First Day at Work

THE HISTORY: So I had lined up work with an organization for post-graduation about 6 months ago. I had 2 phone interviews, spoke with them regularly before leaving, coordinated travel and health details with the logisitics director. I was very much looking forward to it, and got an excellent vibe from the organization. Sure enough, literally 3 days before I was supposed to leave, there was turmoil within the organization. The executive director wanted to come back, and had a falling out with the national director. The national director, and the entire staff she hired, quit. And so the organization fell apart the day before i left. But i was still planning on going, meeting up with a friend, and figured i would see what happened. So I got here, traveled as planned, and after talking it out with my dear friend night after night, looked for another opportunity online. I found one that fit me to a tea, sent my cover letter, CV and writing sample. Called the next day. Had an interview the day after and here I am starting the next Monday!

THE ORGANIZATION: My first day was yesterday with an organization called ACDI/VOCA. My head was swimming in acronyms by the end of the days, especially since everything is in Spanish and English, and so the acronym for the same thing may be entirely different because it is in another language! ACDI/VOCA stands for - Agricultural Cooperative Development International (ACDI) ... which merged with .. Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA). Turns out it is in 38 countries worldwide. Who knew? And it is grounded in "expanding opportunities worldwide" through enabling microenterpries and greater economic opportunity to improve health, decrease poverty, and all that good stuff. It is pronounced Akdeevoca.. fast.

Now, in this particular case- ACDI/VOCA-Bolivia is almost entirely a framework of USAID projects. It has $42 million to implement a project in the jungle/forest of Bolivia called Integrated Community Development over the next 5 years with the goal of stopping or decreasing the illegal production of coca in the region. So pretty much.. USAID (US Agency of International Development) provides the money and mission statement, and ACDI/VOCA implements the projects. And everything is 'branded and marked' with the USAID label.. from the letterhead to the microwave. It is peculiar working for an organization that is so absorbed by and dependent on another institution. For example, a couple months ago there was a 30% cut in funding because of political reasons between US and Bolivia.. so people were laid off in the office. (which means I get my own desk!) The primary projects they implement are building new bathrooms, potable water systems, new schools, give new desks to schools, improving delapidated fields or classrooms. Lots of school building. Very PC. There are also volunteer experts that come in to teach them how to efficiently grow tea (rather than coca) etc. Leave it to me the first day to ask.. now do you think that actually works? 'it is part of a process, providing alternatives' was my answer.
It is productive, efficient, rich organization that has 40 staff in this office, 20 staff across the street that are the architects and engineers for the projects, and two local offices in the jungle.

ZONA SUR: So, La Paz is in a crater. And there is el Centro, which is the hub, where I had been staying... always busy with people, minibuses, at all times of day. Different beighborhoods ballon from there. The poorer neighborhood, El Alto, is up at the top of the crater, and is practically its own city. It is the way of getting into and out of the city as well, so if very congested. About a week ago it snowed for the first time in recent history in La Paz, and El Alto got 20 c of snow! Similarly, Zona Sur is the rich neighborhood, with the embassies, etc, and it is know for having more pleasant temperature year round. It is tucked into the valle, out of the way unless it is your destination. It is also practically its own city. And boy... is it another world. You know how i said that the streets are lined with minivans and taxis.. that noone ones their own car? well, here everyone has their very own fancy car to pick their well dress kids up from school. In Sorata I felt out of place in my Western clothes.... here, the women with the traditional colorful fabric bolsa on her bag is the one out of place. the overall complexion of residents is lighter.

THE GUESTHOUSE: is great. The upstairs floors are used during the day by architects andengieers of ACDI/VOCA, but the downstairs HUGE bedroom, with two double beds (i will be sharing with another girl in a week), the bathroom.. equipped with towels, soap, shampoo and even conditioner, a television with cable, a refrigerador and several closets... is ALL mine. The kitchen is upstair and equipped with everything but pots. So my first day I was on a mission: do we have any pots? people thought I was crazy... you are going to cook? but i was successful and finagled myself 3 pots. One is soaking lentils as we speak. There is also a maid, who cleans my room and makes my bed, and a guard 24 hours a day. The streets here are lined with gated houses and offices with guards out front. It is very safe.

MY FIRST DAY: I arrived (in my airplane outfit, mom) with my backpack to move into the guest house at 9:00 am sharp. I got set to work reading up on the organization I realized I knew little about, and read and read. Before lunch I moved into the guesthouse, only a block away. And after lunch I was set to work writing policy papers on microfinance. Substantive work! And since I am only going to be here a month, they will put me to work writing, in both spanish and english, evaluations, project reports, and policy statements on the various projects. There is another friendly intern who also recently graduated, and she is working on revamping the website, etc. I feel very comfortable in the office, with everyone saying 'buen dia, buen dia' to every single person every morning as you walk up the stairs. I even went to the grocery store yesterday. My big splurge was peanut butter.. it nearly double my purchases... 4 dollars! Last night I lead a life of luxury, as I ate pizza in bed and watched Grease (vasolina. en espanol). Not bad for a first day, id say.

