Cochabamba

I’ve been in Cochabamba for about a week now and every day has been exciting; a week ago today I don't know if I had even started packing yet! The short 30 minute flight from La Paz to Cochabamba was one of the most beautiful flights I have ever taken, flying through the Andes, with the snow peaked mountains popping up through the clouds around you, and finally coming across the green Cochabamba valley. After 20 hours of anxious traveling, I was so relieved to see Dave waiting for me at the Cochabamba airport.

Dave has been an amazing tour guide; he has shown me his favorite spots to eat (and those to avoid) including his favorite Bolivian dishes of salteñas and silpancho, introduced me to his friends from work, and has been patient with my developing Spanish skills. I am going to start taking my Spanish lessons tomorrow, from a retired English teacher who came highly recommended from a friend of Dave’s.

I am sitting here in the living room of Dave’s apartment and I can see his office window. He has really lucked out with his commutes to work- a short bike ride to his office in DC and now a 2 minute door to door walk here in sunny Cochabamba to the ILS office. When I start my volunteer position with Wiñay, a women’s health clinic and a past partner of International Planned Parenthood, I will be working in a nearby village, Quillacollo, about a 15 minute bus ride. I am hoping to start volunteering in early July, with a couple of weeks of Spanish lessons under my belt.

With the World Cup starting on June 11th, I quickly learned how much Bolivians love their soccer! Restaurants have the games and times listed outside, when you find a TV (in the immigration office or in the café), you can be sure that the game will be on. Brazil won today's game against North Korea and I was walking around the city and could HEAR when Brazil scored a goal- celebration and fire works erupted from apartment windows and restaurants/shops clad in Brazilian flags.

Similar to Quito, Cochabamba is filled with beautiful relaxing plazas lined with benches and palm trees. The plazas are a great place to people watch and soak in the sun. The weather here really couldn’t get better, no humidity (sorry DC friends) 70-80 every day and then when the sun goes down around 6, the temperatures drop to about 40 or 50 degrees, and this is their winter! We are coming up on their “coldest” day of the year at the end of June- I’ll give you a weather report. (The rainy season will begin in September and last through March.)

Plaza Principal

Our apartment

Next Monday is a holiday, the indigenous Aymará’s New Year, so Dave and I are going to Santa Cruz this weekend. And I promise more photos next time!