Feliz Navidad de Bolivia

The mountains around the city light up with color during the sunset

Let’s see where to start catching you up… The weekend before this past one we had a Christmas dinner with the Church.  It was a great time.  It was a formal dress which always makes things a lot more fun.  The children put on a show for us singing “Mi Burrito Sabanero” for us, which was very amusing.  We enjoyed a nice meal followed by a great time of dancing.  I was shocked at some of the people breaking out some 60-70’s dance moves.  I had only ever seen these in museums or on old movies…  We wrapped up all of our work in the external projects.  To celebrate me and a few people played paintball.  I told them I had a little experience but it had been years since I had played.  They seemed pretty confident so we split up in to teams.  After the first 5 games I was yet to be shot.  I had massacred everyone.  I think one game even lasted less than 1 minute.  We played I think a total of 8 or 9 games and I only got shot once.  It was a lucky shot that curved and nailed me in the wrist.  We all had a great time and I’m sure we will play again.  Next time I will try to take it easy on them….

 

Oswaldo, Rodrigo, and I at our Christmas Dinner with the Church

Me about to get on the bus to Sorata

This past weekend a handful of volunteers and I (6 in all) went on a little trip to the small village of Sorata.  Sorata has about 2500 people in population and much history.  In the colonial days Sorata provided a link to the Gold fields and rubber plantations of Beni and to the Amazon Basin.  In 1791 an indigenous leader named Tupac Amaru seiged the town by constructing dikes above the city to catch the runoff from the slopes of Illampu (the huge snow covered mountain that overlooks the town.  When they were full they opened the floodgates and washed the town away… We left work on Friday evening and rushed home to get our stuff in time to make it to the bus to Sorata.  When we got to the bus stop it was perfect timing.  We just happened to get the last 6 seats on the last bus to Sorata.  We left out of the city through El Alto and off through the Altiplano heading north.  Not far out of Sorata I noticed that a bit of fog began to set in and we began winding down a mountain road.  For 45 minutes my eyes were glued out the window looking for the road.  Sometimes the fog was so thick that the road would completely disappear.  Luckily the driver slowed down and we made our way around the mountain sides.  I found myself praying for the driver to get us there safely.  All you could see were guard rails and the white lines painted on the road as we went from one line to another all the way down.  Finally off in the distance I could see the lights from Sorata cutting through the dense fog.  We got off the bus about 10 o’clock and made our way towards the town square so that we could find a place to stay for the night.  Eventually we found a hotel named San Cristobal.  We asked the owner how much it was per night and he told us 20b a night (about 3 dollars) per person.  It sounded like a good deal so we agreed and went up to the room.  It wasn’t much for your eyes but it was a place to lay your head out of the rain.  We eventually fell asleep anticipating the next day.

 

Our amazing Hotel

The Plaza in the middle of Town

We were awakened by many noises the following morning coming through our window from the road below.  Apparently, our room overlooked a small street market.  We eventually got up and ate tomato and onion sandwiches for breakfast.  We then left the hotel to see what the small town looked like in the day light.  It is a beautiful little place surrounded by green mountains on all sides with a river on both sides of the town.  After exploring we made our plans for the day.  We decided that we would hike to the top of an ancient sacred Ayamara mountain that overlooked the town.  We filled up a backpack with some water and fruit and began heading towards the mountain.  We first had to cross the river named San Christobal between the town and the mountain.  The river had a pretty strong current because of the runoff from Illampu and because it is the rainy season.  We found a bridge that is currently under construction but sufficient enough to cross the river.  It was basically just missing some safety rails and a few boards on the way across.  After we had crossed the river we began to decide which path we would take to make our way up.  As we climbed we winded along fields of vegetables and steep ravines.  We continued to climb, fending off some dogs with rocks as we made our way.  We eventually came to a small village about half way up the mountain.  There we met an old local named Victor.  He had lived there all his life (80 years he said).  We stood there and talked to him for a good 20 minutes about some history of the city and about things he had done in his life.  He was a very nice and a pleasure to talk to.  We realized this was a pattern as everyone we met was very nice and willing to take the time to talk with us and point us in the right direction.  After victor got us on the right trail we continued climbing up and up winding around the mountain.  The view was getting better and better as we got higher and higher.  Finally we had made it to the top.  It only took about 3 and half hours to get there.  It was a great view of the town and all the valleys and mountains around.  We were slightly disappointed that we weren’t able to see the giant mountain of Illampu since it was shrouded by clouds.  We eventually sat down to rest and eat some bananas before we made our descent.

