I'm sure your thinking "It's about time". Yes I know it's been almost 2months since we posted anything on the blog. I apologize, what can I say.... life happens. We are down to our last two weeks here in Bolivia and it's crazy to even think this year is almost over. We said our first goodbye on the 19th of May to Emigdio and Gladys and it will be a steady stream of goodbyes till we leave. As we are learning there's many comings and goings in the missionary community and this is a hard and sad reality to deal with. The kids finished their school year this past Friday and we are all rejoicing in that. It's been a tough year for the kids and the stress level was definately high this last few weeks. Brian and I wrapped up our spanish classes and are greatful for the opportunity to learn this last year. Unfortunately there's is still a long way to go before we call ourselves fluent but at least we can muttle our way through (most days anyway). This last week we were able to take part in a class given by Rene Padilla from Argentina on the topic off Integral Mission. It was a great opportunity for us to hear from a world class theologion.
We plan to spend the next 14days day tripping around the Cochabamba area, packing and getting in our last days at the Casa de la Amistad. This last Thursday (May 27th) was Mother's day here in Bolivia and on friday the Casa had a party for the Mothers of the kids in the program. The kids presented a program which included dances, special songs and some choreography from the older kids. I printed out 160 different photos of all the kids in the program and gave them out to all the mothers. They all seamed very pleased as many may never have a printed picture of their child.
We are sad to leave as our hearts are very tied to this country and to many people here. It will be hard to say goodbye to our friends and collegues and yet we are excited to come home and see all our family and friends back home.
Please pray for us as we journey once again through a time of transition and that God would continue to bless those around us in this process.
Thanks for all your love and care,
Norma
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Top Ten List - Take 2
Well here we are. With less than 3 months to go, I am more than overdue on updating my top ten good and bad things about Bolivia. So here they are:
Top Ten Things I will miss:
1) Fresh fruit- Wow, this country is blessed. Fresh and cheap. For a guy who wasn’t a big fan of fruit, Bolivia has changed my mind and expanded my horizons.
2) The kids at the casa- About once a week and without warning I am subjected to a hug ambush and that never gets old....ever.
3) The work at the casa- There is so much to do and they could use so much help. It is hard to leave somewhere where you can use your meagre abilities for good.
4) Cheap Transportation- Taking a break from driving has been easy when cabs are cheap and buses are plentiful and fast.
5) The diversity of Bolivia – What other country can you visit the jungle and go mountain climbing on the same day? Three hours in any direction is a different world. I love prairie skies but change is good.
6) Spanish – This is a tough one. Right now the lessons are hard and progress is painfully slow but I know I will miss it soon after my return. I have a whole new appreciation for those that speak two or three or four languages. It is not easy.
7) Community – We have developed close relationships with many of the missionaries here and we see each other regularly. It is a relationship built on necessity and frequency. It will be hard to say goodbye.
8) A view of the mountains – I am a prairie boy and I will always be but I have become accustomed to looking out to the mountains from our apartment window.
9) Cheap Travel- Transportation is so cheap in Bolivia, you can jump on a bus for $4 and be in La Paz or in the jungle of Chapare. Hotels are equally cheap and so is food. Getting out of town for the weekend won’t be the same in Canada.
10) Bolivian Food – Many of the newsletters talk about food and that is perhaps because the love of food is a common denominator for many. There are many amazing dishes in Cochabamba that just can’t be replicated in Canada. The joke amongst our Bolivian friends is that we need to open a Bolivian restaurant in Canada. I don’t think we would do it justice. They are definitely proud of their food and rightfully so. The craving for Saleñas have started already and we haven’t left.
Ten Things I Won’t Miss
1) A Lack of Standards – I thought I would never say this after spending 10 years at CSA learning to hate standards and the endless quest for perfection but living in a land seemingly devoid of any type of standard is getting frustrating.
2) Hot Weather-Now I know you are all saying, “ya right” but really cooler is better. You can take off the jacket but hot is hot and you cannot escape.
3) Drivers that don’t follow the rules of the road- at first we thought it was a free for all here but we now realize there are rules but they are either not followed on purpose or out of ignorance. Either way, I won’t be reminding our kids on how to cross the street in Canada. Look both ways while running just doesn’t have the same ring.
4) Slow Internet – Still on the list and still incredible what the charge for slow internet here but at least it is available.
5) Real Roads – Although travel is cheap, it is not easy. A 150km trip can take 6 hours and the invigorating massage is free. Yes Edmonton roads are bad and some highways aren’t great but believe me it can be much worse.
