Sunday, September 5, 2010
Beautiful people--Beautiful world. The end.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Uyuni
What's important when you travel? Money? Documents? Well...and a camera. But we forgot the first two. Lets say Anitawa was nonexistent on paper and I was empty pocketed. After five hours of searching we found the town's only ATM--it was empty. I think the Lord likes suspense. As we see a line forming around this ATM I realized they just filled it, so in the end I was able to secure my three day tour. (You see it was yet another holiday and the banks weren't open--hence the exhaustion of this lonely ATM in the town of Uyuni).
We pile into a four wheel drive with two dutch, a New Zealander, an Australian, and our lovely chauffeur. On our roof is our gas for our trek and enough food for three days. It was amazing. Never in my life did I imagine I would see so many wonders in the same trip. Train graveyards, endless salt plains, hotels of pure salt, flamingos, mountains, lakes, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, llamas and avicunas, and desolate-desolate lands stretching out past my vision. The salt plains were deceiving. The white reflected back the sun and burned your skin. You think its like snow but then you breath in an immense flavor of salt fills your mouth as it slowly dehydrates you. Amongst these plains were a few islands of cacti. They say that it used to be a huge lake and all that is left now is its savory contents...acres and acres of salt. Now I can say that I've sat on the bottom of a lake. Check that off my bucket list.
Who would of thought that in the middle of these desolate empty stretches would you find lakes. Lakes partly frozen over, back-dropped by snow capped mountains and smoking volcanoes. In these borax, sulfur filled lakes were hundreds and hundreds of flamingos. Their bright pink feathers reflecting on the green, blue, red water (surreal like I said, no lake was only one color).
We stopped in one area where Armageddon was filmed--it looked like the moon (since I have been there and all). As we climbed these contemporary shaped rocks in the distance, majestically threatened a smoking volcano. Last time it erupted was 2003. "Thanks volcano for not erupting while I was there"
What's a geyser? A spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. A good way to hard boil some eggs...some tours took their breakfast to cook over steam. There were over 25 of these individual geyser, all different sizes, all releasing steam, and all smelling like sulfur. It was like a dream. Sulfur steam surrounding me as I wander through the uneven, soft ground between the multitudes of boiling earth releasing its pressure. Beautiful.
So after four days of traveling in the desert, you begin to yearn a nice hot shower. And of course hot water in these frigid area is rare. Man were those hot springs welcoming. Cleansing to the skin and soothing to the body as it defrosts my tired-cold feet. Downside--ice hair when I was done.
Llamas are proud animals. The way they strut with their head held high. I ate llama on this trip. Its like tough-gray chicken. Avicunas is like the bolivian deer. Just skinnier and living in the desert.
The trip was a great way to celebrate the end of my two months. Not to mention, I think Anitwaw needed that vacation...she works hard. It was fun to escape together for four days...away from responsibility and all sense of time.
And the countdown begins...so little time left. One last blog entry and then an end to my adventures.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
John 11:35 "Jesus wept"...
