A Bumpy Road part 3: Tarija

Next stop in my travels was Tarija. This is the wine producing area and supposed to be one of the most beautiful parts of Bolivia. It’s a short plane ride away from La Paz; unfortunately I was going by 16 hour bus ride.

Again I trekked off to the bus station, hopped on the bus and off I went, up through the freezing Altiplano area at night and as dawn broke we were driving through desert filled with cacti, jagged cliffs and low brush. This was the Bolivian desert.

Again Bolivian infrastructure started to get the best of me as we wound through the hills on dirt roads and crossed rivers with no bridges. I have to say I’m glad I didn’t go a few months later during the rainy season when those rivers are much higher.

Along the way we passed little clusters of houses surrounding churches or pasture. There was even a rooster waiting to cross the road. Each town bore the mark of the elections that had taken place earlier this year. Every wall was painted with political slogans and poles were plastered with flyers baring the faces of the candidates. There were no plastic signs with wire frames in sight. I wonder if these signs will be there until the next election when they will paint over them. I guess it saves the building owner paying to have someone paint it.

I finally arrived in Tarija, stiff and a little tired and then woke up very quickly when I realized that my backpack was not on the bus. Yes, it had been stolen. So the time I had hoped to have in Tarija turned into a tour of the local police station (FELCC) while I made a report on what was in the back pack (my laptop and my trip diary which had all my photos and memories; yes I cried). I think the police officer felt sorry for me because he gave me a ride back to the bus station.

So what do you do when you only have the clothes on your back and money to get home? You buy wine and Singani from the bus station and wait (yes I bought a tooth brush and tooth paste too Mom). People watching at a bus station can be fun, there’s the ice cream seller who won’t stop honking her annoying horn, the kid who won’t stop crying (I completely understood his point of view), and the ticket sellers who walk around every two minutes yelling out destinations and giving you a headache.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to do what I wanted in Tarija nor did I get to see the best parts of the area but I did finally make it back to La Paz, a little wiser and a little more jaded.

A Bumpy Road Part 2: Caranavi

The next stop on my travels around the country was Caranavi. This is a medium, well let´s say large town (Bolivian relativity theory), in what is called the Yungas; a large fruit and vegetable producing area north of La Paz, on the way to Rurenabaque.

I had tried to get there twice before but due to lack of funds the first time and then a blockade that turned violent on pretty much the only road leading in and out of the area the second time (I love Bolivia), it just didn´t happen. But this time I finally made it; loaded my self onto the bus and headed out.

Now, I had been warned the road was not good. The fact that there were fatal accidents on a weekly basis and it´s on pretty much all the lists of the deadliest roads in the world should have tipped me off that it would not be a pleasant jaunt to a quaint little village. But I decided I what the heck, I want to go. Just a warning, if you get car sick at all, give this one a pass.

It is 4 – 7 hours of dirt road that doesn´t have a straight stretch longer than about 100 metres. I especially like the fact that it is a two way highway that is only wide enough in many places for one vehicle. Backing up a bus or a large transport truck definitely takes some skill around the blind corners. It is mountain on one side and a sheer drop down to the river on the other.

As you go along you will see houses that seem to have no access road, people get off and take trails that lead into nowhere and there are one street villages that all seem to have livestock wondering the streets. If you´re lucky, your bus will drive into the side of an overhang and everyone will have to get out and discuss the best way to extricate the group from the situation while the poor driver has to endure the shameful tongue lashing. My recommendation, spend the extra few dollars and take a taxi but get a front seat.

Along the way you will see kids swimming in the river. It looks really tempting as you get a mouth full of dust from the road. I arrived with half of it in my lungs, half on my shoes and another other half in my hair and on my face (yes I know that´s more than 1/1 and I´m pretty sure there is more than a full road of dirt with the amount of dust kicked up).

Coffee in Caranavi is supposed to be amongst the best in the country and there is also chocolate, mmmmmmm chocolate. I personally recommend the yucca rellenos; they are fist sized balls of gooey yucca dough with a stew kind of mixture in the middle. Not bad, just be sure the place you buy it from is clean. The region is tropical so pack light and bring water.

