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| Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 2 |
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 2
I took a tour of ”Island of the Sun”, the birth place for the Inca Empire, on Lake Titicaca.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1
Today I arrived in Copacabana mid day and spent the day exploring the town, the local church, and the small mountain next to the town. At 3800 meters, Copacabana sits on Lake Titicaca the highest navigatiable body of water in the world. The lake was a glistening cold mass of water which looked rather infinite. The altitude had a definite affect on the temperature and climate of the city. It was rather warm during the day but as soon as the sun set, the chill set in and air cooled significantly.
I made an attempt to climb up the mountain next to the city as I heard that the sun set from the top overlooking the city was something not to be missed. I use the word “attempted” because even though I’ve been in La Paz for a couple days getting acclimated to high altitude, trying to hike up a mountain is a much different task then trying to dodge cars and vans crammed full of people on the cobblestone streets of La Paz. I got half way up and the sun started to set and in conjunction my head started hurting. Then the heavy legs started and I had to sit down for a while. The altitude affects were sudden and noticeable. Taking more than 5 steps at a time was tough and I thought my head would explode. It was starting to get dark and to get bitterly cold, and I debated turning back. But I was half way up already and grandmothers were nimbly passing me, so I figured if I passed out the grandparents could probably carry me down as they did not seem in the less bit winded. When anybody over 75 can do something better than me, especially when it’s physical in nature, my hubris kicks in and cajoles me to continue. It took me another 30 minutes to get to the top, the sunset was blocked out by clouds, and my frozen hands were too cold to cut the mango that I brought up for a mountain top snack. Luckily coming down was much easier than going up.
On the positive side, I found one of the coolest things that I’ve seen in a local market in a long time. It was a lost exhibit from the “Body Works exhibit”. You know, the traveling museum which shows plasticized bodies sliced and diced in various forms to display the inner workings of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it as it was a fascinating, educational view of the human body in a rather innovative viewpoint. Well I entered the local market and in the meat section, low and behold, I find a cow’s head that had all the outside skin removed and the muscular and skeleton systems exposed. I have no idea what they do with it; perhaps they make a huge pot of soup. But it was definitely the first time I’ve seen a stripped cow’s head.
I made an attempt to climb up the mountain next to the city as I heard that the sun set from the top overlooking the city was something not to be missed. I use the word “attempted” because even though I’ve been in La Paz for a couple days getting acclimated to high altitude, trying to hike up a mountain is a much different task then trying to dodge cars and vans crammed full of people on the cobblestone streets of La Paz. I got half way up and the sun started to set and in conjunction my head started hurting. Then the heavy legs started and I had to sit down for a while. The altitude affects were sudden and noticeable. Taking more than 5 steps at a time was tough and I thought my head would explode. It was starting to get dark and to get bitterly cold, and I debated turning back. But I was half way up already and grandmothers were nimbly passing me, so I figured if I passed out the grandparents could probably carry me down as they did not seem in the less bit winded. When anybody over 75 can do something better than me, especially when it’s physical in nature, my hubris kicks in and cajoles me to continue. It took me another 30 minutes to get to the top, the sunset was blocked out by clouds, and my frozen hands were too cold to cut the mango that I brought up for a mountain top snack. Luckily coming down was much easier than going up.
On the positive side, I found one of the coolest things that I’ve seen in a local market in a long time. It was a lost exhibit from the “Body Works exhibit”. You know, the traveling museum which shows plasticized bodies sliced and diced in various forms to display the inner workings of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it as it was a fascinating, educational view of the human body in a rather innovative viewpoint. Well I entered the local market and in the meat section, low and behold, I find a cow’s head that had all the outside skin removed and the muscular and skeleton systems exposed. I have no idea what they do with it; perhaps they make a huge pot of soup. But it was definitely the first time I’ve seen a stripped cow’s head.
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| Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1 |
La Paz, Bolivia - Day 3
Today was a blog day. I spent most of the day in the local burger king leaching off their wireless and clogging my arteries with Whoppers. The managers walk around with menus and take dessert orders. Who can so “no” to a delivered apple pie ala mode? It’s a good thing that cholesterol does not contaminate the air like the tar from cigarette smoke because I would have had a healthy dose of second hand grease.
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| La Paz, Bolivia - Day 3 |
Monday, March 2, 2009
La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2
Today was a tour of Tiwanaku a pre Colombian archeological site that has been named a UNESCO site. It has significant importance as precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five hundred years.
They have these stone megaphones that you could speak into that projected your voice across the archeological campus to the other side where someone listening into a similar stone piece could hear you. They built this approximately 1,500 years before Christ. I wouldn’t be able to build two stone voice projection devices right now if you paid me. Perhaps two styrofoam cups with a string, maybe a long long string.
