Trufis, Bolivianos, and Bella Vista

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.

Primer Día

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 Clarita… she was waiting for the trufi (fixed route taxi) to take her home from school… my first proud moment as feeling a part of the community. In general, my family is very calm. The first day with them, they asked me questions and I gladly answered. Theresa, who is 26, showed me their property, their hens, guinea pigs, and two adorable puppies! Don Zenobio is a farmer and grows potatoes, onions, alfalfa, and gladiolas. Sunday we spent most of the day outside planting onions- I really wanted to get my hands dirty, but as a guest, they only let me sit in the shade and play with the kids. I have felt nothing but welcome in this home, however they don’t even let me lift a finger. La comida has been wonderful; hot chocolate/coffee and bread and butter for breakfast, soup with pasta and meat for lunch, and meat with rice, vegetables, platanos and bread for dinner. I have been eating bananas in mass quantities, for those of you who know me it is a good thing that I like them again. Among the delicacies eaten thus far have been guinea pig (which for the most part tastes exactly like chicken), cinnamon water, and about 5 different kinds of potatoes!
My room is very cute and it is nice to finally have a place settle into! My window gives right onto the front of the house alongside a little brook; Bella Vista, the name of my little campo is in the nook of the Cordillera Real Mountains. Thermal baths and a natural spring are but 30 minutes away, so water is in abundance! I also have electricity, a flush toilet, and a warm shower, so my conditions are ideal. The casa gives onto a little courtyard, and the backyard gives into the fields of gladiolas and potatoes. Perhaps the most frustrating thing for now, but undoubtedly a blessing in disguise is the fact that I am the farthest trainee out from the city. My neighbor Jonathan is about 3 minutes away, but then the next closest PCT is a good 20-minute walk. Thus far it has forced me really to converse with my family and not take the easy way out! Walking to language classes at Jonathan’s house, I pass a beautiful Catholic Church, a “Los Angeles” clinic, about 3 telephone booths, and 2 tiendas. For the most part, it seems that my family is rather quiet- while they did drink a LOT of chicha (maize beer) while planting the potatoes, I think that it is an activity reserved for weekends and larger gatherings.
Today we went to the cancha, which is the huge open-air market in Coch. This is unlike any market I have ever seen; it is well divided into sections and the small alleys make it a prime area to a.) get lost, b.) get pick pocketed, and c.) experience your eyes glazing over from the multitude of items; this includes, but is not limited to: Pantene Pro-V (which costs about 5 times that of a Bolivian brand), llama fetuses (considered a good luck charm if hung outside the home), beautiful artisan-made ponchos/bags, and any kind of chocolate (except for dark)! Along with my closest neighbors, we made it back to Bella Vista by 3 trufis, and after the first day of riding in public transportation I think that I have it mastered. Once home, I watched part of a novella with the whole family while eating pound cake and drinking café con leche…. Mmm!

En Cochabamba

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 Marquina, about 45 minutes outside Cochabamba. All 20 Peace Corps Trainees will be here, dispersed over about 30 km for the next 11 weeks. Monday we begin language, technical, and cultural training- most of it taking place in Marquina. So far, most of our time has been spent with the other volunteers and staff. The majority of them are from Texas and California, with only a couple representatives from the east coast! In between safety, culture, and medical check-ups, we have gotten to know each other quite well. There are about 130 volunteers already in Bolivia, and those who were around this week didn’t waste a minute to take us out and show us a good time. Among the highlights were dancing at a bar to 80’s classic music videos, and attending the local hot spot, El Pimiente Verde.
The weather here has been amazing; winter is winding down, and everyone we meet keeps saying that the conditions in this city are ideal. This morning I went for a run with three others; it was a good way to see Coch before it comes alive. Many merchants were opening up their tiendas- hanging signs with ice cream, Coke, and other commercial goods. It has been too easy to look weeks and months ahead and wonder how it was possible to immerse yourself into such a place- where no matter what you do, you will always be that gringita- but when it comes down to it, I have realized that making through the day by accomplishing at least one thing in a new environment is all that I can ask for.
So I am taking it a day at a time and relishing in the fact that this afternoon I will see a completely new side of family life- perhaps if I am lucky, my host mother will even teach me how to cook!

The Beginning

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

Please feel free to share this site with family and friends as you see appropriate. I would love feedback and comments either on the site or to my email address: cgbosch@gmail.com

That being said, i am still unsure about how often i will have access to email, but no matter how infrequent, hearing from you would undoubtedly make my day!

à bientôt!