Caranavi and Coroico (about 2 hours away) are great places to visit if you are adventurous (bungy jumping anyone?) and want a different atmosphere from La Paz. Just be prepared for some bugs and bumps.

A bumpy road part 1: Santa Cruz

Sometimes when travelling things don´t always go as planned; in fact I´ve never been on a trip where everything has gone as planned. This time is no exception. Over the last few weeks I have travelled to various different regional offices in various different parts of the country. Traveling in Bolivia is, well, an adventure. Some more interesting and fun than others.

Santa Cruz, my recommendation: a must see. Cruceños are very different from Paceños and so is their city. Situated in the tropical area of Bolivia to get there you take an overnight bus ride. After a few stops in the altiplno region and a stuttering sleep as you pass the short grass and grazing cattle of that region the sun wakes you up to a spectacular view of lush, dense jungle that seems absolutely impenetrable.

Once in a while you pass small towns with ramshackle houses, livestock penned in or tethered close by and a dirt road leading into the impassible mangle of shrubbery and palm trees. To me it seems incredible that people can live in such conditions but then I didn´t know how I would make it through almost 6 months in La Paz when I first arrived.

As you get closer to the city of Santa Cruz you see more concrete buildings and warehouses that mark it as the industrial capital of the country. The city seems shorter coming from the mountains and building of La Paz.

As you step out of the bus the difference in the atmosphere really hits you. If the condensation on the windows of the bus wasn´t a tip off, the short sleeves, relaxed atmosphere of the people and the heavy air all signal tropical. The buildings show the wear of humidity as you drive through the city. It looks like South America.

In the main square, 24 de septiembre, (yes they love to name things after dates here), there are men selling coffee out of thermoses (not bad actually), and benches to sit on and relax in the mid afternoon heat under the shade of palm trees. The government buildings have been restored to their colonial splendor and at night are strategically lit to be the pride of the city.

The main park, in the first ring (kind of like Paris where everything is built out from the centre), has a decent fountain display set to music and local kids use it as a rehearsal space for breakdancing. It is also a popular place for couples to take a romantic walk.

If you´re in the mood for shopping there are some good stores for cloths and jewelry. As the fashion capital of Bolivia Santa Cruz does have something to offer here. You can also have your picture taken with an alligator skin and buy some good quality leather goods. If you are into food there is fish and rice and yuka. I also recommend cuñape which is cheese and yuka flour pastry; crispy on the outside and chewy, gooey, mmm, mmm , mmm on the inside (yes this vegan loves cheese).

Just a word of warning, if you are a red head be prepared to get bothered by the guys. And if you´re wondering why I don´t have any pictures of the dense jungle or ramshackle towns, stay tuned for part 3.

Its tough but someone's gotta do it.

City life versus country life. We usually think of life in the country as laid back, simple. You know, idyllic. The last few days I got to see country living Bolivian style. Not exactly idyllic but definitely simple. The Altiplano region of Bolivia is at about 3 750 metres above sea level (that's very high). If you've heard of lake Titicaca, its in the Altiplano on the border between Bolivia and Peru. It's covered in short wheat, cattle, rolling hills surrounded by jagged mountains, sheep, some pigs but not very many, a kind of corn they call choclo and small towns. In between the small towns are houses without running water (the water pump is outside the house).

Just like the landscape looks different from the city, so the people are also distinct. While many urban women wear polleras, in the Altiplano region it is more common to see a woman wearing a pollera than pants. Aymara is a language spoken by many people and understood better than Castellano (Spanish) by the older population. Communication can be difficult sometimes if you don't have someone to translate for you. People are people however. Humour is a great way to communicate and humility is a necessity.

Life in this region is not easy. Its what we would picture as pioneer life. Rough, tough and connected to the earth. There has been a drought in the region combined with one of the coldest winters in living memory. This has caused many cattle and even some llama, an animal naturally adapted to cold weather, to die. Life here is directly connected to the land.

That doesn't mean that technology has not reached the area. Cell phones are a great way to communicate. Initiatives from the government are improving literacy amongst males and females. Its an interesting place to visit but this city girl just couldn't hack it here; I really need a manicure.

One more last bit of Futbol.

