Final Pictures!

Here are the last of the pictures. As you all can see, we had a great time and were completely changed by the experience.

http://www.les.appstate.edu/libsci/Bolivia3/Bolivia3.htm

Dr.Rob

The Last Night

It is very late, I am so tired I can´t think, & we have to get up & leave in just 3 or 4 hours. I want so badly to tell everyone about the fabulous farewell dinner, but I think you will have to wait...SO, for now...I just want everyone to know that I ate octopus tonight!!!

:-)
Nicki

We were all in prison!

Hoping the title got your attention, I can now tell you that we weren´t actually in prison, but in a really interesting part of it. Here in Bolivia, when one parent commits a crime, the whole family goes to prison! That´s right. Everyone. The children go to school during their alloted time (another story) then they come back to Carrcelario (a type of afterschool program if you will). In Carrcelario, the children are sort of at an extended school setting. They are divided into age groups and they continue to do learning activities. Part of the learning activities involves the books from Thurichipitas. Casillida, one of the volunteers from the library, goes to the Carrcelario once a week and volunteers with the children. She takes the books there for the children to read. They seem to really enjoy that. They stay there sometimes until 6 or 7 o´clock in the evening. After that, they leave and join their parents in prison. According to the ladies and gentlemen that work at Carrcelario, the life in prison is still really bad. Children sometimes witness violence and rape. But the alternative to this would more than likely be the streets. From what I understand, the families are taken care of. Bolivia doesn´t have the high crime rates that we do in the USA. The murder rate is significantly lower because no one can afford to buy a gun! The contrast in Bolivia is amazing. Just in the area that we were in, you might see a house with partial roof beside of a very nice house with a terracatta roof. It is a society of ¨haves¨ and ¨have-nots¨. Not much in between. That is all I have time for right now. Next time we talk I´ll be back in the great USA!! Tracy :)

Beautiful Children

We just spent a very sad yet wonderful morning at La Casa Cuna - the orphanage that Leticia´s family operates. Right now they have around 20 of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. One little girl, Mary Bell, spent most of the morning in my arms, and she was absolutely precious. The majority of the children there come from the streets, and I can´t believe that anyone would abandon any one of them. My little Mary Bell was around one and a half, maybe two years old. I asked if she was found in the streets also, because she had a big scar running down her chin, and the back of her little elbow was healing from what looked like a pretty big wound. I don´t know for a fact if these were injuries she got before she came to the orphanage or not. One little boy, Israel, had brain damage, but Leticia said he has made amazing progress. When he first came to the orphanage he couldn´t even sit up by himself, but this morning he was walking around, eating cake, and smiling like an angel at all of us. One little baby was only around 10 days old, she was abandoned at the police station.

Leticia said that Americans aren´t adopting from her foundation because connections have to be made with your Congressman to get the process started. I don´t know what else is involved, but I do know that the family who wants to adopt has to come stay in Cochabamba for a month to bond with the child and make sure the adoption is going to work out. I think I have decided, if I ever adopt a child, I want to go through Leticia´s foundation.

I can´t believe the difference in behavior between the children here and the children at home. And sorry, kids, the Bolivian children win hands down. They are so calm - not one child was crying the entire time we were at the orphanage. The Indian women here who sell things on street corners just set the baby down on a blanket under their cart, and the child just plays and amuses itself - and I mean teeny, little babies. On the way back from Tarata we saw little girls who couldn´t have been more than 6 and 8 wathching the family cows out in the fields. They were just sitting there in the middle of the cows braiding each other´s hair. That is both amazing and so sad to me at the same time. They lose so much of their childhood because they are expected to work and help their families as soon as they can walk. In Huayaculi we were told that the children begin to learn the pottery trade as soon as they are off the bottle and can sit at the potter´s wheel.

Well...I´m all talked out now, I guess. I still can´t believe that I have had an opportunity to come and stay in Bolivia for nine days. Wow. I am SO blessed. I have loved this experience more than words can say, but I am ready to go home now. I miss my family and friends, but I can´t wait to share everything that I have seen and done with ya´ll!

Nicki

Almost time to go....

Filling you in on the adventures of today. Where do I begin? The day started out with a visit to the LA Cancha. What an experience!!! We traveled around the biggest market I have ever ventured into. The fruits and vegetables were many, but we even traveled to a section of the market that was a place to buy witches ???? stuff. This section was a little un-nerving. I bought all kinds of teas and little mementos to take back home from the grocery market and then proceeded to the craft section of which expresses so much of the culture of Cochabamba. The experience of the biggest flea market I have ever had the pleasure to see will be something to remember.