6) Dogs – Packs of stray dogs, fighting dogs, dogs barking all night long, dog poop on every street and much more. I have a whole new appreciation for the SPCA. Animal control is a good thing.
7) Businesses without a schedule – Words cannot describe the joy of going to a store (the only store, you know that has what you need) by bus, across town, between the hours of 9-12 or 2-5 only to find that they are not open because it’s the owner’s cousin’s brother’s nephew’s birthday or some other arbitrary reason. Oh for 7-11 or Walmart, i.e., never closed. I am almost ready to stand in a long line for bad service at Zellers....I said almost.
8) Water from a bottle- Please go to the tap after you read this and pour a nice big glass of water and drink it down knowing you won’t get giardia, or some other intestinal bacterial. Canada is truly blessed and Edmonton in particular. Lots of clean water and no big jugs of water to carry around.
9) Noisy neighbours – Living in our apartment has been a blessing but we now have new neighbours who chain-smoke with their doors and windows open and have loud conversations on the patio in Chinese (yes Chinese) at 2:00am. Between them and the incessant barking dog next door and the lack of a yard, we will be happy to be back in our home sweet home with fire truck sirens and noisy motorcycles. Oh the joy of home.
10) Not understanding – Our Spanish is good but we have a very long way to go. It is frustrating to us and now to others when we just can’t understand. Every week, or lately everyday, there seems to be someone who opens their mouth and says something, and I cannot understand one word of what they just said. Not all that surprising for me put increasing frustrating for those who know we can speak and understand Spanish.
Dios Te Bendiga,
Brian
Top Ten Things I will miss:
1) Fresh fruit- Wow, this country is blessed. Fresh and cheap. For a guy who wasn’t a big fan of fruit, Bolivia has changed my mind and expanded my horizons.
2) The kids at the casa- About once a week and without warning I am subjected to a hug ambush and that never gets old....ever.
3) The work at the casa- There is so much to do and they could use so much help. It is hard to leave somewhere where you can use your meagre abilities for good.
4) Cheap Transportation- Taking a break from driving has been easy when cabs are cheap and buses are plentiful and fast.
5) The diversity of Bolivia – What other country can you visit the jungle and go mountain climbing on the same day? Three hours in any direction is a different world. I love prairie skies but change is good.
6) Spanish – This is a tough one. Right now the lessons are hard and progress is painfully slow but I know I will miss it soon after my return. I have a whole new appreciation for those that speak two or three or four languages. It is not easy.
7) Community – We have developed close relationships with many of the missionaries here and we see each other regularly. It is a relationship built on necessity and frequency. It will be hard to say goodbye.
8) A view of the mountains – I am a prairie boy and I will always be but I have become accustomed to looking out to the mountains from our apartment window.
9) Cheap Travel- Transportation is so cheap in Bolivia, you can jump on a bus for $4 and be in La Paz or in the jungle of Chapare. Hotels are equally cheap and so is food. Getting out of town for the weekend won’t be the same in Canada.
10) Bolivian Food – Many of the newsletters talk about food and that is perhaps because the love of food is a common denominator for many. There are many amazing dishes in Cochabamba that just can’t be replicated in Canada. The joke amongst our Bolivian friends is that we need to open a Bolivian restaurant in Canada. I don’t think we would do it justice. They are definitely proud of their food and rightfully so. The craving for Saleñas have started already and we haven’t left.
Ten Things I Won’t Miss
1) A Lack of Standards – I thought I would never say this after spending 10 years at CSA learning to hate standards and the endless quest for perfection but living in a land seemingly devoid of any type of standard is getting frustrating.
2) Hot Weather-Now I know you are all saying, “ya right” but really cooler is better. You can take off the jacket but hot is hot and you cannot escape.
3) Drivers that don’t follow the rules of the road- at first we thought it was a free for all here but we now realize there are rules but they are either not followed on purpose or out of ignorance. Either way, I won’t be reminding our kids on how to cross the street in Canada. Look both ways while running just doesn’t have the same ring.
4) Slow Internet – Still on the list and still incredible what the charge for slow internet here but at least it is available.
5) Real Roads – Although travel is cheap, it is not easy. A 150km trip can take 6 hours and the invigorating massage is free. Yes Edmonton roads are bad and some highways aren’t great but believe me it can be much worse.
6) Dogs – Packs of stray dogs, fighting dogs, dogs barking all night long, dog poop on every street and much more. I have a whole new appreciation for the SPCA. Animal control is a good thing.
