Sarah In Bolivia

last day…

sarahhickm — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:57:46 +0000

I can’ t believe its my last day here! I’ve had a great time and am really going to miss the people I have met here, especially my roomates. Tonight we are going to a soccer game between to Bolivian teams and then I catch my ride to the airport at 3:30 tomorrow morning. See you all on the flip side (of the equator that is).

A health issue

sarahhickm — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:55:48 +0000

I know that I haven´t blogged a whole lot about my medical experiences here in Bolivia but I swear I have been going to clinic!! I have learned a lot about the health care system here, and how the various cultures affect health care and the general health of the population. Last night in med lecture we talked about one particular health problem that is very specific to La Paz: hip displasia. The Aymara culture here, especially those living in the altiplano where it is very cold, have a tradition of binding their babies legs to keep them warm. This practice causes hip displasia in many Bolivian babies, so much that every child receives an x-ray at 3 months to check for hip displasia. Although there have been many efforts to educate parents about the risk of binding their babies, there has been little progress at stopping the practice. Dr. Uribe said one main reason is that the culture has so much esteem for the advice of their elders, they listent to older family members before doctors. Therefore, even though physicians and nurses educate the parents to not wrap their babies so tightly, they ignore the advice and think the doctors don´t know what they are talking about. I found this situation so interesting because it is such a perfect example of how culture can effect the health of a society and their relationship with their health providers.

Coroico

sarahhickm — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:06:58 +0000

Our days in Coroico were very relaxing! We arrived by bike late Friday afternoon, and went to bed early after the long day. We stayed at a nice hotel with a pool and sauna, although it was a little too chilly for swimming. On Saturday we went to a restaurant owned by a French woman living in Bolivia – amazing food and a beautiful view! On Sunday we took advantage of the beautiful environment and went on a 6 hour hike to the Rio de Negro.

Coca field

Our guide was awesome and told us a ton about the Yungus, the Bolivian culture and the Coca business. Coca leaves are very popular in Bolivia and have been since ancient times. They chew them, use them in tea and even for offerings to Gods. Coca gets a bad rap because it is manufactured into Cocaine in many parts of South America but the Coca leaves itself are very important to the culture and history of bolivia.

We swam in a natural pool formed by a waterfall that flows into the river and is was cold! I was a little nervous about freezing to death and the fact that deep water scares me but my roommate Christine life-guarded me across the river! The water was so clear and absolutely beautiful. Despite the trip home I had a really great time in Coroico!

Camino de la Muerte

sarahhickm — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:34:08 +0000

The trip to Coroico was actually pretty awesome. On the way there we road bikes on the Death Road, a popular tourist attraction in Bolivia. The road is legendary because it is very dangerous until recently was the only road between the Yungas and La Paz.

I am glad it was foggy so I couldn't see the height!

Wikipedia says that 200-300 travelers were estimated to have died yearly on the road… leading it to be named the most dangerous road in the world. With the recent construction of a new road, the most dangerous portion of the Camino de la Muerte is not used heavily by cars, but instead by people who bike down it. I was hesitant about doing the ride as I am not usually a very risky person but am really proud of myself for doing it.

We finished!

I went with a group of students here and with a travel agency who followed us in a bus incase we got tired, scared, injured, or just wanted a break. Luckily no one got hurt! The road is so thin at points it seems impassible by cars. Not only that, but it is unpaved, and in some places so rocky my entire body was shaking as I rode down it – I have no doubts about how it got its name, and the many crosses lining the road tell of the many deaths that have occurred there. Although the ride was almost all down-hill the work of controlling the bike and constantly using the breaks was super wearing on our bodies. During our ride it was super foggy and rainy, which is very normal conditions for the road – especially during the wet season. The scenery however, was absolutely beautiful as we crossed from the mountains into the tropical jungle.

