Day 14: Sep 20

I woke up this morning feeling homesick. I talked to my parents and that made it better. It was pretty much the first time I felt homesick so it was hard. Once the day started I was fine. For the first time in a while I took a really nice hot pressurized shower.

After our group went to these rock gardens in La Paz. They were really pretty! It is basically rock and sand that is shaped by the wind and rain to make these cool looking formations. Below in the picture you can see. It looks like a dripp sand castle you make at the beach.

Marolyn, one of my instructors who lives in La Paz, invited us to her house for lunch. We walked from the gardens to her house; it was only like 4 blocks. On the way we picked up some delicious chicken that was roasting under fire. We got to her house, or actually it was her mom´s house, there were little cousins running everywhere. One of the girls was really funny. We ate a DELICIOUS meal! The chicken was fabulous and we also had rice, amazing vegetables, carrots, fried bananas, and some other stuff. It was just SOOO good. It was one of my first legit meals in a while. When lunch was over we piled into a yellow public bus. It was definatly a squeeze, it is always funny when 15 gringos pile into a bus!

We got back into the main part of the city and got some yummy ice cream. Now I am here at the internet cafe writing this blog! Tonight we are going to have dinner with Chris´ dad who is in La Paz on business...what perfect timing! He is so nice to take us all out for dinner. After dinner we have to pack for Lake Titicacca and our hiking trip.

I am SUPER excited for Lake Titicacca but obviously nervous for the hike. We are carrying all our food and gear on mules and are cooking our own food...which will be fun. We are hiking to about the same height mountain, 17,000 feet, but we won´t do it as fast. I am hoping that I will be better acclimated to the alitiude. Fingers crossed! I won´t have great access to internet so you probably won´t hear from in until a couple days... 10 maybe. I hope all is good with you and wish me luck up on that mountain!

xoxo

Day 13: Sep 19

After arriving in La Paz at 6:00, we went to Hostal Austria to sleep until 9:00. I was feeling a little better but still a little tired. I hadn´t eaten for a while at this point. At 10:00 the group went to a little local restaurant across from Evo Morales´office. The plaza were the government stuff is, is very charming. I didn´t eat breakfast because everyone ordered Saltenas and they are very heavy: not good to have with an upset stomach!
We went back to the hostal for a meeting about the hiking trip coming up. I am nervous! I hope I don´t get sick again. We are cooking all of our food so the meeting was about what food to bring and how much of it. When the meeting was over Andrew, Sam, John, Kate and I went to a couple camping stores. I bought a hydration pack because I don´t want to get dehydrated again! That was THE worst thing ever. I also bought this really cool silver knife that has a flashlight in it. It almost looks like a switchblade which is illegal in the US haha. After the camp stores, we went and got pizza and this REALLY good place! I finally ate some margarita pizza and it was amazing. We ate pizza and watched some soccer that was on the TV in front of us. It was awesome.
We took a cab back and Chris, John, Helen and I went to the supermarket to get some food for the hiking trip. In total the cost of all the food was like 1,400 Bolivianos which is only like $200! That is amazing...food for 20 people for 6 days was only $200. In the US that is like how much groceries cost per week.
After the supermarket, John and I went to the internet. When we came back Anne asked if I wanted to come pick out a DVD to watch that night. There is a street right next to ours that is closed to all traffic because it is like a night market. You can find tons of things there. A couple stand were selling DVD´s, some of which were dubbed and bootlegged...or I should say most of them were. We bought A Night At the Roxbury and The Hangover. The Hangover ended up being in Spanish and a dubbed video--it was filmed in the theaters. We ordered more pizza and coke and had a chill night in the hostal and watched A Night At The Roxbury. It was very relaxing.
End of day 13!

My Group!

Here is a picture from one of the first days at the hostal in Quillacollo.

Top row, from left to right: Molly, Kate, Sam, Andrew, Emily, John, Chris, Becky
Bottom row, from left to right: Me, Anne, Annie, Sophia