...and so did I. SSShhh, don´t tell my brother (he thinks I´m bad ass). But yes, I think it all got to me or it was a lovely combination of the poverty, deaths, pain, sickness and sadness that I saw. I am patting my friends back, trying to get him to breath. He has gradually escalated into a state of shock, hysteria. He is struggling as tells me about his life--his hard hard life--how he held his little sister in his arms and watch her take her last breath as she slipped in to the hands of death, how at such a young age is living on his own, how he was recently beaten up and robbed...life is just too much to bare for some...but as he relays these terrors to me through heaving, panicked breaths and tears flowings down his cheeks, it literally took all the power in me to avoid allowing my own tear filled eyes to release the waters that I held back. Why is life so unjust to some? We ended up having to take him to the hospital as his shock worsened, on the way he was revived twice. Thanks to God he is now stabilized and recovering at home. Please keep him in your prayers. There is much more going on in his life than this one instance of hysteria.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Untouchable
I´m walking down the steep hills and cobble stone streets to the market on my way to the market in Villa Fatima (all excited because I am going to make a pumpkin pie from a whole pumpkin and give some friends here a taste of one of my favorite Thanksgiving delicacies). The crisp fresh air whips across my nose changing it to a rosy-gringo red. I am content and happy, pondering about my day, the visits I did, the people I saw at the clinic, and the time that I have spent here so far. Then I look up the hill from where I have come and on a roof top of one of the brick homes above me I see
I found a way to connect with the adultos mayores! Who doesn´t like to cook? We had a teacher come and teach us some recipes…ones that will definitely be repeated in the states! Empanadas anyone? Or maybe some tempting pasteles por api? Cooking with five elderly, stubborn women is quite hilarious. They all have their way of doing things…and something called a recipe is almost a foreign language to them. But in the end, with the combined forces of us all (along with the guidance of a very patient, government paid cook) did we result in amazing postres! I have to say, I am proud of us all. They were so funny as they chatted away and formed the most perfect empanadas (why can´t my fingers work so smoothly as theirs?). They insist that I learn aymara and that I change my visa to a year rather than my departure date of sept 2nd…aaahhh so soon!
This week consisted of many home visits. I enjoy going to visit them…you know bring the help to them rather than wait for them to come to us. Only, it´s hard to see how they live and the pain that some of them are in. We hiked up some steep roads and gasped up intense stairs to many homes. How does this elder with a bad foot do it? I am continually impressed with the toughness and stamina of the people here. Now, if I go to complain about something, I think twice. One woman had fallen down her steps and resulted in sprains, broken rib, black swollen eye which can´t be opened, and a hematoma covering half of her head. This case alone encourage Omar and I to begin brain storming. Why is there no emergency health care here? Would it be really hard to start one? What would we need to have a “911” service for the people of the periferica? Would we give a home number to call or should we have a clinic too? These are all just heavy questions that begin a project. I hope that Omar can continue with his dream. Maybe I could come back and ensure that it gets done…gota be a doctor first.
As my flight gets closer and closer, the doctors are planning my nights and weekends. All my free time is now devoted to do the things on “my list of things to do while in Bolivia.” Interestingly enough, among that list is to eat a cow heart with this savory peanut sauce--anticucho. No worries, I´ll get to check that off tomorrow as I cook it with the dentista Rita. I´ll let you know how it goes…I hear its healthy. I also go to the lake Titicaca (Rachel you can stop laughing now) tomorrow. It is one of the largest lakes here and is the highest lake in the world.
Today after work I got drug along with Dra. Paula, Dr. Omar, and Dr. Rita to go to a calvario. Nope…had no idea what it was. But Bolivians are full of tradition and also a little suspicion, so I knew it would be interesting as we went higher and higher. Rita had taken a stone from the river a year ago. Now as she took it she wished for a good year, fortune, health and all that good stuff. A year has passed and today was the day to return the stone to its home. That means we were carrying a 20 pound stone with us…and beer (what´s a ceremony without beer?). We had an indigenous—somewhat religious—man pray over the rock and say a lot of
other stuff in aymara. I am sure it was blessings and what not. He also added incense and poured beer on the fire…and on us. He filled our hands with the foam of the beer and you had to put it in your pocket since it represented money and wealth. It was an interesting experience. After it all Rita was blessed because she brought back her stone and we all shared a beer. And the elderly man who blessed us with his chants, incense, and fire then asked me to take him with me to the states (as he winks he said his partner wouldn´t mind). Makes me wonder if this is all a gimmick or Rita truly will have a year full of fortune, wealth and health. I´ll pray for the second.Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
It was bound to happen....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Starfish
La Combre
This is the highest I´ve been. Anitawa piled as many as could fit in the jeep and off we went for an adventure. The month of august is the month of sacrifices...yup animal sacrifices. To thank mother earth for all she has offered and also to ensure health for the year. The drive up was, how would one put it, life threatening? We were literally in the clouds-meaning we couldn´t see very much. I would definitely say it was worth the drive and the risk. When we got there, I felt like I was walking in a dream. My childhood fantasy to walk among the clouds came true, and where of all places--but the mountains of Bolivia. The whole experience was so surreal. The only downside is we were drenched after only 10 minutes of walking around because of all the humidity in the clouds.
