a sun-kissed farewell

one last çiao
one last descanso
one last un poco de todo

With burnt faces and lips from our last few days of travels, we look back on our time here and say ´hasta luego.´ Until later. We hope and trust that this is not our last time in Bolivia...and so we can go: Letting go of what we originally thought this journey would look like and staying connected to what it has been and has made us.

Gratefully.
We are changed.
And here we come- home.

Last night in Bolivia

So it's a cold and rainy night in La Paz as we pack our bags, drink one last Bolivian beer, and wander around the streets trying to soak it all in (Bolivia that is, not the cold-ass rain). Fortunately we had much better weather during our last few days along Lake Titicaca. Copacabana was gorgeous. Isla del Sol was gorgeous and fascinating. We only wish we had more time to walk along the beach, eat fresh trout, visit ancient Incan and Tihuanacan ruins, and stare at 20,000 ft. snow covered peaks. It was a good way to finish up our time in Bolivia. Not only did we enjoy the beauty of this country, but we also strengthened our appetite to come back here. This trip may have been cut short, but I don't think our time in Bolivia is over. And that makes leaving a little easier.

So I guess this "Diario de Bolivia" is about over. We'll try to put up a few more pictures when we get home. Home. We'll be there tomorrow night. Back in the states where gas is now like $1.80 a gallon (it was about $4 when we left). Back in Illinois where our wonderful governor was just arrested on some pretty scandalous corruption charges (yay! I'm so proud).

So, hopefully we'll see all of you soon. Thanks for tuning in. Peace.

so changes...

"If the beat of the drum changes,
so changes the dance of the feet."
-proverb of Benin

I found this quote a while back, have applied it to our and others' lives since, and find it very applicable in this time in our life. Times they certainly are a changin,' for life has taken some unexpected turns and we find ourselves making new decisions. No, we are not pregnant.
Our news is that we are coming home. Yes, we were always planning on coming home, but in the past few weeks some things have happened at home to speed up the process a bit.

My Grammy, with whom I am very close, has taken some major hits at her health. She is a beautiful, almost 93-year old woman who has lived through so much, been a cancer survivor (several times), raised 3 daughters, loves her family and friends and strangers so well...and who has taught and continues to teach me (and so many) so much about life and love.

When Chris and I planned for and agreed upon this trip, it was under certain conditions- one being that we had healthy-stable grandparents. It has become true that Grams' health has been compromised considerably, and we have made the decision to follow where it seems life is leading...to dance to the new beat of the drum that we are hearing.

It has been really huge for us to make this decision and really sad to put our original dream on hold. We know that we are young and we have years to continue exploring what lies ahead in life. But right now LIFE calls, and we´re going where it feels right to be in this important and fragile time for Grams. We are so grateful and have learned so much in our time here already. We are sad to go and have been grieving and living intentionally since considering the idea.

It's funny how things can change so surprisingly and so quickly...how a "plan" to live somewhere for 9 months can suddenly turn into 3 months. But it's life, right? We don't live in this world alone. And as my grandpa used to say so often: "Life's for livin'!"

So, how we'll be living our new life (come mid-December) will be in a little place on Raymond St. in Danville...close to Grammy's house and walking distance from many places. I'll be spending most of my time with family, being and helping where help is needed. And Chris will be putting that Teaching Certificate to use at one of the local public schools. We hadn't dreamed that we would be returning to our homeland and our home-city, and under such conditions...but we embrace the turns that life has taken and go willingly, looking forward to what lies ahead.

Always together, be it grieving or celebrating (or both)...
always dreaming, and dancing as life leads.
Your Bolivian-lovin' friends,
Korie and Chris

Working at CAICC

So, we have just finished our third week at Centro de Apoyo Integral Carcelario y Comunitaria (CAICC--you can check out their website at http://www.caiccbolivia.com/). The time, as usual, has gone very quickly. (Tia) Korie spends her days being mobbed by 2-5 year-olds, who are really good at helping you stretch your limbs, if you're feeling a little stiff. When I go in there, I'm afraid they will pull my fingers and arms off, so I try to stay away. Instead, I stay with the older kids, some of which must not know that they are older, because they still grab you and try to jump on you as if they were toddlers.

