Not quite home, but close...

I'm not quite home, but arrived back in the US on Friday afternoon. Now I'm in Miami. I met my new god-daughter yesterday. Isn't she cute? Okay, she's only 2 months old so she doesn't do much yet, but she's still pretty cute.

It's late and I'm still exahusted from traveling yesterday, even though I slept 12 hours last night. I'm a little sick, and a little stressed about how much work I have to do, but tomorrow I'll be home (DC) and start getting caught up.

I totally just got hit on by a Bolivian Rock Star...

...Okay, that might be a minor exaggeration. According to some colleagues, he was indeed directing his attention towards me - that part's not so much an exagerration. However, I think it would be exaggerating to call him a Bolivian Rock Star. He is the singer of a Bolivian cover band that plays all the hits of the 70s and 80s and makes regular appearances at Fulvio's Piano Bar. They were fresh off a whirlwind tour of Peru and other parts of Bolivia, like Potosi. Their set list included the works of Pat Benetar, Kool and the Gang, and Boney M.

The flirting part was probably partially my fault. They played Gloria Gaynor. I guess I was singing along to "I Will Survive" a little too heart-felt-ly, and he noticed.

I did buy their CD though. Just for the memories.

Now it's 2:30am. I'm getting a wake up call in about 2 and a half hours and then I'm off to the airport. Now, the lyrics to "I Will Survive" take on new meaning. I'm exhausted and not looking forward to sitting in an airport again for a few hours. Though it was worth it. I'm telling you, going to Fulvio's and rocking out to Antologia... there's no better place to spend your last night in La Paz...

Holy crap! I'm almost done!!!

It's about 10:15 on Wednesday night. I finished most of my packing and I have to be up bright and early for my debriefing at USAID. I think I'll probably be up late tonight trying to prep for it. Tomorrow will be a full day too, but it also sounds like one of my colleagues here wants to have a little get-together after work. Then I'm going out dancing (finally) with Denisse. Then Friday morning I leave Bolivia. I'm feeling pretty exhausted and I miss my bed, but part of me sort of wishes I had a little more time here. I mean, I've gotten a fair amount of work done, and I have seen a heck of a lot of the country, but there's still a lot leftover that I didn't have time for. For example, I understand that the city of Sucre is beautiful. I didn't get to any of the national parks. I didn't get to the Salar de Uyuni. Though I hear that this time of year isn't very good for that because it's rainy.

I'm in the process of putting up week four pictures. If you are confused about the password that kodak gallery asks for, it's my last name.

I heart llamas

So Vicky and I got back this afternoon from Lake Titicaca, where we hiked, saw some Incan ruins, and contributed greatly to the growth of the local economy (in the form of me shopping for Christmas presents). We took a bus yesterday morning to Copacabana, a main town on the lake. The drive is pretty incredible. It takes you through the altiplano, with the Andes mountain range lining the way. Once we got to Copacabana, we took an hour long boat ride on the lake to get to Isla del Sol. From there, we saw some Incan ruins (Pilko Kaina), and then hiked to our hotel. It made me feel incredibly out of shape, but I have to remember, we were actually higher in altitude than La Paz, so I shouldn't be too upset that I was winded by the walk! The views of the lake from the ridge are incredible. And the island itself is interesting. There's lots of agriculture, and because it's hilly, everywhere you look, there is terrace after terrace after terrace of potatoes, or beans, or corn, or other edibles. The terraces almost make the island look like a pyramid.

We spent the night in Yumani, at a very nice little hotel called Ecolodge La Estancia. It's an ecolodge because they use solar panels to heat everything, recycle water for more than one use (not for drinking or bathing, obviously), and have constructed cabanas that are very much environmentally sound. They also have a close partnership with the local community, hiring locals for full time, part time and seasonal jobs, and sell artesania crafted locally. It's a very relaxing place.

This morning we hiked down to a different place, to see ruins called the Inca Staircase, and the "Fountain of Youth," and Inca-era spring fountain that the Spaniards thought was magical.

We stopped for lunch in Copacabana, saw the cathedral there (really pretty "moorish"-Spanish style), and did some shopping.

I just got back (only 8:30) from having dessert at the Kuchen Stube (um...I'm guessing some German influence here) where we went for tea and dessert. She lives pretty close by, which is nice. :-) You always need someone in a far away place to have dessert with from time to time!

Tomorrow morning I leave for Cochabamba. I really am looking forward to having my feet on the ground for a while after this week. I've been really lucky to have gotten the chance to see so many places, but travel really gets exhausting after a while!

Week 3 photos up...

The plane from Tarija got delayed so I had some time. Not enough time to do headings, but I'll do that later...

It's a small world after all...

So, we just arrived about a half hour ago at the airport in Tarija, and the have free wireless internet. How cool is that? Suddenly the world is so small!

