the while chatting with this group who took great pleasure in offering me English words and asking how much I liked La Paz. They were so warm and inviting I didn`t want to leave. And after three salteñas I really didn`t want another lunch. But my coworker finally said it was time to head to the next family. Our cab was waiting outside still and the dear old woman wrapped up two salteñas for me to take home. More food?
On the way, my coworker informed me that he had only just met our cabbie when he rode to the first lunch (cabbie spoke no english thus this was explained in english). The cabbie had told him work was slow lately so my coworker decided to give him more work by going to pick me up and then, later, taking us to his tio`s house. No wonder the guy liked him so much.
Our second lunch was with the same tio & tia I had joined for lunch the first time I was in La Paz. They were happy to see us again and I made my best effort to speak spanish as much as possible. Since I had no other choice. Lunch was incredible. Again. But I was full. Tia had made a comment during the first lunch I had with them that she was impressed by how I ate everything that was offered to me. This ran through my mind as I stared pleadingly at each dish brought out to the table. I was still so full from the salteñas and this food was adding to my misery. One of the cousins allowed me to dump my potatoes on his plate when tia wasn`t looking. That helped a bit. But by then end, after dessert, I couldn`t move.
My coworker spent time chatting with his cousin and uncle as I paced in circles around them hoping to quicken the digestion. It was of little help. I sat down, I stood up, I paced. I felt miserable. I don`t think I have eaten so much in my life. When it was time to leave, I thanked them repeatidly for the invitation and the meal. Then I stretched out in the cab. We stopped on the way home at a place our friendly cabbie thought I might find a cigar.
And then I stretched out on the front porch with a glass of wine (for digestion), my cigar, and waiting for two hours for the food to digest. It was all I could do. This was followed by a nap.
That night we were celebrating my coworker`s last night in Bolivia with a small get-together at the house and then a trip to the bar. A pizza the size of DC was ordered (I had heard about this pizza for three weeks), but I had no intention of eating it - still aching from my two lunches. While we waited four of us walked over to the markets across the street for the "party in a box". I heard heard tales of this as well. You can buy a party in a box: bottles of booze, cups, mix, and ice for about $20. Box secured we went back to the house. Tio Oscar came over as did my coworker`s friends that I stayed with my first night in La Paz. Drinks were poured and folk music was played. I think there might have even been a bit of dancing. I know Tio attempted to teach me how - to little success. And when we were just saucey enough, we headed to the bar.
The bar was a bit of a dive bar, but with a U2 cover band. We bought a bottle of rum and a bottle of coke and took our seats. Drinking continued way into the night as we toasted our time in Bolivia and basically everything that is Bolivia. When the bar finally kicked us out we stumbled home. I think we made it home around 5am. I can`t be sure. But I was still full. And there was another family lunch coming up soon...
The morning started slow for me. My coworker was up and out at 10:30am to meet a close friend of his grandmothers for a salteña lunch. His grandmother and this friend used to make salteñas together from scratch and he had been telling me how great they were for a week. But I couldn`t muster the energy to get out of bed and told him I would just meet him later when we were to meet his other tio and tia for a second lunch.
At 11am I got a phone call. He was sending a cab to pick me up (he didn`t trust my spanish to get me to the right location) and meet him at the house of his grandmother`s friend. My impression was that he was finishing up and I was only picking him up to head to the other lunch. That wasn`t exactly the case.
The cab arrived at 11:30. The driver spoke no english so I tried my best to talk to him in spanish. Him not speaking english wasn`t so important since my coworker had prearranged my trip. But he asked me how I knew my coworker. I told him and the driver went on and on about how great he was. It seemed like they had known each other for years. He asked me about the States and said he dreamed of driving a cab there, but that it was too hard to get a visa. I told him to keep trying. It was about all I knew how to say. When we finally arrived my coworker was waiting outside and pushed me towards the house door while asking our driver to wait. As we went into the house he explained he wanted to introduce me to everyone. Everyone?
In the dining room was a crowd of people; the family of his grandmother`s friend. I made the rounds. Then I was offered salteñas. Salteñas are delicious. But I knew we had a large lunch coming up shortly. But the sweet older woman who offered them seemed so earnest in wanting me to try one. I had two. Then three. All the while chatting with this group who took great pleasure in offering me English words and asking how much I liked La Paz. They were so warm and inviting I didn`t want to leave. And after three salteñas I really didn`t want another lunch. But my coworker finally said it was time to head to the next family. Our cab was waiting outside still and the dear old woman wrapped up two salteñas for me to take home. More food?