Well, its been a whole month of soccer mania. There have been bets (I won and lost some), game analysis and alot of "I can't believe he did that!, I could do better than that! *&%^$@" . Of course I'm talking about the world cup. If you've had enough then you can stop reading now, if you're having the post world cup blues because there are no games to look forward to there is good news; In just a few short weeks the European seasons will start up again and you can start yelling, jumping up and down and swearing all over again.

Bolivia ranks about the same in FIFA standings as Canada and did not make the World cup in South Africa but that did not dampen the spirit. There was an office pool here at ANED. No one won in the first round. ^@!#* I did win chocolate when I bet on one game (much more important). After the quarter finals the steam went out of the country when Brazil and Argentina were eliminated. As the South American favorites these were the two teams that most people were cheering for. Even though Uruguay was still in the running it was more of a spectator sport as July came around.

Despite not having a team from the continent in the final, the centre was packed on Sunday afternoon to watch Spain and the Netherlands battle it out. Everyone stayed for extra time and the partisan Latin crowd cheered when Iniesta scored the winning goal. So now lets look forward to 2014 in Brazil when the samba boys will hopefully have a better showing and England can regroup and show everyone their true ability.

What do you really want?

The G-20; it was everywhere over the weekend. If you weren't watching the world cup (I'm in mourning over England's loss) then you were into the G-20. The funny thing is, its hard to find out what they actually talked about. Meetings like this have turned into opportunities for huge protests and for some people, an excuse to act like a hooligan. Now I'm not saying that people shouldn't be allowed to protest but there are more productive things to do than smash windows and destroy public property. I for one, resent my tax dollars going to pay to rebuild the damage caused when they could be going to other things like say development.

When there is so much that needs to be done in the world why are people so bent on destruction? I'm in a country right now where the government is shipping water to some regions because there is a drought so severe people are drinking contaminated water. I also spent a day going to regional offices on roads that are barely drivable in a 4X4. How can anyone expect to get basic goods like food, clothing and building supplies for houses to regions when you can't drive down the road?

Its easy to smash things and vent, its not easy to do something about the problems that exist in the world. So instead of tearing up a city every few months to show world leaders that your angry, try showing them how to make the world a better place.

I love AGMs. They are just so much fun. Especially when they last 18 hours on the first day and you have to come back the second day to hear the same thing again. This weekend ANED, the organization I'm down here working with had their annual general meeting. It was 2 days of banging heads together to come up with strategies followed by trying to stay awake the next day.

As is usual with things like this the schedule can be thrown out the window because its going to run over time. So when all the managers of the different regional offices and the national office gathered in the hotel on Friday morning we knew we were in for a long day. Bolivians love to eat so there were several breaks for mid morning snacks (saltenas) followed by lunch (3 course meal), and then an afternoon snack (sandwiches) and of course dinner. To help wash it down there was lots of coffee and tea. If anyone couldn't last there was candy as well.

The next day we all waddled back to the hotel, sleepy eyed, to meet up with the rest of the employees of ANED to go through what had been hashed out the previous day. With one more day until the start of winter down here and no heating in the buildings we huddled together, bundled up to listen to the strategic plan.

It was a chance to get to know people from the different parts of ANED as well as catch up with old friends.

Bad Baking Ideas

This weekend I had nothing in particular planned so I decided to bake. This was decidedly a bad idea. As a result of this decision I had flat heavy cinnamon buns. Fortunately they were very sweet (thanks to the half a tonne of brown sugar the recipe called for).

In Bolivia, as long as its sweet, it will pretty much get eaten. They love sweet. Pop, candy, over ripe bananas, you name it. If its sweet, they eat it. On top of that, cinnamon buns are bready (or at least they are supposed to be) so that was another point in their favor. Bolivians like bread. Aside from potatoes, its probably one of the most consumed things here. On every street corner there is bread.

As with everything here though, its a bit different. Bread isn't bought in loafs, buns are most common. There are different types as well. You can get hamburger buns which are not used for hamburgers. These are the most like what we have in Canada. Then there are other little buns that are very hard; sort of like bread that's been left out for a few days. Then there is mariqueta. This is the most common and most popular. They are like fat hot dog buns with a hard crust. But you can't have bread without knowing how to eat it.