So, CAICC is a very affectionate place. It's nice to feel welcome and wanted, especially when you are having a hard time communicating with words or understanding what the hell is going on half the time. That's what I've spent my days doing, trying to figure out what's going on and what I can do to help. There is obviously a lot to do at the center, because all of the other adults are running around like mad. It's just me, standing around, wondering what to do, trying to catch one of the adults speeding past me to ask ¿Como puedo ayudarte? The kids are often left to manage themselves, and they do a pretty good job of it most of the time. I've kind of figured out that it's my job to hang out with the kids and help manage them if they need it, which is ironic, since I am the least able to communicate with them.

Most of the time, I try to strike up conversations (albeit, awkward ones) with the kids, who are anywhere from age 6-18. They usually start out okay. I mean ¿como estas? isn't that hard. I'm great at starting conversations. I can ask all sorts of things like, how are you, how was your weekend, how many siblings do you have, what do you like to do, etc. It's maintaining the conversations that is hard. Once I've asked my first question, I am immediately at the mercy of my surroundings and the person I'm talking to. If it is relatively quiet around me and the person speaks loudly, slowly, and clearly enough, and has the patience (and interest) to repeat things numerous times, than we can do okay. Sometimes this happens. And that's nice.

It's much easier when there's an activity going on. I love that soccer is a universal language and that I already know how to speak it. The kids go to the canchita and play a couple times a week. During any given week, they also play volleyball (the second favorite sport in Bolivia), practice judo, play traditional Bolivian instruments, hear speakers, do homework, create crafts to sell, bake bread (also to sell--the center is in constant need of funds), play chess, read books, run around, jump on me, clean the bathrooms, clean other rooms, sweep the sidewalks, eat lunch, "wash" their dishes (better not look too closely), recycle stuff, and get their teeth cleaned in a colorful bus-turned-dentist-office, which I must say is a far cooler way to visit the dentist than I have ever experienced.

There's a lot going on at CAICC, and it's great to be there. The kids are great. Most of them seem older (and tougher) than they actually are. Most of them live, or have lived, in jail with their parents, most of whom are in jail on some sort of drug charges. (The drug laws are pretty scary here in Bolivia, worse than the US even.) Because of my limited language skills, though, I don't really know too much about the individual lives of the kids (except for the visible clues, like black eyes--one sweet kid came to CAICC with one yesterday, making me cringe and long for the mandated reporter laws of the US). I would love to ask, but am afraid that I will ask the wrong thing or ask in the wrong way or something. So I just get to see the lives of the kids while they're at the center and am left to wonder what their life is like at "home." In the end, they're still kids, who obviously desire attention and affection. It's nice that our limited Spanish doesn't limit (too much) our ability to help provide these basic needs. And that's why we're here. To help love kids and help provide for their basic needs. And learn a lot from them along the way. So far so good.

Hopeful tears

At 2am Bolivia time- we just finished listening to our new President´s speech. For maybe the first REAL time in my life, I feel pride in our country. With tears running down my face, knowing the complexities of the situations in the world and in our country, I feel hope for days ahead. Chris and I celebrate, dancing and laughing! And from our livingroom in Bolivia, we toast our Taquiña Stout beers to peace and unity, and the changes we will work together to see come!

A few more pics from Bolivia

Chris and our guide jumping into some rapids after our rafting adventure in Villa Tunari

In the village of Payrumani--our camera doesn't do the mountains, or Korie, justice

Korie and her language teacher, Sylvia, at Bolivia Cultura

In an old convent in the village of Tarata, known as the hometown of an infamous Bolivian dictator who once gave a huge chunk of Bolivian land to Brazil in exchange for a horse.