Day 12: September 16

The day after Tunari wasn´t so great. I woke up still not feeling well and I also had to say by to my host mom who so lovingly put me to bed last night. Becky and I frantically packed and ate breakfast so we could meet at the instructors house at 10:00. We took a couple last pictures and gave our family BIG hugs before we left. It was SO sad saying bye. My host mom was crying : (
It was hard because I just spent a week getting to know this wonderful family and in reality I probably won´t see them again. Luckily, Charo and I are facebook friends!! Sadly, that is probably the only type of communication we will have between the two of us. I got on the bus and found out that my friend Andrew wasn´t feeling well also and was throwing up the night before. I sat next to him and tried to comfort him like he did for me the day before. I gave him a plastic bag just in case... a couple minutes later he missed the bag and threw up on me. EW! It was only on my leg though which is good. Our group plan for the day was: 1) hike up to the Cristo, which is a big statue of Jesus overlooking Cochabamba and 2) have a meeting in the botanic gardens. The instructors told Andrew and I we could sleep in a hostal instead. With no food or energy in me I gladly took the offer. All day Andrew and I slept in our own private hostal room feeling awfulll. The instructors checked up on us every hour. I wasn´t even really sad that I was missing the activites because I was feeling crumby. I was sad, however, that I was missing my last day in Cochabamba. I love that city!
8:30 came around and it was time to go to the bus station to go to La Paz. We were taking a 10:00 overnight bus to La Paz which was 7 hours. I wasn´t looking forward to it AT ALL. We luckily got the bus with bigger seats that reclined. I got a window seat! The bus wasn´t nearly as bad as I thought. Even though I had 24hrs of sleep already, I quickly passed out. We arrived in La Paz at 6:00am.
-End of boring and uneventful day 12

Above is a picture of my instructors at the Cristo. I wasn´t there but this picture was taken for me!

Day 11: Tunari

-Woke up at 5:45 and ate some breakfast
-Met at the school at 6:30 to get on the bus
-The bus ride to Mount Tunari was 2 hours. I was really energetic and the bus ride was really fun! It didn’t seem like 2 hours at all. I was also drinking a lot of coca tea because it is supposed to help with altitude sickness.
-We finally arrived to the point where we were going to start hiking. On the way up I really thought there wasn´t going to be mountain left to hike but I was VERY wrong. We got there and our guide pointed to this little tip way in the distance and told us we were going to hike up there. I had NOOOOO idea what I was in for. I was all pumped and ready to go!
-The views were unbelievable. It was so pretty. I was very surprised at how hard it was to climb only a couple feet. The altitude really gets you—there is like no oxygen and you get so winded.
-The group kept trekking on, stopping every once and a while to catch our breath. We took a snack break right above this gorgeous lake. At this point, I was feeling pretty good; I only had a little headache. Crister played guitar and we just chilled for a while. The view was spectacular.
-We still had probably another hour and a half to hike up the mountain. As we went farther up I started to feel even worse. We got to one point where I REALLY didn´t feel well. I started to feel nauseas. I let the group go up ahead of me because I felt like I had to throw up…seconds later I did. I really didn´t know how I was going to make it up the rest of the mountain. My legs felt weak, my head was pounding and my stomach was churning. I told myself I had to make it; I didn´t want to let myself or the group down. I took a big gulp of air and slowly started to follow in Crister´s footsteps with Andrew following behind me. We took a quick break when Maro came down and told us that we were only 2 minutes away from the top. I couldn’t believe it! Only a little more and I could rest for a little. I slowly moved my feet inch by inch up the mountain and FINALLY made it to the top. With absolutely no more energy I collapsed on the rocks. I opened my eyes to find a spectacular view of Cochabamba below. I somewhat successfully made it to the tallest peak in Cochabamba.
-I napped at the top while others ate lunch and sang songs. I was feeling so sick and tired. I have never pushed my body to such an extreme.
-It was time to go back down. I slowly stood up and quickly realized I had to throw up again. The group headed down while Crister, Chris, and John waited for me to finish throwing up. I had 2 hours of mountain to climb down and honestly I had NO idea how I was going to do it. I had nothing in me. All my food and liquid was gone. All that coca tea for nothing…when I think about it now it makes me SO nauseas.
-Little by little I went down the mountain. I looked back surprised I even made it up. Every once and a while I had to stop to catch my breath, throw up, or hold my head while it throbbed like no other. Crister and the rest kept telling me I could make it. I knew I had to go down because I hurt whether I was sitting or walking.
-After 2 TRECHEROUS hours of making my way down to the mountain, I made it to the bus. I thought it was over but I was terribly wrong.
-I got on the bus feeling so sick. I had 2 hours and 30min of rocky, windy road ahead of me. Right as the bus started down the mountain I threw up the little I had left in me. My head was in extreme pain. Helen sat next to me scratching my back telling me it was going to be ok. Honestly, I didn´t think it was going to be. On the mountain I thought I was going to have to be carried or lifted off the mountain. Now on the bus the only thing running threw my head was: “Oh my god, oh my god.” I wasn´t even crying because I was in so much pain.
-I threw up one more time on the bus and then just passed out with my head in my hands. I anxiously awaited our arrival back at home.
-We made it home, finally, and I could barely get off my seat. Helen and Becky walked me home to explain to my mom I wasn’t feeling well. I went straight to the bathroom to puke one more time. Right as I got out, Charo gave me a big hug. It was so nice to have a comforting hug. She told me everything was going to be ok and helped me get into my bed. She made me feel so much better! Thank god for moms!! Nelson, my dad, came into my room also to see how I was feeling. I unfortunately had to say bye to him that night as well.
-Once in my warm, comfortable bed, I quickly fell asleep. I really couldn´t believe I made it into my bed after all that misery. After a day of a hell, my bed was truly heaven.
-End of day 11