Letting life take the lead.. and coming down to Bolivia for an internship turned out to not be half bad. The most serendipitous, I thought, is that they offered me the guesthouse as a place to stay, but their lease there ends at the end of August.. right when I was planning on coming home. Funny how things work out sometimes isnt it?

Sorata

My weekend oasis was just what I needed. I picked the right spot. Sorata is a town up in the forested aread of Bolivia. It is not far distance-wise from La Paz, but the journey is tedious due to unpaved roads. It is tucked away in a hill and the only paved road is that which surrounds the town plaza. But the village, of 6,000 ,extends into the hills with some houses very remote. This morning I awoke to the sound of churchbells calling everyone to sunday mass, and the bustling of vendors getting ready for the big market day. My planned outing was to a cafe that was off the Lonely Planet map, but recommended. So I hiked. And hiked. and turns out, I was hiking the wrong way. So I hiked some more, crossed creeks where women were bathing, rivers where men had pulled their cars to wash them, and attempted to ask locals if there was a cafe up that narrow road. They only spoke the local dialect unfortunately, and directed me to the daughter to translate. Sure enough I arrived. And that is no small feat in this altitude. Nothing like a good sweat before breakfast.
It was beautiful. A lawn with grazing llamas, chickens flutering down below, and a gorgeous view of the farmladen hillside. The 'cafe' was nothing more than a bamboo hut with a couple tables out front with colorful bolivian tablecloths. There a wooden bench that had old car seats in it to add coushining. Clever. In this cafe I had the most fresh meal I believe I have ever had. I had fresh baked bread by the swiss owner, orange juice from the orange tree in the yard, cut and squeezed before my eyes, hot chocolate, eggs, from the chickens in the yards, and yougurt naturale. Now, I was expecting natural yougurt like the kind you buy at Trader Joes. Oh no. The 9 year old neighbor came running over with an old jam jar cover in celophane, with homemade yogurt from their cow. Talk about sustainable living! Now I must admit I do prefer the trader joes variety, but it was fresh nontheless. I even got a ride into town with the swiss owner of the cafe.. who was heading in for the baptism of his godchild and to pick up supplies for the week. What a lovely morning. Topped off with in the plaza: my photocopy version of harry potter in spanish I bought off the street in La Paz. Highly illegal, but the real version is not out yet in Bolivia. I had no choice!
And then I returned on the cozy minibus. I knew the drill. Sardine vendor on my right (imagine how she smelled) and school boy on my left. Windows closed because the dirt roads kick up too much dust. Broke the record. 22 people in the van. 5 hours later, return to La Paz. Ready for my big day tomorrow... .I think I may even shower.

Viajando Sola

Well, Annie, my partner in crime left today. She is a wonderful travel companion.. the cut-the-washcloth-in-half-to-save-room kind of traveler, but knows how to see things well, and has a definite love of adventure.. including trying to find a Bolivian family on an island to take us in at night, when they looked at us as if they had never seem mainlanders before. (we found a hostel instead.)

I had a trial run on my own the past couple days as she went to hike a glacier, and it proved to be alright. I met some beautiful souls, other female solo travelers from the States, and found a kindred spirit in their approach to the world. They also added some resolve to the fact that my initial plans fell through, that everything works out, and that I am still on the track I want to be.

On Monday I start work with ACDI/VOCA - a USAID funded non-profit that addresses community organizing and agriculture in Bolivia. It has been around 34 years. Its not going anywhere. I am also excited because I will be staying in their guest house, right up the street in the rich part of town. (I bet they´ll have hot water!) The office itself is in what looks to be an old large house with wooden floors, and was bustling with employees (about 25 Im estimate). ANd although most of my work will be in the communications office writing project evaluations and press releases, there wll be much opportunity for field trips. I bought a colorful striped scarf off the street to dress up my backpacker clothes for Monday. Very sophisticated, I thought.

Anyways. I decided to get a little respite from city life,and be a country mouse forthe weekend before the Job. So, this morning I work up at 7, packed my belogning (a growing pile, mysteriously) and bought fresh bread before heading to the bus station for a 9 am bus. For a little background, the streets of La Paz are filled with Minivans. Minivans are the form of stransport for everything; for tusist daytrips, as buses around town; and for busrides across the country. There is also the occasional taxi, or larger bus, but there are very few privately owned cars. The system included a sign in the front to tell you where it is going, a driver, who honks incessantly, and the riht hand man, or boy. They sit next to the sliding door and open it so that you can jump in while moving; collect the money and sporadically stick their head out the window to shout the route. It is often a 7 year old boy. I hailed a minivan this morning in fact, to get to the bus station, and generously, it actually stoped to let me throw in my backpack, etc. >A minivan ride is 12 cents.