7) Businesses without a schedule – Words cannot describe the joy of going to a store (the only store, you know that has what you need) by bus, across town, between the hours of 9-12 or 2-5 only to find that they are not open because it’s the owner’s cousin’s brother’s nephew’s birthday or some other arbitrary reason. Oh for 7-11 or Walmart, i.e., never closed. I am almost ready to stand in a long line for bad service at Zellers....I said almost.
8) Water from a bottle- Please go to the tap after you read this and pour a nice big glass of water and drink it down knowing you won’t get giardia, or some other intestinal bacterial. Canada is truly blessed and Edmonton in particular. Lots of clean water and no big jugs of water to carry around.
9) Noisy neighbours – Living in our apartment has been a blessing but we now have new neighbours who chain-smoke with their doors and windows open and have loud conversations on the patio in Chinese (yes Chinese) at 2:00am. Between them and the incessant barking dog next door and the lack of a yard, we will be happy to be back in our home sweet home with fire truck sirens and noisy motorcycles. Oh the joy of home.
10) Not understanding – Our Spanish is good but we have a very long way to go. It is frustrating to us and now to others when we just can’t understand. Every week, or lately everyday, there seems to be someone who opens their mouth and says something, and I cannot understand one word of what they just said. Not all that surprising for me put increasing frustrating for those who know we can speak and understand Spanish.
Dios Te Bendiga,
Brian
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What a Weekend!
We've just come through a crazy weekend. Friday night the kids school Carachipampa had Palooza highlighting the arts. Students were invited to enter artwork, poems, writing, culinary works and or music pieces. The evening displayed the works and musical numbers were presents for the audience. Our very own Sarah sang a solo and her poem one 2nd place in the elementary category. It was a great evening enjoying the gifts and talents of the students. Saturday we finally got to the baby wash. Every Saturday in the main city plaza a group of people come for 1 hour with baby tubs, large garbage bins with water, food and new clothes. There are many people here in Bolivia that don't have access to water. Ladies carry their babies on their backs for hours a day and children don't have places to be washed. At the baby wash the little ones and stripped downed and cleaned head to toe and then given a new outfit to wear. The other children can have their hair washed over the large garbage bins. Then they sit and get their hair combed out and are given a barrette or ponytail or braids. There are also girls there willing to paint little girls fingernails. Everybody that comes to the babywash ( parents and kids) are given a drink and a bun.
Sunday we visited one of the other Baptist churches here in Bolivia that our friends attend along with a couple from Canada who had just arrived with a team on Friday. The team had split up and visited 3 different churches. After church we all ( team Bolivia and team from Canada) went out for a fabulous lunch. Later in the afternoon everyone descended on our house for the Gold Medal hockey game. We have close to 30 people in our apartment, 11 of those being children.
Duane Guthrie invited another family who are missionaries here from the US. They arrived with a plastic US flag tablecloth to boost the rivalry. Most everyone gathered around our 20" TV and watched the game of course with Spanish commentators. Great Fun was had by all.
Oh and did I mention that I did all this with a sprained ankle. Thursday morning during a torrential downpour, as we were running out of the market I fell in a hole in the street and twisted my ankle. Luckily I didn't break it as I thought I might have.
All in all it was a crazy but exciting weekend.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What Does This Party Mean
So we've just come through carnival weekend only to find another day of festivities going on in the market beside us. We were told that today the party is for the Andean goddess pachamama. The 2 indigenous groups here in Bolivia, the Aymaran and the Quechuan have some very distinct spiritual rituals which include monthly sacrifices which are burnt the first Friday of every month. It took us a few months to figure out what was going on as we were noticing that every month out on the street in front of our market there were these craft like items to buy as well as small bags of carbon and grills. After asking some of our Bolivian Christian friends they explained the purpose and to whom it was for. Tonight I decided to hit Google and find out more. I've included the info from the Internet to help you understand some of the beliefs and practices here in Bolivia. Brian and I both found it interesting that tonight's party for pachamama falls on the first day of lent. Perhaps this could be because many of the Catholic beliefs here are a mix of Catholicism and indigenous spirituality. Please pray for God's presence to reveal the truth here in Bolivia.
Norma
Pachamama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the film distributor, see Pachamama Cine.
Pachamama is a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. Pachamama is usually translated as "Mother Earth" but a more literal translation would be "Mother world" (in Aymara and Quechua mama = mother / pacha = world or land; and later spread fairly modern as the cosmos or the universe).[1] Pachamama and Inti are the most benevolent deities and are worshiped in parts of the Andean mountain ranges, also known as Tawantinsuyu (stretching from present day Ecuador to Chile and Argentina).