So how to eat bread in Bolivia. Here's the kicker, you pretty much only eat the crust. Yes, I know, that's completely crazy. You cut the bread open, or in more informal settings just break it open with your hands, and then pull out the middle (la miga). I have asked why and no one seems to be able to give me a better answer than 'so you can put more in it'. And guess what they put in it, more sweet stuff like sweetened condensed milk or jam.

I know! I'm as shocked as you are. Why on earth would you take out the good stuff and just eat the crust. I was very confused at first because I would find little bits of what looked like parmesano regiano cheese in the morning and I couldn't figure out where it came from because they don't have parmesan cheese here. It took me a little while to figure out that it was the bits of bread, balled up from the night before that had been thrown away.

Anyway, to make a long story short. I can't bake here. Tops of mountains are not compatible with my baking skills, unless I try cookies. Mayby cookies would work. They don't rise, they're sweet and they are sort of crunchy.

Creature Comforts

I guess when you first go to a new country there are a lot of things you over look. Not that you necessarily take them for granted but they just don't stand out because you've seen them in pictures or you haven't had time to absorb everything. After being in Bolivia for several weeks things are starting to poke their heads out and say "hey, over here. Look at me"! Thanks to friends, family and a camera here are some basic things about that have stood out so far.

Everything builds on something else in a society so if you take a look at houses for instance, they are very different. Apartment buildings here don't go much higher than 10 stories, most are about 4 or 5. I haven't been in one yet that has an elevator so you can imagine walking up that many flights with your groceries and I don't even want to imagine moving. That might be why once people move into a place they don't want to move out again. It's not uncommon for people to spend most, if not all of their married life in the same apartment.

Buildings are mostly a combination of brick and concrete. Roofs are often corrugated metal. Yes the roofs leak when it rains but not as badly as you would think. Many houses have washing machines but don't use them. Most of the laundry is done by hand (I miss a wash machine). Houses have rooftop terraces for drying the laundry. Because La Paz gets a lot of sun, these are also places to relax.

Hot water here is a luxury. Because gas is bought in tanks like you would buy for a barbeque or to go camping, hot water is not available throughout the day and you have to turn on the hot water tank about 15 - 20 minutes before you take a shower so its not freezing cold. Even most of the hotels don't have hot water all day long. Dishes are washed with hot water from the kettle.

Houses also don't have heating. I'm not talking about central heating, just any kind of heating so bundle up. It's cold in the morning because ventilation in the houses is also just a hole in the wall. Literally, a round hole in the wall of the kitchen and the bathroom serves as a vent.

Once you settle in, its the things you take for granted that start to stick out. When your hands start to get chapped from washing your cloths and you're constantly sniffling because there's no heat you miss the comforts of home. And your friends and family of course!

Gran Poder

Who doesn’t love a party? Who doesn’t love to dress up and dance? Well I certainly can’t say that Bolivians don’t love to. Every weekend so far there has been some kind of party or festival or some excuse to have a good time. This weekend was no exception. This weekend was Gran Poder.

Full name La Fiesta El Señor Jesús del Gran Poder is a huge parade of dancers and bands dressed up in all kinds of costumes from bears to angels to cowboys

to Incas etc. It starts early (I’m talking 7 am) and goes well into the night. It started out as a religious festival in the 1930’s it seems to have morphed into a colourful parade of costumes and Bolivian culture. The Morenada is one of the more popular dances performed with brilliant costumes and skirts of all lengths.

For the participants Gran Poder is a competition with an entrance fee, judges and rules. That does not mean of course that you can’t talk on your cell phone, stop to have a beer or simply have fun while you’re doing your thing. For the spectators, bring your sunscreen, go early to buy your seat, and don’t worry about food because there is lots being sold. Of course a cold beer (cerveza) or pop (refresco) to wash it down is in abundant supply. Ice cream is always a great dessert and there are lots of types to choose from if you want. Jello is also a popular choice here in Bolivia.

So if you find yourself with nothing to do on Gran Poder weekend and your in the vicinity of La Paz I would strongly recommend checking it out. Bring your camera and don't be shy to run up and ask to take a picture.