Later we traveled to the home of a famous artist of Bolivia. It was very rewarding to be invited inside an artist's home. That was the first time we had been behind the high walls that surround the homes of most of the people of Cochabamba. Jose Rodriguez couldn´t be there at the time of our scheduled visit but his wife, who was also an artist, was most gracious to all of us. We were able to view some of Rodriguez´s original paintings, which capture so much of the culture, statements, and people of Bolivia. It is so amazing how we were all invited into the homes of such famous people of Bolivia and welcomed with open arms. We were also rewarded with prints of the artist, Jose Rodriguez, of which we are all very proud to have.

Later we visited a newspaper, Los Tiempas, of which all of us were shown the archives of the paper and were introduced to the president, who has around 5 locations of the paper in Bolivia and a new paper being printed in Washington, DC. One of Los Tiempas reporters interviewed us about the reasons we were in Cochabama, the sistership with the library of Th´uruchapitas, of which was our main goal for coming to Bolivia. They were wonderful hosts for the afternoon, but our lunch had been spent with a wonderful man that had survived the Holocaust from Germany. Libro had chosen Bolivia as his home. Amigos del Libro, a publisher, talked to us about how hard it was to get authors of children’s books to write books in Spanish for his business to publish. There is a great demand by educators for the Spanish books for the introduction of reading to the children of Bolivia and other countries in South America.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Bolivia. This has been an experience I will never be able to replace. The people of Cochabamba have hosted us with open, loving arms. I will forever try to help the library that is touching so many children by trying to spread the word of support to provide books and help to build a permanent library in Cochabamba. The library has to move every three years without a permanent location. This library supports the children of this area; to grow, to learn, and to love. To love because that is what they showed each one of us, love in those big brown eyes and those wonderful smiles. My heart is proud to be a part of such a moment in their time; to view their culture, to visit their families, to be in awe of their teacher's commitment, and to spend a moment with their proud heritage. Much love from all of us to North Carolina’s sister city Cochabamba and the Sister Library Project that brought us here. Forever I have been changed by the love of the people and their children.
Linda A.

Siesta Time!!

Did I mention to anyone back home that we would have a siesta EVERY day after lunch? Well, all the Bolivians do that, but not us! We have too much to do and see here in this beautiful country. However, the lunches are long and leisurely. We begin with soup or salad, main course, dessert, and then the wonderful coffee. If we have a few minutes before our next appointment, several of us ¨hit¨the streets running so we can take in as much of Cochabamba as possible.

Yesterday was a most humbling experience. We visited two public schools, one was closer to the downtown area and the other was on the outskirts. I now know how a famous person must feel. At our first stop, all the students bombarded us during their recess for autographs. We were almost knocked down, but in a most loving way. When our kids go out to play in the states, they usually have a grassy area, shade, playground equipment, etc. These children had concrete and no gym equipment. I visited an eighth grade classroom and it was very evident they were proud to have us there. Same at the other little school on the outskirts of town. How were they like our students? They loved to talk and whisper. And, they were loud. But, it was all in the context of sharing ideas. Students were excited to share what they were doing with us, even though most of us did not understand a word they said.
How were they different? In many of the classrooms there were no light bulbs, only empty sockets hanging from the ceiling. Few, if any books. Windows were cracked. Uneven concrete and walkways. Very few supplies.
But, even with these difficult conditions, the teachers and students were happy and it was most evident that a lot of learning was taking place. I can´t think of a description as to how we were received, except as royalty. The teachers salary is so small that they also have two to three other jobs. Their love and dedication to the teaching profession was in every room I was in and reflected in the faces of the children.
At the smaller school, the teachers treated us to music and dancing. Who did the dancing? The teachers -- and the principal danced with the gym teacher. I don´t think that would happen in the states. But, all children in Bolivian schools are trained in the indigenous dances and are taught to play a flute like instrument. So, I guess everybody in Bolivia can dance!
Our next stop (after one of those great lunches) was at the Biblioteca Th´- uruchapitas. This library was started by Gaby Vallejo (a very famous author) who had a dream of bringing books to all the children in Bolivia several years ago. The progress is slow, but through her dedication and love, the dream is slowly materializing. There is no children´s library in Bolivia. Biblioteca Th´uruchapitas is located in a small home that is leased for two years at a time. At the end of two years, they must find another ¨home¨and move. Volunteers of the library -- many teachers -- take the books into the schools and there the children have the opportunity to read the books and take them home to share with their families. But, even so, there is a huge need for more books and funding to build the library. Gaby has begun a savings account and is looking for land on which to build the library, but it is not as easy as in our country. There is so much red tape in the government here, that it is a major obstacle to conducting almost any kind of business.
We delivered about a 1000 books to the library along with the counseling department from ASU. If you can imagine how excited the children were, then multiply that for the volunteers. One of the volunteers was reading Captain Underpants as soon as things settled down.

