Rurrenabaque

A month ago, on Halloween weekend (Day of the Dead is celebrated here on November 2nd), Dave and I explored Bolivia’s Amazon rainforest, via the small town of Rurrenabaque. Rurrenabaque is in the North West of Bolivia and is not very accessible; travelers have two transportation options, to either take a small plane from La Paz to the dirt runway of Rurrenabaque, or to take a 20 hour bus ride from La Paz, but caution, the road is impassable when it rains; we chose option A, the flight.

Rurrenabaque (Rurre) is popular as a traveler’s base for trekking into the Amazon or touring the pampas. With only a long weekend, we had to choose, and chose to explore the Amazon for two days in Parque Nacional Madidi. We arrived in Rurre on Saturday afternoon and booked our trip with a tour operator for the following morning. On Sunday morning, we awoke to torrential rains, and realized we needed to put our ponchos on and meet our tour guide down at the river to start our two days in the jungle. Soon we were in a motorized dug out canoe (with a cover), in our ponchos, cruising down the Río Beni in the rain with three fellow tourists from Germany, and after three hours, we reached our camp site.

After lunch, we headed out on our first hike with our guide, Eloy. We saw several small yellow monkeys and explored the amazingly dense Amazon forest. We came back to camp for dinner, and then ventured out on a night hike. With our flashlights, we navigated the forest, staying close to our knowledgeable guide. When we came upon water (a stream or swamp), Eloy would chop down a few small trees, and make a bridge for us. On the night hike we saw tons of spiders, to include a tarantula! It was the size of a kitten and black and hairy! Unbelievable, literally beyond anyone’s imagination (Aunt Jane and Callie, you would not have liked the night hike!) Our guide’s sense of direction was astonishing; in a vast forest, with seemingly no landmarks, he was always capable of orienting himself with the camp site, and finding alternate paths.

The next morning, we woke up and enjoyed a huge breakfast of pancakes and fruit. We set out on another hike with Eloy, who told us that for the next few hours, he was going to show and tell us about the natural medicines in the Amazon. Again, his knowledge was really amazing; he would stop and tell us about a tree that produced a syrup that you could drink to cure malaria, another tree whose leaves you crushed and made into tea to ease your throat, another whose leaves acted as Viagra, and so many more. On our walk we also saw a herd of wild pigs (cerdos de la selva), which looked like wharthogs. After lunch, we got back in our canoe and headed back to Rurre where we spent our last afternoon lounging in hammocks.

Centro Medico Wiñay

I wanted to share a little bit more about my volunteer position with Centro Medico Wiñay to give you a better idea of what I’ve been doing every morning for the past five months.

My day starts by catching a trufi, a shared taxi van with a set route, two blocks from our apartment that I take for 30 minutes to the town of Quillacollo. I get to the clinic, on Quillacollo’s central Plaza Bolivar around 9:00 AM, when the clinic opens (the clinic closes from 12:30 to 3:00 PM, and then reopens from 3:00 until 8:00 PM Monday through Saturday). The staff is the receptionist and assistant nurse, Aida, the administrator and head nurse, Jimena, the lab technician, Nery, the sole gynecologist/doctor, Melania, and the rotating dentists, Ximena and Marlene.  Wiñay also has a central office and clinic in La Paz, and occasionally Doctora Rosemary from the La Paz office will come for a visit, to check on accounting, and overall clinic productivity. 

I spend my mornings at the front desk, caja, checking patients in, helping to fill prescriptions, organizing patient histories, and helping out wherever someone needs me. Since Wiñay has no appointment system in place, patients will come in, inquire about how many patients are waiting, and then decide to come back in an hour, or some wait for two hours until seeing the doctor. Since it is not an emergency center, patients are usually coming in for a routine check up or regarding a specific ailment. There are mornings where by the time I walk into the clinic, there is already a mass of patients surrounding the front desk: a woman picking up her PAP results, a mother with her son who has a toothache, or a young woman seeking a family planning orientation. When this is the case, we usually have to start turning patients away by 11:00 AM, asking them to return in the afternoon since we only have one nurse, one doctor and one dentist. About 90% of our clients are women, with the occasional male coming in to visit the dentist or for a general medicine consultation.

