The Animals Are MIA - I know!

Okay, I finally, after all this time, posted my Galapagos blog. I know, thanks for reading. I attempted to upload pictures of adorably cute animals but for whatever reason blogspot wasn't cooperating. I'm still working on it though.

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - The Galapagos Islands

Ever since I can remember I wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands and as I was traveling around I kept running into people who had been and said that it was the most amazing place in the world. It wasn’t too long after I finished school and started traveling around parts other than Peru that I decided to put the destination on my itinerary. And man, am I ever glad I did. I’m also glad I took my camera and my camcorder because without those things I think it would be hard to believe that I actually did go. It is a surreal place.

For eight days I traveled around on a 96 foot schooner yacht, crewed by six, and temporary home to 14 tourists, and two bird enthusiasts. As with every memorable trip, the people play a key role. And I can say that we had the most lovely group (save one) and not only will I never forget the amazing animals I saw while I was there, I will also always remember the wonderful people I met.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re going full-throttle, and we did just that. Even while we were sleeping the crew was generally busy getting us to our next destination. Each day we had at least two excursions. Sometimes that would be a walkabout on an island, sometimes a ride on the panga, snorkeling, each day was something different. Each night our guide, Juan, went over the animals we had seen that day and then gave us a rundown on what was in store for us the next day.

One of the things most impressionable about the islands is that they are all so different. Generally, animals that live on one island only live on that island, and that’s not the only difference. The vegetation also changes. One island might be covered by volcanic rocks and little vegetation while the next might have the most colorful landscape made up of scrub plants. Some islands have jagged cliffs while others have gently sloping, sandy beaches. Generally this wouldn’t be a hard concept to wrap your head around but here, everything is in such close proximity. You’re constantly wondering “How in the world can these places look so completely different?”

Of course I saw a gazillion and a half adorable, I-really-want-to-stuff-you-in-my-bag, puppy dog-eyed baby sea lions. I could have stayed with those little guys forever. My next favorite? The Pacific Green Sea Turtles. I was fortunate to see probably more than my fair share of these beautiful creatures. I saw two mating on the beach, saw them swimming in the ocean, relaxing on the beach, and even got to snorkel with them. After that, I’d probably have to go with the Galapagos Flycatcher. This guy is a little brown and yellow bird but so sweet looking. I saw hundreds of beautiful birds and some not so beautiful birds but this little guy is tops in my book. We saw some of the meanest looking, most chilled out marine iguanas I’ve ever seen in my life. I got a huge crack out of how they would dogpile each other to stay warm. The land iguanas aren’t too shabby either. Their bright yellow and orange colors demand that you give them a second look. As for land turtles, I got to get up close and personal with those enormous guys and gals in both a refuge and out in the wild. It’s amazing to know that something that starts out so small - when they are babies they fit in the palm of your hand, can grow to the size of a lounge chair (although fortunately for them they don’t have the same shape).

That’s a little about the animals. Now for the people because like I said before…good company is the key to a memorable journey. And speaking of good company, I would have given my right arm to have had Ross as my roommate for this part of my journey. Gee whiz did I miss that guy especially after I met my roomie. The only thing I will say about her is that I hope she either 1) stops traveling – I’m pretty sure she’s the reason why people think Americans are rude, or 2) stops complaining and saying mean things i.e. becomes a nice person. Enough said about her, it’s a good thing I almost have a selective memory, I’ve almost forgotten how bad she was at this point. :o)

Let’s see, who should I start with first? Hum…how about José from Spain. It’s amazing when one travels to a Spanish speaking country and there are hardly any people who speak Spanish but that’s exactly what José ran into on his Galapagos trip. The only people on the boat who spoke any Spanish were the crew, our guide, and me. We got to be good friends. He’s a swell guy. An attorney in Madrid, who like I used to be, rarely ever takes a break from work to enjoy life. For me, this friendship was the best of both worlds. I got to make a new friend and I got to practice lots of Spanish. It is so cool to speak another language! Yahoo!

Next up…Wyn and Gill, from Wales. This amazing couple, when they were having a conversation between just the two of them, would speak in Welsh. Although I never did ask how old they are, my guess is somewhere in their mid 60’s. They are both former attorneys but now Wyn serves as a judge and Gill is a mediator. They are both so regal and yet so warm at the same time. They kind of reminded me of the baby sea lions, I just wanted to pack them up and take them home as well.

Jayne is a girl after my own heart. She and I are almost the same age. And like me, although she hasn’t given up on love, apparently it’s elusive for her as well. So, what does she do to occupy her free time? She travels. She’s been all over the place and I loved hearing her Africa stories and all the other amazing places she’s been. She also has trouble finding someone who will go with, so instead of staying home, she goes and does. She is also an animal lover and works in the corporate offices of a pet store in England.

Liz, now let me tell ya about this lady. She is absolutely amazing! She’s originally from England but signed up for the army when she was right out of school, she said, so she could travel. Her plan actually worked and she’s been all over the world. She currently lives in Crete but will be heading to Afghanistan to serve 6 months there. She celebrated her 50^th birthday while we were on our trip. She has 5 more years and then she’ll be able to retire. She was always so upbeat and positive the entire time and a real classy lady.

Jill, Howie, Mark, and Josh – The four of these guys pretty much were a package deal and the majority of the time stuck together pretty close but they were very sweet. The guys were all computer programmers (Howie and Josh are brothers). Jill works for a school district and I’m pretty sure she said she was in charge of teacher training. She and Howie are getting married in September so I know she’s going to be a very busy girl between now and then. The two of them at one point laid down next to some sea lions and a baby sea lion came up and started licking Jill’s toes. I’ll admit, it was hard not to be a little jealous while I snapped that picture.