 

The Mountain We climbed to the top of

Me posing on the bridge with the River in the background

On our way down we were exhausted and still a little bit hungry.  We decided that we would stop in Victor’s village to find a tienda to buy a snack.  When we got there we didn’t see Victor so we found a lady walking down the road.  She said she knew of a tienda so we walked with her down the road.  As we were walking by her aunt’s house she said that she was probably taking some fresh bread out of the oven if we wanted some.  It sounded good to us so we stopped to buy some bread.  Her aunt came out and greeted us. She was a little lady with many wrinkles and white hair.  When she smiled she only had one visible tooth which made her smile quite interesting.  She ran inside to bring us out some fresh pan de trigo (whole grain bread).  The bread was still warm as we bit into it.  It was some of the best bread I had had since I have been here in Bolivia.  After saying farewell, we continued on our way back down to the river where we relaxed for a few minutes on the side soaking our sore feet in the cold water.  We then went back up to the main square of the town where we had a small snack.  Since our hotel was “locked” we decided to go to the opposite side of town to chill by the other river.  While we were sitting there some random Bolivian tourists came down with their instruments.  After talking to them for a few minutes they began playing some traditional Bolivian music.  They were pretty good.  They were playing and singing and we joined in as well.  Then Mathias and Felix played a few songs on the guitar and we sang along for them.  It was fun and relaxing.  Finally after a couple hours had past we decided to head back up to the main square to put our stuff in the hotel and then go find something to eat.  We went to a small little restaurant that we had noticed earlier in the day.  We were the only people in there and the guy looked excited to see us.  We all ordered the Pique a lo Macho because he said it was really good and it is my favorite Bolivian dish.  We waited for maybe 30 minutes or so until he brought out our food.  As we were eating I realized that he wasn’t lying because it was the Best Pique Macho I have had as of now here in Bolivia.  After dinner we went back to the hotel to get some sleep because we were all drained from the 6 hours of hiking.

 

Beautiful Corn Fields

Sitting by Rio de San Cristobal

We woke up the following day and had some onion and avocado sandwiches for breakfast.  We got ready and packed a bag for the day.  Our plan was to go to La Gruta de San Pedro.  It is a cave that goes into the side of a mountain.  So we negotiated with a few taxis to get us there.  We set off out of town down a muddy road from the rain the night before.  We winded around mountain sides for about 20 or so minutes with some of the most beautiful scenery.  Eventually we go to a little building with a tienda and some picnic tables.  The taxi driver pointed up the side of a mountain to where the entrance to the cave was.  We made our way up to a little building at the entrance.  We eventually negotiated the entrance fee which took about 15 minutes and then we entered.  It was amazing at how hot and humid it was in the cave.  I had to walk hunched over for a little bit before I could finally reach the main part of the cave where the ceiling was very high.  We could hear a few bats hanging around in the nooks and crannies.  There was a small lagoon in the cave where it is possible to swim (if you are brave enough).  We continued to make our way to the very back of the cave where it narrows down to a little tunnel where you have to crawl to get to the end.  It was pretty interesting thought not the best or coolest cave I’ve been in.  After we were done viewing the cave we made our way back out.  We decided that the best way to see the scenery was to make the 12km walk back to Sorata.  It was a great idea, even though it was exhausting.  The mountains were beautiful as we slowly made our way back.  There were smaller villages scattered off in the distance between mountains with nothing but little dirt roads and paths connecting them.  Right before we got back to Sorata we stopped alongside the road where we had a nice view of the town through the mountains.  We ate some apples, mangos, and again some onion and avocado sandwiches.  After are short rest break we finished the hike and returned to the hotel to get our stuff.  We then made our way back to the bus stop to buy tickets and wait for the next available bus home.  Eventually it came and we made our way back to La Paz.  I think the most amazing thing about the trip is it only cost me about 20-25 dollars for everything including transportation, food and the hotel.