In Inca mythology, Mama Pacha or Pachamama is a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. She causes earthquakes. Her husband was either Pacha Camac or Inti, depending on the source. Llamas are sacrificed to her. After conquest by Catholic Spain her image was masked by the Virgin Mary, behind whom she is invoked and worshiped in the Indian ritual, in some parts of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru (Merlino y Rabey 1992).[2]
Since Pachamama is a "good mother", people usually toast to her honor before every meeting or festivity, in some regions by spilling a small amount of chicha on the floor, before drinking the rest. This toast is called "challa" and it's made almost everyday. Pachamama has a special worship day called "Martes de challa" (Challa's Tuesday) where people bury food, throw candies, burn incense. In some cases, celebrants assist traditional priests, known as "yatiris" in Aymara, in performing ancient rites to bring good luck or the good will of the goddess, such as sacrificing guinea pigs or burning llama fetuses (although these last two are no longer very common). The festival coincides with Shrove Tuesday.
Contents[hide]
1 Ritual
2 See also
3 References
4 External links
//
[edit] Ritual
The central ritual to Pachamama is the Challa or Pago (Payment). It is carried out during all the month of August, and in many places also the first Friday of each month. Other ceremonies are carried out in special times, as upon leaving for a trip or upon passing an apacheta. According to Mario Rabey and Rodolfo Merlino, Argentine anthropologists who studied the Andean culture from the 1970s to the '90s, "the most important ritual is the challaco. Challaco is a deformation of the quechua words 'ch'allay' and 'ch'allakuy', that refer to the action to insistently sprinkle.[1] In the current language of the campesinos of the southern Central Andes, the word 'challar' is used like a synonym of 'to feed and to give drink to the land'. The challaco, just as is practiced in the studied area,[3] covers a complex series of ritual steps that begin in the family dwellings the night of the eve, during which cooks a special food, the tijtincha, and that culminate in an eye of water or the beginning of a ditch where is carried out the main ritual to the Mother Earth, with a series of tributes that include food, beverage, leaves of Coca and cigars."[4]
The religion centered in the Pachamama is practiced currently in parallel form to the Christianity, to the point that many families are simultaneously Christian and pachamamistas.[3] Pachamama is sometimes syncretized the Virgin of Candelaria.[5]
Norma
Pachamama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the film distributor, see Pachamama Cine.
Pachamama is a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. Pachamama is usually translated as "Mother Earth" but a more literal translation would be "Mother world" (in Aymara and Quechua mama = mother / pacha = world or land; and later spread fairly modern as the cosmos or the universe).[1] Pachamama and Inti are the most benevolent deities and are worshiped in parts of the Andean mountain ranges, also known as Tawantinsuyu (stretching from present day Ecuador to Chile and Argentina).
In Inca mythology, Mama Pacha or Pachamama is a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. She causes earthquakes. Her husband was either Pacha Camac or Inti, depending on the source. Llamas are sacrificed to her. After conquest by Catholic Spain her image was masked by the Virgin Mary, behind whom she is invoked and worshiped in the Indian ritual, in some parts of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru (Merlino y Rabey 1992).[2]
Since Pachamama is a "good mother", people usually toast to her honor before every meeting or festivity, in some regions by spilling a small amount of chicha on the floor, before drinking the rest. This toast is called "challa" and it's made almost everyday. Pachamama has a special worship day called "Martes de challa" (Challa's Tuesday) where people bury food, throw candies, burn incense. In some cases, celebrants assist traditional priests, known as "yatiris" in Aymara, in performing ancient rites to bring good luck or the good will of the goddess, such as sacrificing guinea pigs or burning llama fetuses (although these last two are no longer very common). The festival coincides with Shrove Tuesday.
