Bolivia

Bolivia is a whole other world. I didnt spend much time there though I plan to return for my understanding of this little secluded culture is not complete. It is one of the poorest countries in South America and yet the people seem to want to keep it that way. Now I dont say this out of fact or anything I heard it just seems that way. The land border also poses a very powerful cultural border. The is definitly a hard crust around the personality of the people that instantly evaporated the second I crossed the border to Argentina. I had a rough adjustment to the cold responses I recieved to questions that I was not used to from the warm people of Colombia. Though in this medium sized country there holds a whole lot more than poor people relations.

The food was way better than we expected from all the horror stories of blandness and bacteria filled soups. Riquisima was the food the colors in the shops was overwhelming. There was too much to buy and for way too cheap. We had a number of field days sweeping the streets for wall hangings and purses. I out did myself. But if you go to Bolivia for nothing else. Go for the earth.

I saw for beauty in the natural creations of the land than ever before. While Rocio wrote and rested in the hostal Debbie and I explored the strange floor of El Valle de La Luna. A moonlike valley with crazy rock formations and deep crevases created by dried of rivers and repeated flooding. Though there seemed to be no moisture in the air currently I felt vbery much like I was wondering what seemed like the surface of the moon with an occasional shrub. But whos really counting.

After La Paz we took a wonderful 4 day tour of the salt flats of Uyuni. We were a crew of six Umut from Turkey, Danielle from Australia, Raphael from Brasil and the three of us girls. In these for days I was bombarded with the worlds creations. A salt flat that went for miles in all directions with the apearance of ice. A strange island in the middle covered with very penile looking cacti. Flamigos, foxes, llamas, and a stray emu. We saw numerous lagunas of strange colors. beautiful white capped mountains and steaming valcanos. Geysers and deserted towns of maybe 200 people. We drove for hours across desert of many shades to run into a valley of rock formations 30 meters high carved by the wind. I was in nature heaven. Not to mention our little group became a tight nit team quite fast.

Danielle and I discussed it when I pointed out that the first night we had separate rooms Rocio, Debbie and I in one and the others in other rooms. THe second night we opted to all share a room though us three girls were on one side and the other three on the other. The third night I looked around and we were all mixed up. It worked out nicely especially when we found ourselves listening to the same Bolivian folklore tape, a group called Alaska, for every hour in the car and did I mention that the last day was a 9 hour drive back.

The hard thing about Boliva was the honesty of the people. You can buy a bus ticket but really not know if the bus is gonna come at all or not so you gotta stay on the workers toes until you have your ride outta there. But we survived and after four different bus rides we made it to Argentina shortley after though Bolivia left me with a wonderful present of a bacteria infection in my intestines which I am just now on the recovery I hope.

I will fill you in on the last week as well. For a week we have been in the north of Argentina we had a wonderful time in the little town of Humahuaca where we ushered ourselves into the world of empanada eating and matte drinking. I am really getting the hang of a Buenos Aires accent and an outside of Buenos Aires accent. For all the travelers here are from Buenos Aires. Now I dont have much to share of the last five days becuase I mainly spent them wallowing in misery of my bacteria filled stomach. But we did spend many days in the city of Salta where Rocio and Debbie were able to rejoice in there new connection woth civilization. So while I rested and moaned they waxed and did laundry and checked out the city. I am writing this from Cafayate a wonderful wine country town where the wine is delicious a glass is 30 cents and a bottle is 2 dollars. Ver very nice.

Una Estadounidense, una Española y una Israelita

The last I left I was waiting in the Santa Cruz airport which was a tiring experience. I arrived safely in La Paz and was reunited with my wonderful girlfriends Debbie and Rocio. If you dont recall I had met them in Taganga Colombia and we had traveled through Colombia until we parted ways at the border where I stayed and they left. It feels wonderful traveling with people again. I made some wonderful friends on my own but the feeling of having family with you and knowing they are taking care of you like you are taking care of them makes a world of difference. I have to admit I was a little jealous since they had spent the last month traveling together without me they had definilty become the nagging sisters though it is very evident that they love each other dearly.

Debbie, the sweet nurturer from Israel. She is our mother always having a banana, making sure we lock the doors and rechecking our schedule to make sure we can fit in all the details. In La Paz she was my shopping buddy reminding me to push for the best price. She waited patiently for us all to be hungry together so that we could all share in her indulgence of a steak sandwich with salad and egg, absolutely excelent. She is our little worrier, which I love, she checks our hotel rooms for the required services and makes sure we are the safest we can be. She shares the best stories and loves to listen to what we have to say. She really keeps us a family. I almost forgot to mention how fun she is. She brings me back to those middle school days of just laughing for the sake of laughing, acting like a complete idiot because it really doesnt matter. And when she wants to let loose Rocio and I get ready becasue we know it is gonna be a wild night.

Rocio, the proud explorer from Spain. I dont think that we can enter a room without Rocio making a new friend. She is more of a socialite then I am and that makes for good competition. She keeps me on my toes with my spanish and always has a new idea for us. She is particular and knows what she wants and that is definilty not to hike or walk for longer then necesarry. One wonderful thing about her is she is ok with doing her own thing. If she is not feeling the daily activity she stays behind and takes care of herself. She has a passion for the life of Che Guevarra like none other I have met and she is eager to educate anyone willing to listen.

Both my girls have an intelligence that expands beyond any subject. They are eager to share and eager to learn. Though our friendships have just begun they have proved to be invaluable. As a team we stay hydrated. One of us always comes through with a bottle of water for the bus rides. We keep track of each other but are never afraid to speak our mind. I am learning many things from the two of them. With lcuk our ideas and desires on this trip have overlapped and when they dont we make small adjustments to atleast make them connect somehow.

I just though I would share a little bit of another side of my life down here for those who are curious.