It's weird though thinking that I can check in with friends all over the world, but just a few hours ago, we were at a clinic where the director was telling us that, for the communities in their network that are the furthest away, it can take a half a day to get to the hospital if they needed to. So maybe the world isn't so small.

We've covered pretty much the entire department of Tarija this week, at least it looks that way on a map. But it's amazing how remote some of these communities are. Despite that, or maybe because of that, I will continue to say that people in these remote places in the world are the NICEST people. We have been lucky enough to stumble upon a few annual health festivals in two of the comunities we visited and ended up being treated to lunch, and wine (boy was THAT an experience.), and conversation. In one community, they tried to get us to stay for the party that followed, with dancing and music into the night.

We met some incredibly dedicated community health workers too, which has boosted my spirits, at least, in thinking about how we are going to be able to do this program, which is very much volunteer based. My favorite was a woman in a town called Sama. Her name is Anastasia, and she has been a health volunteer for 10 years. She has 7 kids and 4 grandchildren. She gave birth to 12 kids, but 5 died. Since part of the integrated health program she works with has to do with reproductive health and family planning, she joked that family planning came late to where she is, but as we found in most of the communities, the women were very actively using family planning methods.

Anastasia took a break from tending her sheep to talk to us. She is also the owner of what may be the most content dog in Tarija, if not Bolivia in general. She had a very sweet young herding dog who watched the sheep with one eye, while getting petted by his owner. I asked Anastasia if the dog has a name. "Yes," she said. "He has a name." The dog's name is Bin Laden.

There's no way I could make that up. Somehow I think it's hysterical, in a weird, warped sort of way. And I had to share...

I'm trying to post some pictures, but it may not work out tonight. I even have pictures of Anastasia and Bin Laden.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

From the Forgotten Corners of the World...

That´s the expression that my colleague Cristina used when we were in a community this week. We are based in Tarija, but have covered quite a bit of mileage, and it does indeed seem like not too many people know about these places teh way they know about other places in Bolivia. And I mean that no one from the outside NGO world is really working here the same way they are in the Altiplano. The population is much more dispersed here, which is part of why. You don´t get as much bang for your buck I guess if you are working in these areas. It´s the same problem I had when I was in the Peten in Guatemala. The aid went to where the most people were.

So, it´s Thursday and so far we have visited 5 communities in Tarija department. The rest of my team is visiting one now while I´m stuck in an internet cafe. Tomorrow we will visit one more in the morning, maybe stop by a vineyard to visit, and then head back to La Paz.

It´s exhausting but energizing at the same time. I´m sure many of you have felt this way about work. If you have, you know how lucky you are.

I´m also totally loving the weather here. It´s hot and sunny. Just teh way I like it. All the other women are complaining about the heat, because they are used to the coolness of La Paz. Not me!

I´m trying to finish work to head back to the hotel. I´ll try to write more over the weekend. I´ll post pictures by next wednesday. I have taken so many this week, that I´m trying to edit back. I managed to become the official team photographer so I have managed to document probably far too much.

I´ll work on having something more pithy and profound to say next time I write. For now, I´m tired. I hope everyone is having a great week.

Not quite Che - quality adventure, but close?

The Plan…. To travel all over Tarija Department
The Goal… To visit in four days 5 or 6 different communities who will be implementing the basic health package that we are working on.
The Method…Improvisation

Okay, so we aren’t quite the adventurers that Guevara and Granados were, but I do feel like we are headed on an adventure, and since it’s South America, I couldn’t help thinking about the opening to The Motorcycle Diaries. (A good movie to rent, by the way. And I swear that has nothing to do with my mild obsession with Gael Garcia Bernal…) Besides, the connections are many: They started their journey in Argentina, who’s border we will be a stone’s throw from at least for a day, and Ché’s life ended in Bolivia. And the two of them did pass some time as health workers. Como yo…

So here’s the plan: In about 2 hours, I leave La Paz by air and land an hour later in Tarija. Monday we will travel to a few communities around Tarija. Tuesday we drive to Bermejo, which is close to the Argentine border. Wednesday we drive to Entre Rios, Thursday back to Tarija. Back to La Paz on Friday.

At least I think that's the plan.

I might be missing part of that, but whatever the plan ends up being, we are going to cover a fair amount of territory in just a few days. The main goal is to familiarize ourselves with the communities where we are going to be supporting health programs that local NGOs will be implementing.

It’s going to be a big change from La Paz. My lungs are psyched. Tarija’s altitude is just under 2,000 meters, significantly lower than La Paz. Bermejo is a mere 415 meters. It’s also hot down there. Not that La Paz is cold right now, but down south it’s going to be swampy-feeling I think. Tarija and surrounding area is wine country for Bolivia, boasting the world’s highest vineyards. Bermejo is petroleum country.