Today, La Cancha!! The biggest market in all of Bolivia. You might compare it to our flea markets. We walked through the witches section and I was ready to leave before we had taken ten steps. The sight of llama fetuses and other ¨dehydrated¨ animals had me looking for the nearest exit. The handicrafts section was my favorite. Stall upon stall of wonderful things to buy. Almost too many things to choose from, but we all managed to buy something.

Then, to end the day, six of us took a taxi back to the hotel. Now, that´s seven including the driver in a small car navigating the streets at Indy speed!
Another day of great memories!
Karen K.

La Concha

This morning´s adventure was our first trip to La Concha. I´m sure other people are going to blog about it, but La Concha is a VAST market where you can purchase pretty much anything imaginable, from fruits and veggies, tolietry supplies, ceremonial supplies - you get the idea, the list goes on and on. Just describing it does not do it justice, you´re going to have to see pictures. And that still won´t do it justice.

I have to confess that I did not like La Concha. It was big, and very very busy. It was extrememly hard to stay with someone you knew - & gotta tell you, did not smell too pretty. I think what cinched it for me was the Witch´s Market. This is the section of La Concha where people buy supplies for their Koa ceremonies among other things. After visiting the witch´s market, Í can now say I have seen a llama fetus. AND, we´ve already decided that I stand out here, cause apparently I am the only red head in this country. It is very disconcerting to have people staring at your hair like they want to scalp you. So, nada mas La Concha para mi.

Now we are off to lunch! More to come later, I´m sure!

Nicki

La Cancha - Aiyiyi!

What a morning! We spent the morning at La Cancha. La Cancha is huge!!!! It covers about 9 to 12 blocks!! Today was a ´fair´day, so everyone in Cochabamba was there, it seemed! On fair day the freshest fruits, vegetables, and meats come in. The smell in the food areas was almost more than I could handle. Raw meat just sitting out in the open! Much different than Harris Teeter! One of the most interesting parts was the isle of ¨Witchery¨. On this isle were all of the things needed to do some of the ceremonies that are common with the indigenous people. I was a little uncomfortable, but very interested in seeing what it was about. We saw llama fetuses. They use these to bless their houses and other things. Strange to me! We visited the handy crafts section, my favorite. Here we were able to purchase handmade Bolivian items. It was fun bargaining with the ladies. One lady we met was so precious! We affectionately call her ¨the giggle lady¨. She started glggling the moment we met her. Of course I purchased a huge rug from her, at a much lower price. The problem now is figuring out how I am going to get it home!!!! We have had a lot of fun this morning. This afternoon, we are having lunch with a Publisher here in Bolivia. He has helped in the past with the Library of Thurichipitas. After that, we are seeing a Bolivian painter. We are all looking forward to it. Next blog, I´ll tell you about the traffic!! Oh my!
Chow chow for now! Tracy ;)

WOW.....

Hola mis amigos de los Estados Unidos! See, my Spanish just keeps getting better and better! It has been amazing 5 days in Bolivia, words can not express what an experience this has been. I feel SO blessed to have been able to come on this trip. I believe that I have grown both spiritually and mentally. Coming to this country and getting to know its people have given me a deep appreciation not only of a new culture, but my own as well.

Yesterday was the main purpose of our trip – taking the books to Biblioteca Th´uruchapitas. We had a little fiesta with the HPC group from Appalachian as well as some of the school children and all the volunteers for the library. I wish I could make my kids back in the States understand how fortunate they are – seeing where the Bolivian children live and learn has made me realize what a blessed nation the US is. The children here do not take education and books for granted. When the kids came through the door at the library yesterday, their faces lit up SO brightly when they saw those tables piled high with the books we had brought, they were so excited.

And if I thought yesterday was humbling, today was even more amazing. We visited 2 schools in Cochabamba – at the first were some of the children from the library the day before. We were there for recess, and we went out into their courtyard to watch & photograph the kids playing. Instantly, we were celebrities. The children kept coming up wanting us to sign our names in their notebooks, at first I thought it was going to be just a few, but I know at one point I had to be surrounded by a good 40 or 50 children. They all wanted to say hi, touch us, hug us, ask our names. There was one little boy who had waited forever for me to sign his book, but Gaby had already called me to come back into the classroom at least 4 times. So, I told him I had to go, and he looked so sad but said ok – so I blew him a kiss and his face LIT UP and he grinned SO big I thought my heart was going to melt.

