Words from a guest journalist- Mama!

A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have my mama come for a visit. I asked to write about her time here, because being here for almost 6 months, I have begun to get used to all things Bolivia (which in itself is a little scary!) Here is her Bolivian Journal:

Impressions From Five Days in Bolivia with Anna

A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined that I would be spending 5 days in Bolivia with Anna. She was interviewing for the Peace Corp with no idea of whether she would be accepted and if so whether she would accept the challenge. Well, things change and I found myself on a plane from Santiago, Chile to La Paz, Bolivia. I was in Santiago for a week, where I am fortunate to have a project working with colleagues at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology at the University of Chile. Since I was already in the southern hemisphere, it only made sense to go the rest of the distance to be with my daughter.

Traveling to San Jose de Chiquitos is an adventure in itself. I flew from Santiago to La Paz, intending to connect immediately on to Bolivia’s largest airport, Viru Viru International in Santa Cruz. I found that in Bolivia, plans should be considered only as rough outlines of what will happen next. Instead, I spent 7 hours at 13,313 feet elevation in the La Paz airport. My first inclination was to take a taxi into the city and explore the colonial Plaza San Francisco and the Witch’s Market, until I realized that my lips were cyanotic (blue) at rest and even walking slowly up several stairs caused respiratory distress. Going from sea level to the highest airport in the world is a challenge. So instead of sight-seeing, I found a reclining chair in a VIP lounge, answered email, read and rested, and drank maté hoping that I would not succumb to “sorocho”, altitude sickness. After all, I was already wasting 7 hours of my precious time with Anna and I didn’t want to be sick for even one day. Luckily, I escaped with only a mild headache and some difficulty eating that evening.

Meanwhile, Anna was waiting for me in Santa Cruz, after taking the overnight train from San Jose de Chiquitos. My first impression of Santa Cruz from the plane was a dramatic view of brush fires and smoke filled air. It did not improve as I sped down Bolivia’s version of Eight-Mile Road in a broken down taxi. From this vantage point, the city looked disorganized and dangerous. Anna and I met at our $35 hotel and walked to a restaurant that had fabulous food (I couldn’t eat) and VERY slow service. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of the pleasant courtyard filled with people having fun, was a great backdrop for the mother-daughter reunion. In the morning, we went to Alexander’s, a Peace Corps volunteer (PCV) hangout with good food and free Wi-Fi where Anna is sure to meet up with a fellow PCV if she stays there long enough; all the more surprising because the Santa Cruz region is large and volunteers can live as far as 15 hours away. Santa Cruz, with 1.5 million inhabitants, is bustling and modern in many ways. I heard many times during my short stay that “You can find anything in Santa Cruz”. And, in fact, Anna and I were very successful shopping for food, cooking supplies and a mountain bike.

One hour before our 11 am train to San Jose de Chiquitos, we joined a diverse array of Bolivianos in the crowded and noisy train station. We were amused by a very determined cleaning lady who kept us moving while she mopped the floor repeatedly in the places where we chose to sit. Just as we thought it was time to board the train, Anna received a text message from another PCV who reported that she had heard our train was leaving several hours late. A teacher from the Marist Brother’s School in San Jose de Chiquitos had called to say he would be home later than planned. Communication – it’s changing the world! Anyway, this meant that Anna and I could return to our hotel and relax by the pool for several hours before taking another frenetic taxi ride back to the train station.

The train left at 3:30 and traveled through countryside that made me think of pictures I’ve seen of African savannahs. I would not have been surprised to see a giraffe striding across the plains. Our arrival by night at the train station at San Jose de Chiquitos was dramatic. We were met by the smell and site of the fires from many small grills, grilling meat for sale on the platform. The exotic look and dress of a diverse array of people was even more impressive in the dark. As we got of the train, Anna and I saw Melchor, the Marist Brother, who beckoned us to share his taxi. Through the broken windshield of the taxi, I took in the small adobe houses and the unpaved streets of my daughter’s new home. We were warmly greeted by Daisy and Negro, the proprietors of the home where Anna has 2 rooms which open on to a spacious garden courtyard across from their living room. I drifted off to sleep dreaming about Anna’s life in this exotic place so different from what we call “home”.