Info about the road (thanks Wikipedia)

- build in 1930′s

-drop offs of at least 2000 ft

- most of the road is no wider than 10.5 ft with no guard rails

- apparently it attracts “mountain biking enthusiasts” to ride down it; missed the memo on needed to be a mountain biker OR/AND and enthusiast

Back from Coroico

sarahhickm — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:01:54 +0000

Early morning on the bus

Haven´t had time yet to upload pictures from my trip but i thought i´d let you all know I´m back safely. Coroico was beautiful, although unseasonably cool. We went for an awesome hike to the river where we swam in a natural pool which was FREEZING but really fun. Although the trip was fun we had a horrible experience on our way back. The three hour bus ride back to La Paz turned into a 20 hour experience. It started to snow on our way through the mountains (on a road called ¨the death road¨) where the road is thin and there are no gaurd rails. We spent the night drivng and stopping, at times pushing the van up the hill. At one point I chose to walk for awhile for fear that the bus was going to slip off the edge. There is no highway system of taking care of the snow -no plows, sand or anything. It was a pretty terrifying experience as the bus was not equipped to handle that kind of weather and the cliff being very near. Oh and did I mention we packed for a tropical vacation so had limited warm clothes with us! But after 20 hours we finally made it home yesterday afternoon and in my mind it was quite a miracle.

Early mondy morning - 12 hours after leaving Coroico

Zebra

sarahhickm — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:31:52 +0000

So earlier I wrote about zebras and recently found out what they actually do. Because of the crazy traffic in La Paz, being a pedestrian can be both hazardous and confusing. The zebras were put into place to help people cross the street and direct traffic so people can safely cross. The best part is, choosing zebras was no random job…. they were chosen because zebras resemble cross-walks. I though it was pretty witty!

Alalay

sarahhickm — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:44:43 +0000

Today I went with my roomates to volunteer at a place called Alalay. From what I have learned so far, the organization does many things for the children of La Paz, including providing a home for many street children. The children I was with today were not street children, but children who live with their parents and have some sort of domestic issues going on in their home. They go to Alalay after school where they get help with their schoolwork. It was super fun to hang out with the kids and assist them with their homework, even though I had to relearn long division today! We are with a classroom of 10 year old boys who have a lot of energy! It was seriously one of my favorite things I have done while in la Paz and I plan to go back during the rest of my time here. Working with kids has always been something that I love, and I wish I could take the time to do things like this more often. Plus, they help me with my Spanish!

Check it out! http://www.alalay.org/volunteer/index.php

Sights of La Paz

sarahhickm — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:56:24 +0000

La Paz is a really awesome city with a ton of things to see. Unlike the US, there are no Targets or Walmarts, practically everything is bought from street markets. There a ton of markets, by favorite being el Mercado de Brujas (Witches Market) although I think I’m overstaying my welcome. One thing I’ve noticed in La Paz is there always seems to be some sort of dancing going on. My first week here we walked about this little show going on on the Prado. The women are wearing traditional Aymara dress (although I don’t know about the hats) and dancing to live music! I can’t tell if all the dancing is for the month-long bicentennial celebration or just for the fun of it.

I’m finally getting to know the city better, and even found out how to use the post office the other day. I was super surprised to find out its open until 8pm! Ok maybe thats not a huge deal but its amazing how much more time you feel like you have when you can go to the post office past 5 pm.

La Paz has a lot of beautiful Catholic churches that are very obviously influenced by the Spanish (by the amounts of gold). Many Bolivians are Catholic, although it is often mixed with traditional indigenous religious customs as well.

Iglesia de San Francisco

The Iglesia de San Francisco is a beautiful church built after the Spanish came to Bolivia. They don’t allow pictures to be taken inside the church which is too bad, because it is one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever seen. The interior is covered in so much gold its unbelievable. The walls are lined with statues of various Saints, but they are not statues like anything I’ve seen in the US – they are much more animated and if I may, kind of creepy!

Catedral

This past Sunday we tried to check out the Cathedral at Plaza Murillo but it was closed. I haven’t quite figured out how a church is not open on a Sunday afternoon but who knows.

