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 SaleƱas 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, April 7, 2010
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