Even tussendoor: Lisa’s impressions
Verslag: Lisa Eeraerts
Dit is geen blog over wat er vandaag gebeurd is, dus als Engels niet je sterkste punt is, geen zorgen. Je mist niets al te belangrijk. Voor diegenen die me niet kennen, ik heet Lisa Eeraerts. Hoewel ik geboren ben in België, ben ik opgegroeid in het buitenland. Dit betekent dat, hoewel ik Nederlands spreek, ik mezelf het beste kan uitdrukken in het Engels. Zoals ik reeds gezegd had, ga ik niets al te belangrijk schrijven. Dit is gewoon een blog over indrukken in Bolivië, die ik gemaakt heb nu ik hier bijna twee weken ben. Enjoy!
Welcome to Bolivia, the land of lamas and never ending mountains. I have ridden a few hours per day in open jeeps or buses everyday and I have never gotten tired of the views. Layers upon layers of stone that form mountains and rivers that snake through out the greenery at the bottom. I’ve seen the most exotic plants, every type of cactus and interesting trees. Though the grass here is so dry and hard that it’ll break off and penetrate through your jeans to stab you in uncomfortable places.
There are as many (stray) dogs here as children, though I must say they are both incredibly cute. I have actually come to learn that every Bolivian baby or child is absolutely adorable, NO exceptions. Bolivians also have some how managed to discover countless different types of potatoes. They enjoy eating their various types of potatoes boiled and then dipped in a sauce (normally spicy) and with corns and beans. Sometimes meat if they have meat as well or in a stew.
The people are short and stocky, even I am taller than half of the population (yes, the whole 5 foot 5 inches of me is considered here tall). Some people have a certain smell, right? Well, Sometimes it’s their body scent, sometimes it’s their laundry detergent or perfume. Here, they all seem to have a similar scent that is different from ours with a hint of coca (from the coca leaves they always chew). The men and women here greet us with a handshake, two kisses and then sometimes again a handshake with both of their hands. This is also how they say thank you and goodbye to us. This means that the boys in our group, being the tall european teens they are, almost have to bend there body in half to reach the rough cheeks of the strong Bolivian woman. Yes, strong. Not only are they able to go up the stairs with out loosing their breath (unlike us, who have all turned into 100 year old grandparents due to the altitude), they carry everything, including their children, on their backs in multiple layers of colorful blankets. They don’t only cover their children with multiple layers, they themselves wear (in my opinion) an incredible amount of layers, even when standing in the sun. The women even stand by the stove with a winter beanie on! Keep in mind that Bolivia is in the southern hemisphere so it is now spring here. Everyday it is about 70*F (20*C) and the sun here is strong so most Europeans burn easily.
Always watch where you’re going because if you don’t accidentally step on a cactus, it’ll be on a loose rock. Though I will tell you that not once did I ever see a Bolivian stumble upon a stone or plant. But it’s not only in the villages, the people in the city also never seem to miss a beat. The people there weave through out the cars with such precision that you’d think the number one cause of death in Bolivia would be getting hit by a car. Speaking of cars, I’m convinced that the only technique that you need to know to drive in Bolivia is when and how to use your horn. Bolivians don’t seem to care too much for road signs, just toot and you have the priority. Sometimes they also just toot to say “Hey, I’m here. I’m going to pass you now, okay?” and thats exactly what they do, whether you like it or not. We also found out that all the bus drivers just really seem to love their bus horn. Every time another bus passes by, I can guarantee you they’ll toot two or three times.
It is clear to see why we are here, some reasons more obvious than others. When you drive through villages, or even a city like Potosi, you will spot countless unfinished buildings. Most of them being one to four story apartments. Though unfinished, in most of them you can see signs of life, like a clothes line full of drying laundry or some house hold items.* They also don’t seem to realize that hygiene is important. For example, don’t expect much from the bathrooms in the villages here. Actually, sometimes it is better to just pop a squat in between the bushes (for the girls) or find a discrete stone wall (for the guys) than to risk venturing into their bathrooms… I will tell you that if you do decide to use the toilets, don’t throw the toilet paper in the bowl. In every stall there is a trash can used to collect used toilet paper (apparently they collect all the paper and burn them when needed). Also something very noticeable is how much trash there is everywhere. We have driven through streets where next to us were just heaps upon heaps of rubble and trash. Even fields of what once must have been green and brown shrubs, have gained colors. On every other plant now (and I promise that I am not exaggerating) is a plastic bag flapping in the wind, ranging from the colors orange to blue to black.
Like any other country, Bolivia has its good and bad sides. But I can tell you that it’s not with every country that I fall in love with it right away. I hope that I can come back here one day and continue helping the people. They are at first shy but they have the biggest hearts, proving that the biggest surprises can come in the smallest sizes.
Hopefully until next time, Bolivia.
Lisa Eeraerts
* Jan, the man in charge of our Belgian group, says that this is because in Bolivia you only have to pay housing taxes once your house is completed. Not only that, you also only pay for taxes on the materials used for your house once it’s finished. So why not live in a half finished house when you don’t have the money anyways?