Then when we went to the second school, I met a boy with Downs Syndrome in either 2nd or 3rd grade I think. He was so sweet, his name was Jose, and when I told him my name he kept saying “Nicki, Nicki” over & over, a grinning, and holding my hand. I loved him – I love all these children, they are so beautiful, each one seems more precious than the last. I wish everyone I know and love at home could have been with me to witness all this, I want so badly to share it and I know that I´m not doing this experience justice.

Finally, on a lighter note…you all know my bathroom issues, from my last post. Well, the next day we went back to Tarata and visited a convent in another part of the town – where the water worked. BUT in my bathroom was the most GARGANTUAN spider I have ever seen in my life! BUT, those of you who know what an arachnophobe I am would have been so proud of me!! I managed not to have an arachnoleptic fit, and handled the whole situation quite calmly if I do say so myself.

AND I have to tell you about Dr. Rob. Yes, Dr. Robert Sanders the Program Director of Library Science at Appalachian University. Well, Dr. Rob is the man in charge of all the money – meal money, cab fare, bottled-teeth-brushing-water money – you get the idea. SO, one night we all started callin him our Sugar Daddy, but out of respect for our surroundings, we felt that “Papa Sucre” would be more appropriate. At the library party, we kept wondering why all the native Bolivians were looking at us so strangely when we said it. Then we found out we had been calling him “Sweet Potato” the entire time. We´re not so good at Spanish as we think we are apparently…..Now it has developed into “Papasito” just so ya´ll back in North Carolina know!

Oh yeah, crossing the street is still a terrifying experience, but so is taking a taxi.

Talk to you more later!

Nicki

A Day at School

Today we had the chance to visit two different schools. The first one was a public school and went all the way up to 8th grade. I visited a fifth grade classroom (I think). The children were so excited to see us! They all welcomed us, and then their teacher read them a story from one of the books from Biblioteca Th´uruchapitas. After she read the story, the children had group work. During this time, I decided to walk around the room and see what the students were working on. Apparently, the students were answering questions. One of the groups had a school book on the table, and I asked the little girl if it would be ok if I looked through her book. She gave me permission and I browsed through her book. It had 3 subjects: science, math and language. When I gave it back to her I asked her how old she was. She quietly told me she was 10. She was such a cute little girl! When we were getting ready to leave that same girl walked up to me and handed me 2 of her crackers, which I assume were for snack. While this gesture might not seem significant, I was truly touched. She offered me some of her food, which was all she had to give me. I held on to my crackers for the rest of the day. As the entire group was getting ready to leave, the students decided they needed our autographs. I have never signed my name so many times in my life. I know we all felt like celebrities. Finally, we were able to pull ourselves away from our adoring fans and head to the next school.

The second school we visited was a private school. Once again the principal was so thankful we came. We visited each classroom, and one class spoke a little bit of English. They told us good morning and thank you. When we entered a classroom the students stood up and said Buenos Dias, or good morning. They were so polite. Once they realized we were taking their pictures, they all wanted to see their pictures on the digital cameras. They were completely fascinated with being able to see their picture right then and there. I think we showed the whole entire school a picture. After we visited all the classrooms, the principal invited us into an empty classroom to say a few words. She was so thankful that we had come. She thanked us and then we were served hamburgers and tea. It was so thoughtful! After we ate we were treated to some entertainment. The teachers sang songs and then they brought out the accordion! We watched the teachers and principal dance, then Russ danced with one of the volunteers from the library, and then we all joined in and created a type of conga line. It was so much fun! I never thought I would see a principal and teachers dancing during the school day. Needless to say, this was a school day I will never forget!

Nina

A Note From The Secretary

Hi Everyone!
This is my first post so be patient. This trip has been so life changing for me from the moment we left ASU. I truly appreciate the opportunity to experience this adventure. I have seen so much that it will be hard to describe to everyone on a post, so I will simply hit on the highlights for now and add more later.

At first when we arrived and toured the city, I was a little dishearten to see the people begging on the street and selling what nots on every corner (I guess I still am) but now I know a little more about their economic background and realize that this is all that some of these people know to do. We were shown other parts of town that day where people lived that weren´t so dramatic. The main thing that will stand out in my mind is getting to see the Christo. It really renewed my spituality. Little did I know at that time how much I would think about my religion throughout the trip.

We have experienced an O´hoa, which is the burning of cocoa leaves in a ceremony asking the spirits and elders for good luck and well blessings. We have listened to various music groups from across the country and watched locals dance to some of the most beautiful music in the land. We watched as locals participated in a funeral mass and then witnessed a local wedding at a church in Tarata. Very exciting! We visited a monestary in Tarata and was granted permission to visit their library which dates back to the early 1700´s.

Whew! The adventure continues on ... the day we went to Tarata, we visited a pottery shop. This meant so much to me since my husband is related to the Bolick family potters from the Blackberry community of North Carolina.