27 and back from the jungle

Hola friends!
I think Spanglish is an honest representation of my thinking and speaking at this point. Unfortunately, not fluent yet, but there´s still time. We finished up our daily language lessons at the end of last week and then took off on a quick trip to see a different part of Bolivia. We hopped on a bus for a 3-4 hour trip into the Chapare region. The diversity in nature around here is amazing! It was beautiful to watch the land transform from dry valley, to pinetree-spotted hills, to steep mountains of dark jungle green. That´s where our trip stopped- in a village called Villa Tunari. We hiked 2K to the place we were staying in the forest and enjoyed swimming in natural pools, climbing around the rocky river, and tasting fresh fish and cheap wine. The next day we moved into the villa, proper. The second place we stayed was right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the rushing river. We had thoughts of kayaking for the next morning and somehow found ourselves on a whitewater rafting adventure instead. Just us and 2 Bolivian guides- it was really cheap, really fun, and the only way to spend the hot sunny day in the jungle! We got to jump off the raft, float down the river, and see the land from the perspective of the rio! We loved it.
Now we´re back in Cochabamba and looking forward to our upcoming work with the children in a nearby town called Quillacollo. It´s just outside of Coch, and the center where we´ll be working welcomes about 150 kids everyday (with just 7 staff members). Schooldays around here are either 5 hours before lunch or after, so whatever half-day the kids aren´t at school, they come to the center to study, play, eat, create, etc. We will be going to visit tomorrow and begin working Monday. Wé´ll let you know more details as soon as we learn more about what things look like and our place in it all. Thank you for your love and support always, friends. We welcomed this 27th year with cake and icecream, new friends, and gratitude for the life we are living and things we are learning together.

birthday wishes

Bundled up in slippers, hat, and pjs...i´ve already received a great early-birthday present:
cool weather!
Not that it´s ever really hot around here, but being the aire-fresco lover that i am, I happily welcomed the rains of last night and this morning...as they brought temperatures down from the 80´s to somewhere below 70 (i´m guessing). Plus, I think I just heard my favorite episode of friends come on...the one where nobody´s ready. We don´t really have big plans for our birthdays, but we´ll probably just indulge in some cheesecake, or a movie, or a hike or something. Or we may find ourselves spontaneously taking a trip somewhere- who knows!
Other than that, things are going well. We´re sort of at a standstill with the political situation around here, but we´ll keep you updated. Next thing we know we´ll be receiving our ballots to vote for the US election (hopefully, if the mail doesn´t fail us).
Not to spend too much time on it, but earlier I resisted the urge to write in my state of rage and fury...after listening to last week´s VP debate. Wow. breathe, korie. My heart´s pounding already, but I just want to make my birthday wish and request, especially to the women out there: While, I am still somewhat realistic-cynical about politics and the fact that there are no perfect candidates, I actually feel like we are living in a time when we have an opportunity for change and for hope. We will, for the first time in history, have either a black president or a woman VP. This is amazing and exciting, and my Spanish got really ´good´ suddenly when talking to our host-mom about this.
But I must say, as a woman, as a US citizen, my heart was sickened and saddened a week ago at the thought that our children (our little girls, particularly) might have for a role-model a woman who (my apologies) represents so much of what I believe needs to be changed in US society. In my opinion, we need role models (men and women) who represent intelligence, compassion, and hope. We need people who work for peace and social justice, who honor and make a priority those who are forgotten and oppressed, who are willing to talk honestly about making sacrifices in order to care for the earth and for people who are suffering upon it- often times suffering because of situations they were born into and/or situations that have been placed upon them (poverty, violence, failed health, loss of caregivers-providers, war, trauma, abuse, neglect). I am far from having solutions, but when i hear the options: hopeful talk about making choices, changes, and sacrifices to correct some of our terrible decisions of the past OR fearful talk about ´making ourselves more secure,´ giving to those who already have so much, and being tough-strong enough to ´see things through´ to the finish...the choice seems clearer to me. When I observe the candidates´ behavior: whether they speak and act with respect for one another, it seems telling as to whether they would listen and respect the voices of people in the US and around the world. I have to trust deep inside myself and trust my hope. And I have to, at least, give my hope a chance by supporting someone who I believe might lead us into a world that looks a little more like the kind of place I dream for all living upon it. With this in my heart, I blow out my candles!