Tiahuanaco

sarahhickm — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:39:19 +0000

Yesterday we went to Tiahuanaco (also spelled spelled Tiwanaku). This pre-Incan ruins site is located an hour and a half ride from La Paz near Lake Titicaca. There is actually much unknown about the civilization of these ancient ruins. Construction of the site is thought to have begun around 700BC and the civilization fell around 1200 AD. I asked our tour guide why the civilization disappeared and he responded that it was a mystery, although there are theories of widespread illness. During the Spanish inquisition, much of Tiahuanaco was looted and destroyed.

There is much about Tiahuanaco that remains a mystery, especially how the site was constructed. The site was constructed from sandstone rocks weighing as much as 25 tons each. What is amazing is that the nearest quarries are 40km away! Having no knowledge of the wheel in this ancient civilization, it is quite a mystery how they got the stone slabs to the site. Like the picture above, some of the site has been reconstructed to imitate its original form. This door was reconstructed but the stairs are original. You can’t really tell here but the top step is made of only one piece of stone, a monstrous size to travel from the quarries a far distance away.

Kalasasaya

Although not a lot of known about the site, what is for certain is that is was a main ceremonial site. The religious influence is both polytheism, and Catholicism which was introduced to the people during period II. It was once made of many “buildings” which are mostly destroyed now. There are many statues covered in intricate carvings, as this one which is located in Kalasasaya, a ritual platform. The combination of religions are revealed by this statue, which has trinity representations on in its sides. Many of the statues hold the same things in their hands, a septar representing politics or law, and something representing religion in the other. There are also many carvings of pumas and serpents in the statues, with the serpent representing the underworld. In the museum at this site, there is one statue 8m tall, all made from one piece of stone!

Puerta del Sol

A prominent part of the ruins is the Puerta del Sol. This doorway is carved from a single block of andesite. It is thought to have been placed in a direction so that the sun would shine directly through the door on the solstice. With its decor of sun carvings, many believe this civilization worshiped the sun (in addition to other things).

Semi-subterranean temple, which is also reconstructed, is lined with original face carvings. The faces are theoried to represent the different cultural groups of the civilization.

I have a ton more pics but the internet is loading really SLOW do hopefully I can upload them another time!

Viva La Paz… 200 anos

sarahhickm — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:18:56 +0000

Today is the bicentennial celebration of La Paz and the festivites kicked off strongly yesterday! The busiest street in La Paz, El Prado, was completely blocked off for a parade that started at 6.

Mercado de Brujas decorations

The city was decorated with the colors of Bolivia: red, green and yellow all in the excitement for the celebration.

Almuerzo entertainment

We spent the first part of the day sleeping in and eating lunch (we have to enjoy our days off!). With our awesome apartment location we got to see a day parade right outside our window while we were eating lunch. From what I read, a torch was carried starting at Tiwanaku and traveled all throughout the city of La Paz. We think that this parade was a part of the torch ceremony. During the afternoon we walked around the city (which was really deserted for some reason) and saw the preparations for the night festivities.

At about six we started walking to the parade route where tons of Bolivians were setting up food stands all along the street. The street was covered with people cooking right on the street and selling their goods to all the people. It was like everyone in Bolivia had taken their kitchens to the street. Although we are warned not to eat street food as our stomachs aren’t strong enough, I couldn’t resist taking part in the fun! I’m glad to say that 24 hours later my street empenada has not made me sick.

My camera died half way through the parade so I don’t have a ton of pictures of the night but I hope to get some from my friends here. The parade was the LONGEST parade I’ve ever seen – 4 hours after it started it was still going strong!

Parade

The parade started with a bunch of people carrying torches down the street. Suddenly, I reconized a face at the start of the parade: Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia! It was a pretty exciting site to see, although my camera did not cooperate in getting a picture of him. The craziest part was the total lack of crowd control and “secret service” that we would see if the president was in a parade in the US. It was pretty cool to know that I got to see Bolivia’s president in person during my time here!

The rest of the night was fun and crowded, it seemed like all of La Paz was out on the streets celebrating. Cheers of “Viva La Paz” were ringing everywhere.