On the way, my coworker informed me that he had only just met our cabbie when he rode to the first lunch (cabbie spoke no english thus this was explained in english). The cabbie had told him work was slow lately so my coworker decided to give him more work by going to pick me up and then, later, taking us to his tio`s house. No wonder the guy liked him so much.
Our second lunch was with the same tio & tia I had joined for lunch the first time I was in La Paz. They were happy to see us again and I made my best effort to speak spanish as much as possible. Since I had no other choice. Lunch was incredible. Again. But I was full. Tia had made a comment during the first lunch I had with them that she was impressed by how I ate everything that was offered to me. This ran through my mind as I stared pleadingly at each dish brought out to the table. I was still so full from the salteñas and this food was adding to my misery. One of the cousins allowed me to dump my potatoes on his plate when tia wasn`t looking. That helped a bit. But by then end, after dessert, I couldn`t move.
My coworker spent time chatting with his cousin and uncle as I paced in circles around them hoping to quicken the digestion. It was of little help. I sat down, I stood up, I paced. I felt miserable. I don`t think I have eaten so much in my life. When it was time to leave, I thanked them repeatidly for the invitation and the meal. Then I stretched out in the cab. We stopped on the way home at a place our friendly cabbie thought I might find a cigar.
And then I stretched out on the front porch with a glass of wine (for digestion), my cigar, and waiting for two hours for the food to digest. It was all I could do. This was followed by a nap.
That night we were celebrating my coworker`s last night in Bolivia with a small get-together at the house and then a trip to the bar. A pizza the size of DC was ordered (I had heard about this pizza for three weeks), but I had no intention of eating it - still aching from my two lunches. While we waited four of us walked over to the markets across the street for the "party in a box". I heard heard tales of this as well. You can buy a party in a box: bottles of booze, cups, mix, and ice for about $20. Box secured we went back to the house. Tio Oscar came over as did my coworker`s friends that I stayed with my first night in La Paz. Drinks were poured and folk music was played. I think there might have even been a bit of dancing. I know Tio attempted to teach me how - to little success. And when we were just saucey enough, we headed to the bar.
The bar was a bit of a dive bar, but with a U2 cover band. We bought a bottle of rum and a bottle of coke and took our seats. Drinking continued way into the night as we toasted our time in Bolivia and basically everything that is Bolivia. When the bar finally kicked us out we stumbled home. I think we made it home around 5am. I can`t be sure. But I was still full. And there was another family lunch coming up soon...
Passing Time in the Lunar Valley (a month ago)
My time in La Paz was mostly spent relaxing and spending time with my coworker`s family. Each day we would try to do something unique, but mainly we enjoyed relaxing after busing all over southern Bolivia.
With my coworker mostly recovered from his oxygen scare the night before, and an extremely late start to the day (with a breakfast of more salteñas), we decided our main event of the day would be to check out "Moon Valley", a unique environment a short drive outside of La Paz. The national park looks very lunar, with brittle dirt columns rising high above dark crevases. A narrow path through the area allows you to feel like you are walking on a lunar landscape. It was an interesting way to spend the afternoon - mostly taking goofy shots of one another surrounded by the odd landscape. When we arrived I walked up to the park entrance first and asked, in spanish, what the entrance fee was. The lady behind the desk asked, in english, if I was Bolivian. I said yes. She said she didn`t think so. My coworker and his cousins walked up and she asked them. They said we all were. She charged me the extranjero entrance fee and the others paid the citizens´ fee - a fourth of my fee. No idea how she knew.
There didn`t seem to be any literature explaining how the terraine was formed - just a map to get through it. So feel free to google "Bolivia Moon Valley" for an explaination.
I went into town afterwards to schedule a bike tour down the "World`s Most Dangerous Road" and to reschedule my plane ticket to Santa Cruz later that week. Both were done easily and left plenty of time to head back to the `burbs for a bit more sight-seeing: A couple of dance groups who would be performing in Carnival were practicing at the local park. Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia, is one of the must-see carnivals in South America. The dancing is fast and folk like, and dancers are all in traditional costumes - some with devils masks to boot. It has some of the best dancing on the continent. Or so my coworker`s proud cousin told me. The group we went to watch was entertaining. While they didn`t wear the costumes to practice, many had bells lining their boots for some extra oomph. It was really cool to see. And a great second unique outing for our day.