mailing address

hola friends!
And Happy October!
Some of you have asked for an address to which you can send cards or packages.
we can receive mail at:

Chris and Korie Campbell-Stanley
c/o Bolivia Cultura
Casilla 2411
Cochabamba, Bolivia

We´d love to hear from you, in this: the best month of the year (in my opinion)!
With Love from...
the nearly 27-year old, español-attempting, culture-explorers.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar?

Then don´t touch one!
For those of you FRIENDS fans, this explains my feelings today about my lessons in español.
For those of you who aren´t, I´ll explain.
My momentary frustration with learning another language:
for now it seems my teacher is focusing on ideas, concepts, and crazy details about things like indirect objects...things that don´t seem particularly applicable in the day to day life, when all i want to do is speak!
What feels more pressing and important at the moment, is trying to communicate simple phrases, feelings, intentions to our family and new friends here. But i guess maybe i have to start with the ¨basics.¨
Alas, we keep learning...and trusting our experienced teachers...and living it up here in Coch.
working on and dreaming about someday beautifully ¨playing the guitar,¨
korie

¿primavera o otoño?

riding on the bus today: breathing the fresh-cool air, taking in the sights of mothers and children with loads of colorful vegetables and packages they carried down the streets, inhaling the smells of flowering trees and frying bread (i´m happy to see- a tradition in so many cultures)...
i found myself, for a moment
conflicted.
¿is it spring or is it fall?
here in bolivia it´s the first day of spring.
simultaneously, at home, my favorite season of all begins.
however, after a moment´s pause, i remembered: there will be so many falls to enjoy, so many pumpkins, and campfires, crunchy leaves and colorful trees. There will be years of hot cider, and cool breezes and bright skies, bringing out the jeans and sweatshirts, taking hikes and bike rides without suffocating from the humidity. Shorter days, but days to celebrate..relief after the long, hot summer. Such a season to celebrate! So, i ask you, my friends...drink up the bliss of this season! Decorate an extra pumpkin, jump in an extra pile of leaves, take an extra walk, and eat or drink something extra cinnamon-pumkiny-nutmegy...in my honor.
Thanks in advance, from the sentimental, wordy, autumn-lover.
you know who

vida y politica

learning, reading, asking, listening, typing away at our computers.
Life and Politics.
chris and i sit in an internet cafe, attempting to understand some of the deep and complicated history of bolivia that very much influences what is happening today...trying to gain what we can from bolivian news on tv-newspapers and through conversations with bolivian friends and our host family...hoping to understand as much as we can and to relay our limited understanding to those we love, to you all.

Yesterday we started lessons at our language school, and we´re both loving it! Around 7:45 am, we hop on a ´trufi´ or public taxi, which costs the same as the bus, and head to class. We each meet with our first one-on-one teacher from 8:30-10, break for coffee and casual conversation, and meet with our second teachers from 10:30 to 12. In our lessons, we´ve jumped right in and are learning a lot. We love that! And we end up coming home, studying more, and practicing our pitiful new language with each other and our host family. It´s a beautiful place to learn. Situated in the peaceful heart of the country...en Cochabamba, amidst an escalating political situation all around, we are here at quite a tumultuous time.

