Last day!

Hola Amigos!

Friday was quite a full day but very different from the rest of the trip. There had been snow in the mountains while we were in the lower altitude of Cochabamba and I actually got to throw a snowball when we got off the plane in La Paz Thursday night (sorry, Art...blame my inner child). Terry let us sleep an extra hour since we didn't get into our hostel until late Thursday night (and some of us were treated to a loud early morning rant in the hall by an irate European traveler...that led to more lost sleep...but Cathy "The Enforcer" took care of the situation!). On Friday we toured the city of La Paz and had a true tourist day. We headed a little higher into the Andes Mountains and trekked through the Valley of the Moon to the south of La Paz. I've done a good bit of hiking in my pre-back/ankle/knee surgery days but had never seen topography quite like that. The entire valley floor looked a bit like Luray Caverns, only the stalagmites were light colored and had the consistency of sandy mud adobe. There will be some INCREDIBLE pictures of the trek in the coming days, so make sure you ask one of the team to see them. We had lunch in an authentic cafe and munched on llama, soup made from some kind of cereal grains (with some wicked hot sauce), and various Bolivian dishes. We walked from there to the hostel straight up a street on a very long, steep hill in the middle of the market district. There is something called the Witches Market in that area where you can buy herbs, remedies, and various items needed for spells. Several of us had read that Amayran Indians believe that a dried llama fetus buried in the foundation of your home will bring good fortune and were curious to see if they were really in the market. They were, and they STINK to high Heaven. One of those would've won the prize for the strangest souvenir (or maybe the Jesus flask we saw in the airport at Cochabamba), but no one wanted to explain dried fetuses to customs agents, so we settled for photos. The markets were full of beautiful textiles, leather goods, silver, fresh fruits and vegetables, and hot dishes that smelled delicious. Many of us practiced the fine art of bargaining and brought home some beautiful souvenirs of our trip. Among all the shopping, however, there were many beggars and little children selling mints, candy, and flowers. There was even a little girl in one of the shops who bargained with me over a handmade tapestry and she was quite a saleslady. When I finally relented and agreed to a price, I asked her how old she was (10) and told her that I was a teacher back home and that she was very grown-up! Her mom was very happy to hear that and we chatted for a bit before I headed back down the street.

The traffic in La Paz is worthy of its own section in this email. The worst traffic I've ever driven in is rush hour in Northern Virginia, which is pretty brutal, but it's like a walk in the park compared to La Paz. There are no lane markers, traffic signals are treated as mere suggestions, and I suspect there is some sort of bounty for knocking over tourists. Crossing the street requires prayer and very strong faith in God...and even then it's pretty scary!! Traffic circles are particularly interesting. I've been skydiving, bungee jumping, and parasailing with enthusiasm but I just closed my eyes and ducked down in my seat when our driver charged our minibus through a circle near the central plaza.

After much foot-dragging, it was time to go back to the hotel and pack for the flight home. On the way to the airport, our driver pulled to the side of the road so we could get some pictures of El Alto, an Andean peak that towers over La Paz. Our guide told us about a custom of making an offering to El Alto for protection. Apparently, if you look at teh mountain from a certain angle, it looks like 2 people, a dog, and a llama. (I may not have the numebers exactly right but you get the idea.) Legend has it that they were part of an expedition to El Alto that failed to make an offering and the Amayran gods held them forever in the mountain range as punishment. Now it is customary to make an offering to Al Alto before climbing it. Several of us scrambled to the top of a hill that led to a pedestrian overpass and were able to take photos worthy of National Geographic. There was snow on top of El Alto and the sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, yet another reminder of God's majesty in the middle of such poverty.

The trip home was tough...after such an emotional week, it was difficult to rest on the flights home. Our flight out of La Paz left around 8 last night, but there were no direct flights to Miami, so we flew to Santa Cruz, spent about an hour or so on the plane while the crew cleaned it, then lifted off for an overnight flight to Miami. We go into Miami somewhere around 4 or 5 this morning and took off for DC around 8:30 this morning. It's now 10 pm and there's a Law and Order rerun on TV. I'm sitting here in my cushy recliner with the AC running, typing on my laptop computer, thinking about what's in the fridge, and using up more resources than any individual probably has a right to. I wonder how my new friends are doing and if they have enough food for dinner tonight while I'm waiting for yet another load of laundry to finish drying b/c it's so inconvenient to hang them up outside. Later I'll put on clean pajamas and snuggle up in my queen size bed while Ignacia and her husband and four children share 2 twin beds in a tiny room with a dirt floor. Who do I pray for tonight? The poor family who lack material things and modern conveniences? Or those of us who have such mixed up priorities?



amy