They have these stone megaphones that you could speak into that projected your voice across the archeological campus to the other side where someone listening into a similar stone piece could hear you. They built this approximately 1,500 years before Christ. I wouldn’t be able to build two stone voice projection devices right now if you paid me. Perhaps two styrofoam cups with a string, maybe a long long string.
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| La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2 |
Sunday, March 1, 2009
La Paz, Bolivia - Day 1
La Paz dazzles. It astounds. Illustrative descriptions abound. The La Paz is world’s highest capital city, highest golf course, highest football stadium, highest airport, and most dangerous road.
Unlike in most cities where the social elite tend to live on plots of land which are higher and look down on the proletariat, La Paz, because of its high altitude, has the unique distinction of having its richest citizens living at lower altitudes while the poor are scattered in mud huts high on the mountain top.
Block after block of street markets buzz with throngs of indigenous women in bowler hats, ruffled shirts, big puffy skirts, and dress shoes hawking all types of wares.
One lady was selling only fly swatters and TV antennas. Hm …a rather diversified product offering. Although I wondered what her margins were like on those items and how much volume she could possibly generate with fly swatters and TV antennas. I mean you really only ever need one…fly swatters don’t exactly break every day.
Yup those are fried chicken heads. YUM.
Unlike in most cities where the social elite tend to live on plots of land which are higher and look down on the proletariat, La Paz, because of its high altitude, has the unique distinction of having its richest citizens living at lower altitudes while the poor are scattered in mud huts high on the mountain top.
Block after block of street markets buzz with throngs of indigenous women in bowler hats, ruffled shirts, big puffy skirts, and dress shoes hawking all types of wares.
One lady was selling only fly swatters and TV antennas. Hm …a rather diversified product offering. Although I wondered what her margins were like on those items and how much volume she could possibly generate with fly swatters and TV antennas. I mean you really only ever need one…fly swatters don’t exactly break every day.
Yup those are fried chicken heads. YUM.
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| La Paz, Bolivia - Day 1 |
Sucre, Bolivia - Day 1
I spent the day exploring the museums and markets that Sucre, a UNESCO city, had to offer. I find the local markets fascinating, a culmination of the indigenous culture in one location. Where else can you so easily get a glimpse into the daily activities of the locals? Observing what they eat, wear, and buy. Observing how they live.
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| Sucre, Bolivia - Day 1 |
Potosi, Bolivia - Day 2
I spent a half a day in Potosi and took a 3 hour bus to Sucre at around 2pm.
In Potosi, I got to see some mummies of children who were sacrificed in a volcano to appease the volcanic gods. They were found perfectly preserved on top of a large volcano.
I also tried a Saltenas for the first time. This empanada like pastry is filled with a juicy stew mixture of meat and vegetables. A Bolivian hot pocket.
In Potosi, I got to see some mummies of children who were sacrificed in a volcano to appease the volcanic gods. They were found perfectly preserved on top of a large volcano.
I also tried a Saltenas for the first time. This empanada like pastry is filled with a juicy stew mixture of meat and vegetables. A Bolivian hot pocket.
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| Potosi, Bolivia - Day 2 |
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Potosi, Bolivia - Day 1
I visited a silver mine today in Potosi, a UNESCO site, one of 700 mines in the area employing 2500 locals to slave away in the mines. These mines are co-operatives owned by the miners with the government taking a small percentage of the proceeds. Miners make about 1200-1400 bolivianos a month which is about $170-200 dollars a month. The average salary for non miners in Potosi is about 400 bolivianos a month which is about 55 dollars a month. So compared to other locals the miners are making a king’s ransom.
Until you consider that miners have a life expectancy of 40 years. We met a father and son team working in the mines. The father was 38 and his two sons were 18 and 15 with three other children at home; the youngest one being 1.5 yrs old. The youngest child will not remember his father who will pass away in 2 years. It’s poignantly heartbreaking. Even more so may be the fate of the two young boys who work with their father. Because they started working in the mines at such a young age, their life expectancy goes down exponentially and reaching the age of 34 may be a lucky scenario. We met children as young as 11 working in various roles in the mines.
The mines are filled with uneducated Bolivians lured in by the comparatively lucrative money to be made. Miners work reasonable hours as they have to be out of the mines by 5pm to allow for the large explosions to open up new passages. They have a large breakfast and dinner and do not eat lunch, instead macerating coca leaves which are purported to provide an energy rush similar to caffeine and to stave off hunger. In order to avoid putting their asbestos covered hands in their mouths while eating the coca leaves, they urinate on their hands prior to eating their lunch. As the mines are cooperatives, the miners get paid in accordance with as much ore as they can pull out of the ground and sell to refineries. Teams within the mines are in constant battle for prime real estate and physical altercations often break out. Miners go on years and years of experience in finding a vein of ore, and there are no regulations as to where you can blast. As a result, miners may accidently blast underneath other preexisting mines, causing cave-ins and casualties.