For the past two months, I have been collecting data for a research project that I am conducting for Wiñay and for their previous funder, Planned Parenthood International. In total, Wiñay has over 18,000 patient records on file since their opening in 2000, and of those 18,000 files, I randomly chose a sample set of 200 histories to look at and collect data from. I have been looking at the client population, to include gender and age and level of education and specifically what services they have come to the clinic for. As a sort of sustainability report for Planned Parenthood following their funding, I am also looking into the productivity of the new lab at Wiñay. This project has been a great way to learn more about the clinic, the services that we offer and also about our client base. My last day at Wiñay will be this coming Tuesday, and it has been an amazing learning experience.

Samaipata

Two Fridays ago, Dave and I made our way to Cochabamba’s Wilsterman airport, and boarded a flight to Santa Cruz. We arrived in the tropical climate of Santa Cruz around 8:30 on Friday night, and quickly made our way to where the trufis leave for Samaipata. We were told that the trufis only run until 9 PM, so we were lucky to catch the last ride. After a bumpy three-hour ride, we arrived at our hostel in Samaipata, eager for a bed.

Samiapata, in Quechua, means “rest in the highlands”, and it is becoming a popular tourist destination, as well as a retreat for the residents of Santa Cruz. It is such a beautiful and charming town, that many foreign travelers have come for a visit, and ended up staying, for good! Many foreigners have settled in Samaipata and began hostals, restaurants and tour agencies. They have also helped to make Samaipata the slow food movement capital of Bolivia.

On Saturday morning, we explored the town’s Plaza, which included trying out a delicious French bakery, walking through their market, and Dave stopping at the barber for a shave. We had heard from fellow travelers about La Vispera, a hostel and restaurant outside of town, that is run by a Dutch couple, who have built a beautiful large organic garden and café. Filled with coffee and fresh bread, we hiked up to La Vispera for lunch. We ordered fresh salads and sandwiches and watched in amazement as the waitress walked down to the gardens to collect the ingredients for our lunch; it doesn’t get much fresher than that! Keeping true to their name, of slow food, we played Scrabble and wandered the gardens as we waited for our amazing lunch.

After lunch, we walked back in to town and hopped in a trufi heading towards El Fuerte. El Fuerte is one of Bolivia’s most famous archeological sites, 2000 years before Incan occupation of the region, somewhere before 1000 BC. The name of the site is misleading (the complex was named by the Spanish), and it is not a fort as the name implies, but rather a site for ceremonies and religious rituals.  At the center of the complex is a large sandstone rock that has been carved with abstract designs; surrounding the central rock are the remains of 50 Incan buildings.

Sunday morning, we took another trufi a half an hour outside of Samaipata to the waterfalls of Las Cuevas. Las Cuevas is a popular weekend spot for families and friends with several waterfalls and shallow river pools for swimming. We bought vegetables and fruits at the market in town, and some more fresh bread, and had a picnic by one of the waterfalls.

Villa Tunari

Last Friday, we took our second trip to Villa Tunari. Villa Tunari is about 3 hours North East of Cochabamba and is known for it’s tropical weather, swimming holes and beautiful rainforests. Villa Tunari is located in the Chapare region of Bolivia, a region that is known for producing coca leaves, and is one of the main cocaine producing regions within Bolivia. Since the 1970’s the DEA has attempted to squash the farming of coca in the Chapare, and thus resulted in conflicts between the DEA, coca farmers and the Bolivian government. It has calmed down since President Evo Morales was elected in 2004; Morales has promised to protect the coca farmers of the Chapare and encourages the making of coca products such as tea and other food products, except cocaine. In recent years, local authorities have worked to turn the sleepy rainforest town into a tourist destination, and it’s working!

Our first visit was in July, and since July it has really heated up in Villa Tunari! Part of the reason we love Villa Tunari so much is that there really isn’t much to do but walking along the river, cool off in the swimming holes, pozos, and relax and read in the hammocks. We did leave our hotel sanctuary to walk in to town, enjoy some ice cream and stop by Parque Machía, an animal sanctuary where we saw small monkeys swinging in the trees. We stayed at the same hotel where we had stayed the first time, about a 30-minute walk from town, tucked in the forest, very quiet and a great bird watching post.


