Journals
Monday,Nov 7 2005, 08:45:17 PMtrufis, bolivianos, y bella vista...
August 31, 2005
Today was our first day going to the training center in Hullyani alone. I woke up before anyone in my family at 6:00 to a knock at the front gate. Unsure of what to do, I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I thought perhaps it was one of the other PCT’s so I opened the door. I was still half asleep and when they were asking for Don Zenobio, I didn’t know what to tell the couple at the door. I ended up having to wake Don Zenobio and Doña Victoria up… that was only the beginning to a long day! I picked up my friend Jonathan at the end of my street and we began walking where we would meet Shannon and take the trufi to Quiacollo, and then on to Hullyani. My other closest neighbor has been in the hospital for 3 days with salmonella poisoning and chest congestion, so I was rather disconcerted when Shannon told us that she too had been ill all night! I have thus far felt fine, if not perfect, so I hope my luck continues!
Once at the Peace Corps training center, I had Spanish class followed by culture, safety, medical, and community development classes. Each Wednesday I will be going to training, and it is a great place to catch up with everyone that I never see on a daily basis! After class we all went to visit David at the hospital to cheer him up. Hopefully he will be home and in good health tomorrow! Most everyone has a cell phone here, so I made the plunge back to modernity this evening after putting all of my energy into a conversation in Spanish about phones, prices, guarantees, credits, etc.! I was with 3 others at this point, and despite today being a fellow volunteer’s birthday, we headed home. The hour long trufi ride was rather cramped, uncomfortable, and host of other things, but seeing Coch fade into the distance- seeing the true lives of Bolivians as they make their way home each night- made it all worth while; I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. After the other 3 got off the trufi in their campo, Marquina, I continued along for about 15 minutes. When my stop came, I can’t say that I wasn’t scared, because these steps were really the first ones that I had made really on my own… I have not felt unsafe in my community yet, and while I wasn’t going to let my guard down, I also was not going to be mistrusting of my neighbors. This being said, I was thrilled crossing the threshold of mi casa and seeing my little Anabel run towards me, yelling “Hola, Clarita!!!” This made an exhausted gringita feel like she was really home.
Monday,Nov 7 2005, 08:42:18 PMen Cochabamba...
August 27, 2005
Greetings from Cochabamba (or Coch as the locals call it)… I arrived safely on Wednesday morning. First sights at the airport included 13,000+ mountain peaks, several indigenous women selling candies and baked goods, and a beautiful landscape view with predominately low adobe buildings. Beautiful, colorful steeples protruded from the skyline, and despite the long flight and anxiety of arriving, I was truly thrilled to finally have set foot in Bolivia!
Later this afternoon we arrive at our host family’s homes in the village of ...
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Monday,Nov 7 2005, 08:41:03 PMPrimero Dia
August 30, 2005
My four first days with my family have been nothing short of amazing! My parents, Don Zenobio and Doña Victoria are about 50 years old and very cute. They have 3 daughters, but only Theresa lives at home; Along with her husband, Wilhe, she has an adorable four-year-old hijita named Anabel. Another one of the daughters travels a lot thus her 2 daughters Romina and Liz also live here. Anabel took to calling me Clarita, and now everyone calls me that. Even walking down the main road the other day Anabel saw me from afar and was yelling ...
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Monday,Nov 7 2005, 08:39:16 PMThe Beginning...
August 18th, 2005
so here it goes...the beginning of my adventures in Bolivia! Hopefully you will all be able to read about my travels and experiences as a community tourism/ micro-enterprise volunteer with the Peace Corps.
I will be in training in the city of Cochabamba for 11 weeks beginning August 24, 2005. Cochabamba is at an altitude of approx. 7,500 feet and has approx. 500,000 inhabitants. Here is a link with some wonderful pictures of the city: http://tunari.tripod.com/id18.html ...
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