Miners have health insurance and a decent retirement plan. However, this plan comes with a number of stipulations. In order to get health insurance, the miner must work as a “helper” in a group for 4 consecutive years. After working as a helper for 4 consecutive years with the same team, he gets the insurance and is promoted to a “miner” with access to the more desirable jobs and potential managerial positions. What often happens is young miners do not feel the effects of the dust and asbestos filled air on their lungs, and because they are compensated based on how much ore they extract, they will often switch teams once their particular vein of ore has dried up. The impact is that their 4 year timeline to get insurance starts over. After doing this a couple times, a miner may not get insurance until they are 30 or ¾ of their life is over.
The retirement plan goes as such. If a miner is found to have 50% of their lungs damaged by working in the mines, the miner can retire and get paid the same amount of money (1200 Bolivianos) until they die. The stipulations are that they can only get tested every 4 years. So if a miner is 38 and gets tested and is found to have 45% lung damage he must continue to work until he can get tested again at 42. The problem is that they are often dead before the next scheduled test. Even if they manage to have 50% lung damage and retire and collect on the retirement plan, they are not expected to live more than 1 year past that point.
Traveling has definitely opened my eyes and adjusted my perspective. Things are not always as bad as they seem. Even though the US economy is in shambles, even though gloom and doom abound on every newspaper and news channel on TV, even though I don’t have a job, even though .......
My father is alive and lives past 40. I have a loving family. I have my health. I can afford to travel. I’ll get a new job, it may not be my dream job but I know I won’t starve. Count your blessings. Others are not so fortunate.
Everything is amazing and nobody is happy
Until you consider that miners have a life expectancy of 40 years. We met a father and son team working in the mines. The father was 38 and his two sons were 18 and 15 with three other children at home; the youngest one being 1.5 yrs old. The youngest child will not remember his father who will pass away in 2 years. It’s poignantly heartbreaking. Even more so may be the fate of the two young boys who work with their father. Because they started working in the mines at such a young age, their life expectancy goes down exponentially and reaching the age of 34 may be a lucky scenario. We met children as young as 11 working in various roles in the mines.
The mines are filled with uneducated Bolivians lured in by the comparatively lucrative money to be made. Miners work reasonable hours as they have to be out of the mines by 5pm to allow for the large explosions to open up new passages. They have a large breakfast and dinner and do not eat lunch, instead macerating coca leaves which are purported to provide an energy rush similar to caffeine and to stave off hunger. In order to avoid putting their asbestos covered hands in their mouths while eating the coca leaves, they urinate on their hands prior to eating their lunch. As the mines are cooperatives, the miners get paid in accordance with as much ore as they can pull out of the ground and sell to refineries. Teams within the mines are in constant battle for prime real estate and physical altercations often break out. Miners go on years and years of experience in finding a vein of ore, and there are no regulations as to where you can blast. As a result, miners may accidently blast underneath other preexisting mines, causing cave-ins and casualties.
Miners have health insurance and a decent retirement plan. However, this plan comes with a number of stipulations. In order to get health insurance, the miner must work as a “helper” in a group for 4 consecutive years. After working as a helper for 4 consecutive years with the same team, he gets the insurance and is promoted to a “miner” with access to the more desirable jobs and potential managerial positions. What often happens is young miners do not feel the effects of the dust and asbestos filled air on their lungs, and because they are compensated based on how much ore they extract, they will often switch teams once their particular vein of ore has dried up. The impact is that their 4 year timeline to get insurance starts over. After doing this a couple times, a miner may not get insurance until they are 30 or ¾ of their life is over.
The retirement plan goes as such. If a miner is found to have 50% of their lungs damaged by working in the mines, the miner can retire and get paid the same amount of money (1200 Bolivianos) until they die. The stipulations are that they can only get tested every 4 years. So if a miner is 38 and gets tested and is found to have 45% lung damage he must continue to work until he can get tested again at 42. The problem is that they are often dead before the next scheduled test. Even if they manage to have 50% lung damage and retire and collect on the retirement plan, they are not expected to live more than 1 year past that point.
Traveling has definitely opened my eyes and adjusted my perspective. Things are not always as bad as they seem. Even though the US economy is in shambles, even though gloom and doom abound on every newspaper and news channel on TV, even though I don’t have a job, even though .......