Amy & Paul – This amazing couple from northern California have been together for nearly 20 years already and they’re not much older than me. They have such an amazing friendship. They both quit their jobs 15 months ago and have been traveling around the world. They have a great outlook on life and I enjoyed hearing about their travels, plans for the future, and exactly how they’ve managed to spend so much time together and still like one another.

Hans & the mystery man – I know, it sounds strange to me that I could spend eight days with someone and still not know their name but I have proof it is possible. Not only do I not know this guy’s name, the only thing I really do know about him is he and Hans are friends. The mystery man didn’t speak English and since my German is really bad these days I suppose that explains a little. Hans on the other hand, did speak a bit of English and I found out he’s an artistic welding teacher in Germany. Very interesting guy…I will always remember him using his cell phone to take very up close and personal pictures of animals strictly for documentation purposes.

Jessica – I think I’ve already said enough about her and frankly, I chose to forget that part. :o)

Brian – I have given this guy the award for most interesting life story (1^st runner up was the girl I met in Brazil who was a squatter in London – she had some tales). Brian is a London ex-pat who lives in Kuwait City. He is a biology teacher and a bird enthusiast. When I met him, he was a little more than half-way done with his 18 month sabbatical and adventure around the world. According to him, teaching in Kuwait, although it pays well, it’s not as lucrative as making homemade beer, wine, and whiskey. From the sound of it, Brian has his own speakeasy going on buying up to 40 cases of unfermented beer a week. I asked him at one point after I’d learned the details of his hobby (which has completely paid for his round-the-world trip I might add) if he was worried what they would do to him if he was found out. His response, “All that will happen is I’ll lose my job and they’ll deport me.” Well, considering some of the punishments I’ve heard of in the Middle East getting fired and kicked out of the country doesn’t sound too awful bad. But still.

So, nearly six months since I was in The Galapagos you finally hear about the adventure. Sorry it’s taken me so long. Up next, tales from Columbia. Cheers!

Keepin' the Dream Alive

Okay, so if you happen to be that one person who keeps checking back to see what's going on, well, you're in luck. The dream life is not over yet - at least the dream life where I get to travel all around the world meeting and making new friends. This Wednesday, I'll be heading off to Europe where I'm going to meet several of my friends.

First stop will be in Dublin, Ireland, to see my friend Ross for a very short visit before I jet off to North Devon, UK, to visit my friend Rachel (we met my first night in Lima...it was her last). After, I will return to Dublin to spend some quality time with my traveling buddy Ross. Then, it will be off to The Netherlands to visit Youandi and Merijn, some great guys I met in Mendoza, Argentina. Then, I'll be taking off to Paris to visit Katharina and hopefully Serena, two girls I met in Miami while staying at the Clay Hostel in South Beach. From Paris, I plan to go to London to meet up with Ross, and our friends Evan and Siobhan, who we met in Bolivia. I'll also get to hang out with Clair, a fabulous girl I met in Brazil. I'm also trying to swing it so I can meet up with Anna who I went to school with in Arequipa. She lives in the Czech Republic. There's also a great girl named Jayne who I met in the Galapagos. I think that's about it though and that should keep me plenty busy for the almost month I plan on sticking around.

So, the excitement continues. And I haven't forgotten, I have stories I need to post about the Galapagos Islands and Columbia. I've been working on them but with everything that happened with Bones since I've been back, I haven't been much on doing anything other than puppy type stuff. Hopefully, one day soon. Until then, I'll be gathering more material, promise.

The Best Love Story I Know

Sometimes life takes you down a path you're not ready to travel down and this has been the case for Copper and me this week. My two special guys have been in my life for almost seven and six and a half years now. Robert and I met Bones in mid-August 2002, and on August 31, 2002, signed the adoption papers for a 45 pound stick dog with a big fuzzy head named Max. Just shy of six months later we decided Bones (who got a new name to go with his personality and figure) got a brother named Copper, who Bones paw-picked himself.

The three of us have been together ever since, with the exception of my time in South America. Their doggie dad, Robert, took care of them while I was away and even before I left, Robert and I somehow managed to share joint custody of our two favorite four-legged boys.

I will never forget meeting Bones and as they say in the movies, it was love at first sight. I knew he was the dog for us. Robert wasn't so sure and really liked a dog named Red. So after a few days of talking about which dog we liked best (we had met eight or nine that day), I conceded and agreed to call Susan at Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue and tell her we wanted Red.

I'll have to be honest. I did think about lying and saying I asked for him but thought that somewhere along the way my little lie would catch up with me so I did the only thing I knew to do, I prayed about it that night. I prayed that God would find Red a great home so that we could have Bones. I knew that he was the one for us. I don't know how but I just knew.

The next morning I called Susan and to her surprise, after she sheepishly explained that a volunteer wanted Red and that because she volunteered she was going to get dibs, I said, "Oh! That's great because I want Max! I prayed last night because I wanted Max and I'm so glad for Red but we want Max!" And so it was. The dog that Robert thought was going to continually jump up on people, became our dog, Bones. By the way, Bones never did jump up on anyone, of course unless they asked him to.

For people who have children or those who don't have dogs, I don't know that they will ever understand the way I feel about my pups. They are my life. They love me unconditionally and I love them back the same. Although I love my human friends, these guys have been my best friends for so many years they are closer to me than any people I know. They always know how to make me smile, they always know when to love on me because I'm sad or don't feel well, and they are always ready to provide hours and hours of entertainment with little to no pay.

