Well these past few days I have been working to finish my class, finally finished…woo hoo!!! And Mariel and I have been looking around for some possible jobs for me here. I have had some interest, and it looks like I might even find something else to do here besides eat, sleep, and celebrate.
Speaking of celebrating, on June 23 Bolivia celebrated San Juan. It’s supposedly the coldest night of the year, and it was pretty cold, but I believe this is a religious celebration that coincides with a more pagan tradition of the winter solstice. In the past it is celebrated with fires all over the streets and people cooking hot dogs and marshmallows, fireworks, dancing and music through the night, and drinking a punch called Sucumbé (it’s made of milk and Singani, with some cloves and cinnamon and sugar….it’s scrumptious). I was told that usually the day after San Juan, one can hardly see the mountain skyline of La Paz. I believe Alberto refers to this holiday as the National Day of Contamination. However as time passes there are some laws in place forbidding the fires and the fireworks, yet there still seemed to be plenty. And the next day it was indeed pretty smoggy, but I hear it’s much better than it used to be.
We were invited by Mariel’s Aunt Lula and Uncle Pitty to celebrate with a BBQ at their house.
Here is Uncle Pitty cooking the delicious BBQ!
Here we are enjoying some Sucumbé and waiting for the BBQ.
Interesting difference from the States: It takes a lot longer here to build a fire because of the lack of oxygen, and each BBQ pit has a special tool for blowing on the coals. It was a wonderful time and the BBQ was delicious.
Mariel and I bought some sparklers to add to the festivities.Then, finally, Mariel’s vacation time came around. Percy and Alejandra (Mariel’s brother and sister-in-law) Mariel and I went to the Jungle.
Alejandra and Percy
Ok, so it was not the machete hacking jungle that first popped into my head, but a nice resort called Rio Selva….and it is in the middle of nowhere! I have no idea how Percy was able to find it…off the beaten path doesn’t even begin to describe it. But it was beautiful! That doesn’t really describe it either. The drive there was incredible. We left in the evening and drove up, up, up to Alto Plano. Before it got dark on us I was able to see the landscape change from jagged, rocky cliffs to rounder, smoother grasslands. Then we went down, down, down, into the darkness. The drive there is not so long, but it is curvy and bouncy, and the Death Road took its toll on Mariel…we were almost at the resort when we had to pull over…and well, you know…. Backseats and death roads don’t agree with her. But she rallied and we made it there without any further incidents. I was able to see some patches of growing things, but the sudden and dramatic change in landscape was fascinating. Basically we drove north east of La Paz…a two hour drive of mostly straight up and then down. When we arrived it was dark, but I could sense the change in temperature and could tell there were a lot plants and things. The next morning was the real shocker. I found we were in a small river, valley surrounded by gigantic green mountains; their tops were shrouded in morning fog. It is so different from the barren landscape of La Paz I could have sworn we had traveled for days. I could hear exotic bird calls and actually sweat for the first time since being here.
Our room was there on the right overlooking the river.
The resort was like a dream kind of place, and the fresh juice that was available just about everywhere was beyond description, nectar of the gods! But it was still the jungle…it was wonderfully hot and humid. There are fruit trees and flowers and other tropical plants everywhere. It was amazing.
Oh, and there were mosquitoes…stealthy little buggers. I was on the lookout for them, but I never saw one, and even though I applied OFF liberally, I am a bit itchy even as I write this…no, no, just kidding. It’s not that bad. But I would say they are fierce enough to be Bolivia’s national air force, but hey, it’s the jungle.
On our second day there we went to the small village of Coroico (Corrr oyi coo) (something like that)…say that five times fast…or even one time slow for that matter. But it is a beautiful little town perched way up on a mountain top.
Corico up on the mountain.
According to Uncle Pitty, they town in this area are all perched on mountain tops to avoid the bugs and the heat. But my first reaction was that the town looked like a movie set. And now, I really stand out in La Paz as a gringo, but here, we all stood out. It’s mostly an afro-bolivian community mixed with some Aymara now, probably half and half.
There were a quite a few tourists here, and we even had a dinner at a German restaurant. I had the sausage! The drive up took us on part of what used to be the death road (sorry Mom), but that description is really not even close to how the road is now. They fixed it, sort of…it’s plenty wide and safe, just really bumpy and dusty…and the views can give you vertigo. But it is spectacular. We walked around the steep, cobblestone streets and enjoyed the captivating scenery. Every direction I looked took my breath.
We passed some Coca fields on the way to Coroico. Hard to see but they are the small patches you see on the hills. How they farm the sides of these mountains I have no idea.
Overall, it was a wonderful weekend we spent lounging in the sun, and yes, eating lots of wonderful food, and drinking fresh juice whenever we were thirsty. It was a great, marvelous time. Thanks so much Alejandra and Percy for arranging the trip.
So, overall it was another amazing time. Next, we are off to Peru and the town of Cuzco…and to visit the ruins of Machu Picchu. We are pretty excited. So check back again. And check out Facebook for more pictures if you are interested.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/joseph.gardner1
Chau!
No comments:
Post a Comment