 

Us entering into the Caves

Standing by the Lake in the cave

In the back of the cave

The beautiful scenery from the walk back to Sorata

View of Sorata through the mountains

Christmas Eve Justus and I were invited to a lunch with a couple of my families from my project at the house of Padre Jose.  We had a great lunch and then Padre Jose gave the families some gifts.  The kids were so excited to receive some presents for Christmas.  The parents looked very grateful as well to see their kids so happy.  I was surprised too when I received a gift.  I definitely was not expecting that.  Afterwards, Justus and I returned to work.  Right now we are working in Casa Esperanza which is the boys orphanage that the foundation has.  We are working there until February when the external projects open back up after Christmas break.  It is a lot of fun because basically we are just hanging out and playing with the boys.  The past two days we made Christmas cookies, played soccer and played games in the Sala de Juegos.  I’ve played so much Chess and Foosball the past couple days.  Last night, I stayed there until 11 o’clock with the boys watching movies and eating dinner.  I think I’m really going to enjoy spending a month with them.  After work we came home and all the volunteers who were home ate cookies, drank tea, and sang Christmas songs until 1:30 in the morning.  It was a goodtime.

 

Padre Jose talking to the kids and giving them presents

I hope that everyone back at home has a Merry Christmas.  I miss you all and am sad that I can’t be with you all during these Christmas days.  I hope you all have a great holiday season.  I love you all.  Espero que ustedes tengan un Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año.

Feliz Navidad

Santa Cruz de la Tierra

Rodrigo and I in the Flota heading to Santa Cruz

This past weekend I went with a group of people from church to Santa Cruz de la Tierra.  We left Thursday evening on a bus (they call them “flotas”).  It was a very nice bus with seats that reclined and had leg rests.  Thank goodness because it was almost a 20 hour bus ride to get to Santa Cruz.  As we left we had to pass through El Alto.  I believe it was my first time in El Alto at night.  There were Christmas lights strung over the main autopista which made for a very beautiful scene.  After we passed through the other side the street lights became fewer and fewer until the only lights were those of the bus.  You could turn around and see El Alto behind us in the distance with a dim glow as we got further away.  Soon after, I dozed off to sleep only to wake up a few hours later.  It was very dark but with the lights of the bus I could make out the sides of mountains as we passed by.  From what I could tell, we were riding along the edges of mountains.  A few minutes later I could see the lights of Cochabamba off in the distance.  I decided to wait up to see the city before I went back to sleep.  We were riding the edges of mountain cliffs winding our way down into the valley.  It was a little spooky because I could see mountains on one side and on the other side everything just faded into the darkness.  About an hour and a half after I first saw Cochabamba we were finally driving through the city.  I will definitely have to return one weekend to see the city.  After we passed through the city (which was about 3 in the morning) I closed my eyes hoping to get some more sleep.

 

What I saw when I woke up

What I Saw when I woke up

The next time I opened my eyes it was just starting to become light out.  Once my eyes adjusted I was a little in shock with what I was seeing.  We were still descending slowly down mountains but now we were surrounded by rainforest.  Everything was green and trees were everywhere scaling up the sides of mountains.  I was mesmerized by the green mountains and the waterfalls coming down.  It was the most green i had seen since I left the states.  Finally I again dozed back off for another short nap.  When I woke back up we were out of the mountains passing through the flat lands into farm lands and banana plantations.  Here the rivers were wide and winding through the forests.  We had been riding for about 16 hours by this point without any stops and I was becoming extremely hungry.  Luckily the bus driver was too so he decided to make a stop at a, well I guess you could call it a “truck stop”.  When you are on these buses there are no scheduled stops.  Basically everything is at the will of the drivers.  This “truck stop had a pretty good sized Cabaña which was serving food.  The special of the day was Majadito de Charque for 10 bolivianos (about $1.40).  Majadito is a rice mixture with some pork mixed in.  And on top there is a fried egg and a fried platano on the side.  It is a typical Cruceño plate from the Santa Cruz area.  I was very impressed because it tasted very good.  Looking around as I was eating, I began to notice how many fruit trees were just growing everywhere.  I was surrounded by mango trees loaded with huge mangos.  We then all loaded back up on the bus to finish our trip to Santa Cruz.