Time for Um, not so sure?

Time, its an interesting concept and certainly not the same everywhere. Yes you can measure it, stamp it, read it, waste it, save it; but here, what does it really mean? No, seriously; I'm asking you. What does it mean?

It may seem a little odd, and yes Latin America does have a reputation for having its own rules about time but you really have to experience them to see what that means. My guess is the White Rabbit wrote them on his way to the tea party for the Mad Hatter. Only it may not have been tea he was after but something sweet or maybe spicey.

I went to the market this weekend and was told, "Oh, we'll go take a look around and be back by 1". Great, I thought. Lot's of time to do other stuff in the afternoon. Hah! I should know better by now. After walking down rows upon rows of used cars, clothing, food, wiring, wood products, mechanical stuff, and things that I have no idea what they are, it was well past 3. Then we had to get back home. So there's the trying to find transportation rush; this is particularly instersting since whenever 3 or 4 cars line up they all seem to start honking which of course does absolutely nothing to make things move faster since people are getting in and out of the mini buses, it just makes noise. Then there has to be some kind of festival that blocks your way (there seems to be some kind of law about this; Murphy?), and then the walk through the streets back to the house. Around 4pm we were back and no one seemed surprised except me.


The only sure ways to tell time here seem to be morning, afternoon, evening, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Other than that it seems patience and a good book are in order. Any suggestions on the latter?

A day in the life

So life, what's it like in a new country. Well here's a taste of my daily routine.

I get up fairly early, eat breakfast and then head off to work. Work is Monday to Friday so that hasn't changed. I can get to work by mini bus (an interesting method of travel which I have yet to figure out on my own) or walk. I prefer to walk. The roads don't change.



The office is in a different district of town about 20 minutes from where I am living. After walking up and down the hills of La Paz, dodging min busses, cars and motorcycles I finally get to the office. There, its pretty much like working in a small office. The office is in a converted house so it can get a bit cozy sometimes but it's good.

At about noon its time for lunch. Everyone heads home for lunch so its back to dodging cars. Once I'm back at the house the family usually eats together. The family is the centre of Bolivian life so everyone poors out into the streets in the middle of the day to get home; and then back to work after the midday meal. Once we've eaten the main meal of the day it's back to the office and back to work. Work ends in the early evening and then its home or sometimes to a gym.

While walking up and down the hills of La Paz with minimal oxygen is somewhat of a workout, I've learned I'm a bit of a masacist so I joined a local gym with one of the people at the office. Spinning is big here but I prefer running (not safe on the streets), so I use the treadmill.

Once I've thouroughly exhausted myself its back home to crash and then start all over again. The weekends are for catching up on sleep, cleaning and wondering the markets. Its a very busy schedule and very different from the one I usually keep in Canada. Its almost a month since I arrived and I'm still trying to get my head around how different a two cities can be. People, eat, sleep, work, shop, play, travel but they do it so differently.

How to get along at a Bolivian Wedding

After three weeks I feel like I'm starting to get into the rythm of things here; well sort of. This weekend I went to my first party. It was a wedding and everything I've heard about latin weddings turned out to be true along with a few surprises.

Getting ready for the wedding started out just like it does back home. You have to choose what you're going to wear. This is very important! Shoe shopping of course and down here they have shoes in my size (33 which is about a size 3 back home. Yes I have very small feet. So I found shoes that were very difficult to walk in and entirely appropriate and went with my outfit. Next the gift. I was told by my host family not to worry because this can be bought at the door. I was very confused. In Canada the couple registers at a store and then you go and by a gift off the registry list. Not here. There are litterally stores selling things right outside the hall where the reception is being held. So you buy your gift, the shop keeper wraps it for you and you go inside where the somewhat stunned couple and their wedding party are all wearing pendants of a bride and groom in a chapel and are covered in confetti. You are introduced to the entire wedding party (a kiss on the cheek and congratulations) and then you are shown to a table.

Now lets talk about the alcohol. Well, its not just at the table. The drinks are purchased; I think. There is of course beer, liquor and punches that will punch you back if you're not careful. There is no water unless you bring it yourself. You can toast to whaterever you like, within reason and you don't have to wait for the food to come to start drinking. Once the dancing starts don't think you are out of the woods. They bring shots around on the dance floor and if you even look like you might be over the age of about 14 you are expected to drink them. People also bring cups and bottls of beer and punch out and offer them to complete strangers such as myself and then thank you for drinking with them.