So it was no suprise to me that the ride to my weekend getaway was a minivan either. Piled the backpack on the roof along with a couple bags of potatoes, a box of ice cream, tied it down with a string, and we were off. How spacious for a 4 hour drive i thought, only 3 people and me. Little did I know.... we got little out to the parking lot before the righthand man shout out the window ¨Sorata, Sorata¨ our destination. A couple people piled in around the corner. A few more up in the next part of town. More in the next neighborhood. Pretty soon the minivan that comfortable holds 12 was packed with 20 people! The man on my left had a 25 pound bag of potatoes on his lap. The woman on my right had 2 teeth, ate oranges and empanadas as she knitted with the smallest needles I had ever seen. The woman in front of me had a baby on her back and two children on her lap. I am the only tourist. ¨Vamos¨I said under my breath, to no avail. We stopped for gas. ¨Gasolina Especial¨is the one and only kind at the gas stations.. hope it is special for our car.

Bumpity bump, on the dirt road. We are out of the city, and the roads are lined with delapidated houses, dry hills and cows. If there is no roof on your house you dont have to pay taxes. And we are going faster than feels comfortable in the gear we´re in. ¨Tire!¨someone says. We look back, and woops, we hit a bump in the road and the spare tire flew off the roof. The righthand man runs out and rolls it back to the car we are off again. Bumpity bump. And just when you think you are in the middle of nowhere - someone asks to get out. Where they go, I have no idea. And sson their spot is filled with another person walking along. As we brace ourselves for every tilt and turn- efficiently cutting ever blind curve- i stopped looking down at the erosion on the roads edge. There is the occasional 7 year old girl by the side of the road, with her herd of sheep, and I wonder when we will ever get to the town I paid 1.25 to have as my oasis. Äre we there yet¨seemed to be an inappropriate question over the rumbling of the rocks beneath us and our bags above us. And then we round a corner.... and I see it. The colorful pueblo tucked away into the hillside. A refreshing sight of lush shubery surround Sorata, and the plaza is blue and white tile lined with tall trees and old men sitting on benches. Excellente. I arrived, checked into a hostel. There were no singles, so for 60 cents more I am staying in a Matromonio... big bed. Had pizza on the plaza with 3 Spanish travelers, and barely able to keep up with the rapid SPanish conversation, I was humbled. Humbled by the spanish, humbled by my bus company, and humbled by this beatiful yet impoverished pueblo. Relishing in life as a country mouse.

Well, the internet was being very persnickity, and after writing a very long entry.. it was deleted of course. so now we get a streamlined second draft:

I LOVE Bolivia. No where else can you visit the highest navigable lake in the world, (lake titicaca), fly into the highest airport in the world, even see the highest golf course in the world! And yet the altiplano is not all that Bolivia has to offer. Half of Bolivia is the Amazon, with lush jungle and rainforest. It has the larget salt bed in the world, and and rich with silver mines as well.

The people in Bolivia are really wonderful. Friendly and polite, they are calm and kind. They are not aggressive, even in sales. Although there is not as much bargaining as I have found in other countries (or maybe I am just out of practice). I feel very safe in La Paz and everything is impressively clean.

To give you an idea for the prices of things: a hostal is usually 2.50 a night, a full lunch (soup, fresh trout, salad, french fries, rice, and dessert) is 1.00 at the local comedor and 2.00 at the tourist hub. A taxi is 1.20, 2 liters of water is 40 cents. A CD with 120 MP3s off the street is 1.25. A tourist day trip, including transport, guide, admission into the msuems and national parks, andpossibly a snack, is 6 dollars. And yes, 25 bananas are indeed 75 cents. Although everything is remarkably affordable, you quickly become accustomed to the prices, so when you are on an island and a diet coke is 1.25... outrageous.. you refuse and hold out until your return to the mainland.

So Bolivia is beautiful, and slowly being discovered by the backpacker circuit, as australians, israelis and germans alike pass through on their way down from Cuzco and Macchupicchu to Chile and Argentina. Meanwhile, I have become very familar with La Paz,and almost feel like a local, excpet for the minor detail that I am about a head taller than most, and significantly paler.

Can´t wait to return to the States with Lungs of Steel from living at 11,000 feet in altitude. Maybe I´ll become a marathon runner!?

Bolivia: Barato

Contemporary Bolivia: It is a country right in the middle of South America. No coastline (fought a war with Chile, Chile won.) And the poorest country in South America. Those are its claims to fame. Poor and Landlocked. The United Nations attributes its poverty to the coca black market, which is a route many turn too in order to make ends meet. But leaving it at that would sell this beautiful country far short.