This Thursday, as my friend Haley wrote it so eloquently, Bones died in my arms. I knew when I returned from South America that my dear friend had aged. I could see it in his walk and in his eyes. The three of us took a wonderful two week trip to Colorado which I will never forget where Haley snapped some of the most beautiful pictures of my guys. Pictures which allowed me to enjoy the last days with Bones, with us just being us, not worrying about taking pictures so I would remember how fuzzy his big head was or how beautiful his big brown eyes were.

Losing Bones has been the hardest thing for all of us, especially Copper. There really isn't anything sadder in life than seeing your puppy grieving the loss of his best friend. I know at some point things will get easier and that we won't find ourselves overwhelmed by sadness and we'll be able to think of the funny, fun times we all had. Those days seem so far away though as we deal with the grief of losing Bones.

He was such a beautiful, brave dog. I will never forget his terrible, nasty kisses. I will always miss having to tell him he's going to have to move so I can get out of the shower in the mornings. Picking up sticks won't be the same without him there to help. Tennis balls will go unchewed and will be left to gather dust. Sleeping in my full size bed sandwiched between two loving dogs is a thing of the past, as the dog who was always to my left is nowhere to be found. But the saddest thing is that one of the two greatest love stories in my life has come to an end. It was such a good story though.

Bones had to be put to sleep due to health complications of kidney disease, which is common in older dogs. Because he would want you to know, below are some of the symptoms of kidney disease/failure, which Robert and I overlooked because he was an old dog (Bones was probably between 11 and 12) and had had arthritis for a number of years. So please, if you notice these problems with your older dog, please take them to the vet to get him or her checked out. If caught early on (which most times doesn't happen) his or her diet can be changed which will lengthen the amount of time you get to spend with your best friend.

Early clinical signs of kidney failure in dogs:
Increased water consumption;
Increased urine production;

Weight loss;

Weakness or exercise intolerance;

Tendency to bleed or bruise easily.

Clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure in dogs:
Loss of appetite;
Depression;
Vomiting;
Diarrhea;
Very bad breath;
Ulcers in the mouth;

Dehydration (To test for this, gently pull the skin away from your dog's middle. If the skin does not immediately spring back, the dog may be dehydrated.);
Stiff-legged gait and arched back (a sign of painful kidneys);
Little or no urine production.

You Don't Wanna Miss This!

Okay, so I still haven't made it out of Colorado. I haven't crossed the two week mark yet so technically I don't think you can say I've moved...yet. Yesterday my friend Haley played the part of the pupparazzi and took pictures of Bones and Copper. She did a brilliant job. Better than I could have ever imagined. I take pictures of them all the time but they never look like these...it must be me.

Anyway, if you want to see some really amazing, sweet, cute, funny, and adorable pictures of two of my favorite people, oh! sorry, pups, then check out Haley's blog:

www.muttgal.blogspot.com

By the way, my Top Dog (he really was Top Dog in his obedience class), Copper, is the headliner for both her blog and her website. And just so you know, if you love your pups as much as I love mine (or cats, horses, pet mice) she would be a lovely choice to take some pictures of your beloved four-legged family member(s) as well. Just so you remember, her name is Haley Poulos - Haley Poulos Photography, and she rocks!

Play Time With The Pups!

Well, I decided to post some puppy pictures. I've been working on my Galapagos blog and still have one to do for Columbia as well but I had some cute pics from our short trip to Steamboat (I'm in Vail right now where it is snowing cats and dogs. Yahoo!) But just so you have an idea just how much snow is still hanging around I took a picture of the outhouse. Don't worry. The only men in my life are the adorable, furry, four-legged type...




This was a familiar scene, Copper up front, scouting out our trail but never getting out of sight. Poor little guy had to drag around his leash though, just in case.

And Cop says, "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! I'm so glad my mumma is back!"

And Bones says, "I know people think this is fun but I don't know why." He sure did like me taking his picture though.

Copper ran around for over an hour without stopping, checking out everything, rolling around in the snow, and of course, always stopping to check out where his momma and Bones were.

It's hard to believe that Bones and Copper are somewhere between 10 and 12 years old. It was easy to tell that Bones is getting older, we took lots of stops. Our new motto: Slow and steady.

My two favorite guys in the world. We had such fun, just the three of us. Just the way we like it.

Well, in case you were wondering why I came "home", here's your reason(s). Not much else could have made me want to come back. It won't be long and we'll all be settling back into our normal lives. But until then, we plan on having lots more fun.

8 Completely Bizarre, Incredible, and Exciting Things About Bolivia

I could talk about Bolivia for almost the same amount of time I was in this amazing country, 19 days. If you’re looking for adventure, the wild, crazy, this should be illegal (and might actually be) type of entertainment and tours, then this is your place. If you’re American, get ready to buy your $135 visa but it will be money well spent. I promise. I couldn’t possibly choose one activity over another or rank them by favorites, so they’re in order of activity. And, if by the time you finish reading this blog, you’re not in total disbelief or totally pumped and ready to get that next stamp in your passport, it’s got to be because I’m a terrible writer and I shouldn’t quit my day job. Oh, that’s right, I already did. Oh well…

1. Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni) – Our wild and crazy train ride lead us to Uyuni where we had decided to go to the biggest salt flats in the world. I realize that these days you’re supposed to refrain from sodium but seriously…have you ever seen the pictures you can take in a place like that? Completely wicked, plus if you need a little seasoning for your meal, you’re in luck. There’s over 4,000 square miles of salt which is something like eight meters thick. (I do sometimes use the metric system now, just so you know.) It was created when a gigantic prehistoric lake dried up and is now one of the hot spots on the gringo trail.