We’re hanging out in Cochabamba this weekend, planning to check out the Botanical Gardens and check out some restaurants on our Cochabamba bucket list. I hope you have a great weekend!

Tarija

Dave and I changed our plans, and instead of heading to Salar de Uyuni this past weekend, we decided to check out Tarija instead. Tarija is one of Bolivia's largest cities known for it's laid-back character, and is located in the Southern most tip of the country, close to the Argentine border. Since the bus ride/flota to Tarija would have been 26 hours long, and Dave had to work on Monday, we decided to treat ourselves, and take an hour long flight instead. We arrived on Friday evening and happily settled in to our hotel room right on the main plaza and enjoyed some local wine and dinner on the plaza. 

Saturday morning we toured the city, trying out some local salteñas, coffee, the Tarija speciality, saice, which is a ground beef (?), potatoes and peas stew at the market and arranging a wine tour for the afternoon. After lunch we met our guide, Julio, at our hotel and we were off to the first winery, El Potro. After enjoying ourselves at the small family own boutique winery, we hopped in the car and were on our way to Las Duelas, a wine shop that is also a cooperative for local small wineries. But, in true Bolivian style, our tour was impeded. As we were driving on the highway, we noticed quite the traffic jam ahead, and spectators lining the other side of the highway, as if waiting for something. We got out of the car and Julio informed us that it was the Tarija cycling team that was biking 80 km. ¡Tour de Tarija! For what seemed to be an hour we watched and cheered as the cyclists passed on their way to Tarija's city center. Most were well suited in biking outfits  but there were some who were wearing sandals and no helmet; we couldn't really figure out how they made the team, but we cheered anyway. An hour or so behind schedule, we arrived at Las Duelas and were able to squeeze in our tour and enjoy some wine and singani (a potent distilled white grape alcohol) before they closed. We had one more tour on the list, that Juilo was sure would still be open, Casa Vieja. We drove farther out into the country and we came across our second bloqueo, this one was man made, piles of stones and large dead branches/shrubbery in the road, impassable. Julio asked a local man for another route, and we took a dirt road down to the river and hit another dead end. We all decided that we were satisfied with the day and should just head back to Tarija. We spent all of Sunday relaxing in the plaza, reading and eating. 

In other news from Cochabamba, Tuesday, September 14th is Cochabamba's 200th anniversary! Most offices are closed Monday and Tuesday, giving Cochabambinos a nice long weekend filled with celebrations and parades! The parades, similar to those we saw in Ecuador, are made up mostly of school marching bands and their classmates. ¡Feliz anniversario Cochabamba!

"Winter" has officially ended in Bolivia, and we are moving into spring. The days are slowly but surely, getting a little bit longer, and buds are appearing on once dormant trees and bushes. It doesn't sound like the weather will change too much, according to Bolivians, it will finally get warm, but according to us, it will be getting a little hotter. We have asked around and it seems as though the rainy season will not start until January, which is great timing for us, but flying out of Cochabamba this weekend, it was apparent how dry the landscape was. Spring showers?

Virgen de Urkupiña

The week before we left for Brazil (mid- August) was Cochabamba’s famous Fiesta de la Virgen de Urkupiña held in Quillacollo. The story is that long ago the Virgin Mary appeared several times to a shepherd girl at the foot of a hill. Later on, these visits were witnessed by the girl’s parents and other villagers; they exclaimed “There on the hill!” (In Quechua, Orkopiña) as the Virgin ascended to the sky. The villagers then discovered a stone image of the Virgin at the summit of the hill that is now kept in the church in Quillacollo.

Working in Quillacollo, I was able to see the weeks of preparation, offerings and parades leading up to the celebratory weekend. La Fiesta de la Virgen de Urkupiña is the largest annual celebration in the Cochabamba department. People from all over Bolivia, and South America come to Quillacollo to celebrate and honor la Virgen de Urkupiña, attracting up to half a million visitors. It is a tradition for many worshipers to walk from Cochabamba to Quillacollo, 13 km (8 miles), the night before the festivities begin as a sign of devotion.