Contents[hide]
1 Ritual
2 See also
3 References
4 External links
//
[edit] Ritual
The central ritual to Pachamama is the Challa or Pago (Payment). It is carried out during all the month of August, and in many places also the first Friday of each month. Other ceremonies are carried out in special times, as upon leaving for a trip or upon passing an apacheta. According to Mario Rabey and Rodolfo Merlino, Argentine anthropologists who studied the Andean culture from the 1970s to the '90s, "the most important ritual is the challaco. Challaco is a deformation of the quechua words 'ch'allay' and 'ch'allakuy', that refer to the action to insistently sprinkle.[1] In the current language of the campesinos of the southern Central Andes, the word 'challar' is used like a synonym of 'to feed and to give drink to the land'. The challaco, just as is practiced in the studied area,[3] covers a complex series of ritual steps that begin in the family dwellings the night of the eve, during which cooks a special food, the tijtincha, and that culminate in an eye of water or the beginning of a ditch where is carried out the main ritual to the Mother Earth, with a series of tributes that include food, beverage, leaves of Coca and cigars."[4]
The religion centered in the Pachamama is practiced currently in parallel form to the Christianity, to the point that many families are simultaneously Christian and pachamamistas.[3] Pachamama is sometimes syncretized the Virgin of Candelaria.[5]
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Day to Remember
A year ago today I said goodbye to a special women and dear friend Eileen Spillett. In recent days I've thought a lot about her. We started out in a family group together because of our geographical locations but I can see that God brought us together for so much more. You always gave 150% to see your girls succeed in school. In the early years I thought you were crazy at how much you gave and gave. Now as I'm in those same years of school with my son I finally get it. You shared some of your deepest struggles with me and the level of trust you had is still so admirable. Eileen you walked through cancer a fighter. You researched and sought out different treatments and wouldn't accept no for an answer. When you had to go for chemo you asked me to go wig shopping with you. You never knew how important that was to me. You were never afraid to ask for help, for meals, for pray. I will never forget the night our family group got together and you shaved all the men's head. As you came to family group and threw off your wig I knew there was a level of trust and intimacy that we so rarely experience and for that I say thanks. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to come visit you more in the hospital. I've always been so horrible at saying goodbye but now I see that I was so wrong. You blessed us when you were alive and blessed us through your death. Your memorial fund allowed us to come and spend this year here in Bolivia. I must confess I still struggle with this idea, that I'm here because you are not but I am comforted in the knowledge of the depth of your love for me and my family. I look forward some day to seeing you again and sharing all that God did in this year in Bolivia. So if I haven't said it clearly enough thank you for your friendship, thank you for your wisdom, thank you for your trust and vulnerability, thank you for your blessing and thank you for you love.
Love Norma
Saturday, February 6, 2010
And so it begins......
We have just completed our first full week of activities for this year. Casa de la Amistad resumed it's program this last week and we were there to jump right in. There are many new faces and many children that have not returned from last year. The teachers have even mixed things up and several have changed classes that they're responsible for. Currently the program has 80 children enrolled and has capacity for 140. Please pray that more children will sign up for the program as there are hundreds in jail who could benefit from the program and need to be loved and encouraged daily. We will continue to go three days a week but will most likely stay for more of the afternoon on Monday and Friday. Thursday night was dia de compradre or godfather day. The market next door was closed off in the afternoon and a marching band started playing around 1:00 in the afternoon. Some time close to 6pm a live band started to play and continued until midnight. Luckily for us they were pretty good because even with all of our windows closed we couldn't hear the TV over the music. The people at the party of course ate, drank, danced, drank some more and eventually all ended up in a fist fight around Next Thursday is dia de comadre- godmother's day and we'll get to do it all over again. Let's hope the women can keep more order than the men. At least we'll have time to buy some ear plugs before than. This all leads into Carnival weekend which is next weekend. The entire weekend is one big water balloon fight. Last night we had a great time with friends who came over for a BBQ and the first episode of Indiana Jones. We all gathered around our 19" TV and to quote Brian watched in Dolby 1.7.
Today we are having some Bolivian friends over for Indian Food and cooking lessons as they want to learn the art of Indian cooking. Should be a good time.
I found a great website of a photographer the other day who has some amazing photos of Bolivia. I thought I'd include it so you can see some other pictures. Enjoy! http://www.pbase.com/beamsclan/bolivia
Norma
Today we are having some Bolivian friends over for Indian Food and cooking lessons as they want to learn the art of Indian cooking. Should be a good time.
I found a great website of a photographer the other day who has some amazing photos of Bolivia. I thought I'd include it so you can see some other pictures. Enjoy! http://www.pbase.com/beamsclan/bolivia
Norma
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday Monday, da da...... da da da
Today was the beginning of the next semester of English classes- level 2 for Brian. He is going to try a different curriculum this semester which is an intensive program from the Internet. His student were the ones who asked for it and he's a little worried they're going to get buried quickly. Casa de la amistad is beginning their registrations for this next year and will open to the students in February. This week some of staff will go into each prison and see who is interested in the program and enroll them. Each family in prison with children enrolled in the program pay a very small monthly fee and the rest of the costs come from a number of organizations including the Bolivian government, CMB, Step, and other donations. The program will run from February until November. For us this means there will be new children for us to meet as well as the familiar faces to reunite with. I'm quite excited to see the kids again and I'm predicting some will be excited and surprised to see that we've returned as well. Over the holidays on several occasions we have seen a child from Casa in the markets or outside of one of the prisons here.
With only 5 months left here in Bolivia I am so praying that these few months will be able to have a life long impact in some of these people's lives. We ask that you would pray that God would use us effectively and continue to spread his love thru us as we serve out our remaining time.