The next morning, Ross and I went in search of a reputable tour company which is pretty hard to do around those parts. We’d heard way too many horror stories of people almost dying due to tie rods breaking, or other vehicular accidents and stories of people being left out in the desert for hours waiting on another ride. We had a good tip and just so happened that while we were in the office questioning Amalia if they changed vehicles mid-stream, if the tour was with her company, all those questions you think you shouldn’t have to ask, a group who had just returned rocked in to the office. So, with their good reports we booked a trip. Well, actually it was after Ross had worked some magic using his negotiation skills, then we booked the trip.

So the next day we took off with our motley crew (6 travelers, a driver, and a cook) off on a 3 day jeep tour of the Salar. First thing to note, is that even thought these are considered “jeep” tours, they’re in Toyota Land Cruisers, not in Jeeps. Second thing, is that it’s a good thing it’s not in a Jeep. Three days in a Jeep with 7 other people is not my idea of fun. Land Cruisers are actually pretty roomy, as long as you have the luggage, food, and extra fuel wrapped up in a tarp up on the top of the vehicle. Why in a tarp? There’s not much danger of rain most of the year but once you get out of the salt flats you’re in a desert, and let me tell you, everyone answers to the name of Pig Pen by the end of this trip. (Remember the Charlie Brown character who always walked around surrounded by a cloud of dust?) I don’t think I’ve ever been that dusty in all my life. On the way back, I lost count of the number of times I had to wipe the dust off my sunglasses just so I could see the barely existant road ahead of us.

We drove around to different look out points, visited a train cemetery, saw several different types of lakes which were homes to thousands of flamingos (we also saw the flamingos, too), visited the old salt hotel, stayed in another hotel made out of salt, took some fabulous pictures, visited a cemetery that was just discovered within the last 10 years which dates back to 500 BC (and they people are really well preserved due to the desert conditions let me tell ya), saw a desert landscape that looked like it came straight out of one of Salvador Dali’s paintings (they actually named that desert after him), climbed some very large rocks at the Valley of Rocks, took a dip in a thermal pool, got up before the crack of dawn to see dry and wet geysers, and hiked around “Fish Island” and saw cacti that had been around for thousands of years.

If you’re thinking you are up for this adventure I strongly recommend Monte Blanco travel agency out of Uyuni. We had a great time, had a wonderful driver, an excellent cook, and I am happy to report we had no accidents and no breakdowns. After you’ve been there you can definitely understand why those last two things are so common.

2. The Mine Tours – La Candelaria (Potosi) – Our next stop on the gringo trail was Potosi. Although I was simply looking forward to going to the mine, blowing up some stuff with dynamite, and then heading on to the next stop, it didn’t take much to get me interested in the history of the city. It’s hard to imagine that any city in Bolivia, South America’s poorest country, was at one time more fashionable and richer than Paris. It is said that even the streets were paved with silver and at one time, back in the 1600’s there were more people living in Potosi than in any other place in the world. The reason? The Cerro Rico (Rich Hill in English) where they found and mined silver up until the 1800’s (when the supply was depleted) was the place to live. Given what it is today, it’s hard to comprehend that Potosi was at one time the richest city in the world.

Today, the mine still plays an important role in the Potosi economy. And for those of us who dare to visit the mine, it becomes a huge eye-opener. There was a documentary made back in 2005 called The Devil’s Miner, which is a film about 14 year old and his 12 year old brother who work in the silver mines to help support their family. Although I didn’t see any children working the day I was there, children still work in the mines here. I really encourage you to find the movie. I’m pasting the link because I got a chance to see the movie when I was in Sucre and it is absolutely unbelievable. Believe me, I don’t have a job but I was definitely grateful for the one I did have once I had watched the film and I know you will be as well, you’ll be thankful for a lot of things. http://www.thedevilsminer.com/index_new.html.

A friend of mine had recommended a place to stay in Potosi and also had said that he had booked his tour through their agency. After we read the Lonely Planet guide on the mine tours I was glad I had bought some extra life insurance as they tell you straight up, it is a dangerous tour. After all, you’re stepping into a working mine, where there are poisonous gases, men working with dynamites, runaway carts that could end your life in the blink of an eye, and a truckload of other bad things that you hope never happen. So why go on the tour? To get a glimpse of life for a Bolivian miner and of course, to get to play with dynamite!

After getting on all our duds (including another hard hat…a sign of a great tour), we headed off with our group to the Miner’s Market. Believe it or not for a little more than $2.00 US you can buy a stick of dynamite, a fuse, and a little metal connector, and let me not forget the accelerator. We bought a couple of packets, some as gifts for the miners, and one for us to play with. The mines are cooperatives, which means that every miner works for himself, sets his own hours but has a group of buddies who is always watching his back. They have to buy their own supplies such as dynamite and coca leaves. Two things that they wouldn’t be able to get by without. We also bought some coca leaves to hand out. I’m sure at this point you understand why the dynamite is important but you’re probably really wondering about the coca leaves. Matter of fact, you’re probably wondering about my sanity at this point. I promise I’m completely fine. I just see things in a different light now.

We went directly to the mine after shopping at the market. At our security briefing our guide went over simple things such as mind your head, don’t touch the wires as most of them are for electricity, keep your lamps on, listen to what we say, those types of warnings. Then we were ready to go inside the mine.

