| Monday, January 23, 2006 |
| GO RED BLOOD CELLS, GO!!! |
I have arrived safe and sound to the wonderful city which is La Paz. Hoooley hell, its breathtaking (sorry for any typos, these hispanic computers are a little different...) Its been a pretty awesome day so far. I got a taxi from the airport, which is located at the very top of La Paz, in the sub city of El Alto, which is basically a giant slum of 1,000,000 people. About 2 million people live in the greater La Paz area. My hostel, El Solario, is located in what seems to be downtown La Paz, in not such an affulant area. The taxi ride was amazing...it was just after sunrise, and when you look at La Paz coming down that winding road it looks like the city was carved right into the mountains.
The traffic is, naturally, anarchistic, though it all seems to work out. Driving or walking down the streets you will often see campasinas (native women) wearing their traditional cultural attire...its very beautiful.
You do not see many beggars on the street, rather, shoe shine boys. They usually look like theyre in their 20s, and for a few measley bolivianos they shine your shoes (one boliviano is about 15 cents) and you can tell them apart by the clothes they wear...baseball cap, hoodie, jeans....all badly worn. Occasionally you will see a kid, maybe 12 years old, be shining shoes, and not in school.
I got lost twice today. Not entirely lost, just "Where the shit am i..." Fortunately I had my compass with me and pointed myself in the general direction. I spent about 2 hours today looking for the freaking canadian consulate and I couldnt find it. Even after someone told me, in perfect english, "Its just two blocks down there" It is my goal to find it tomorrow.
I want to put it out there right now that I LOVE MADAMME AUBIN. Im teaching myself a refresh course on spanish with a teach yourself book, but most of the spanish that I know has come from that wonderful woman, and it has been amazingly useful. I actually carried on a simple conversation with the taxi driver today.
I did not get to go to the World Social Forum...but...I got the next best thing...
TODAY I WAVED AT HUGO CHAVEZ!!!!
He is visiting La Paz today to meet with Evo Morales , the new Socialist president of Bolivia. There was a hoard of people waiting outside the university (where the meeting was held) for hours. I myself waited about 3 hours to see him, as nobody knew when he was coming. But hell it was worth it. Hundreds of people waving Bolivian, Venezuelan, and Cuban flags cheering at Chavez and him waving back and smiling like he always does. I can now say that I have physically seen and been within 50 meters of one of my idols (I, in fact, had a picture of him on my wall at one point)
While I was waiting around for chavez, people watching and sipping my water, it started to rain and many people went home, as they were fed up with waiting. Do you think a little rain would stop the mighty B Fat from seeing Hugo Chavez? Absolutely not. there was another determined one beside me, a girl, and she started talking to me. I pulled my usual "Hablo espaniol solo mui basico, lo siento" (I only speak very basic spanish, sorry) But she kept on, and we hung out for about 45 minutes. Her name is Patricia. To make a long story short, Im meeting her in a few hours for dinner! w00t w00t!!! She was super nice. A linguistics student at the university, which means she speaks ENGLISH!!! YESSSS. Hopefully I can pick up a thing or two of spanish with her.
And if youre wondering about the title...THE AIR IS SO FREAKING THIN. Its exhausting just walking, never mind going up and down stairs or the very mountainous environment of this city. When you first get off the plane it actually hurts your chest and stomach...as if you had really bad gas (which I did not). And even just a little movement makes you feel light headed.
My plans for the next little while include visiting El Alto, spending some more time with Patricia, and probably heading down to Lake Titicaka. Things are going great so far, take care everyone!!! |
posted by Ben @ 11:33 AM  |
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| 10 Comments: |
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Do you not have a digital camera? I wish you did, if you don't, 'cause some pictures of where you are and the people you have been meeting would be awesome.
~Reid
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robb*a*dubb*dubb says:
good to hear you're well. thats awesome about you seeing hugo chavez and that you have a date.
what's this patricia like, and where is she frm?... not farm, and i'm not asking where she is firm... get your mind out of the gutter. FROM, damn you, where she fro!... not frog... from. damn me and my chubby bass fingers! damn me to hell.
anyways. see you in a few months.
love ya buh bye.
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Are you sure walking is hard because the air is thin or is it just because you're out of shape you lazy bastard?
just kidding.
glad to hear you've made it there alive, keep posting and post pictures like everyone else says.
love ellie
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Well ben, i dont want you to have an amazing time down there without thinking of me. So here we go, even though your alllllll the way in bolivia i think i can re-fresh your love for me and ask you a simple question, one you love hearing from me the most
IS PATRICIA HOT?!!??!?!
DOES SHE HAVE BIG BOOBIES AND A NICE BUM?!?! STICK IT IN HER FOR ME! BWADA;KJDFLKJA;LDSJFA;LDSJFA;LDJFA;LDJFA;LDJFA;LKJFS!!!!
haha jk jk im sorry. I miss our late night chats. I love you ben martin, heterosexually of course.
-Deryck Senger. think of me bfat !
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You saw Chavez! *jealous*
God help us all stephen-Ill-vomit-if-you-throw-another-snowball-harper got in.
peace and love
Z
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you left the country just in time banjoman, as Z stated above, the evil demonic motherfucking conservatives got in (minority).
That'll wake you up in the morning.
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The air, man, i always thought it gave me a high, so strange it was so thin it hurt, nice, not more than 72 hours in Bolivia and you've already seen a political giant and you've landed a date, and I agree with Reid, you NEED a digital camera, and I see you've also given in and got a blog, what a an effing hypocrite! anyhow, god damn, you'd better be having fun
-Stalinist Andrew-
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Thanks guys. I do have a digital camera, fools, I just havn´t taken many pictures yet. I want to get my barrings first. Even if I did take any pictures I havn´t figured out how to post them yet.
And I´m sure my exhaustion has SOMETHING to do with my being out of shape...
Seeing a political giant and a new friend (she is from La Paz), things are going well. In fact, I´m off to get some coca tea with Patricia right now! Holey hell, by the way, coca leaves taste EXACTLY like Vics Vapour Rub smells. Will someone pick up some Vics and check out the label to see if it has coca leaves in it? Ill bet you anything it does.
I heard about Harper...it was indeed woeful...however, the good news is that Paul Martin is resigning as Liberal Leader (maybe we´ll get another Treadeau...haha, yeah right), the NDP gained 10 seats, and the neocons can be defeated by the Libs and the NDP together. So not all is lost.
I gotta split. Mom and Dad I tried to call you but I can´t figure otu how the calling card works. I´ll keep trying!!!
I LOVE BOLIVIA!!!!
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Ben:
You lucky lucky bastard... Chavez! Though it's too bad you couldn't make the forum, still, at least you saw Chavez. Good job!
Brianne.
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Do you not have a digital camera? I wish you did, if you don't, 'cause some pictures of where you are and the people you have been meeting would be awesome.
~Reid