Adjusting to Life in La Paz

La Paz lights up at night and makes a very beautiful sight.

So I have been here for a little over a week now.  It seems like its been much longer.  This past week I have been just trying to adjust to life here in the city.  Its not like when I was at home and if i needed to go somewhere I could just jump into my car and go wherever i needed to go.  Here, just going to church or anywhere in the city takes a bit more effort.  Unless you call a taxi, most the time you have to walk to a main road and wave down a minibus.  But not just any minibus, you have to make sure it is going to the area that you want to go to.  Once you hop on you have to squeeze into a seat with the other 15 people packed in there.  There is no such thing as personal space.  Usually the minibus isn't going to the exact place where you want to go so you have to yell to the driver to let you off when you are close to your destination.  Then you have to do the rest on foot. Sometimes you have to catch 2 or more minibuses to get to where you want to go.  So yea it takes a little more effort.  Good thing i brought my walking shoes!!!

There usually are no seat-belts or car seats on a minibus 

 This past week I haven't done too much.  I have been taking my Spanish class with my teacher Jaime.  I'm amazed at how much i'm learning but i know i still have a lot to learn.  Not being able to communicate with everyone makes things a lot more difficult but many people are very helpful when you put forth the effort.   Me and the two brothers i'm staying with (Rodrigo and Oswaldo) have been hanging out a lot lately.  Its nice to have made some friends so quickly.  Yesterday we went to the gym near here to lift some weights and workout.  There was a music video that was filmed here in Bolivia and a good bit of it was filmed just down the street from where I am staying now and in the gym that we worked out in.  I have attached the video below.

The other two volunteers (Lisa and Jessica) just got here a couple days ago.  We have been hanging out a bit to get to know each other and build friendships because i'm sure we are going to need each other here in this big and strange city.  Without the church and the Hope team here in La Paz I would be totally lost and I doubt that I would feel at home here with out them.  So please keep us and our efforts here in La Paz in your prayers.  Hopefully I will have some more interesting things to talk about in my blog once I start working in the foundation which should be very soon. And hopefully i'll have some more photos. But until then, these are all I have........

Traffic in El Centro can get very busy since the city has grown so much and can't handle the amount of growth

The city is totally surrounded by many Beautiful mountains

It's amazing how many houses are built right up the sides of the mountains, one on top of the other. I'll try to take some better photos to show you.

Estoy en Bolivia

So I made it successfully to La Paz early Friday morning.  It's pretty cold here.  The high is usually around 50 degrees and the low is usually around freezing at night.  My body I think has finally adjusted to the change in altitude.  Surprisingly my headaches went away the first day Thank God. (Im about to get real), La Paz has a very dry climate so it kinda sucks the moisture out of your body.  Makes it hard to do Number 2 if you know what i mean.... butt i think its getting better.... 

The Rivers are very polluted and smell like pig farms

So i guess ill tell you now about the roads in La Paz.. I think I have figured out a few laws from observations (don't quote me on this) 1. If the person in front of you is going to slow you can turn a two-lane road into a four-lane road.  2. Traffic lights are more of a "suggestion", if you can make it then go for it.  3. Traffic is on the right side of the road (except when there isn't anyone coming the other direction.  4. The right of way goes to the person who can squeeze the nose of their car in-front of the person or to the person who doesn't hesitate.  5.  I'm still trying to figure out if there is a speed limit or not....

Iglesia Discipulos de Christo 

I got to meet with the Church on Sunday here in La Paz.  It was great seeing some familiar faces from the last time that I was here.  Afterwards me and a couple of the guys went down to a local pool and sauna and hung out most of the afternoon.  We ate at a restaurant named Pollo Copacabana.  It is kinds of a fastfood fried chicken place, But i tell you this, it was probably the best Fried Chicken i have ever had in my life.  I know its hard to believe but YEA!! They put Bojangles and KFC to shame.

I'm currently working on getting my work visa for the year finished.  Today I, the lawyer, the volunteer coordinator for Hope WW and the volunteer coordinator for Fundacion Arco Iris spent the whole first half of the day running around doing everything. First I had to go take a medical exam for working in Bolivia.  I had to pee in a cup, draw blood, take an x-ray, see a dentist, get weighed and measured, and talk to a physician. Then we had to go across town to a Bolivian Police Station where they took all my information and finger prints to get me a Bolivian ID. THEN we had to go to another part of the town to INTERPOL so they could again take my information and my fingerprints.  And get this, I'm not done.  I will hopefully finish up everything tomorrow.

It is pretty difficult not being fluent in Spanish.  So far i've been able to communicate decently with the help of Rodrigo and Jackie who have been showing me around.  My Spanish is improving with everyday but i still need more practice.  I believe tomorrow i will start my Spanish lessons with a local guy.  I have one more week until i move in to the volunteer housing with the other volunteers from Germany.  It should be interesting.

I'll try to take more photos when i get a chance.  I'm trying to remind myself that I have a camera so hopefully ill get some good photos to share with you all.

A Glimpse of Fundacion Arco Iris!

Here is a video about the foundation that i will be working with.  Just to give you an idea of why i'm leaving everything i have ever known to go across the globe.