Check out the dancing here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHC-1Wq6c-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPr29AUpi_Q
For pics of my time in La Paz, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603944779719/
With my coworker mostly recovered from his oxygen scare the night before, and an extremely late start to the day (with a breakfast of more salteñas), we decided our main event of the day would be to check out "Moon Valley", a unique environment a short drive outside of La Paz. The national park looks very lunar, with brittle dirt columns rising high above dark crevases. A narrow path through the area allows you to feel like you are walking on a lunar landscape. It was an interesting way to spend the afternoon - mostly taking goofy shots of one another surrounded by the odd landscape. When we arrived I walked up to the park entrance first and asked, in spanish, what the entrance fee was. The lady behind the desk asked, in english, if I was Bolivian. I said yes. She said she didn`t think so. My coworker and his cousins walked up and she asked them. They said we all were. She charged me the extranjero entrance fee and the others paid the citizens´ fee - a fourth of my fee. No idea how she knew.
There didn`t seem to be any literature explaining how the terraine was formed - just a map to get through it. So feel free to google "Bolivia Moon Valley" for an explaination.
I went into town afterwards to schedule a bike tour down the "World`s Most Dangerous Road" and to reschedule my plane ticket to Santa Cruz later that week. Both were done easily and left plenty of time to head back to the `burbs for a bit more sight-seeing: A couple of dance groups who would be performing in Carnival were practicing at the local park. Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia, is one of the must-see carnivals in South America. The dancing is fast and folk like, and dancers are all in traditional costumes - some with devils masks to boot. It has some of the best dancing on the continent. Or so my coworker`s proud cousin told me. The group we went to watch was entertaining. While they didn`t wear the costumes to practice, many had bells lining their boots for some extra oomph. It was really cool to see. And a great second unique outing for our day.
Check out the dancing here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHC-1Wq6c-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPr29AUpi_Q
For pics of my time in La Paz, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603944779719/
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Back in La Paz (a month ago)
Remember the blog about my time in Sucre? Yeah, it was a while ago. Here`s the next chapter. Yes, this happened over a month ago...
After a few days in Sucre where I met up with my coworker again, we both bought plane tickets to La Paz and flew back to spend the remainder of his time in Bolivia with his cousins. When we arrived in La Paz, a little more than two weeks after leaving it for the holidays in Tarija, my coworker`s cousins were waiting for us at the airport. It was raining which pretty much spoiled our plans to immediately set out for a group of ruins about an hour outside of the city. Instead we were ushered to his childhood home a few minutes outside of the city center. But before stopping there, we went for salteñas (like empanadas, but Bolivian style) at the restaurant they all grew up with. A brilliant way to welcome us back to La Paz.
There were no real plans for our time in La Paz; my coworker would spend his last few days visiting friends and family, I just wanted to see more of the city and eat much more traditional Bolivian foods. We accomplished both of our goals and I managed to do a few more things.
The first day`s big activity was checking out the witches market in the city center. The market is full of potions, charms, and items of superstition. Locals mainly buy items for good luck. One of these items, llama fetuses, was the main reason I wanted to check out the market. Okay, gross, I know. But interesting none the less. People buy these fetuses and bury them under a house to bless it. Crazy. And worth seeing. The street with the markets was pretty touristy with many more shops set up to cater to people looking for gift items. It was raining full stream and we sent one of the cousins off to find us umbrellas. Umbrellas that held up just long enough for us to get through the market before breaking. Okay, not really that long. But one of the cousins did get the lady in one of the witches markets to explain to us the significance of everything. Really enlightening. Especially after it was translated to English for me. I bought a few love potions for the folks back home that may need them and then we bolted.
To escape the rain and warm up a bit we stopped in this little hip bar down an old cobble stone street. There was art for sale on the walls and I really dug the style of the artist. I was convinced I needed a painting to bring back to the States. But it was cash only. Boo. So I made do with another drink. We attempted a shot of some sort of plant concoction that one of the cousins insisted we try. And by we I mean my coworker. It was harsh. At least by the look on his face. Enough to call it a night.