Now, onto dancing. Everybody dances. Every body. I was aware of this before I went but I didn't realize that on the first beat the chairs would be pushed back from the tables and by about the 6th beat of the music the dance floor would be almost full. Mother's bring their babies on to the floor and if you can walk you dance. That seems to be the rule. I have to admit I was a little nervous before I went because I have zero latin dancing skills. I didn't have to. There were a few couples who could dance but it was pretty much like a high school dance. Most people had more rythm skills though. If you can step side to side and clap then you're ok (not to be confused with western line dancing).

To sum up, loud music, lots and lots of alcohol, dancing and go with the flow. If you follow those rules, you'll be good at a Bolivian wedding.

Cars and Zebras and Firecrackers Oh My!

One of the first things that strikes you when you wake up dazed and confused in your hotel room on the Prada (the main drag down the centre of La Paz) in the middle of the day after you plane landed at 5:30 in the morning for some unknown reason, is that there is a lot of traffic. This does not go away. Ok well maybe theres a few minutes in the middle of the night say around 3am where theres a bit of a lul, but other than that its pretty constant. And its not just engines, its horns and whistles too. You don't hear any screaching tires, or little voice telling you how many seconds you have to cross the street or a bird telling you where the side walk is if you are visually impaired. The traffic sounds are different. So are the rules. Here is what I have discerned so far (I do not take any responsibility for any harm caused to any person as a result of following these rules, they are only my observations and all laws should be followed).





1. Cars have the right of way. If you are a pedestrian watch out! Running is good although difficult since the streets are mostly cobble stone and not paved so be careful.





2.Honking is a perfectly acceptable way for a motorist to say, "I'm here and coming through". It's not always someone being nasty saying "Get out of my way".





3.If you are going to drive down here, and I strongly recommend you leave that to the locals because seriously, you don't stand a chance, be aggressive. No one will give you an inch. Well maybe an inch but that's about it, don't expect any more.





4. If you do happen to have an accident it is perfectly acceptible to spend any number of minutes yelling at the person you had an accident with while blocking the road to other traffic. Most cars down here have dents and scrapes so expect this to happen. Also make sure your car has good shock absorbers because you will need it. Like I said above, no paved roads (except the autopista but that is really bumpy too).





5. Stopping anywhere seems to be ok, even if it says don't stop here. I have only seen one boot on a car and many more parked in no parking zones.





6. If it seems like chaos it probably is; but then there is a physics rule that explains chaos I'm just not sure what it is so refer to that when you get lost and you should be ok. I'm pretty sure the guys above are part of that chaos theory since the last time I checked Zebras weren't native to the Andean region.





Oh and one last thing. If there is a march or a strike of some kind don't even try to get a mini bus, taxi or drive. It's pointless. You are better off joining the march. The police will even clear a path for you.

Soccer Time

If you're in South America you gotta talk about soccer or footbol as it’s called down here.

So, I went to a game on Sunday and it was fun. Because I am staying with a family that supports the local team called “the Strongest” I am now a fan of the club too. Here are the essentials: Colours are yellow and black, mascot is a tiger and the chant is “Tigre” (pronounced "teegray"). Here’s how it works. You arrive at the stadium and buy your ticket, regular price 20 bolivianos (about $3) and then you find your seat in the open seating section. Before heading out make sure you are not wearing the visiting team colours. If your are, change. If you’re lucky your seat is clean if not bring something to sit on or you can buy a square piece of styrofoam for about 1 boliviano. You will want to sit up a bit because the banners that are hung on the fence around the stadium may block your view of the action.
Once you’re inside the stadium don’t worry if there is already a game going on it may not be the one your team is playing. Be patient and wait. Everything is on Bolivian time here. Take a look at one end of the stadium; you will see the fan club jumping up and down, chanting and singing to a drummer and trumpet player. They will not stop for the entire game by the way so if it annoys you don’t bother. There are riot police at all the entrance and exits but even if the occasional smoke bomb is thrown they won’t do anything its really only for out of control crazy stuff.

