Thursday, February 02, 2006 |
Co. Pa. Ca. Ba. Na. |
Whilst all of you were at work or at school milling about in the rat race of regular life, I was sitting on the beach, eating dinner, drinking beer, and watching the sun set over Lake Titicaca in the gorgeous little town of Copacabana. Life is hard. Sorry, I felt like stroaking my ego for a minute :) I made it to Copacabana!!!
The bus ride here was very moving...we drove through El Alto, the giant slum above La Paz, and numerous other deeply impoverished towns on the way. Dirty children playing in the streets, people living in half-complete and crumbling buildings, garbage in the streets, open sewers...it was very sad. People are not miserable there, as you might expect...they are strong...they are very strong people...and they make it through everyday with just the shirt on their backs and the few dollars that they can bring home. I want to spend more time in El Alto...I plan on going up there when I´m more fluent in spanish, so in a few weeks when I´m done my lessons.
Copacabana, on the other hand, is a beautiful little town right on this beautiul lake. Yes, it is very poor, like most of Bolivia, but it isn´t drenched in urban poverty like La Paz (particularily El Alto) is. Lake Titicaca is freaking enourmous, by the way. BIGGEST. THING. EVER. Copacabana also houses Bolivia´s only public beach...and it isn´t really anything to behold...not the south america you see in post cards, that´s for sure :) But its nice, and its full of on-the-beach cheap restaurants where you can eat and just chill out. Theres tons of freaking gringos here, as well.
I met a guy on the street today who makes and sells necklaces. He´s from Peru and he makes a living selling jewlery all over south america to tourists. I also met a girl from Seattle...we 3 hung out on the street for a bit, and we´re going to hang out in an hour.
Patty couldn´t make it to Copacabana with me today, but it´s posible that she´ll be coming tomorrow or Saturday.
There´s also a festival going on here...what it´s about or for I don´t know, all I know is that it involves a lot of alchohol and badly rehersed marching band music. It´s been going on all day...firecrackers, dancing, drinking, you name it. It´s certainly a spectical! And this city is very beautiful...very small, but very beautiful. Tomorrow morning I´m going to hike up to the top of this nearby mountain and watch the sunrise over the lake...I´m super pumped. So pumped I could kick my....never mind. Inside joke...sort of. So I´m here until Sunday afternoon and then reutrning to La Paz to rock the spanish lessons.
Adios amigos! |
posted by Ben @ 3:49 PM  |
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3 Comments: |
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Hey BEN!! that first bit took me right back to my 2 weeks in mexico!! But sadly i have returned to canada and the snow and the intence work at theos restaurant, where i no longer have you to laugh with:( I've been reading your blog and i am intencly jelous of you i hope your being safe and haveing the best time imaginable. let me say for all the theos gang its not the same with out you!!! take care BEN!....Caitlin
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Hi Ben!! Thanks for keeping us regularly updated. I am so pleased you are having such a great time and meeting so many interesting people. You will have such amazing stories to tell in years to come!! As always....keep safe, keep (reasonably)sober, and keep having fun. Love Mom.
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"Right in the face!" Hahaha
Nice one Ben, that was certainly unexpected. No one else has to understand.
~Reid
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Ben Martin's log of his 6-month journey to the South American Andean nation of Bolivia. |
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Hey BEN!! that first bit took me right back to my 2 weeks in mexico!! But sadly i have returned to canada and the snow and the intence work at theos restaurant, where i no longer have you to laugh with:( I've been reading your blog and i am intencly jelous of you i hope your being safe and haveing the best time imaginable. let me say for all the theos gang its not the same with out you!!! take care BEN!....Caitlin