The main event was yesterday. We finally delivered the books to the children of the Biblioteca Thúruchapitas. How exciting to see the looks on the children´s faces as they saw the piles and piles of books. Between the Library Science and the Human psychological Counseling groups from Appalachian State well over 1000 books were carried down from the United States to the children´s library. These books will be passed out among the community volunteers so that children all over Cochabamba will be able to have the opportunity to read.

There is so much to write about and so little time. So many things that I have witnessed this week that in the United States we take for granted. Necessities like running water, electricity, and food aren´t always available for some of the people. But they make adjustments and continue on.

Again I would like to thank everyone for allowing me this opportunity to grow spiritually and mentally.

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now) :-)

Karen Laws
Administrative Assistant
LES Dept
Appalachian State University

Monday May 8

Monday was the real reason our group came to Bolivia ...to visit the country's libraries and deliver the over 1,000 library books and over $500 to the Biblioteca Thúrchapitas.
It is wonderful to help others who are so appreciative. The children of the library voraciously read the Spanish books that were donated. The efforts of so many people of the United States and Bolivia have made this trip a success. Dr. Veltze and Dr. Sanders have planned this trip so well that we are making the most of our time in Cochabama, although I have to say that we are not roughing it, but ritzing it up.

We, the library science group, were joined yesterday by the HPC Human Psychological Counseling from Appalachian State University group to donate the children's books to the Biblioteca Th uruchapitas. The ASU's HPC group comes every year to Cochababa work and counsel with the people of South America. This groups visit prisons, La Paz,Bolivia, and other South American countries such as Peru to offer counsel and aid to the people.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the graduate counseling students to learn first hand of the tremendous need for their counseling services.


The Library/ Biblioteca Th úruchapitas is hoping to build a library of their own. The project is called Build My Library. Presently the library just rents the bulding where the library is housed. The library reaches out to schools and the indigeous people to help children read and learn about their culture and other cultures. It is a life long dream of Gaby Vallejo Canedo, winner of the 2001 Bolivia prize in Literature and our guide host to build a library that the building and land is rightfully owned by the Biblioteca. According to artitect, it will cost $168,000 just to build the building. This price does not include the land or the books. The land itself, according to Gaby, could cost between $15,000 outside the city and more than $30,000 closer to the city. Presently, the library has $22,000. $10,000 of this money was won in 2003 by an IBBY international award with Linda Veltze, library science professor at ASU and Galby Vallejo promoting the Sister's Library Project between Appalachian State University and Biblioteca Thúruchapitas in Bolivia. The dream is to go forward with the library building as soon as possible so that the children of today in Bolivia can enjoy the library. This library is the ONLY children's library in all of Bolivia- Imagine that and this library is not even owned by the Biblioteca. What resources we have in the United States and do not use to the fullest!!!!!! I am glad to know that spending our United States taxes are evident somewhere. It does us help appreciate our bountiful resources to see countries that lack so much.

Well, it is adios time for me, as I have to be ready for the day/ visiting two public schools and recieve an Indian blessing in museum.

Adios amigos. Buenos dias.

Martha Royster
Library Science student at ASU

WHAT a DAY........

Today was the day we visted the Th´uruchapitas Library. What can I say. Only it was the most humbling time of my life. When we arrived I felt I couldn´t breathe, this was what all of us had spent so much time thinking of and planning for. The day was here as we carried the books from the many different schools, libraries, private donors, and student projects that had produced 1000 books for the library in Cochabama. As I walked through the gate up to the front door I was not prepared for the life changing experience I was about to receive. The ladies of the library greeted us with opened arms and hugs and were truly happy and excited about the extreme importance of the cargo we were carrying in our backpacks, our luggage, and our arms. This cargo was important to each of us, but in that moment we saw the importance of our cargo through the eyes and hearts of others. As we started unpacking the books the excitement started to mount and then the librarians couldn´t stand the excitement without touching and speaking out every title they could pick up. It was as if we all had regressed to the wonder of holding that book for the first time. Then the best, the student´s were brought into the room. Their eyes were as large as saucers as they saw the stacks of books that had grown on three tables as the ASU Counseling department started unloading their suitcases and backpacks onto the tables. I felt my eyes filling with tears from the experience of just being in the presence of the excitement and wonder in this room with such a treasure before us. I watched as children started flipping through the books, holding them as if they were a diamond, speaking in a language I didn´t understand, but understood immediately by the expressions on those tiny faces. How could I be so blessed to experience such a wonderful point and experience in time? Time stood still for me in that moment and my heart opened up even more for these children, these people, and this country. I wish all of you could have experienced this moment in time and I hope you can feel it through this blog and through all our hearts . I know there is more to come, but nothing could ever surpass today. Love to you all. Linda A.