Dave and I decided to take a trufi out to the crowded streets of Quillacollo one morning to check out the parades of traditional folkloric music and dancing that lasted for two days. Plazas were filled with games, food vendors, chicha, and people selling every imaginable item (similar to the Cancha).

Brazil

My recent trip to Ecuador with my mom in May was my first trip to South America. Since May, I have learned so much about the continent: it’s geography, cultures and languages. After living in Cochabamba for two months and learning about Bolivian customs and history, I joined the Felson family on their annual family vacation, this year to Brazil. Dave had not seen his family since he left home in January, so this reunion was highly anticipated.

We flew in to Salvador late last Thursday night and met Dave’s parents, sister and brother at the Pousada Redfish (hotel) in the Pelourinho neighborhood of Salvador. Salvador is the center of Afro-Brazilian culture and in 1985 this area was named an UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, and the preservation process is noticeable in the architecture and brilliant colors. The cobble stone streets of this neighborhood were lined with vibrant colored art galleries, shops and welcoming pousadas. Salvador is the capital of the Bahia State of Brazil, and it was also the original capital of Brazil. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and has the sixth largest population.

Friday was spent cruising the streets, window-shopping, eating, learning African-Braizlian drumming lesson for Ben and Dave, watching capoeira (a style of movement originating among Brazilian slaves (from Angola) treated as a martial art and dance form), and we ended the day with a great dinner of moqueca, a traditional Bahian coconut curry stew of fish or shrimp.

Saturday morning, we left the Hotel Redfish and set off for the island of Morro de Sao Paulo. We took a two-hour catamaran boat ride from the port of Salvador to Morro. As we hit the open seas, and the waves that come with it, we were all feeling sea sick, and we were not alone. The boat company had anticipated this and had thoughtfully tied personal barf bags on to the back of each seat. I will spare you the details, but for someone who “doesn’t get seasick”, those bags came in handy. I have never been so happy to arrive somewhere. It could have been Cleveland in February, and I would have been elated, but lucky for me we arrived on the tropical beaches of Morro.

After arranging our island taxi, we followed our “driver” to the third beach (there are four beaches on Morro- the first two are the party beaches, lined with a boardwalk and restaurants competing for your business- and the third and fourth are more removed and quiet) where were settled in to the heavenly Pousada Villa dos Corais. Vacationing during the “winter”/off season, you run the risk of less than sunny days, but we all cashed in our good karma and enjoyed two days relaxing in the sun; reading, jumping in the pool and/or ocean to cool off and walking into town via the beach. 

Dave’s sister Rachel introduced us to Acaí while we were on Morro. Acaí is a berry that is found in the Amazon, and is commonly consumed in juice form (I am told that you can buy it at Whole Foods). The Acaí berry has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or berry, and tastes great! We enjoyed some on the beach with granola and bananas- a great breakfast or snack.
(On the left is a photo of the second beach).

            We rode our favorite catamaran back to Salvador on Wednesday, this time we had loaded up with Dramamine and assumed positions on the deck for some fresh air. Upon arriving in Salvador, we buckled up for a six-hour drive inland to the town of Lencois. Lencois is in the Chapada region of the Bahia State, and is surrounded by the Chapada Diamantina National Park. Lencois was a prominent diamond mining town in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1985 when the land officially became a National Park, the diamond mining industry of Lencois came to an end, mostly because of the negative environmental impacts of mining. The town of Lencois is a quiet, colorful small town surrounded by lush forests, rivers and mountains- hard to beat! We all fell in love with the town and with the natural beauty that surrounds it. Thursday we spent the day orienting ourselves, and enjoying a short hike from town to a waterfall. Friday we went on an all day hike with our guide, Levi, through the woods and along the river. Saturday we explored another area of the National Park and were able to swim in natural swimming holes and climb a mountain for a memorable sunset.

Overall, it was a perfect vacation, filled with sun, beautiful scenery, a new and exciting culture and family. Dave and I returned to Cochabamba on Sunday rejuvenated and completely relaxed. Thank you so much Felson family!

In other news: Dave and I are planning a trip to the Salar de Uyuni next weekend. Wiñay is going well and I am looking in to doing a research project for them, which I am really excited about. I'll keep you posted!