Before hitting the house we stocked up on wine (because this family loves their wine and so do I) and a few beers. The idea was to chill and chat. We played indoor soccer instead. The plant concoction must have been more harsh than previously thought because in the midst of kicking the soccer ball around, my coworker suddenly grabbed his chest and fell into one of the living room seats. Actually it was the altitude of the city and the exursion of kicking around the ball. But the cousins were on top of the situation. Within minutes my coworker was breathing from an oxygen tank while the cousins took turns massaging his chest. Only in the highest capital city in the world. I was freaked out, they treated it as routine. That pretty much closed the night. Aside from one cousin`s girlfriend having a bit more wine than she thought she could handle and bazooka barfing in a bucket, that was the end to my first day back in La Paz. I still had several more to go...
For pics of my time back in La Paz, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603944779719/
After a few days in Sucre where I met up with my coworker again, we both bought plane tickets to La Paz and flew back to spend the remainder of his time in Bolivia with his cousins. When we arrived in La Paz, a little more than two weeks after leaving it for the holidays in Tarija, my coworker`s cousins were waiting for us at the airport. It was raining which pretty much spoiled our plans to immediately set out for a group of ruins about an hour outside of the city. Instead we were ushered to his childhood home a few minutes outside of the city center. But before stopping there, we went for salteñas (like empanadas, but Bolivian style) at the restaurant they all grew up with. A brilliant way to welcome us back to La Paz.
There were no real plans for our time in La Paz; my coworker would spend his last few days visiting friends and family, I just wanted to see more of the city and eat much more traditional Bolivian foods. We accomplished both of our goals and I managed to do a few more things.
The first day`s big activity was checking out the witches market in the city center. The market is full of potions, charms, and items of superstition. Locals mainly buy items for good luck. One of these items, llama fetuses, was the main reason I wanted to check out the market. Okay, gross, I know. But interesting none the less. People buy these fetuses and bury them under a house to bless it. Crazy. And worth seeing. The street with the markets was pretty touristy with many more shops set up to cater to people looking for gift items. It was raining full stream and we sent one of the cousins off to find us umbrellas. Umbrellas that held up just long enough for us to get through the market before breaking. Okay, not really that long. But one of the cousins did get the lady in one of the witches markets to explain to us the significance of everything. Really enlightening. Especially after it was translated to English for me. I bought a few love potions for the folks back home that may need them and then we bolted.
To escape the rain and warm up a bit we stopped in this little hip bar down an old cobble stone street. There was art for sale on the walls and I really dug the style of the artist. I was convinced I needed a painting to bring back to the States. But it was cash only. Boo. So I made do with another drink. We attempted a shot of some sort of plant concoction that one of the cousins insisted we try. And by we I mean my coworker. It was harsh. At least by the look on his face. Enough to call it a night.
Before hitting the house we stocked up on wine (because this family loves their wine and so do I) and a few beers. The idea was to chill and chat. We played indoor soccer instead. The plant concoction must have been more harsh than previously thought because in the midst of kicking the soccer ball around, my coworker suddenly grabbed his chest and fell into one of the living room seats. Actually it was the altitude of the city and the exursion of kicking around the ball. But the cousins were on top of the situation. Within minutes my coworker was breathing from an oxygen tank while the cousins took turns massaging his chest. Only in the highest capital city in the world. I was freaked out, they treated it as routine. That pretty much closed the night. Aside from one cousin`s girlfriend having a bit more wine than she thought she could handle and bazooka barfing in a bucket, that was the end to my first day back in La Paz. I still had several more to go...
For pics of my time back in La Paz, follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15233918@N00/sets/72157603944779719/
Chillin'
During my long bus ride I met several Isrealis on holiday after conscription. They were all heading to El Bolson, a hippie's paradise about two hours south of where I am now. The way they talked it up I almost hopped off the bus with them. Apparently there is very little in El Bolson, just farms to relax on and a lake and mountains to explore. But I needed to get some laundry done and I was really craving a big steak dinner. Plus I heard some of the best ice cream and chocolate can be found here in Bariloche. So I continued on. Though the Brit I was traveling with did bail.
