When we first arrived in the altiplano of Bolivia I wondered why in the world anyone would choose to live in such a cold dry barren landscape. Then I arrived in the jungle.
The jungle is so hot and humid that in the heat of the day it feels like you´re drowning. Bitting insects. holy shit. never have I encountered such a over-abundance of biting, stinging, buzzing, burrowing creatures in my life. In the jungle my body is dirty and sweaty and itchy every second of every day and night.
Despite the phsical misery of jugle life, I, mostly, love it here in the lowlands. We have been working with the rio benni health project building water filters and spent the last three days delivering eight filters to a very small isolated community down river from Rurre. For less than twenty dollars and a lot of sweat, we provided families with clean drinking water. incredible. The filters are very simple, made of concrete, sand, gravel and a bit of plastic tubing, require very little maitenance, and last an average of ten years. Each family pays ten dollars for the filters so that they are invested in caring for them. Access to clean drinking water is life changing and being part of providing this basic human right to eight made up for the gallons of sweat a produced lugging concrete and sand. The nights spent playing and dancing with the children almost makes up for the incessant itching. added bonus: I got to hold a wild amazonian tarantula!! absolutly horrifying, but really really cool!!!
if you want to read more about the health project go to: www.netzerbrady.org
(i´m thinking about doing some work with them as well as with a farm that practices agro forestry when i (probably) come back in the spring)
Up next: three days in the pampas to see amazing wildlife. A visit to the el ceibo factory, makers of delicious organic chocolate. Three days of homestays in Tocaña, an afro bolivian community, where we will be working along side them in their coca fields. Finally back to La Paz to get ready for two weeks in Peru! time is running out....
love to all!!