Our first stop was to visit El Tio and to visit the mini-museum they had inside the mine. El Tio (the uncle) is the name the Spanish gave to the Devil when they came and conquered the Quechua people. They don’t have a “d” in their alphabet so they used a “t” instead. He is said to be the one who rules over the underworld and the mines in Potosi. The miners on a regular basis bring him offerings of coca leaves, cigarettes, and alcohol so he won’t take their lives. It’s said that the miners lead double lives. If you’re paying attention to the outside of the mines, you’ll always see a Virgin Mary or some other Christian symbol but inside the mine, they are worshiping El Tio or in reality, the devil. It’s been that way for generations and each miner accepts this dual-religion and depends on it for survival.

I could type all night long about the conditions inside these mines but instead I’m going to tell you about some of the things I witnessed while on my tour. I watched sweat pour out of a man’s boots while he pulled his ankle back towards his thigh. He had been working all day in areas that sometimes reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I watched as four men, two pulling and two pushing, struggled to push a two ton cart full on “completo” (that’s what they call the rocks straight out of the mine) along the tracks. They do this multiple times during their 12, 15, or 24 hour shifts, most of the time pushing the cart over 1 kilometer one-way. By the way, the cart, when it’s empty weights one ton. At one point, Ross and I helped push a cart up a slight incline, it was unbelievably heavy. I saw a young man with both cheeks chalk full of coca leaves just so he could work the day without any food. Once they enter the mines, no one ever eats. They take water, Gatorade, soda, and coca leaves with them but nothing else. Without the coca leaves to ward off the hunger and give them energy, they wouldn’t be able to work those types of shifts. I also saw the particles of dust and asbestos floating in the air as I walked and sometimes crawled down the narrow shafts. I watched as a guy gave the biggest grin and joked around as he was starting the long road back for another load. Even though these men and boys work in conditions that in the States wouldn’t be allowed, they still have these amazing spirits. And they’re glad to have their job. There’s no way they could make that kind of money on the outside.

The men and boys who work in the mine will make more than twice that of someone who doesn’t work in the mine. The sad reality though is that they are trading the majority of their lives so their families can survive. The majority of these men by the time they are 40 will have major lung problems and typically die of silicosis. They don’t have health insurance and they majority of them die at home, a slow, painful death. For those who don’t end up with lung problems, they generally die in the mines as a result of cave-ins, accidents with carts, and of course from explosions that didn’t go off when they should have. There are, on average, 30 deaths a year inside the mines of the Cerro Rico. Oh, I forgot to mention that these guys are also working at around 13,000 feet, a height that would make most of us lose our breath just walking a couple of steps and they’re doing everything the old-fashioned way, by hand.

So, besides getting to play with dynamite – we did actually get to use our stick of dynamite to blow up some stuff, I have a new appreciation for my life. The fact that I never had to start working when I was a child, that I don’t (or at least shouldn’t) have to worry about dying a slow, painful death, and that I’ve never had to work that hard for so little with no hope of getting ahead; I am so thankful. I’m also thankful that I got to see that when that is the case, that when that is your life, it is possible to live it with a sense of humor and a spirit that apparently can’t be broken.

3. The Biggest Water Balloon Fight in the World (Potosi) – The entire month of February is one big water fight in almost every city in Bolivia. If you’re out in the street you better be ready to get wet. First, I probably better add my disclaimer: The theory of Potosi having the biggest water balloon fight in the world is strictly the opinion of the author and does not represent anyone else’s thoughts or opinions on the subject. With that out of the way, I’m free to tell you about our involvement…

Twice a year, the miners have a carnival. It just so happened (and this is one of the best parts about traveling) that when we rocked into town, they were just preparing for the celebration. Our guide for the mine tour had told us we should stick around, that it gets pretty wild and is definitely something to see. So, since I’d already missed my original flight home, I thought, “What the heck?!? Sure!” And by that time, Ross and I had met up with a Welshman and his Irish wife, Evan and Siobhan, who are now great friends. The four of us agreed to meet up the next morning around 10:00 to witness the celebration.

Ross and I were running a little late (apparently that’s just the way we roll) and when we met up with Evan and Siobhan we could see fear in their eyes. “We don’t want to go back up there,” they said in unison. “It’s like a war, they’re crazy, and we’re just big white targets.” It didn’t take Ross and me long to figure out what they were talking about because before we could make a decision about heeding the warning or heading off into the war zone, a water balloon came screaming past my head…a near miss. We decided to chance it, and Evan and Siobhan being the great sports they are agreed to join us.

The parade itself, which consisted of drunken miners walking, dancing, and sauntering down the street was pretty amusing and while Ross had decided to continue up the street, the three of us decided we’d hunker down next to an older lady, thinking that people might have some respect for the elderly. Mistake #1, there is no regard for age, ability, or nationality when it comes to a water war. We were deep within enemy lines, and it proved to be difficult to extract ourselves from the interior of the battlefield.

Ross returned to find Evan, Siobhan, and me covered in foam and displaying the clear markings of recent hits. Ross, who had somehow managed to stay dry as a bone, then made friends with one of the locals who was kind enough to buy us our first stash of water balloons. We weren’t planning on using them for aggressive action, purely as a measure of defense, and to maybe look a little tough and scare off the enemy. We did alright for the first few meters but then just as they say in war…all hell broke lose. “Gringos!” I heard someone yell and I knew it was on. We made it a few blocks before we decided that we needed to strategize, we needed a plan, or we’d never make it out alive. I’d taken a couple of water balloons up the side of the head and by that point my pants were completely soaked which made running a little precarious. We needed to face the facts. We needed ammunition. So, like true locals, we bought several bags of water balloons, and we were armed and dangerous, and ready for what lurked around the next corner.