Norma
With only 5 months left here in Bolivia I am so praying that these few months will be able to have a life long impact in some of these people's lives. We ask that you would pray that God would use us effectively and continue to spread his love thru us as we serve out our remaining time.
Norma
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Even more photos
Police patroling the beach
The beach New Years Day
Br
Brian playing in the waves
Kids in the town square
New Years Eve on the Beach!
Brian playing in the waves
Kids in the town square
New Years Eve on the Beach!
Pictures from our trip to Iquique, Chile
The view out our condo window in IquiqueThe desert of Chile
View at the border between Bolivia and Chile
Monday, January 11, 2010
A new year with new adventures!
I realized today that it's already 11 days into the new year and we haven't blogged about our adventures over new years. I have cut and pasted Brian's journal entry about our trip to Chile. I will post pictures to go with it soon.
Love Norma
Brian writes;
December 27-Jan 4th , 2010
Today we spent the day packing in anticipation of making the big trip to Chile. We went over to the Guthries for a short while in the afternoon after spending all morning packing. We had a bite to eat and made our final preparations then Duane drove us to the bus terminal. We were way too early and had to wait in what was a madhouse of activity. It appears evenings are prime time for travel or perhaps it was just the Sunday after Christmas and everyone was heading home. We would be taking Trans Azul bus line to Oruro then transferring to the bus to Iquique. We got our tickets and headed for the gate only to be rejected by a man at the gate. Apparently we needed some form of ticket that we did not possess. After a few back and forth exchanges we figured out we needed to buy a terminal user fee. I found the kiosk and payed the 2.5 Bs per head and we were off. There were two buses heading to Oruro and were on bus #2. We found our spots on the very modern and new looking bus. Exactly at 8:00pm we headed off, picking up a few stragglers and rolling out of the terminal at 8:10pm. The trip to Oruro went off without a hitch and we made good time arriving exactly 4 hours later. When we arrived, our Trans Lujan bus was waiting in front of us. Despite being in Bolivia the transfer of buses took less than 15 minutes and we were on the road. We were disappointed to find that the bus was not as they showed on the flyers. As we settled in and there was jockeying to use the bathroom we comprehended the common problem on Bolivian buses, too many people. We were carrying an extra six people on our bus and one was sleeping at the entrance to the bathroom. It was now nearly 1:00am and as we left the lights of the city, the darkness settled in the cabin. Soon the driver’s assistant came around and passed out blankets for the chilly ride across the altiplano. The only problem is that they smelled like they recently came off the back of a horse or had spent time on the farm. We accepted the blankets and kept them away from our faces. They turned off the lights in the cabin and a husband and wife, who were extras on the bus proceeded to make a spot for themselves back to back in the aisle between us and the kids. To my surprise, despite being the middle of the night the driver insisted on keeping the music (Bolivian folk music) blaring for the whole trip and the speaker was right above our heads. We found out later that only the right side of the bus had speakers and the kids enjoyed relative silence. The music didn’t seem to bother Norma who was quickly asleep. Sleep would not come that easily for me. The trip started alright but after an hour the road changed from pavement to something that can loosely be described as a road. I found out on the way home just how bad the road was and perhaps it was better that I experienced it during the night hours where the all pervasive darkness covers a multitude of road sins. We finally arrived at the border at 4:45am and all the extras guests left. Unsure of what was to happen next we soon realized that we were not going through the border at this hour. I tried to get some sleep but between the stifling air (no AC or heater) and too many bodies. I decided to walk around and get some fresh air. Pisiga is a town of about 50 on the Altiplano set in a valley between two huge mountains to the north and south. Stunning in beauty and desolate in poverty. I suppose it is the plight of most border towns but this one appeared to have the added disadvantage of isolation, altitude and poverty. The views were as breathtaking as the air at 3800m. We waited and waited until about 7:30am when our bus driver handed out customs forms. At 8:00 the border opened and the line of buses, of which we were number 6, began to process of crossing the border. When it was finally our time we left the bus with all our belongings and went through a very modern and organized system in a modern building. We found out on the way back that this was the Chilean border crossing and the Bolivian side was far less sophisticated. I tried to remember to look bewildered, which wasn’t difficult, and to not speak Spanish well, again not a huge stretch. We had to pay a small fine at the Bolivian side which we knew coming but they seemed rather conciliatory. We happily paid our $15 fine and moved on to Chilean customs. There was some questions about the status of our children which we were able to dodge with ignorance and politeness. It seems it is customary to carry birth documents for children travelling with their parents, a passport is not enough. I suppose it didn’t help that our children look more Bolivian than Canadian (the Canadian that Chileans