In the morning the family had gone to their cattle ranch for the day and Anna and I had the home to ourselves. We took our time over a breakfast of poached eggs and then headed out to hike up the canyon just outside of town. All along the way, people greeted Anna: “Hola Ani” “Y Josi?”, “Hi Anna” – “Where’s Josi?” I appreciated the familiarity of the greeting which positioned Anna as a colleague of Josi, another PCV.

At the outskirts of town we passed the well-maintained campus of an orphanage, which cares for children from infancy to adolescence. I have since learned that 9,200 Bolivian children live in homes for abandoned, orphaned and disabled children and an additional 3,700 live on the streets in the cities of La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Tarija and Sucre. Of Bolivian’s 8.3 million inhabitants, half are children and 2.5 million children live in poverty. Bolivia is the poorest country in our hemisphere with the exception of Haiti.

The hike passes the original town-site of Santa Cruz which was established there in 1561 before moving to its current location in 1592. Our goal was to reach the top of a canyon with an amazing view of the valley. After turning back because of the heat the first morning, the next day I was rewarded by a view that brought back memories of Arizona vistas. I imagine things will look different after a few months of rain.

The town of San Jose de Chiquitos is reminiscent of the American west, several hundred years ago. As I walked the dusty streets of the colonial square I imagined myself in Taos, long before New Mexico joined the United States. True there are some cars and “motos” in San Jose, but most people are on foot or in donkey carts. There is a treasure of a church completed in 1698 by the Jesuits at the end of their short tenure in the region. It is built of wood and stone and is decorated with frescoes combining baroque and indigenous art. Gold adorns the altar and carved wood pillars support the massive structure. The reconstruction of the church continues but is quite far along. There is a tranquil garden which was full of spring blossoms. The remainder of the square includes several carry-out chicken restaurants and the town-hall, where Anna spends some of her work days.

I felt like a visiting dignitary during my stay. Doña Daisy took me on a tour of the hospital and city government including a meeting with the mayor and a discussion of Anna’s project. We were invited to Doña Daisy’s daughter’s home for coffee. I enjoyed meeting Patti and her French husband, Pierre and their 3-year-old son, Tomas, and learning about their life in small town Bolivia. Pierre has lived in Europe, Africa, the US (Bay City and Saginaw) and Patti has lived in Africa and the Dominican Republic. We discussed the challenge of starting a restaurant in a small town with the promise of tourism, working in international business and raising a son in a remote place in the developing world. One thing, that we all agreed on is that the world is small (“Le monde est petit.”) I look forward to meeting Pierre’s sister who lives in Fenton, Michigan.

I also was able to spend two pleasurable evenings at Doña Rosita’s pizzeria, a cozy place which comes with Rosita’s friendship. Doña Rosita reminded me of Strega Nona, a character from the Tomie dePaola story who has an enchanted pot that produces pasta. I think that Rosita must have been the inspiration for Strega Nona. Our evenings at the pizzeria were spent talking to Rosita, Josie (the other PCV), several teachers and a man who runs one of the local TV stations. I look forward to my next visit for the food and the friendship. I hope that Anna is able to spend many evenings with Doña Rosita.

Leaving Bolivia proved as difficult as getting there. Anna and I left San Jose de Chiquitos on the train at 1 am, to arrive in Santa Cruz in the morning. I was amused by the somewhat Fellini-esque scene at the station including Mennonites, men in overalls and women in gingham dresses; native Bolivian women carrying large babies in blankets on their backs; a colorful array of wedding cake skirts and shawls; and of course the ever-present adolescent Bolivian soldiers in camouflage attire with black boots and guns. The train left on schedule and lulled by the rhythmic noise and movement, we slept.

The morning of my departure, I arrived at the airport, checked in for my flight and bought a beautiful book about the Chiquitos. I was somewhat suspicious because there was no plane at the gate and even more so when I saw the crew leaving with smiles on their faces. I was surprised and secretly happy when my flight was cancelled and headed back into town to spend 4 more precious hours with Anna before her train left. We relaxed together by the pool of our hotel and began thinking about a future visit. I left Bolivia with a profound sense of admiration for my daughter who is brave and adventurous. I appreciate how difficult life is in Bolivia and how challenging her work will be. I also understand that she truly wants to help people and make a difference in the world. That is not always as easy as it sounds. It is impossible to express the magnitude of support Anna has from her family including Peter, Connor and I and her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Post script: Anna, Bolivia is fortunate to have you for 27 months. And, we look forward to what you will bring home to us from your experience.