My father is alive and lives past 40. I have a loving family. I have my health. I can afford to travel. I’ll get a new job, it may not be my dream job but I know I won’t starve. Count your blessings. Others are not so fortunate.
Everything is amazing and nobody is happy
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| Potosi, Bolivia - Day 1 |
Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 3
We had to wake up at 4 am this morning to see the sun rise. I wasn’t entirely excited about waking up that early, especially since we were sleeping at 4000 meters and it wasn’t exactly restful recuperative sleep. I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of sunrises is this one really going to be worth waking up at 4am? Wow. This was one of the most spectacular sites so far. The sun rising over a crystal clear lake of white salt; reflecting and shimmering off of the pools of water on the salt made for a magnificent site with a color spectrum that ran the gamut.
Today was the most jam packed of the 3 days, and we were to be done by 2ish. After watching the sunrise, we drove to a massive salt flat. We were driving on the salt flat for about an hour and did not get across it. In the middle of the salt flat was a small hill full of cactus which we explored for a bit. Then we made some funny photos on the salt flats all before having our breakfast.
After we finished breakfast, we visited a hotel made entirely out of salt blocks and a train museum that was more of a graveyard where they sent trains to die.
Today was the most jam packed of the 3 days, and we were to be done by 2ish. After watching the sunrise, we drove to a massive salt flat. We were driving on the salt flat for about an hour and did not get across it. In the middle of the salt flat was a small hill full of cactus which we explored for a bit. Then we made some funny photos on the salt flats all before having our breakfast.
After we finished breakfast, we visited a hotel made entirely out of salt blocks and a train museum that was more of a graveyard where they sent trains to die.
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| Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 3 |
Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 2
Today was more desert and lagoons as we continued our way towards Uyuni, Bolivia. I got to climb up some rock formations, watch a flat tire being changed, and play soccer with some local kids when we arrived at the hostel.
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| Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 2 |
Friday, February 27, 2009
Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 1
So today was the start of one of the best tours that I took in South America. A 3 day tour of Bolivia’s salt flats and beautiful lagoons in a 4x4 truck, with food and lodging was only $100 dollars. Granted the accommodations were a bit rough, with no heat and the first place did not have shower facilities, but we had people on the tour ranging in age from 25 to late 60s and everybody survived and enjoyed themselves.
On the tour that day, we visited the desert that inspired Vincent Van Gogh’s art work, volcanic geysers overflowing with mud and steam, and saw a tornado approaching us through the desert. We also explored a couple lagoons which were so vividly brilliant that they appeared to be painted vibrant hues of blue, green, white, and red. Complimenting the beautiful water colors were towering mountain scenes and masses of magnificent flamingoes. I’ve never seen so many animals of one species in one place at one time. Couple that with the amazing scenery and you are driven into visual sensory overload. Of course a picture can only get a fraction of what the eye can see so while the pictures that I have on this tour are stunning, the in person experience was exponentially better.
Trying to move around for your first couple days at high altitudes, 3000 meters is where you first start of feel some of the altitude symptoms, is like trying to run a marathon while carrying a horse who is kicking you in the head. You take five steps and have to stop, completely winded, hunched over trying to catch your breath, while a headache constantly pounds your skull. Sleeping at that altitude is a totally different matter. We had to sleep at 4200 meters on the first day and with no previous altitude exposure it was really difficult. The best way that I can describe it is to use a simile - sleeping at 4200 meters is like trying to breathe through a straw while a baby elephant performs back flips on your chest.
On the tour that day, we visited the desert that inspired Vincent Van Gogh’s art work, volcanic geysers overflowing with mud and steam, and saw a tornado approaching us through the desert. We also explored a couple lagoons which were so vividly brilliant that they appeared to be painted vibrant hues of blue, green, white, and red. Complimenting the beautiful water colors were towering mountain scenes and masses of magnificent flamingoes. I’ve never seen so many animals of one species in one place at one time. Couple that with the amazing scenery and you are driven into visual sensory overload. Of course a picture can only get a fraction of what the eye can see so while the pictures that I have on this tour are stunning, the in person experience was exponentially better.
Trying to move around for your first couple days at high altitudes, 3000 meters is where you first start of feel some of the altitude symptoms, is like trying to run a marathon while carrying a horse who is kicking you in the head. You take five steps and have to stop, completely winded, hunched over trying to catch your breath, while a headache constantly pounds your skull. Sleeping at that altitude is a totally different matter. We had to sleep at 4200 meters on the first day and with no previous altitude exposure it was really difficult. The best way that I can describe it is to use a simile - sleeping at 4200 meters is like trying to breathe through a straw while a baby elephant performs back flips on your chest.
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| Solar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Day 1 |
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