The Swing of Things

Unlike our last trip together to Tanzania (in 2008), we are really settling in here, for the next seven months at least. In my first three weeks, I have met the lady at the laundry mat, FaciLav, (who knew who I was the second I walked into her shop to drop off our clothes- "A gringa? Must be David's girlfriend"), I have gone with Dave to pay our utility bills for the first time this past weekend- I think our gas bill for the month was a little over a US $1- (very similar to a long line at the bank- you bring your bills to the front, they stamp them and you pay); I have signed on to join the neighborhood gym, Dave has his regular women at the Saturday market whom he buys produce from and I have become a familiar face to them, and I have gone out to dinner with his amazing boss and his wife, Marcelo and Ximena, to a very trendy new restaurant in our neighborhood and to their house for lunch. I feel very comfortable in our neighborhood of Queru Queru (on the border of another neighborhood, Recoleta). It is very quiet and the streets are lined with hibiscus trees in front of stores, restaurants and apartment buildings. While we may be the only gringos in our neighborhood, no one ever makes us feel out of place, Cochabambinos are very welcoming.

  Local (&) Art                                                     Dave REALLY enjoying some Pique lo Macho

View of our neighborhood from Dave's Office

This weekend we are going to Villa Tunari, a small town in the Chapare region of Bolivia (to celebrate Dave's birthday!) Villa Tunari is in the jungle and is rumored to be hotter and more humid than Santa Cruz, an amazing climate change for only a four hour bus ride away. Villa Tunari is known for its quiet and relaxing atmosphere, hiking and the numerous natural swimming holes along the beautiful river San Mateo, I can't wait!

I have made two fabulous new friends from Chicago and Denver, who I met on the plane from Miami to La Paz. They are both here in Cochabamba for the summer volunteering in health clinics, and we have been able to meet up a few times for coffee and dinner. It is nice to talk to newcomers to Cochabamba like myself- "Have you been to this café? Where is the movie theatre? How do you say...? How was your weekend trip?/Do you recommend it?"for an information (and book) swap. I hope to make some Bolivian friends once I start my volunteering. 

(Pique lo macho is a huge plate of beef, with hot dogs or sausage, hard boiled eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, olives and cheese, oh and can't forget the french fries!)