Casa Luz
This week I was assigned a task. Yay, I am useful! I was told to assess the health of the children at Casa Luz y Esperanza, weights, heights, BMI...all that good stuff. Then sum it up and tell them who was at risk. I was excited to get to meet these children. They are all struggling with some kind of handicap, autism, ADHD, downs, or another disability. They are so precious, innocent, and in their own little world. Trust is not given easily. Their world is so fragile. It intrigues me how each child has a unique way of communicating, of relaxing, of expressing oneself. I have a favorite...yeah yeah...favorites aren´t nice. But if you saw this child, you would adore him too. He is four years old and goes by Brandon (pronounced with a sweet spanish accent). He has a speech impediment, but is quickly improving. He just looks at me with those bright eyes, smiles with those dimples of his, and I melt. I admire those that work at Casa Luz, patience is a must in this field of work. Thank you for all those that have the unending patience and love that is required to work with the mentally handicapped.
Mallasa
A beautiful national park. I accompanied the children from the sunday-school program on a little retreat. These kids are in their teens. I loved getting to know them more, hear them gossip, discuss their favorite type of music, giggle about boys, and lay upon me endless questions about the united states. We baked in the sun, ate a feast, failed at our multiple attempts at volleyball, rode horses among our beautiful moutainous backdrop, sped around on four-wheels through Valley de Luna (named because of its rock formations that remind me of those drip sand-castles that you make at the beach), and mainly just enjoyed the day. I felt like I connected with some of the girls. One, opened up to me and confided in me some family issues. It let me see how intricate everyones life really is. You may appear happy, confident, and content on the outside while literally you are terrified to walk in to you own home. Say a prayer for this young one please.
Culture
So here I thought I was well traveled and knowledgeable to most cultures. The other day I went to dinner to one of my friends house. Why? Well, I asked if I could meet his family and see how he lives. I like to experience things and really put my feet in another person´s shoes. Maybe I shouldn´t have. One culture that I do not know very well is that of the indigenous that speak aymara. I was fed a typical plate of the alto-plano. It was delicious and filling...I only wish they didn´t feed me so much! No worries, I finished it all, slowly but surely. The family I visited was not accustomed to guests. I ate in the same room the family of 8 slept. I tried to make small talk, but either I was intimidating or they were unsure of how to act with this american girl in their one room home. Either way my uneasiness grew as we sat in silence, with my mind racing. What should I say? Should I eat faster since I am the only one left with food still in her bowl? Why are they so quiet? Why won´t they look me in the eye when they talk to me? How do 8 people sleep in the same room, all arriving and leaving at different times? Am I offending them being here? Why did my friend just excuse my spanish for me!? Oh, like I said before...maybe second impressions are more important in Bolivia. The family was shy, but definitely kind. I just wish they would stop apologizing for their living conditions. How can they afford to give me a bag of the best looking potatoes as a gift? Oh the situations I get myself into. ´
My Analogy
A little sun bleached girl is racing along the beach. There are thousands of star fish washed up on the shore, left to dry out and die. She is breathlessly picking up the few that she can and tossing them back into the sea. An old man is watching from the distance. Fed up with this young girls infant thought that she can save all of them, he approaches her. "You know, little one, you will never get to all these starfish in time to save them?" She stops her frantic attempt to save the dying lives long enough to answer,"Yes, but they few that I do get to are still alive."
I thought about my situation here and the work that Anitawa and Janet are doing with the three clinics. There are so many different lives, situations, poverty in the world that we will never solve all the problems. But the few lives that we do manage to impact, are changed for life. I need to remember this when I get frustrated at my inability to solve everything. I am only one small vessel in God´s grand plan. Patience is a must, humbleness is a necessity.