Actually, the day we flew into La Paz is when things began. So, it´s been a week. But, as I am continuing to learn from conversations with wise Bolivian elders and people who have lived here throughout the turnover of many leaders, conflict and protest and revolt- is nothing new. My second ´language lesson´ today turned out to be more of a history lesson for me from my 60yr old teacher, Sylvia. A retired public school teacher, she is quite informed and, as seems true of most Bolivians, has strong opinions of politics. She sat me down with a map and explained her understanding of things. This is my sylvia-esperanza-bbc-bolivian-korie version of the history and a little background on the current political situation:

Throughout its history, the conflicts of Bolivia have mainly been over land and resources...both of which it is very rich. And like most countries, ethnic conflict is also the heart of disagreement. In Bolivia, there are those who claim spanish-euopean heritage and those who claim indigenous heritage (and those who identify with both). Over time money, resources, and power have mainly fallen into the hands of the S-E´s. Up until now, the leaders have mainly been of Spanish-European decent. The current president, Evo Morales, is the first president who claims indigenous decent. Having grown up a campesino (subsistence farmer), Evo came into office in 2005 with idealistic dreams of creating a more socially-just government. He plans to ´´re-distribute Bolivia's wealth and give a greater voice to the large indigenous community´´(qtd. BBC). Obviously ideas that chris and i support. And we, and many others, believe his intentions. Currently he has a very high approval rating among Bolivians. But in recent days, those who disagree with Evo, mainly those of S-E decent and/or those who have (legally or illegally) aquired the money and power, have taken some pretty serious actions.

The conflict is happening mostly in the north-eastern region of the country. The country has 3 main regions: the altiplano- which includes La Paz and runs along the mountains and eastern side of the country, the southern-central region...where we are, and the north-eastern-jungle region. Those living in NE have taken matters into their own hands, and as a result an estimated 30 (pro-Evo) people have died, roads have been blocked, and airports have been shut down. It is unclear (to me at least) how much the regional governors...of the areas in conflict have been involved, but as we know, there´s always corruption in government. Overall, this is why the US Ambassador was sent home. Because he openly supports the opposition of Evo and it is believed that he was involved in some of the plotting, or at least was supportive of those who led some of the violent revolts.

I cannot tell you where things are going, or how things will turn out. There is the question among some, even those who are pretty pro-Evo, of his lack of experience and education. But I´m not one to believe that one with the most education is automatically qualified to reform a country, and the idealist (or socialist) in me hopes some of his dreams of creating a more just world, even if only in this one country of the world, can come true. At the same time, I don´t worship the ground he walks on or think he will make perfect decisions. Power corrupts and confuses. And greed and violence disheartens even the most courageous and hopeful hearts. I´m just here, trying to listen to the wise voices of those around me, and the one I trust in my heart.

To each of you I hope the same.
And to those of you of the praying-inclination, please pray for Bolivia.

Dias Tristes en Bolivia

So maybe you have heard about the tense political situation in Bolivia right now...the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador, the tit-for-tat expulsion of Bolivia's ambassador in the U.S., the always-entertaining rantings of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and saddest of all, the violence in the district of Pando that has led to about 30 deaths. (The exact number is hard to tell because information about the tragedy is hard to come by.)

Before I go on, I assure you that Korie and I are alright. We feel very safe in Cochabamba, far away from the Pando region and the other districts that are particularly volatile. So, don't worry about us, but please worry (or pray, or think) about the Bolivian people.

I don't know what you've heard in the American news, but we've been watching the news here everyday, and it's still hard to know what's going on. People are talking about a massacre in Pando against pro-government campesinos, and the governer of the region has been arrested for suspected involvement in it. The free flow of information is hard to get, though, and our limited Spanish definitely doesn't help. This particular incident was sparked by protests against the government (and the takeover or vandalism of certain government buildings) in another region of the country--Santa Cruz.

The tension in Bolivia is very complicated and historical. I think Korie is writing a bit about that. But basically, it is about land, resources, and power--you know the usual stuff. On the one hand is the democratically-elected President, Evo Morales, and his government, whose popularity was overwhelmingly confirmed in a recent recall election (which was proposed by the opposition). On the other hand you have the opposition, centered in the eastern lowland provinces of Bolivia (especially Santa Cruz), who do not like Evo or his plans for the country.