Day 10: Sep 15

-Breakfast and morning Spanish classes
-Laundry
-Lunch: potato puff thing filled with ground beef and stuff. It was really good; all the food is really good!
-The group packed into a van to go meet with a volunteer organization in downtown Cochabamba. The meeting was interesting; the people showed us a video and talked about Bolivia today. A lot of it was about the youth of Bolivia and how they conflict with older generations. It is interesting because Bolivia is such a changing country and there is such a difference in generations and how they view things.
-Becky and I got home and started cooking Stir Fry for the family! It was so fun actually cooking a meal. I think it was the first time I cooked a legit meal for 8 people. I think we did a good job for the first time! The cake we made looked amazing! It was a chocolate bunt cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. The Stir Fry was good too we just made a TON of it. We way overestimated the proportions. Anyway, I don’t know if the family liked it or not. They ate it obviously but I don’t know whether it was to be nice or because they actually liked it. I will never know! They were really nice about it and kept saying it was delicious; that made me feel good! Haha. What they really liked was the cake. I have to admit, it was a really pretty cake. I don’t think I’ve made such a good one. There was a lot of Stir Fry leftover though because we made way too much. We just saved it for leftovers.
-After dinner we had a family photo shoot. We took a bunch of pictures with each other that was fun. All the pictures are so cute! Nelson also took a video of Becky and me saying how much we liked Cochabamba and staying with the family.
-Becky, Nelson, Charo, Chris, Crister and I all went to the park to watch some futbol. Eventually, Chris, Crister and I got to play which was really fun. I love playing in that park under the lights! There is nothing I love more. Crister and I played in a really long game. We were only supposed to play to 8 but it was win by 2 so it took forever to finish. I ended up losing but that’s ok. I lost to Diego who was on my team before.
-I didn’t get into bed until like 12:30. I had so much fun though so it was ok!!