We had a great time from then on. I had a moment with a little boy, probably 10 years old, no more, he looked at me and was ready to hurl a bomb in my direction. I, thinking quickly, glared at him with a menacing look, pointed at him as if I were calling him out, like the “your next” thing you see on a field, players tense, filled with passion, and ready to take out anyone who gets in their way. Apparently I was successful as he shrunk back into the doorway of his house, peering from around the frame wondering exactly what I was capable of. I walked by on the other side of the street, not ever breaking eye contact, but I couldn’t help but crack a smile. The little boy, seeing my smile, visibility relaxed a little, and that’s when I let it fly. He would have done the same had I dropped my guard. Score one for me!

It continued like that for what seemed like an eternity and when we finally reached the safety of Evan and Siobhan’s hostel we were all soaked to the bone. It was a bit cold and the insanity of the situation was starting to settle into my mind. And then, the realization that we had a lot farther to go caused a slight panic to flood my body as I knew the streets were full of people just waiting to unleash their fury. Once we ran out of ammunition we resorted to running from the enemy. I can say that I’m so glad that I can still outrun most kids. I might not be in the greatest shape of my life but don’t they say you just have to be a little faster that the slowest guy? Or in this case, the guy with the water balloon, foam, or bucket.

I could go on and on about the water war. I could tell you about the taxi we refused to get in when it was time to head to Sucre because there was a gang of kids locked and loaded just waiting for us outside the door. I could tell you about the girls in the pickup trucks who would scream “Hola!” then dump a bucket of water on your head. I could also tell you about Ross and his errant water balloons, one of which nailed a businessman in his suit, not to mention the one that went in someone house. And the fun didn’t stop there, it continued in Sucre but by then I was getting to be someone of a professional and even dared to take a picture of two of the little boys who were so excited to have another go at me. I even ran like a child away from a 12 year old boy in Guayaquil, when he came after me with a can of foam. I should have heeded Siobhan’s suggestion and not made eye contact but I did, I saw the foam, I looked him in the eye, I smiled a little smile, he flashed back one that said “I’m gonna get you lady” and the chase was on (with the encouragement of his parents I might add). I had to run a lot further than I thought I would. I also saw people covered in blue paint while in Guayaquil, which is what they use instead of water. Fortunately, I was only a spectator there. Next time I go to South America in February I’m going to have to remember my trainers, they’ll be a lot easier to run in than Birkenstocks.


4. Dinosaur Tracks (Sucre) – For those of you dinosaur lovers, you’ll get a kick out of this place. It seems that a cement company was digging rocks out of its quarry but the material contained too much mercury so they abandoned the location. Little by little, over time, wind, and rain, the footprints of creatures from millions of years ago started showing up on the wall. This place it turns out, was a watering hole for those enormous and fierce animals who roamed the earth 15 and 20 million years ago.

At some point, the ground began to shift and this area was turned on its side so now it’s like a big mural of dinosaur tracks. It was pretty foggy the morning we went but if you look closely and use your imagination you’ll see the footprints. I will have to say that I’m going to give the award for the most excited tour guide to the guy who took us on our tour of the dinosaur museum. I’ve never seen a grown person that excited about anything in my life, especially not dinosaurs. I think they’re pretty cool but we all definitely got a kick out of his enthusiasm. Heck. He got us a little excited about it when he used his phone card to explain how the weather gently removed the dirt and rocks to reveal the footprints…pretty clever analogy. He also talked about their plans to preserve the wall using silicone. They also have some of the world’s only life size replicas of these gigantic creatures. Pretty neat stuff and I’m not even a big fan of dinosaurs.

5. Las Pampas de Amazon (Rurrenabaque) – You can visit the Amazon in just about every country in South America. And for the most part you will see the same types of animals. I heard the Amazon in Brazil is incredible and might actually have more types of animals than in Rurrenabaque but I don’t have first hand knowledge of that myself. But from people who have visited from Peru and Columbia’s Amazon, it sounds like we made out like bandits. It’s a short flight from La Paz to Rurre, just over an hour but in a bus it will take you around 15-18 hours. And although I had a round-trip ticket I have first hand knowledge of the road as well, thanks to a runway that was too muddy after the rains came.

So our journey into the Amazon became two journeys: the Amazonian pampas and the trip back to La Paz. There were lots of exciting moments on both trips and I’d have to say if I had to do it again I’d skip the jeep trip. That was a little too much excitement but that’s for later. First up, the pampas…Ross and I who were still traveling together, something like week seven, decided to head off on a 3 day, 2 night trip into the pampas. After a very bumpy, very dusty jeep ride we ended up at the river where our motorized canoe was waiting for us, along with about 500 mosquitoes, per person that is. They were everywhere and after the first two minutes I knew that our one bottle of OFF spray wasn’t going to go the distance. We hopped in the boat and once we got going the mosquitoes seemed to fade into the distance, which was fine by me. Don’t worry though, they weren’t far. I remember we stopped to look at some howler monkeys once and the front of our boat ran into a bush. In a matter of seconds we were surrounded by hungry mosquitoes. We all decided it was better not to stir up trouble like that again…talk about itchy.