Another amazing day

The day started out beautiful here in Cochabamba. I was up early enough to enjoy some great cafe con leche while the rest of the city began to awake. We began with a tour of the largest public library in Cochabamba, and were given a personal tour of their archives that date back to the 1500´s. It was very impressive, but not housed in the way you would think. We climbed several flights of stairs to get to the archives section. It was the only room in the building with air conditioning and even then the temp. was 68 degrees. All of the books, papers, pamphlets, etc. were piled on shelves and wrapped in brown paper. Very sad that such history is not preserved in a protective area, but once again the infrastructure does not exist to support them. The head librarian was so proud to show off his library. But again, not the kind of library we are all accustomed to. It had fewer books than our library at WMS and children were not allowed. No one was allowed to walk among the stacks and select their books. Even so, there were so many people there reading and studying.

What an afternoon! The counseling department and the twelve of us delivered about a 1000 Spanish books to the children´s library here. When the children arrived their expressions were priceless. It was so moving to hear the appreciation and love the workers of the library have for Dr. Veltze, Appalachian State and all the friends that have contributed to this library. Thanks to the students in Miss Lynne´s class that bought the llama pockets, the money was donated to this library.

We did take another harrowing ride in the taxi cab. It seemed everyone had the right of way at an intersection and all the cars were moving through!! Oh my!

One last note, there was a political protest right outside the library this morning. The majority of the protestors were indigenous peoples and they were protesting the decision of Congress last week over the sale of natural gas from this country and all the agreements. We were all a little concerned when we heard people yelling and loud sounds like guns, but it was only BIG firecrackers. We probably would have gone through the entire incident with no more excitement, except one of the ladies with us decided to take a picture of the protestors as we walked through the square. The lady that was protesting began fussing at us and started toward her. It happened so fast! We all put our cameras away as quickly as possible.
Thank you for following our travels through Cochabamba. I wish you could experience how generous and kind the people here are.
Karen K.

Reply to Mr. Masciarelli´s class

Hi to Mr. Masciarelli´s class. Your teacher -- Mr. Masciarelli would absolutely love it here. We all drank the tea, it doesn´t have much of a taste. And, it comes in a small tea bag just like Lipton, Chamomile, green tea, etc. We drank a cup the day we arrived to help combat altitude sickness. One of the students traveling with us bacame quite ill the second day here and the Dr. told her she must drink the tea -- and it did help her recover.
People experience altitude sickness in various ways. Some of the groups symptoms were blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, nausea, and feeling lethargic.
I´m not sure if we will go to any more concerts -- but there is a concert outside my hotel window every night!! We cannot walk one block without encountering groups performing and singing. The Cochabamba people love their music and it seems that all of them are talented.
There are quite a few people that speak English. Everyone I´ve encountered is very gracious to us and asks how we like their country. Their pride and love of their country is very evident.
I miss all of you at WMS.
We are truly blessed to have so much in America. The majority of the people here are extremely poor. Water is a huge problem in this country. There is not a government infrastructure to support the city. When we went to Tarata on Saturday, the town was without water. None!! And, they had no idea when they would get water again. It´s not simply a matter of repairing water lines in this country. There are beautiful fountains and pools everywhere -- but no water in them.
Ms. K

MORE PICTURES

Here are some additional pictures of the past few days. Ready the blog to get more details on what you're looking at.

http://www.les.appstate.edu/libsci/Bolivia2/Bolivia2.htm

Rob

Wow Weekend!

What a weekend it has been. Each day we have been here has been an incredible experience. We visited the town of Tarata Sat. to hear the muscial group from Chiquitania perform. The group is comprised of students that looked to be about 7 - 16 years old. They were incredible. They performed in a church that dates back to the 1500´s. There were about two - three hundred students that greeted them when they arrived. All the students were standing in lines with their teachers, very orderly and quiet until the groups arrival, which was later than scheduled.
Right after the performance we were fortunate to witness a wedding in the church.
The tour guide told us that the wedding celebration will last for five days!

Our lunch was quite an experience. We left Tarata by bus for the restaurant. After a journey of ten minutes or so through very narrow, dusty streets we arrived at a house just outside the town. The guide got off the bus and banged on the gate. We thought we had stopped for a break or to look at something notable. Well, this place was notable. It was our restaurant! Our restaurant was outside, with food served from huge pots and tree stumps as chairs. The choir joined us and another musical group from Tarata. They were all so pleased to have us as their lunch guests.

