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
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
¿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
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
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Monday, September 15, 2008
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 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!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