I loved being in the boat and being on the move. Besides seeing great wildlife, it also gave you a chance against those blood sucking bugs. We had a good group which mainly consisted of people from Holland, a couple from Switzerland, and Ross and me. Our guide, who didn’t tell us his name or really speak for the first six hours or so actually ended up being a very good guide. He didn’t speak much English but he sure did know his animals and he was a great spotter. We saw three toed sloths, brown and black howler monkeys, cute little squirrel monkeys, a toucan, way too many caiman and alligators, an anaconda, and tons of birds. We also got to swim with pink (and they are so very pink!) dolphins on none other than Valentine’s Day.

I’m not much on touching animals and of course Ross had to point it out that I wasn’t being a good animal person when I held the baby anaconda that we found on our anaconda hunt. I also touched a real live, semi-wild, and incredibly large – think 15 feet or so, caiman on the nose. (I don’t think he was a big fan either.) I have video and you can hear me saying repeatedly, “This is stupid. This is so stupid.” And it was. I had to get so close to him to be able to touch his nose that if he’d wanted to he could have had me as a mid-day snack. We also went alligator hunting one night, with a flashlight of course. When you shine the light around you can see them because their eyes glow red. It’s pretty creepy. Those guys are everywhere, big ones, and baby ones, take your pick. My favorite though was swimming with the dolphins. At first they didn’t seem too interested in us but once we calmed down (it’s hard not to get excited about that kind of thing, even when you’re a grownup) they started coming around and I started singing in a very quiet voice songs from The Sound of Music (the only ones I could think of at the time). But apparently they’re big fans, too. A couple of times they swam really close and swam up against our feet and legs. They were so soft and slick, even under the water. And, as an added bonus, while the dolphins are around you don’t have to worry about alligators, caiman, or snakes. Yahoo!

It barely rained at all while we were in the Amazon but as soon as we started to leave it started raining. And it rained, and it rained, and it rained some more. The little grass runway couldn’t handle it and both airlines canceled flights for the next day. Ross and I, although we loved Rurre, really didn’t have time to spend a couple of days waiting for the runway to dry. Plus, who knew when or if it would quit raining. So, we started looking at other options. The bus was one but we didn’t care much for it. A jeep was our only other option. Neither of us was too hip on that as the road was a dirt road and it was sure to be in bad condition and we had already been warned about the road. That’s why we had sprung for the airplane tickets. With no real feeling on which was a better option we flipped a coin. Jeep ride it was.

We finally found a guy who had a jeep and was planning on heading to La Paz. Turns out, he makes that run five to six times a month. We ended up having a great group in the jeep which was good because with nine people (including the driver) it was pretty cramped. Once again, the jeep ride wasn’t in a jeep but in another Toyota Land Cruiser. Aaron, who ended up being friends with some of Ross’s friends (he was Irish as well) was one of our travel buddies (and my favorite); Andy, a Peruvian doctor (who told me I really didn’t need to take my malaria medication – sure hope he’s right about that); a couple from Holland; and a couple from England.

It was supposed to be an 11 hour ride but it ended up being 15 by the time we finally hit La Paz. The road was in terrible condition and we slid around the majority of the time. We also broke a leaf spring and had to stop to get that fixed at one point. Thankfully, things weren’t so muddy as the road narrowed. It’s easy to understand why there are so many accidents and deaths on this road. (It happens so frequently it doesn’t even make the news anymore.) Most of the time it’s a single lane road winding around the side of a mountain; it’s the same type of road we biked down. I’ll have to say I felt a lot better on the bike. At least I was in control and there was more room when you compare the width of a Land Cruiser to the width of a bike. I still can’t believe we didn’t die.

6. San Pedro Prison (La Paz) – This is the stuff that rumors are made of but this one is actually the gospel. It’s hard to imagine that anyone in their right mind would actually pay to go into a prison. Okay, maybe Alcatraz but that one hasn’t been open for a long time. This one is an honest to goodness, real-live, they send the bad people to live here prisons.

The odd thing is, is that not just the prisoners live there but their families live there as well. Wives, children, they all live inside the walls of San Pedro. Unlike any other prison (in the world, I’m sure) prisoners have to pay to live there. They have to pay when they get incarcerated, they have to buy their cell (or in this case, apartment), they have to buy their food (with the exception of one meal a day which is provided by the prison). The women and children are free to come and go as they please. The men however, have this luxury withheld from them.

The prison is like its own little city, complete with neighborhoods, markets, restaurants, hair salons. If they can afford it, you’ll see people talking on cell phones. They have cable in their “apartments” and most everyone his own kitchen. Everyone has a job, if they don’t, they won’t be able to support themselves and their families, if they have one.

The prison tours started back in the 1990’s when Thomas McFadden was incarcerated. He had “paid” for a night out on the town and ended up meeting a girl. She lived with him for several weeks (yes, inside the prison, and you thought I was nuts!), and then went off traveling with her friends. When she returned she brought with her some friends who were interested in seeing the inside of the prison. Everyone gets their cut from the tour which will cost you 250 Bolivianos. It comes complete with tour guide (our guide was from Portugal and was caught trafficking drugs) and body guards. Tourists are commonplace there and no one seems to mind the gringos wondering around the different sections. It’s also unbelievably easy to get inside. If you’re standing around the San Pedro plaza and you’re a gringo, I guarantee you within 20 seconds of touching the pavement, someone will be there asking if you’re interested in a prison tour.

If you want to liven up your tour, I suggest getting lost from your group, which I somehow managed to do. One minute everyone was in the kitchen, the next it was only me and about 10 guys whose job it was to cook the prison meals. I tried to remain calm and after seeing my life flash before my eyes and deciding that every person in the prison (except for my group and the bodyguards of course) knew that I was lost. After I was finally able to slow my runaway imagination, I stopped and looked around a little better. “We’ve already been that way, so more than likely they’re not that way,” was my first rational thought.