Majadito

La Cabaña

Me stealing a Mango

 

Waterfalls on the sides of mountains

Finally 3 hours later we were in Santa Cruz.  Getting off the bus you could really tell the difference in the weather.  It was over 90F degrees and humid.  It felt like home in the middle of July.  When we had left La Paz the weather was 60F degrees.  It is amazing how many different climates and different types of zones Bolivia has.  The country is not even that big but because of the mountains traveling takes forever, the weather is always different from city to city, and one place might be desert while the other may be a thriving rainforest; and all within hours of one another.  At the bus terminal, we were greeted by many people from the church of Santa Cruz.  After talking for a little bit we headed to the houses where we were going to be staying for the weekend.  I stayed in the house of a brother from the church named Fernando.  The first thing we did was take showers after the long sweaty bus ride.  I never knew how much I would appreciate cold showers until I got to Santa Cruz.  I know I have told you that I am amazed at how my Spanish is improving.  Well while I was in Santa Cruz I could barely understand anything.  I thought maybe I was stupid or something but then I began to realize the different accent that Cruceños have.  To me it was like the Southern Accent in the states but just in Spanish.  They spoke a lot faster and lower and they didn’t pronounce all the letters in the words.  For example in Spanish a phrase is “Mas o Menos”.  They say it as “Ma o Meno”.  Like in the south where instead of saying “riding or fishing” we say “ridin’ or fishin’.  It can very confusing until you get use to it.

 

Rivers beginning to widen

Small tiendas on the sides of the roads

Small fruit kind of like a lemon

The inside of the fruit

Our first night we had a dinner with some traditional food of Santa Cruz.  The plate was called Keperi.  It was like a chunk of pot-roast with cheesy rice, a yucca, and a vegetable salad.  It was extremely good.  We hung out for a while getting to know everyone.  Eventually before it was too late we headed back to the house.  That night I was able to ride a little bit on a motorcycle around some of the city.  It was a great feeling because it was a bit cooler.  In my opinion, it was one of the best ways to see the city.  To me Santa Cruz felt exactly like being at the beach… just without a beach.  Most of the restaurants are open air and have small patios.  There are palm trees everywhere (almost like weeds).  Everyone was wearing shorts of swim trunks.  Even the taxi drivers where wearing flip flops and sandals.  Most of the people had the laid back beach feel to them.  It was a great experience.  I really enjoyed everything about it.  But, I was beginning to miss La Paz while I was there.  Saturday we went to a park for the day.  Everything was green and beautiful.  It was the one thing that La Paz is missing; parks with trees and green grass.  I felt like I was at home almost as people were walking their dogs and kids were running around playing.  It was a very different feel from La Paz where dogs and kids both run around alone in the streets.  While in the park we played a game of soccer, La Paz against Santa Cruz.  Since we were over 10,000 feet lower than La Paz, we had an advantage with the benefit of the thicker oxygenated air.  But the extreme heat played a big factor on the people from La Paz where the temperature rarely hits 70.  Luckily I had a bit of an advantage since I grew up in North Carolina where we go from both extremes in a week’s time.

 

Beautiful Green Parks

Keperi

Our final night in Santa Cruz we had a Dance/Karaoke party.  It was a blast until they started playing One Direction.  I and the other guys took that as a cue to sit down and rest.  Afterwards we started singing some Karaoke.  I sung a few songs (in English of course).  Everyone told me that I had an amazing voice.  They must have been confusing me with someone else, but I just smiled and said thank you.  The next morning, which was our last day, we woke up and got ready for church.  Fernando, Jorge, and I went to grab some breakfast before church.  We had a typical Bolivian breakfast: Coffee, empanadas, and other breads.  We were able to talk a bit and learn more about each other before we headed to church.  At church I was amazed because it was the first time I had been in an air conditioned room since I left the States.  We had a great service and afterwards we went to a restaurant (again open-air) to eat.  Of course I had one of my new favorite Bolivian plates, Keperi.  A few of us had to eat rapidly because our bus was leaving for La Paz at 2.  We ate, said our farewells, and ran to catch a taxi.  We caught our bus just in time.  After a long bus ride we finally arrived back in La Paz a little after 7 in the morning on Monday.  I had just enough time to go home and take a shower before I had to be at work.  I look back at my time in Santa Cruz and I know that I definitely want to return to spend some more time in the city and see some more of the sights.  Additional to that it really had opened up my craving to travel and see more of the country and South America every chance I get before I have to return home.