Cochabamba Day 8

Sep 14

Today I woke up at 7:30 for Spanish classes at 8:15. I took a shower before breakfast but my host mom laughed at me because in order to turn the water on for the shower you have to lift up this lever in the front of the house. The lever was already up and I pulled it down turning the water off…she got a big kick out of that.
-Becky and I were in a big rush to get to class because we cut it really close. Are mom gave us some banana bread, bread, and tea to go. With our hands full, we ran around the corner to school.
-In classes today we talked about politics. I did a really good job talking! I was really proud of myself. It is amazing how much you can improve with small classes. I feel like I have learned more in these short days than I have in four years of high school. The three students to one teacher are great because you have so much time to talk. In the beginning we usually review grammar and then later we practice it. Being able to learn material and actually practice it after is just so beneficial.
-During the break I had banana milk which is the BEST drink in the world! A woman in the school sells fresh drinks during the half hour break. I love getting the banana milk or the freshly squeezed orange juice. It is soo good.
-Classes resumed for another 2 hours. We talked about random things and worked on more grammar.
-After class I went to Kate and Emily’s home stay house. Right as I walked in the door I was greeted with smiles and warm welcomes. The house was filled with people: aunts, uncles, grandmas, cousins, moms, and dads. I loved the big family! They were all cooking fresh pizza that looked A-mazing. They could all tell my mouth was watering for it and didn’t hesitate to invite me to stay for lunch. I told them I had lunch waiting for me at home, but they insisted that I come back for a slice. I quickly accepted their offer; after all, the pizza did look amazing.
-I ran home to eat my first lunch: chicken, rice and potatoes. It was soo good! I sat and talked with my family for a little but didn’t forget my promise to return to Kate and Emily’s house. After lunch was done, I ran right back out the door.
-I returned to the house as if I never left and was once again surrounded by all the smiling faces. I can’t describe to you the energy and kind heartiness that filled the house. Everyone was so just so happy. I talked to everyone, or attempted to, and that just made me so happy. Their smiles were contagious.
-I watched Hannah Montana in Spanish, I sang some Michael Jackson, and I even played a little indoor bball—I don’t know if that was allowed but everyone was just so carefree. The pizza was ready and they quickly shoved slices in front of me. I told them I already ate but they told me I must eat…so I did! I can’t complain though because it was absolutely delicious. The boy next to me, Elian, was piling ketchup on his pizza haha it was so funny. I noticed that the rest of the table was doing the same (I guess they really love ketchup!)
-I had class at 1:30 and had to go but didn’t want to tear myself away from my lively conversations! I was just having so much fun being with the family. I can’t stress enough how nice and happy they were! It just made my day.
-SOMEHOW I tore myself away from the table and made my way to class. I was shown out with smiles, “thanks for comings”, and “come back soons!”
-I arrived back at school for the Ancient Andes/Modern Andes class. It was pretty interesting. It was about an article called Bolivia On The Brink and it talked about politics and Bolivia’s relation with the US. I didn’t really talk much…I think it was because I ate two lunches and was extremely full!
-Internet café for a little
-Went home for a little and met some relatives that were over. Once again, I loved meeting the whole family and the warm hellos. There were so many cute cousins over!
-The day got even better when I got some brownies from Kate/Emily’s house…there is always great food there!
-The group then went into Cochabamba for it anniversaries! It was so fun. There were parades, food (ya more food), stands, shops, etc. It was also a beautiful day. Somehow I got ice cream. It was delicious. It was called Jave Late and tasted kind of like a frappaccino. I also tried…get ready…a cow heart! It didn’t actually look or taste like a cow heart luckily, It looked like regular thin beef on a stick and tasted like regular beef. I only had a bite though.
-Chris, Anne and I broke from the group and walked around. We watched some of the parade, looked at sunglasses, sat in the park, and took some pictures. It was so nice.
-We met up with the rest of the group around 6:00 at the corner of the plaza. A man was performing with a band of skeleton puppeteers; it was really cool! I put some money in his hat.
- Anne, Chris, Sophia, Molly, Becky and I decided to stay in the city longer. We wanted to see more of the parades and walk around since it was so nice out. We bought these coca leaf key chains that had embroidery on the back and “Bolivia” written across the front. I hope I don’t lose it cause its sweet.
-I love the vibe of the city. I felt really safe and everyone was so nice. Everyone talks about how unsafe Bolivia is but being here it seems so untrue. I probably feel safer walking around the streets of Cochabamba than I do the streets of Chicago. The only thing you get is a couple of stares because you are a gringo, or a white person. Another thing I was surprised about was the amount of homeless people. Bolivia is supposed to be one of the poorest Latin American countries yet it seems there are more homeless people in the US than Bolivia. I find that to be very interesting.
-ANYWAY, after watching the parade and shopping a little we got on the bus back home.
-Becky and I went to our rooms and were going to wash up for dinner when the lights went out!! It was so scary; I hate blackouts. We rushed into our family room with our headlamps. Our family was so intrigued by them and laughed on how they were on our heads. Fabianna, my little sister, wouldn’t stop laughing.
-Sophia stopped by because we were going to run but Nelson, our dad, told us it probably wasn’t safe to run. Sophia just went running with Chris instead and Becky and I stayed behind.
-After like 20 minutes the lights came back on. Becky and I really weren’t hungry and still wanted to go for a run. We decided to run around the park in front of the house. It was such a nice run!! I am so glad I got to burn off all the food I ate. When we were done running we decided to sit and watch some pickup soccer games. Becky and I started talking to some of the locals who were also watching. Chris, Molly and Sophia showed up and joined in on the conversations. Mansfield, a guy from the Spanish school who lives in North Carolina, came to the park, too. Once everyone was there a local girl named Tatiana kindly asked us if we wanted to play soccer. We were all so excited! Chris, Molly, Mansfield, and I played against some locals. We had one local on our team though named Diego. He was really nice and good at soccer! We ended up beating the local team 10-8. The game was SOO fun.
-Since we won the game, the other team had to buy us Sprite. We all talked and shared sprite on the stands for a while. It was awesome talking to locals and practicing Spanish. I really enjoyed talking to some Bolivians our own age. In all it was just a really fun night—and day!!
-After talking for a while Becky and I walked across the park right into our beds. It is so nice having our house right there!
-End of an AWESOME day 8