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.