We went to Tarata on Sunday to tour the La Angostura which houses an 8000 volume archive that dates back to the Incan civilization. Included in the archive is an original two volume set of Don Quiote. We were also shown a sexton used by the Spanish explorers. This library also housed the first printing press in all of S. America. The room was very small, dusty, and did not seem to be one that was used very often. In the loft of this library were the oldest manuscripts. The architecture in the church was fabulous.

We also went to the small village of Chiquitania on Sunday. The entire village produces pottery to sell at the La Concha. Our guide told us the children go from bottle to pottery wheel. The kilns were outside adobe ovens fired by eucalyptus and wood. None were being used on this day. Since we visited this area on Sunday, most were at a market selling the pottery . But, there was an older gentleman that demonstrated the wheel for us. In a span of about ten minutes he threw four pieces of pottery; one being a bowl with a lid that he threw perfectly the first time. He had been making pottery since age six.

The weekend´s experiences were fabulous.

Karen K.

So much to do, So little time!

Our schedule has really been booked! Hardly any time to sleep. All the experiences have been incredible. There is so much to take in here. The culture is so different than ours in the United States. As much as we feel there is to take in here, I could not imagine what a Bolivian would think of the United States, visiting for the first time! Bolivians here in Cochabamba are very laid back. Lunch occurs over a period of about 2 hours! That´s a big change from the 30 minutes that most of us have. Time here in Cochabamba has its own meaning. You say 9:00, but that could really mean 9:30. The Bolivian people are such a loving people. I have kissed the cheeks of more Bolivians in three days than I would ever dare to kiss Americans (oops!), people of the United States. You see, people of Bolivia are American too! That is hard to remember. North America is not the only America. I think all of our views of culture has changed drastically in the short time that we have been here. It´s odd, but I really do feel I have a sistership to this country. Yesterday, we went to the market and I bought some jewelry for myself. I felt what I bought was appropriate. I purchased a pendant and earring set of the Bolivian stone Bolivianita. The story behind the stone is that if you buy the stone it means that you will one day return to Bolivia. Who knows? It could happen!
Until next time . . . Tracy

Oh my....

Well....wow, what a day out in the country. We visited the town of Tarata (after a harrowing bus ride) and enjoyed a wonderful concert in a beautiful church, and if I could think of how to spell everything right now I´d give you all the right names and everything...but I can´t. So I will later. We even had our first third world bathroom experience. Dr. Veltze said she was so proud of us, because we handled it gracefully, and didn´t complain - I mean, you gotta do what you gotta do. The town had bathrooms, but no water. We aren´t clear on what the situation was, but something wasn´t working properly so there was no running water - therefore no flushing. I´ll let you imagine the rest...THEN we went to a special lunch, which had been prepared for us and all of the musicians that were visiting Tarata. But, when you´ve been told nonstop "Don´t drink the water...don´t eat vegetables that haven´t been peeled...only eat in resaturants...don´t eat this, don´t eat that.." - eating some "native dish" out of a pot, way out in the country was rather disconcerting. I gotta tell you in all honesty, some of us were a little freaked out, I´ll be the first to say myself included. BUT we tried to the food, and it was very good. I had a kind of stew that was like one half creamed corn (well, that´s what I thought it was, but Dr. Veltze told us it was wheat...but I feel better thinking creamed corn) and the other part of it was potatoes and chicken in this lightly spicy red sauce - but both things were ladled into the same bowl. It was a very pretty dish. Oh, I had a fried banana too, I´d never had one of those.
So, after an adventurous morning, we are off on yet another excursion - time to get in some shoppin!

Talk to you later!
Nicki

Incredible experiences!

Another beautiful day in Cochabamba, the nights are cool and the days are warm and comfortable.
Even though I feel safe and have been walking the streets there are guards on every corner. And, they are armed with two or three guns.
Last night we had dinner in a local restaurant and then witnessed a Koa
ceremony. It is the indigenous peoples way of asking for blessings for
their families, themselves, community and others. Afterwards, we were
treated to music by a local group. They played a really samll guitar
from the alto plano, a flute like instrument, two guitars, drums, and
something that was also like a flute but it was several together and was hauntingly beautiful when played alone.
Yesterday, we were in a workshop with a famous videographer, Alfredo, who has
made some beautiful videos of the Amazon rainforest and people who live
there. Although he is far ahead of us amateurs, he did give us some good
tips on making videos. His father was the President of Bolivia in the
early 70´s!!!!
This is not a superficial visit, rather we have been immersed in the
culture here. We took a taxi lst evening which was an experience! The poverty is very obvious but the love the people
have for each other here is quite obvious, too.
I´ve tried some of the native foods, but have decided that I like only
their fruits and vegetables. Everything is made fresh daily. I had fresh
tomato soup for dinner lsat night along with spinach and potatoes. I know it
sounds bad, but I loved it.
Greetings to everyone in Waynesville. The people Í´ve met here love NC.
Karen K

What an experience...