If you`re hungry, don`t worry there is lots of food being sold. Ice cream is cheap and there are fries, cotton candy, even tissues to wipe your hands with. Sandwiches are also available but best bought at the concession to avoid getting something that has been out in the sun for a while.
When your team comes on to the pitch cheer, when the visiting team comes out whistle (this is like booing), or if you can’t whistle don’t do anything. If this is your first time at a footbol match in South America follow the locals during the match. If a player makes a dumb move they will probably whistle at him. If he makes a good play then it will be cheers and claps. If it’s a goal, cheer and shout and stand up and chant the team name.

So enjoy football South American style.

So far I've flown from one end of the world to the other both figuratively and almost literally, adjusted to 3800 metres difference in altitude and started to speak another language full time. My host family has embraced me whole heartedly and i got to shop in my first real market(I'll save that for another post, its an experience in itself). I'm starting to think I might make it through even if the adrenaline rush is wearing off.

The first real cultural thing I got to do this week was to go to a birthday party for 2 year old twin boys. The party was a family event and the grandparents, most of the aunts and uncles and the cousins were all there. The presents didn't seem to be the big event, in fact they weren't even openned at the party. That might be because the boys were only 2 years old and were more interested in the Thomas the Train piñata than anything else. It was more about celebrating family and a birhtday than anything else. There were two cakes, which the boys bit into before they were cut up and served, (they were expected to do this). The adults each made a speach saying what they were thankful for and their hopes for the twins. There was lots of candy of course and by the end of the evening all the kids were very hyper and ready to annoy their parents when they got home. So if your going to have a party Bolivian style it doesn't seem to be about the gifts it seems to be about getting together and having fun.

Welcome to La Paz

I´m in Bolivia. Yay! No chickenning out and running off the plan yelling ¨Let me out of here"! So what does La Paz look like? Well it looks like a city, with lots of streets that twist and turn with small vehicles that wind their way around the buildings. The city pours over the cliff from El Alto and down into the valley. The streets are like San Fransicso on steroids and walking is almost impossible betweent he cobblestones and lack of oxygen. You can get around by what could be considered public transit but that´s a completely different story that I will leave for my next entry. The buildings themselves are shorter than I´m used to. There aren´t any of what we would call sky scrapers. The highest buildings are probably only about 20 stories high. They all seem to be made of cement or brick and have an orange or yellow hugh to them. From a distance nothing shines and from close up the character is even stronger. At night El Alto and La Paz look like an eruption of lights flowing down from the Alto Plano. It´s amazing to see from a plane. First impression, culture shock 101. Second impression, soak it up because when I get back home I´ll probably miss it.

Goodby Hello

It's finally here! I'm off. Canada is nice but Bolivia, well, we'll see. I have to say the last few days have been a bit of a struggle to keep the anxieties and exitement at a sociable level. Before heading out on something like this I imagine that everyone feels a bit nervous about what will happen, what the people they will be living and working with will be like and if they will be able to deal with the stress. Fortunately I have a couple of plane rides to get over the hyperactivity and make myself mentally presentable to my new colleagues. So goodbye Canada and hello Bolivia.

Impressions of Montreal

Coming from the Vancouver, Fraser Valley area of British Columbia I can't help but compare everything to what I know: a rainy, fresh atmosphere that others call laid back but I feel is just the right pace. Montreal has the ambience of a great city; vibrant and alive. The contrast in architecture is obvious compared to the west coast. Montreal is artistic; an eclectic mix of music, visual artists, hustlers and business people combined with poutine and brick buildings.

The smell is very different from the west coast spring. It smells like being in the middle of a city. There is no sea breeze to carry the cherry blossoms around but there is plenty of green with the little parks hidden in the different quartiers. I haven't seen a large mall yet but I'm sure they exist. The shopping is streets of small businesses with well known franchises squeezed in between. Everything is covered with a layer of winter that hasn't been washed away by spring rain yet. Everything gets a thorough rinse down about once an hour back home. The city feels lived in; its kind of nice to be living in it, even if it's only temporary.

Oh and training is great too.