So, I walked quickly, trying my best not to act lost, out of the doorway of the kitchen, took a quick right and slowed down when I started coming up on the next corridor. I’ve never been so glad in my life to see my friend Evan, who happened to be a good foot taller than everyone else. I will have to say that the look on the bodyguard’s face when I came up from behind him and patted him on the back was, well, priceless. It was that “Oh my gosh, I could have lost my job!” look. At the beginning of the tour, the head bodyguard was telling him to make sure that he was the last one and that none of the tourists got separated. He obviously needs more training and I need to pay more attention to what’s going on.

I will have to say that after I was lost (and then thankfully found my group) I was ready to go. That rattled me a bit and the thought of all the things that could have happened wasn’t anything I wanted to think about. Nothing has ever happened to a tourist inside the prison. It’s one of those “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” type things. But still…not a good situation.

Because the majority of the people inside San Pedro don’t speak English, my Spanish came in handy. I especially enjoyed talking to Marco, one of our bodyguards. He was what I would consider a kid. He’s 26 years old and has been in San Pedro since he was 20. What did he do? He killed a man, on purpose. He received a sentence of 30 years he said. He will spend the majority of his life inside those prison walls. There are gangs inside the prison but he says he’s not involved in them. He pretty much sticks to himself. He said that now things inside the prison are pretty calm but that wasn’t the case when he first got there. He told me that since he’s been there four of his friends have been killed (inside the prison). When we talked more about it he said that even though it seems like a picnic because of how things are, it’s a bad place and he would much rather be anywhere than there. 30 years is a long time. I didn’t ask but I got the feeling that if he’d have known that this was what his life was going to consist of then he would have made different choices.

7. The Coca Museum (La Paz) – This little museum is really small, only two tiny rooms, but its chalk full of good information. And, don’t forget your reading glasses. As soon as you pay your 10 Bolivianos (an entertainment value), the guy behind the desk will hand you a packet. It’s a read as you go tour and they have pictures corresponding to each section in the booklet. The purpose of the museum is primarily education about the coca leaf and his purpose, tradition, and medical affects. The second is to address cocaine, to educate the public about the problems associated with it, and to help those who might try it out of curiosity steer clear of the stuff.

The coca leaf really is a tradition which in South America goes back to more than 1,000 years before Christ. In its natural form, the coca leaf is non-habit forming, and does not have the same negative effects/properties as cocaine. People who chew coca leaves don’t use cocaine, don’t even care about it, in fact in the mid-1990’s the booklet said that 40% of all cocaine produced in South America was consumed by Americans. Now where the other 60% goes, I don’t know but I know that the United States is only one country and around 10 years ago our country was consuming almost half of the supply. The coca leaf plays an important role in life here in South America, especially for those people who have difficult, manual labor jobs. Without the coca leaf they wouldn’t be able to work the hours they do which means they wouldn’t be able to support their families. Cocaine is definitely a bad thing but the coca leaf is not.

Two of the other things that really stick out in my mind that I read in the booklet had to do with cocaine. The first was that Coca-Cola really did contain cocaine when it was first produced. Now it doesn’t contain cocaine but they still use the coca leaf as flavoring…Interesting. The second had to do with a study involving monkeys and cocaine. They taught the monkeys how to push a button so they could get more cocaine. In the end, all of the monkeys died. The results: They said that in the end the monkeys didn’t care about anything other than the cocaine. They didn’t care about eating or sleeping. They essentially died of pleasure. This is absolutely hard to believe but it said that at the end the monkeys were getting 4,000 hits an hour. Of course, I think they should have been using people for the study instead of monkeys. What did they ever do to deserve that kind of treatment?

8. Biking the Most Dangerous Road in the World (Coroico – La Paz) – The last activity I had on my wish list for Bolivia was biking the most dangerous road. After we made it back from Rurre, I figured this would be a piece of cake. And I was right, not that it wasn’t scary at times but it was way too fun to be too scary. We got lucky and had a great group again. If you’re ever going to do this one, I highly recommend a company called Vertigo. Their guides are all certified and are always paying attention to what’s going on, always giving you a heads up about what’s up the road, all the while helping you to remember to have fun, ‘cause you’re on vacation after all.

I’ll have to admit. I have a bike. I haven’t ridden it in awhile. When I do ride it, I can’t always say that my bike and I are one. Matter of fact, the first time I rode it, it threw me (of course it wasn’t my fault) but we got passed that incident and have what I would consider a good relationship. I loved the bike I rode that day. I loved that the bike had good breaks (just kind of a big deal). I loved that it felt like we were old friends. Such good friends that I probably went faster than I ever have on my own bike. It was like being eight years old again. Peddling, peddling, going faster and faster, then coasting, just enjoying the wind on my face and the beautiful views.

It was just over 80 km, all down hill, except for a section of 9 km which we didn’t bike. These bikes were designed and rigged for downhill the guide told us. So when it came time, we packed them up on top of the van, hopped in, and then in no time at all, were back on the bikes, peddling fast and furious again. There isn’t as much traffic on the road these days since they completed the new road. We passed (and were passed by) several vehicles on the paved part of the road but fortunately only passed one vehicle on the narrow, gravel, original road. It was always exciting though, and you always had to be paying attention.

So that’s it for Bolivia. 19 days, 8 amazing activities. I’d do it again in a heartbeat…