Bolivia

Bolivia

I just couldn´t chose only one picture for Bolivia, I visited the country 3 times and for more than 2 months in total. My very welcomed trips to Bolivia, in my opinion, have to be divided in 3 sections: La paz, The road and Cochabamba and Santa Cruz in the east. 

La paz.

I flew from Bogota to La Paz, the purpose and the great excuse, to teach a whole 1 month mobile networks course to the local engineers. With my bike in a bag and my helmet hanging from my backpack, I reached the the airport laids in "El Alto", the indigenan area of the city and located at 4070 meters, there was even ice in the streets and I felt the leak of oxigen, nothing to worry about, the taxi driver was definetely a guy from another culture than mine, and he kindly stopped and shown me the view of La Paz, I felt, once more that I was far and my life was worth, what would be of my life in the next month? that is a feeling I will never forget. 

La paz is a city on rocks, the mountain are pure rocks and in town you go from rock to rock when changing neigberhods. Well Then I went to my hotel, assembled my bike and got ready to go out and find lunch. NExt day was working day, so I went to meet my students, a very nice group of bolivians, so kind, so humble, so smart.

La Paz was working every day, try daily lunch with the guys, have "salteñas" with coca tea twice a day for coffe-break. For going home i loved the messy buses or "truffys", a smart idea: 6 places shared taxis! The first time I took the co-pilot seat, some minutes later, a girl boarded the taxi, directly to the co-pilot place, so I was fluently moved closer to the driver, yes.. 6 places taxis he he he! Im glad I dare to try this kind of stuff. Nights were free time to go to the center, eat, discover.. discover! I wasn´t a tourist, I was a citizen more in a new city! We went once to the stadium, yes, nights are cold in a 4km high city, in the middle time we had "ranga" soup, served by a Quechua woman straight for a giant pot, delicious!

I sometimes went to walk on lunch time, Bolivians use to protest by blocking the roads and firing fireworks, I once got trapped far away my work and I had to walk back to teach all the way through the protests, nosweating at all, Remember, i'm a Colombian.

The road and Cochabamba

One weekend  I took a cycling tour from "LA cumbre" a peak at 4700 meters above sea, to Coroico, a region down the mountain, home of black comunities, small slaves were brought by the Spanish from Africa to Bolivia, they didn't manage with the highness. The road was advertised as the most dangerous road in the world, I don't think so, since I have seen similar roads like this in Colombia, but the fact that several trucks and cars have got down the clift and that some cyclists also died scared all of us. The landscape was outstanding and the 4 hours down the hill tour was unforgettable. In my descent, with all my cycling skills and all, I lost the control and I almost get out the road, palid and scared, I came back to the road and I now realized how lucky I sometimes have been.

One more weekend I took a bus with 2 students to their home city, Cochabamba, we took an 8 hours 2 floor bus full with all kind of locals, some Qechuas were little smelly and the heater was by my feet, I sweated all the way and they just ignored my requests about the heat. In the city I met some co workers, Nelson Mostacedo showed a great pure heart and kindness, and the party night with his girl friends was amazing. I have to remember you that Cochabamba has the tallest christ statue, it is not in Brasil, as every body thinks. Food was amazing, in the land of "silpancho" my favourite dish, a plate full with rice and covered by meat.

It was the city's day and parades were on the street, indigenas and music, I even saw the president Evo Morales, the first indigena president and a critizased man, I notice that people dont like him, I noticed the angry agains him.

Santa Cruz

I spend 1 month in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the first time I was moved by passion, I went to meet Liz, a girl I meet on the internet,  What I felt those days is now part of my memories, and She welcomed me so much that I thank her now for that.

I went to Santa Cruz to teach one more training to the Guys, this time they wern´t indigenas looking guys but ´white' guys. Bolivia was those days divided by cultural reasons, The president stablised laws to rise the indigenas status and some socialist ideas were distributing power and land from the whites to the indigenas, and Santa Cruz, the West city wasné happy at all, so they took control of the city, dismanteled the institutions, took the airports and declared a new 'goverment' which didn´t last much more than 2 weeks and ended with dead people and al the goverment places half destroyed. No sweating at all hehehe, I am not brave, I just was an observer.

I lived in a house called "la casa moldes" big house just for myself and the watch man, like police and other low profile jobs (police earn the lowest salary), he was an indian. One night I went to the Cinema with some guys and when I came back he wasn´t there, neither my cash, camera and some clothes. I survived the rest of the month with small cash from my company and lent money from my coleagues, all that meant to save money by eating simple and gooood!

I enjoyed cycling with my bike, meeting people and thinking, it is worth to say that a ride around the first road-ring of the city is both interesting and scary.

My studens took me to lunch every day, I learnt that social differences are very deep there, they claim the land they think theirs and they point the raze differences too, I just listened keeping in mind all the kindness the "Coyas" (people from La Paz) showed to me.

In this trip I discovered many thinks about myself, I am very bad for go-cart, I am not a good dancer, I value humble people and I like not to look like a tourist in many countries.