Evo, always sporting an endearing haircut and a colorful sweater, has proposed some fairly radical plans, including: 1) to rewrite the constitution (which would allow Evo to run for a second term, a practice long established in our own country, with obviously mixed results); 2) to redistribute land (mostly in the eastern regions) from wealthy landowners (many of whom got their land illegaly in the first place) to indegenous campesinos, or small farmers; 3) to use the revenue from Bolivia's vast natrual gas resources (again, located primarily in the eastern regions) for national programs, such as social security; 4) and, lastly to give a voice to the indegenous people of Bolivia, who have been exploited by their European-descended counterparts since the time of Francisco Pizzaro.

The opposition do not like any of these things. They don't want Evo to serve another 5-year term. They don't want to give up their land. They do want the revenue from the natural resources in their provinces. And they are not used to having to share power with the indegenous Bolivianos (which make up the majority, likely somwhere around 60% of the population). Because of all this, they have been calling for regional automony from the national government, which is located in highland city of La Paz, far from the opposition provinces.

This is, of course, a simplified version of a compicated situation. But you can see some strong dichotomies in all of this: lowland vs. highland, rich vs. poor, European vs. indegenous, white vs. brown, east vs. west, right vs. left. While Bolivia--like everywhere-- is made up of individuals who do not fall easily into these separate categories, the Bolivian consciousness strongly reflects this polarization. It's similar to the "culture war" in the US, except it's primarily a struggle for resources rather than ideas. Of course, you could make that argument about the US culture war, as well.

Obviously, as you can see, my own opinions shine through my descriptions of the situation. I have tried to be somewhat objective and would try harder, except that it's not very fun (or true.) I basically agree with Evo's intentions. I think the indegenous people of Bolivia deserve resources, power, and a government that truly represents them, things that they have not had for hundreds of years. I also think the (openly) racist ideology and violent actions of the right-wing opposition are frightening. However, I think Evo has perhaps let power get to his head a bit and has not shown much willingness to compromise. He has emphasized so much that he is a leader for indegenous Bolivians, that other Bolivians obviously feel like he doesn't represent them. Evo is a leader of all Bolivians, and I hope he tries to emphasize that and shows that he is able to dialogue and compromise, rather than accuse and make hurried decisions. The opposition leaders, on the other hand, must recognize that they do not have sole power in the country anymore. Hey, it's called democracy. Unfortunately for them, they are the ones that have to give up power, which no one throughout history has seemed able to do voluntarily.

In truth, I don't know how two sides, with completely opposing views, tons of money and resources at stake, and a long established history of struggle and exploitation, can compromise. But I hope they can somehow. The government (Evo) and the main opposition leaders have agreed to talk again to try to find a peaceful solution. The other Latin American presidents have shown solidarity with Evo and have condemned the violence in Pando. The actions of the U.S. have been unfortunately less impressive. They kicked out the Bolivian ambassador (after Evo had kicked theU.S. ambassador out of Bolivia for his open support of the opposition). They then put Bolivia on a blacklist of countries that are not doing what the U.S. wants them to do to fight the war on drugs. Interesting timing, eh? And they haven't issued any statement condemning the violence in Pando. Unfortunately, I think the U.S. is following it's typical policy of supporting right-wing movements in Latin America, whatever means they might use against democratically-elected governments.

Here's to a peaceful solution to the crisis in Bolivia, a mature response from the United States and other American countries, and the spread of the Cochabamba love that we have been feeling.

Salud.

A few random pictures

So, here's a few random pictures from our first few days in Bolivia. I didn't know I could only put 5 on at a time, so these aren't necessarily the best we have, but they're fairly representative of our time in Bolivia so far. There'll be more to come. For those of you with Facebook, check there for more pictures. Much love to you all!

Plaza Murillo in La Paz

At 13, 000 ft.