would know). After an efficient and timely stop we were through and on our way down 3800m to Iquique. The road started off rough because a new road was under construction but after about 30 minutes the road improved and we picked up speed. It was 250 km to Iquique and we were able to make it in 3 hours. The landscape was very interesting. It took about 30 minutes to clear the Andes cordillera and that was the last sign of any moisture. With every kilometre closer to Iquique the landscape became more and more dry culminating in the last hour being nothing short of a complete desert. We finally arrived on the outskirts of Iquique which didn’t look like much. The actual town of Iquique is actually a tiny strip of land sandwiched between the sea and a mountain range that is the coastline of Chile. We descended and took in the sights of the sea. To my amazement there was actually a huge sand dune in the space between the town and mountain, near the south of town. Wierd. We arrived at the bus station. In typical South American fashion it was not actually a bus terminal but actually an intersection of two streets a number of blocks away from downtown and conveniently not a nice part of town. I found a place to make change and we hailed a cab to our condo. I made small talk with the cab driver and pumped him for information. I noticed right away that his Spanish was different from Bolivia. Chileans speak very fast and they truncate their “s” sounds. In Bolivia, the number six is seis but in Chile it is sei. It was interesting. We arrived at our condo and for once in my life I instantly said a prayer of thanks. You can research something on the internet but you are never sure if it will be everything it looks like but in this case it was all of that and a bag of chips. The security guard let us in and we found our new dueña . She let us into our new apartment for the week and instantly the sound of the surf filled our ears. Every room, even the kitchen had a view of the ocean and the sound of the pounding surf. It was heaven. We settled in and walked to find groceries. We walked the wrong way and found the Blockbuster by accident. Finally we arrived at Santa Isabel, the grocery store that was very reminiscent of a Safeway in Canada. We spent most of our pesos on groceries and realized that unlike Bolivia, the Chileans don’t accept US cash. Mental note! We took a cab home and filled the cupboards. All was well. After some discussions we decided to get it over with and go to McDonalds for our first dinner in Chile. Same bad food, now confirmed on two continents, but two happy children is sometimes worth the price.
The rest of the week consisted of daily trips to the beach. The beach visible from our condo window was called playa brava and was good for beach combing and boogie boarding. On the other side of the condo (about 3 blocks) was playa Cavancha, the main beach of Iquique and it was good for swimming and sun bathing. In typical South American fashion all manner of food, drinks and ice creams were available on playa Cavancha and we spent a healthy amount of money every day on snacks, ice cream and empanada. We enjoyed more than one laugh at the hilarious calls of the vendors as they called out their items for sale. Much like an American Baseball game they were barely understandable and unique at the same time.
Love Norma
Brian writes;
December 27-Jan 4th , 2010
Today we spent the day packing in anticipation of making the big trip to Chile. We went over to the Guthries for a short while in the afternoon after spending all morning packing. We had a bite to eat and made our final preparations then Duane drove us to the bus terminal. We were way too early and had to wait in what was a madhouse of activity. It appears evenings are prime time for travel or perhaps it was just the Sunday after Christmas and everyone was heading home. We would be taking Trans Azul bus line to Oruro then transferring to the bus to Iquique. We got our tickets and headed for the gate only to be rejected by a man at the gate. Apparently we needed some form of ticket that we did not possess. After a few back and forth exchanges we figured out we needed to buy a terminal user fee. I found the kiosk and payed the 2.5 Bs per head and we were off. There were two buses heading to Oruro and were on bus #2. We found our spots on the very modern and new looking bus. Exactly at 8:00pm we headed off, picking up a few stragglers and rolling out of the terminal at 8:10pm. The trip to Oruro went off without a hitch and we made good time arriving exactly 4 hours later. When we arrived, our Trans Lujan bus was waiting in front of us. Despite being in Bolivia the transfer of buses took less than 15 minutes and we were on the road. We were disappointed to find that the bus was not as they showed on the flyers. As we settled in and there was jockeying to use the bathroom we comprehended the common problem on Bolivian buses, too many people. We were carrying an extra six people on our bus and one was sleeping at the entrance to the bathroom. It was now nearly 1:00am and as we left the lights of the city, the darkness settled in the cabin. Soon the driver’s assistant came around and passed out blankets for the chilly ride across the altiplano. The only problem is that they smelled like they recently came off the back of a horse or had spent time on the farm. We accepted the blankets and kept them away from our faces. They turned off the lights in the cabin and a husband and wife, who were extras on the bus proceeded to make a spot for themselves back to back in the aisle between us and the kids. To my surprise, despite being the middle of the night the driver insisted on keeping the music (Bolivian folk music) blaring