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Bolivia… Being All it Can Be

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

I have been here for twenty-four days.  I was enjoying Bolivia in Uyuni, Potosi and Sucre, but soon after arriving in La Paz the charm of this country was basically gone.  I soon started to learn that the people here are as ignorant as I hope I ever encounter again.  Maybe you think that is a harsh thing to say about a country, but my opinion seems to be shared by most of the people I am traveling with.  Bolivia always seems to aim for the lowest level of service and lowest denominator and it is quite successful at it.  I was wondering why this country is looked down so much by its neighbors and I wondered if it was bigotry against this mostly-indigenous country.  Well now I share their opinion and it has nothing to do with who Bolivians are race-wise, but rather just about what they are all about.  Of course, I have met some wonderful Bolivians, but the overall population that I have encountered is a group of people I can only feel sorry for and certainly not understand.

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It´s a Jungle Out There

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

I went to the Bolivia jungle area northeast of La Paz with high hopes. I was going to visit Madidi National Park which National Geographic proclaimed as the most bio-diverse place on earth. I had read the horror stories about the twenty hour bus ride from La Paz to Rurrenabaque and decided to fly for about $60 each way. That was the best choice I made over a few days period. The flight from El Alto above La Paz went through the Cordillera Real section of the Andes and actually flew between, not above, two peaks that are about 6000 meters high. If someone is afraid of flying and took a small airplane on this route, they would not make it. All of us seemed to love it. It was a clear day and looking at the glaciers, peaks and green and blue lakes on the sides of the mountains was an amazing albeit short experience. We soon made it to the other side of the Andes which drop quickly down to rainforest at only a few hundred meters in altitude. The rainforest was cloud-enshrouded until we approached Rurrenabaque. We were skimming across the tops of the trees and all I was thinking about is that there better be a runway… soon. Getting off the plane was a shock since I have been at high altitude for weeks where it is dry and cool and we were immediately hit with scorching, humid air. Welcome to the tropics.

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Two Jungles

Friday, May 4th, 2007

I spent the morning busy in La Paz with the main activity being a trip to the post office. Another adventure in postal world. Bolivia might be a bit crazy and haphazard, but I think the Bolivians are ... [Continue reading this entry]

When the Cars Disappear… Protest!

Friday, May 4th, 2007
The airplane ride from Sucre to La Paz was the first one I had since arriving in Cordoba, Argentina weeks ago.  I was tired of the roads and to fly over the Andes for $69 seemed like a deal.  I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Tale of Two Cities

Friday, May 4th, 2007

You won't find two more different cities on earth as Potosi and Sucre and considering they are only 150 kilometers apart in the same country this is very strange. Potosi is dominated by Cerro Rico - historically, physically and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Most Dangerous Job on Earth?

Monday, April 30th, 2007
You probably do not know about Cerro Rico or the "Rich Hill", but you certainly know what it did for the European World.  The Spaniards using Incan slaves pulled 45,000 tons of pure silver out of the hill between the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Salt of the Earth

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

The landscapes of Northwest Argentina were beautiful and strange.  The landscapes of Northeast Chile were less beautiful, but more strange.  But neither of these areas compares with Southwest Bolivia.  I just spent the last three days driving from San Pedro ... [Continue reading this entry]