 

A view out the window of where I stayed

So I am very excited to say that I received my first package from home.  I would like to thank mom and everyone from Orange County Schools Board of Education that put something in and wrote cards.  Thank you all so very much.  It was great to receive some words from people at home and also to get a nice box full of candy.  I’m not sure you guys know how much I appreciate it and to also know that you all keep up with my blog.  I have already hung up the Christmas cards on my wall and have started digging into the Reeses.  Again thank you all for sending me a little bit of home. 

MY FIRST PACKAGE FROM HOME!!!!!!

Things that make me HAPPY

Thanksgiving 2

All of us sitting around the table for Thanksgiving Dinner.

WOW look at me!  Two posts in two days....

So Thanksgiving dinner with the Germans was a blast.  It was the 20 of us and everyone brought food.  We had many typical Thanksgiving foods which included: baked chicken, mac & cheese casserole, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, broccoli & cheese, and many delicious deserts.  Everyone ate until they were full and of course there were leftovers.  For all of the Germans, it was their first time celebrating Thanksgiving and they all seemed to enjoy it very well.  I am so glad that we can share each other’s holidays and traditions and learn about each other’s lives in this way.  After everyone was finished eating, we went around the table and said what our favorite dish was.  Of course mine was the green bean casserole.  I believe it was the best green bean casserole I had ever eaten in my life.  Later we all shared about what we were grateful for and thankful for.  I shared that I am grateful that everything worked out for me to have the opportunity to be in Bolivia and to be able to help make a difference big or small.  Also, I am thankful to have such a great group of volunteers who have become like my family away from home.  Yea we have our disagreements and what not, but that is family.  I feel like we all have grown a lot closer and we usually have a fun time together.  Lastly, I am grateful for the willingness of everyone to want to learn about each other’s background and wanting to participate in each other’s holidays to help make Bolivia feel as much like home as possible for each one of us.  After a few manly competitions and singing some Christmas songs, we all cleaned up and washed dishes.  All the Germans said it was their favorite Thanksgiving they had ever had.  And after some thought, I believe it may have been one of my favorite Thanksgivings I had ever had as well.  I am really looking forward to Christmas……

Baked Chicken

Happy faces around the table

Amazing Green Bean Casserole

Justus Carving the first chicken

My Loaded Plate

Pumpkin Pie, Pumkin Cheesecake, Apple Crumb Cake

Desert Plate

A little singing After dinner......

Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias

This is a common sight here in Bolivia.  A Cholita carrying her baby on her back.

This week I learned a great lesson.  Just when I thought I have found the best chicken place in the world I stumbled across an even better place that I automatically fell in love with.  The lesson I learned is that even though you think you have found the best place, you still have to try new places because you may stumble across a restaurant that will knock your socks off.  This place was amazing.  They fix pollo a la leña.  Basically it is a rotisserie chicken but cooked with a wood fire.  When I walked in, I already knew that it was my new favorite restaurant because of the smell.  It smelt like walking into Hillsborough BBQ.  My mouth was watering as I was waiting for my plate.  And when I finally got to take my first bite I was speechless.  If you ever come to visit me in Bolivia I will definitely have to take you there…..  You can tell that Christmas is getting near here in La Paz.  Everywhere people are setting up Christmas trees and Christmas lights are strung across the streets and store front windows.  Justus and I mustered up the will power to decorate our Christmas tree in our office.  It was SO MUCH FUN….  I am really excited to see how the Christmas season is here in La Paz.

 

My new Favorite Restaurant

Doesn't that chicken just look amazing?

This Picture needs no words.