Yes there are heaps of coca leaves on every corner, smog hovering over the traffic streets, cracks in the walls, no hot water, and no gas for the stoves more often than not. Let only that you can´t drink the water. But there is also rich smells of empanadas wafting off every corner, streets filled with brillant colored clothing and people bustling at all hours, beautiful incan ruins, and fresh juice that more than replaces the water.

The Worlds Most Dangerous Road

My first time mountain biking I might as well do it right, right? So we scoped out the cheap tour company (who needs knee pads and fancy shocks anyays) and headed out bright and early in a van loaded with bikes to the top of the worlds most dangerous road, an hour and a half outside of la paz... in the snow. Little did I know that this would be the most terrifying, exhilarating expeiernce I had ever signed up for.

Not only was this my first time mountain biking, but I also though this would be a nice half hour jaunt through the country. No no. The jaunt began at high speed down windy roads, passing cars, and continued for five hours on the bumpiest, 7 feet wide with 80 foot cliffs on one side, dirt road of all time. With arms jiggling and hands clenched {death grip{ on the brakes, it was an adventure. Now knee pads, who needs them right? Until you hit a rock at high speed and tumble off your bike rolling alongside your bike down the hill. Good thing I was wearing the snazzy green windbreaker provided by the company or else my war wounds would have been even more impressive. The climate dropped from snow to temperate rainforest. Incredible views expaned on all sides when you dared to look up from the road.

And a very rewarding buffet, refreshing pool and warm shower (the first in 4 days) awaited us at the bottom, along with the priceless t-shirt that says *I biked the worlds most dangerous road*

This can only compare to the moment when just yesterday on Isla del Sol, on Lake Titicaca, we were blocked in the path by a large white bull barrelling towards us. Top speed adventures.. only in Bolivia.

Oxygen Therapy

I´m in BOLIVIA. I made it after a long day of standby travel to the highest airport in the world (over 4000 meters), although my backpack did not. Hopefully it will come tomorrow. Now I have been warned about altitude sickness, and does some high altituide climbing myself. Yet there is nothing that compares to getting on a plane in 0 elevation Miami and walking off the plane 6 hours later in air so thin that you almost faint. Now at first I was fine, waiting for my bag, but then I was standing in line to tell them that my back didnt arrive, and i got parched, dizzy, and started sweating profusely (mind you it is about 38 degrees - not hot) and feeling very light headed. When I got to the front I was ghost white and leaning up against the desk so not to fall over. The man asked if i was feeling right - I shook my head and he escorted me to the Airport Medico ... where I proceeded to have Oxygen Therapy on a white hospital bed and a tank of oxygen up to my face next to a five year old girl in the bed over. The Baggage claim person sat on the bed and asked me question while I breathed through the tank and felt worlds better. You know, the usual.

After settling into my swanky hostel.. tv and all, I went to explore. The trek was a little hasty I suppose as I got sick on a street corner, but Annie my friend I met up with in La Paz has taken very good care of me, bought me medicine and let me rest. The altitude sickness medicine was a walletbreaking 24 cetns a piece! IAnd here I am back at the internet cafe, before heading out to explore the coca museum and the festivities today celebrating the Virgen de Carmen. Can´t wait to see what more awaits.

The adventure has certainly begun and I haven't even left the confines of the UVA Library. As international aid non-profits go.. there has been a great deal of transition with the organization I was going to be working with and plans have changed.. as they do. So an adventure awaits.. one that is far more unpredictable and perhaps exciting with my new friend alison, my new backpack, and my spirit of adventure.

Salud: To New Adventures

Well. Here we are. A few days shy of the beginning. As this is my first blog, I don't really know what to expect from myself and my readers, but I figure we can explore this road together. As you may know, my post-graduation 'plan' leads me to Cochabamba, Bolivia, where I will be working as the Acting National Director of Environment Las Americas for about 2 months. I will be working on issues of Climate Change and Trash burning, work with university students and fellow advocates, as well as help organize a weekly radio show. As far as I know (read-wikipedia and word of mouth) Cochabamba is a large city (3rd biggest in Bolivia) and Environment Las Americas a non-profit eager for help.
For right now, I am trying to savor my last few days of clean toilets, drinkable water and salads you don't have to think twice about. And come Monday - who knows what I am in for. I am now standing on the edge of great change - peering out onto the horizon, but however hard i squint, i still can't make my future out. Yet I can already taste the smoggy air, the fresh orange juice from the street vendor, feel the micro (bus) sway under my feet, and feel my lungs strain for air in the high altitude. Bearing a typhoid shot in one are, yellow fever in the other I am ready to conquer the unknown.

Cheers - to new adventures! Salud - a nuevas adventuras!