Aww...Lucas

Our language school courtyard

Goofing around

En Cochabamba

We are now here, in Cochabamba, our new hometown. By town I mean half a million people live here, but it does have the peacefulness and friendliness of a smaller city. We are quickly adjusting to being surrounded by conversations we don´t completely understand and words we are eager to learn. It is quite amazing how much smiling, laughing, kissing and hugging, knowing a polite gracias, dancing enthusiastically to Bolivian music, and sharing a bottle of cerveza or tequila can communicate! I guess that gives you a brief glimpse of how some of our time has been spent in the past few days.

We are loving getting to know our host family- Esperanza is the 59yr old mother of Michaela, who is the 27 year old mother of little Lucas, who´s 2 and a half. You´ll here more about all of them in the days to come, I´m sure. Lucas has taken quite a liking to Chris, who he calls G-Ceel! He calls me Geeah, which sorta means aunt. It´s a fun combination and has given us many opportunities to make fools of ourselves as we attempt to speak! Each morning we get up and have bread with jam-cheese-dulce de leche and tea. We usually spend quite a while sitting at the table, talking with Esperanza and hearing her stories. We have been studying Spanish both on our own and together, and Espi likes to help. Cochabamba is a sunny, springlike city. Set in a valley, it´s surrounded by mountains and covered with colorful,fragrant flowers...it´s quite a view even from the internet cafe from which i write and the 75degree breeze is blowing in the door. It´s quite lovely, I must say. We read that it has a Mediterranean feel, and we most agree. People greet each other on the street and take advantage of the many parks- for futbal, volleyball, or just visiting...most always wearing hats and taking advantage of shady spots or just going inside for a rest during the warmer hours of the day.

We arrived at a great time, because this whole weekend has been full of celebration and fiestas since yesterday was the city holiday- Cochabamba Day! This meant that our host sister Michaela, or Mickey, got to show us around a bit and take us out to get to know some of the beauty of Bolivian culture. Which also meant today was a much-needed day of rest. Saturday we went into the center of town, where people were cooking amazing foods on the street, and dancing, and celebrating. We ended up in a little place, drinking Bolivian cerveza with Mickey and her boyfriend, while beautiful people of all ages danced unabashedly to their favorite songs. Last night, we too, joined in the dancing! Not knowing what the hell we were doing, we had a great time and seemed to not draw too much attention to ourselves. Needless to say, being in Bolivia so far has exceeded our expectations! We look forward to starting at our language school, which is just a bus ride away- bright and early tomorrow morning! More to come on the complex political situation here (yes, amidst all the beauty, we are much aware of the struggles going on here and get to watch it each day on the news and talk with Espi about it. People here are very politically aware and involved)...Chris will fill you in a bit more and share some pictures soon! Alright, dears, as is often said in this beautiful land- Ciao!

we made it!

It´s our first official night in Bolivia, and we´re so happy to be here. We left Chicago on time early yesterday morning, miraculously bypassed the storms between Miami and Lima, and flew smoothly into the El Alto airport here in Bolivia at 4 this morning! The people are beautiful, the land is beautiful, and it feels home-like to us already. The sun was shining gloriously on the mountains as we taxied down from the airport to La Paz. We arrived on the doorstep to our hostel, just in time for a lovely Bolivian lady to let us in the gate. It was crisp and cool here today, and after catching up on some sleep, we ventured out to see some of the capital city! The patriotism here is strong- with colorful signs, pictures, and drawings of the president ( Evo Morales) and flags in many places. We wandered into a square where there was a demonstration of some sort going on. With our Spanish skills as limited as they are, we didn´t really know what it was about. It was drawing attention, but peaceful and nothing unrestful broke out. The people here, as far as we have learned and understand, are wonderfully un-shy about making their voices heard. And we witnessed a moment of that today.
Tomorrow it´s off to Cochabamba! We´ll head to the bus station around 7am and are really looking forward to seeing the landscape of our beautiful new home from the window of our bus. We´ll have plenty of time to take in the sights: it´s an 8 hour ride. But actually, we both are looking forward to the beauty and the time to contemplate, reflect, take it in, and anticipate what´s to come! Hasta luego, mis amigos...Korie