for the whole trip and the speaker was right above our heads. We found out later that only the right side of the bus had speakers and the kids enjoyed relative silence. The music didn’t seem to bother Norma who was quickly asleep. Sleep would not come that easily for me. The trip started alright but after an hour the road changed from pavement to something that can loosely be described as a road. I found out on the way home just how bad the road was and perhaps it was better that I experienced it during the night hours where the all pervasive darkness covers a multitude of road sins. We finally arrived at the border at 4:45am and all the extras guests left. Unsure of what was to happen next we soon realized that we were not going through the border at this hour. I tried to get some sleep but between the stifling air (no AC or heater) and too many bodies. I decided to walk around and get some fresh air. Pisiga is a town of about 50 on the Altiplano set in a valley between two huge mountains to the north and south. Stunning in beauty and desolate in poverty. I suppose it is the plight of most border towns but this one appeared to have the added disadvantage of isolation, altitude and poverty. The views were as breathtaking as the air at 3800m. We waited and waited until about 7:30am when our bus driver handed out customs forms. At 8:00 the border opened and the line of buses, of which we were number 6, began to process of crossing the border. When it was finally our time we left the bus with all our belongings and went through a very modern and organized system in a modern building. We found out on the way back that this was the Chilean border crossing and the Bolivian side was far less sophisticated. I tried to remember to look bewildered, which wasn’t difficult, and to not speak Spanish well, again not a huge stretch. We had to pay a small fine at the Bolivian side which we knew coming but they seemed rather conciliatory. We happily paid our $15 fine and moved on to Chilean customs. There was some questions about the status of our children which we were able to dodge with ignorance and politeness. It seems it is customary to carry birth documents for children travelling with their parents, a passport is not enough. I suppose it didn’t help that our children look more Bolivian than Canadian (the Canadian that Chileans would know). After an efficient and timely stop we were through and on our way down 3800m to Iquique. The road started off rough because a new road was under construction but after about 30 minutes the road improved and we picked up speed. It was 250 km to Iquique and we were able to make it in 3 hours. The landscape was very interesting. It took about 30 minutes to clear the Andes cordillera and that was the last sign of any moisture. With every kilometre closer to Iquique the landscape became more and more dry culminating in the last hour being nothing short of a complete desert. We finally arrived on the outskirts of Iquique which didn’t look like much. The actual town of Iquique is actually a tiny strip of land sandwiched between the sea and a mountain range that is the coastline of Chile. We descended and took in the sights of the sea. To my amazement there was actually a huge sand dune in the space between the town and mountain, near the south of town. Wierd. We arrived at the bus station. In typical South American fashion it was not actually a bus terminal but actually an intersection of two streets a number of blocks away from downtown and conveniently not a nice part of town. I found a place to make change and we hailed a cab to our condo. I made small talk with the cab driver and pumped him for information. I noticed right away that his Spanish was different from Bolivia. Chileans speak very fast and they truncate their “s” sounds. In Bolivia, the number six is seis but in Chile it is sei. It was interesting. We arrived at our condo and for once in my life I instantly said a prayer of thanks. You can research something on the internet but you are never sure if it will be everything it looks like but in this case it was all of that and a bag of chips. The security guard let us in and we found our new dueña . She let us into our new apartment for the week and instantly the sound of the surf filled our ears. Every room, even the kitchen had a view of the ocean and the sound of the pounding surf. It was heaven. We settled in and walked to find groceries. We walked the wrong way and found the Blockbuster by accident. Finally we arrived at Santa Isabel, the grocery store that was very reminiscent of a Safeway in Canada. We spent most of our pesos on groceries and realized that unlike Bolivia, the Chileans don’t accept US cash. Mental note! We took a cab home and filled the cupboards. All was well. After some discussions we decided to get it over with and go to McDonalds for our first dinner in Chile. Same bad food, now confirmed on two continents, but two happy children is sometimes worth the price.
The rest of the week consisted of daily trips to the beach. The beach visible from our condo window was called playa brava and was good for beach combing and boogie boarding. On the other side of the condo (about 3 blocks) was playa Cavancha, the main beach of Iquique and it was good for swimming and sun bathing. In typical South American fashion all manner of food, drinks and ice creams were available on playa Cavancha and we spent a healthy amount of money every day on snacks, ice cream and empanada. We enjoyed more than one laugh at the hilarious calls of the vendors as they called out their items for sale. Much like an American Baseball game they were barely understandable and unique at the same time.
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