Bariloche is nothing like a farm town. It is like a ski resort town - very built up with all sorts of little boutique shops and video stores. Fortunately I discovered this hostel(ish) way up on the mountain - seemingly miles removed from the hussle of the town below. Yesterday I had a much needed shower and took my pile of dirty clothes down the footpath to the laundry. Then I enjoyed a grande beer and just sat and stared at the lake and mountains. There was a U.S. photographer and his German girlfriend hanging outside and they invited me to join their dinner of Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I offered a bottle of wine and we watched the sun set and chatted well into the evening.
When they headed to bed, I found a group of four German guys chatting buy the window in the main room. I offered another bottle of wine and we chatted until 2am.
Today I am pulling out the books and the Spanish notebook and finding the hammock I swear I saw in a picture of this place. I may get frisky later and go look for the ice cream everyone is raving about. Then again, maybe that can wait until tomorrow. Right now I am happily digesting the home made bread that was laid out for breakfast. What a life.
Bariloche is nothing like a farm town. It is like a ski resort town - very built up with all sorts of little boutique shops and video stores. Fortunately I discovered this hostel(ish) way up on the mountain - seemingly miles removed from the hussle of the town below. Yesterday I had a much needed shower and took my pile of dirty clothes down the footpath to the laundry. Then I enjoyed a grande beer and just sat and stared at the lake and mountains. There was a U.S. photographer and his German girlfriend hanging outside and they invited me to join their dinner of Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I offered a bottle of wine and we watched the sun set and chatted well into the evening.
When they headed to bed, I found a group of four German guys chatting buy the window in the main room. I offered another bottle of wine and we chatted until 2am.
Today I am pulling out the books and the Spanish notebook and finding the hammock I swear I saw in a picture of this place. I may get frisky later and go look for the ice cream everyone is raving about. Then again, maybe that can wait until tomorrow. Right now I am happily digesting the home made bread that was laid out for breakfast. What a life.
Monday, February 18, 2008
33 Hours Later
Where have I been? Scrambling over Argentina. I just arrived in the lake district after a 33 hour bus ride. Longest to date and not eager to do it again. But I am now staying a really nice place on a hill in Bariloche with amazing views of the lakes and mountains. Nothing to do now but drink wine and stare. I guess that also gives me time to catch up on the blog. I will try to do that as well tonight and tomorrow. Who knows where I left off last. But so much has happened in the past four weeks that I feel it will take months to catch up here online.
I`m just happy to be in one place for a few days. Now if I can just find a cigar shop to compliment my four bottles of wine and my view.
I`m just happy to be in one place for a few days. Now if I can just find a cigar shop to compliment my four bottles of wine and my view.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Back From the Bottom of the World
I just got back to Ushuaia from Antarctica. The trip was by far the most amazing trip I have ever done. I would go back immediately. If it didn´t cost so friggin much. But really, Antarctica is an awesome destination with the most beautiful views I have ever seen. Penguins galore - I think 700 of my 1000 pics are of penguins alone. But there are several shots of whales, leopard seals and the landscape. Problem is I took way too many pics. So unfortunately you will probably have to wait until I am back in the states before those pics get posted along with the stories. I will post a few in the next couple of days as a teaser.
I met two gals from Charlotte and a Brit on my boat who were planning to rent a car and drive to Torres del Paine (look at the Patagonia logo - that´s the place) in Chile. So I am hitching a ride with them for some good hiking and then on to Calafate to see the world´s only growing glacier. After those two stops I am back on my own to head to the lake district of Argentina and Mendoza before heading back to Buenos Aires and then home. It´s almost painful to think that I only have 20 days left. Those of you that are reading at my office, if something has happened and I need to be let go, now woul be a good time to let me know so I can plan on continuing my travels. I am in no hurry to return.
I met two gals from Charlotte and a Brit on my boat who were planning to rent a car and drive to Torres del Paine (look at the Patagonia logo - that´s the place) in Chile. So I am hitching a ride with them for some good hiking and then on to Calafate to see the world´s only growing glacier. After those two stops I am back on my own to head to the lake district of Argentina and Mendoza before heading back to Buenos Aires and then home. It´s almost painful to think that I only have 20 days left. Those of you that are reading at my office, if something has happened and I need to be let go, now woul be a good time to let me know so I can plan on continuing my travels. I am in no hurry to return.
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