La Paz

Thanks to mom for posting a most unflatering birthday photo. I´m wearing my birthday present, traditional cholita dress. I can´t pull it of nearly as well as my host mother.

Yesterday I left my host family is Sorata. very hard, very sad. I really hope I´ll have the oportunity to return sometime.

For anyone who was wondering, the poop scale has climbed to a 5 (thats good!!!). I´m feeling much much better but am currently spending two days in the city of La Paz with Helen and Molly (who has a broken ankle) while the rest of the group is out on trek. We´re going to cook grilled cheese sandwhiches tonight!!!

Off to buy some humitas for lunch. yummm. I may return to the internet tonight for a more extended update and Molly said she would show me how to upload some photos!

Love to all!!!!

Birthday Smile

I am sharing this photo of Emily on her birthday (from the Dragons website). I expect that she will post an update soon.

Quick Update

Quick Update:

Evo is coming to Sorata tomorrow!!!!! I get to hear a president speak on my birthday, Pretty awesome present.
I have been having a wonderful time in the produce market, talking to everyone, young and old about life. Everyone has ns of questions about the US. Most have no idea where it is in relationship to Bolivia. A few days ago it was decided for me that I should stay in Sorata forever, find a nice Bolivian boyfriend, and work in the market with them, I pointed out the one tiny flaw with this plan, my boyfriend would be no taller than my shoulder. There are now hourly jokes about the height of my Bolivian boyfriend.
As I’ve gotten to know people better we’ve had much more personal talks about dreams for the future, with the younger girls/women, and their past, with the older women. Its very common for people my age to be pregnant or have kids and be living with a boyfriend. Everyone I talk to says they want more for themselves and their children.
The panaderia I work in is incredible. The make an untold number of pieces of bread every day (I asked Don Helena how many and she simply said “arto”). I help to shape balls of dough into flat disks. In the beginning I sucked. Don Helena would have to fix every single one I attempted to make. I swear dough does not stick to the hands of the old women who I work with but it definitely sticks to my hands. Even now the women easily make five for every one I make. The bread is cooked in an enormous wood fired oven, the reason it is the best bread in Sorata. Thinking about eating the hot bread fresh out of the oven makes my mouth water even now.
I’m still sick. Don’t read any further unless you want to be grossed out cause here come the gory details. I’ve had diarrhea for over two weeks. (plus I have a wicked cold but in comparison it’s not a big deal at all). In two weeks I’ve yet to climb higher than a two on the poop scale (that’s basically chocolate milk). I am forced to get up multiple times every night to squat over an already foul latrine. Before this trip I did not think that one of my frequent expenses would be toilet paper. A course of antibiotics did not help. Last night I started two different medicines for parasites. Grosss. Crister helpfully pointed out that if I’m lucky I’ll be able to see the worms that I may poop out. Woohoo!! I can’t wait. I’m really hoping this medicine does the trick. If not I will be heading to La Paz on Tuesday to poop in a cup.

Some interesting theories for why I’ve been sick so long.
My host mom: I ate a cookie the other day; all I need to do to get better is drink more cocoa tea.
My host sister (16): I’m too far away from my boyfriend; this only furthers her point that I should get a Bolivian boyfriend.
My Brazilian stalker: Beer is the solution; I just need to hang out with him and his friends and party a bit.
My host sister (10): I don’t play enough soccer with her.
My host father: I didn’t wear shoes when I went to brush my teeth the other night.

Despite my almost constant sickness I’m having a pretty incredible time. We only have another week and a half in Sorata. The time is passing wayyyy to fast. I heard it snowed in Mass. That’s crazy! I love you all!

Evo!

1) Evo Morales (the president of Bolivia) is comming to Sorata tomorrow and will be speaking in the Plaza. Awesome birthday present!

2) I wrote a blog update today but have to figure out how to upload it to the internet. Hopefully it´ll happen tomorrow.

Love you all!

Sorata

this was supposed to be the title of the last post...computer issues

So

I'm sitting in my program house in Sorata gazing out at the beautiful mountains and using Helen's computer to write this email. Later I'll trek up the uber steep hill to the plaza and put this on the internet.

Hi all. Apologies for the lapse in updates. I've been busy experiencing Bolivia! Since the last update the group traveled to Santiago de Acolla, a small village on the shores of lake Titicaca for three nights of home stayssstrekkedededed in Apola Bomba for a week, ending in Kata for two nighhome stays. After two nights in La Paz to shower, do laundry, use the internet, go to the doctor, and eat some good gringo food we are now in the small city of Sorata for three weeks. Since last update I've: gone the longest I can remember going without a shower, 11 days; been to visit yet another doctor (the inspirations for my independent study project); rode a mule through the Andes; risen at 3:30 to go fishing on Lake Titicaca (one of the most breathtaking experiences I've ever had); suffered from altitude sickness, an absolutelyy miserable experience; summited spectacularmountainss; struggled to relate on a human level to the dying woman in a pile of rags on my 'bedroom' floor, but succeeded; seen a guinea pig sacrificed in a traditional ceremony; eaten guinea pig; slept in a room full of guinea pigs; talked with countless amazing people; spent hours (days?) on cramped and smelly buses, eaten tons of potatoes.

We are now in Sorata a small city nestled in a valley. We are about to complete or first week of a three week home stay. While we are here we have four hours of Spanish classes every morning, we eat lunch with our families and then have the afternoon free. We can read, work on our independent study projects, explore the surrounding mountains, spend time with our families, take weaving lessons, talk with people about life, work in the garden at the program house etc.....

My family is wonderful. The mother works in the market selling fruits and vegetables so I spend many hours sitting and chatting with her, the other women, and the customers (added bonus, I get to eat lots of fresh fruit, not many vegetables, however). My 10 year old sister has designated herself my official protector. She yells at any gringo who comes over to talk to me. Quite entertaining. I also have a 15 year old sister who plans on becoming a doctor, and 12 year old brother who would be quite happy to be playing soccer 24/7, and an adorable 3 year old brother who loves to climb all over me and my stuff.

At night I play soccer or volleyball with the children in my neighborhood. The street that we play on makes what would otherwise be a simple game quite complicated. We play on a steep dirt hill, with lots of rock, huge ruts, and rubbish. My fear of breaking my ankle is compounded by the lack of light. I have however, proven myself to be an excellent goal keeper, a job that involves much less chance of ankle breaking.

The town is beautiful. An old colonial town with a gorgeous old church nestled between regal mountains. Each morning the fog clears to reveal an ever changing view of Illampu, a snow capped mountain that is the basis of many local myths. The other surrounding mountains are beginning to change from dry and barren to lush and green as the rainy season begins (as they green the many terraces become visible). Every day and every hour as the light changes these regal mountains transform. At first I tried to capture the beautyyy with my camera but never could, now I simply try to soak them in and save them in my mind for my return to los estados unidos.

As of this week I've been in Bolivia for one month, a third of my total stay. All at once I can't believe I've been here for only a month, I feel like I've experienced so much, but I already feel like we're running out of time. There are so many things from home a miss but so many things from Bolivia I will miss equally. This week is the first time I have really thought of my bitter sweet return home.

Yesterday the group made a pact to only talk with each other in Spanish for five days. It'll be hard and possibly a little unpleasant at times, but good for us. Type two fun.

Today my family is making bread in their big adobe oven. Yummmmm. Tomorrow I'm going to cook for my family. I haven't decided what yet, something delicious and involving vegetables and maybe apple crisp.

I'm looking forward to the rest of my time in Sorata. Its nice to have a place that is beginning to feel like a home.