I have to explain some of the amazing adventures we have focused on in such a short period of time for the last two days. The mountains of Cochabamba are amazing. The whole city is surrounded by these amazing peeks. We traveled yesterday to the CHRISTO that can be viewed from all over the city. There is 1000 steps that you can climb to the top but we chose the easy way out and rode up the mountain on the tram. This site was wonderful of Jesus holding his arms out above the city for all to see and to be able to see the pride in the statue with the people of Cochabamba was wonderful. The 1000 steps were paid for by the families of the area. It was a celebration when they attached the head by helicopter. I am experiencing major wonder with the people of this city and the many cultures within one place. More to come, we are on our way to a prayer celebration ritual for the library tonight. More to come. It is an amazing adventure.
Linda S. Andrews

Some Pics of Bolivia!

Check out some pics we´ve taken these first few days.

http://www.les.appstate.edu/libsci/Bolivia/Bolivia.htm

Rob

2nd day in Bolivia

Hola amigos!! We´ve spent 2 days in beautiful Cochabamba, and I feel like such a typical American tourist. Coming from Galax, VA - a city of 9,000 people at best, seeing a city that fills an entire HUGE valley & has 2 million bustling people has me a bit in awe. I´m trying to remember to keep my mouth closed while we are out walking around. Yesterday we went on a great tour of the city, our visit to El Christo was particularly moving for me, it was absolutely beautiful, and the views from the top of the mountain - amazing! Today we enjoyed a very informative video workshop and tonight, are having a special dinner complete with our own Koa ceremony. Should be supercool!! Talk to you again soon!

Nicki

videorecording class

Greetings from Cochabamba!
We have visited the largest statue in the world of Jesus Christ-Christo. It was set on top of a mountain.
TodAY (FRIDAY) Dr. ALfredo presented to our group today a class on how to make better videos
A big part of the presentation WAS Watching videos about the culture of Bolivia done by videographers who wanted to preserve and educate otherS about the beauty and CULTURE OF BOLIVIA .
Dr. Alfredo presented techniques on photographING people, and nature, and events, and editing ideas FOR VIDEO CLIPS
HIS HAS DONE A DOCUMENTARY FOR A NOBLE PRIZE AUTHOR
We are enjoying the coco tea. it is a cure all.
adios for now amigos

martha royster

We´re Here!

Buenos Dias to all at WMS. We arrived in Cochabamba around 11 this morning. It was so beautiful as we were flying into the airport. The city is surrounded by mountains that seem to rise straight up. We are at about 8000 feet and on a tour this afternoon were at about 9300 feet. Since we´re drinking coca tea, our symtoms have not been too bad. Cochamba is the breadbasket of Bolivia, so we have enjoyed fresh fruits already!
Í think I´ll sign off for tonight, need some sleep since I´ve not slept since Tuesday night.

Karen K.

We´re here!

Well, after nearly 20 hours of being airports, we finally arrived in Cochabamba about 9:30 yesterday morning. We had a wonderful lunch at the hotel and took a whirlwind tour of the city. It was amazing to see the "Christo" an ernormous statue of Jesus high atop a mountain. We are about to attend a video workshop to learn video techniques to use in our documentaries.

Anne P.

We´re Here!!!!

Yes, we made it and did so without too many scars. Sure, a couple of us left boarding passes in the bathroom...others of us left our wallets in our office... and still more arrived without luggage in sight. But in the end, we did OK and everyone is getting along wonderfully, albeit a bit sleepy.

We really hit the ground running today. We got in at 9:30, came straight to the hotel, unpacked and ate lunch. We followed that with a tour of the city, which ended just a few minutes ago. I´ll have the students provide their reactions to the trip down, to the city, and to the tour. But, I can tell you they seemed to be quite impressed.

Stay tuned for more updates, especially those from the others. I´m not sure that most of themhave enough energy to type tonight but we may be able to get a few to post tomorrow sometime.

Adios

Rob

Bolvia Resource from Russ

This website is a wonderful resource both in preparation for our upcoming trip and also as a reference following our trip to Bolivia. Let me know your thoughts! Here it is:

Bolivia Web - News and Media

Links to the best Bolivian sites related to News and Media. Publicite en Bolivia Web Con su tarjeta de crédito, su empresa podría estar aquí en 24 horas News and Media Quick Search Begin your search ...

www.boliviaweb.com/news.htm

Since I am not sure when you will read my post I will use all of my new found greeting:

Buenos Dias, Buenas Tardes, and/or Buenas Noches!

Gracias,

Russ