This week we had Atapi with many of the families from our project.  Atapi is kind of like a potluck lunch. There were about 150-200 people there and many brought typical Bolivian dishes.  Justus and I were a little afraid to eat because we didn’t want to upset our stomachs.  But it was a great time with the families and talking to them.  It kind of reminded me of Thanksgiving and since it was the day after.  This was my first day in my life ever working on Thanksgiving Day (Bolivia does not celebrate Thanksgiving, it is an American holiday).  It was no problem though.  I was still able to celebrate on Saturday with a bunch of people from church.  Everyone prepared some different dishes and we ate very well.  I prepared my pumpkin cheese cake but I did not have pumpkin, so instead I used Zapallo.  It is like pumpkin but different.  Also, I fixed Homemade Stuffing and some amazing Homemade Gravy to pour on top of everything.  I was thoroughly impressed with how they turned out.  It can be pretty difficult to cook certain dishes here in La Paz because you can’t always find the things you need.  Not as convenient as it is in the States.  Tonight the Germans and we Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast.  We are preparing many of the traditional Southern thanksgiving foods and deserts.  I am truly excited to be able to share their first Thanksgiving with them.  Should be an interesting event indeed!

Our Thanksgiving Lunch with People from church.

After Thanksgiving Comatose. 

 

A lot of families putting their food on the table for Atapi.

So we didn’t have a turkey like I said we would.  It is a little more difficult than we thought it would be.  Turkey is very expensive here.  A small turkey would cost around 100 dollars.  So we just went with the cheaper option (CHICKEN).  I was in El Alto in the middle of nowhere searching for a family last week when I heard a familiar sound.  It sounded like a turkey gobbling.  Then I heard a hen clucking.  I had to find out where this noise was coming from.  So I walked around the dirt roads looking.  Finally, I turned a corner to see a gobbler and a hen sitting on the side of the road.  I crept slowly by them as they glared at me.  I was pondering catching the gobbler and bringing him to the house, but it was a 2-3 hour ride home in minibus.  I thought it would not work out to well for me, so I returned empty handed.

 

Random Turkeys in El Alto.

So this past week Justus received a donation from Germany.  His mother collected 530 dollars from their church in Germany to donate to help some of our families.  We used the money donated to buy some desperately needed things for some of our lesser fortunate families.  I spoke of a family in an earlier blog that has 9 members.  A mother and her 8 children.  All 9 of them live in a small room and slept on 3 very thin mattresses on the floor at night.  So with some of the money we bought a bunk bed.  We tried to call the family to let them know we were bringing it to them but their phone did not work (I have run in to this problem many times).  Luckily I remembered where her house was.  We loaded the bed on top of a taxi and headed to their house.  Finally at their house we knocked on the door and waited hoping they were home.  Once the mother opened the door she saw what we had brought.  We toted it into the small room and began assembling the pieces.  It was a little difficult putting it together with the limited amount of room but we got it assembled and slid into place.  They seemed very grateful that now they did not have to sleep on the floor.  It was a great feeling to be able to take someone’s donation and use it to help a family in need.

 

What the Family use to sleep on.

Waiting at the door with the new bed.

Justus and I assembling the bunk bed.

Bunk Bed completed.

Looks like she chose the top bunk.

Happy Photo

The next day we had 2 families meet us in El Alto at La Feria.  It’s like a giant flea market.  We met them and walked until we found the place that sold small stove tops.  Both of these families did not have anything to cook on other than fire.  And they both have many people to feed in their families.  They were extremely grateful for these gifts because they badly needed something to cook on but were not able to afford them.  Afterwards, we started searching for another bunk bed to buy to donate to another family with many children.  We finally came across a nice bunk bed and bought it.  Then we searched for a taxi.  After bargaining a price we loaded everything on top of the taxi and headed for the other family.  Luckily, I kind of remembered where this family was to.  We were only lost for a few minutes…  Again we knocked on the door and waited for an answer.  The mother was not home but many of the kids were.  We hauled all the pieces in and assembled it while the kids watched.  They were so excited to try out their new bed.  It is amazing how someone so far away can help to make a difference here in Bolivia by taking the initiative to collect some money to send here and help.  I hope we have more of these opportunities in the future to buy some direly needed things for these families.  Thank You to all who donated to help these families!

 

Two new Stove tops for two happy Families.

Us buying the second bunk bed in El Alto

Completed Bunk Bed with some happy campers.

So this is me on December 1st after No Shave November.

Some Resent views of the city 

Some recent views of the city.  They are never the same!