That’s about all I know. It seems that there might be spotty internet access, but I’m not counting on it, nor am I counting on the time to do it. But hopefully next weekend (Yikes! That’ll be my last weekend here) I will have some good pictures and stories of my little adventure down south.

Have a great week, everyone!

All sorts of goings on in La Paz

First stop this morning was to visit our project's Chief of Party. He lives in the Zona Sur in an apartment, but he is building a house in the neighborhood where it seems all of the diplomats live. The American Ambassador is a few streets over. Then we went out to lunch in San Miguel.

Everyone wants to show me around San Miguel, yet it barely seems to be mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide. I think I need to write to them.

After that, I took a nap and then went to the fourth annual Feria de Chocolate. Wow. I can't believe THAT's not in the Lonely Planet guide either. What's wrong with these people??? I think there were something like 30 different producers of chocolate with exhibits. Many of them were Bolivian companies, but then there was a Brazilian company there, along with Lindt (Swiss) and a booth with M&Ms. They even had a stage where someone was creating a chocolate sculpture.

And yes, of course I purchased. Duh.

I was going to go off to experience La Paz nightlife tonight with Denisse but she just called - a child care problem has come up and we have to put off our night out until next Friday. So I think I'll try to get some shopping in tomorrow before leaving for the field.

Rockin out for World AIDS Day

December 1 was World AIDS Day. It's a day where organizations all over the world take the opportunity to educate people about AIDS and HIV: what it is, what causes it, what doesn't cause it, and how to avoid it. Latin America doesn't have as big a problem as other developing countries, which puts it in a reasonable position to hopefully keep it that way.

In La Paz, there is an outdoor ampitheather fairly close to where I'm staying. Advertisements in the newspaper showed that a bunch of bands were playing, so I decided to go check it out. It's always intersting to see if these events really do much to raise awareness or if they are just an excuse for a free concert.

By the time the show started, the ampitheather was about halfway full, which, considering the fact that it started raining before the first band took the stage, was pretty impressive. Volunteers were handing out condoms and educational literature on the way in. It was a fairly diverse crowd - probably the majority were teenagers, but I did see some older women bringing their kids, which I thought was pretty cool.

Most of the people around me were part of a couple, which meant I had to deal with far too much kissing and couples draping themselves all over each other. Not to sound like an 8 year old on the playground (eewww cooties!), but it's something about the culture that I really do not like much. But since it was raining, my umbrella made a very nice gringa-soltera protective bubble around me, so I could block it out. ;-)

By the time the first band - Veneno - started playing, the crowd was restless and most of the distributed condoms has been blown up into balloons and launched into other areas of the audience. The first band was very popular, a combination of cumbia, reggaeton, and maybe some ska. They were definitely fun to watch. It did get a little tiresome, when in between each song, there was a recording of that deep, radio advertisement announcer voice saying "Veneno...." Every time.

In between bands, there were two screens on either side of the stage that played clips of testimonials from people living with HIV, and educational information about how it is transmitted, or not transmitted. For example, "It is 0% possible to transmit HIV by shaking someone's hand..." Then the organizers introduced the Bolivian Army, whose members were going to perform an educational skit - or sociodrama. There were big boos from the crowd for that, but some people sort of seemed to pay attention once they started. I just got a kick out of seeing army guys dressed up as white blood cells, viruses, condoms, and syringes acting out the whole HIV process.

I left about halfway through the second band - Calle 4 - even though I really liked them. But it was pouring down rain at that point, and I had a long day at work and needed to get home. When I left, it was around 9:30, and despite the rain, people were still coming in. I'm told that the other two bands - Azul Azul and Dezaire - are both pretty good. I'll have to catch them another time.

Becoming Fluent

Our receptionist, Denisse, just got my attention. "Amy," she said, and then very deliberately, "It's raining cats and dogs." Then she looked at me expectantly. I laughed and said, "You are absolutely right! it IS raining cats and dogs!" So she said, "so that's a real expression?" Yes, I told her. She was very proud to have used it correctly.

Denisse's English is excellent, much better than my Spanish is. Occasionally she confuses verbs, or other minor things, but in general, it's really good. And it's her third language too - her second is French.

This also made me think of a conversation I had with Alejandro on Saturday. He was an exchange student for a while in California, where he grew to love Sprite, Ranch dressing, and KFC. As part of his language experience, he also apparently learned a full repertoire of "momma jokes," which he proceeded to share with me, giggling after he delivered each joke.

People often ask me if I'm fluent in Spanish. I don't think I am. Or rather, maybe I have a certain level of functional fluency, but to be truly fluent, you have to be able to add in idiomatic expressions or use local humor, or even use sarcasm in another language. I can do some of this, but not frequently enough. To these fluency requirements, I might also add that you have to be able to argue in the language, and really argue your point. Because to do that requires that you understand 100% of what the other person is saying. I think my level of understanding usually hovers around 80%. Not great for arguing with someone.

Not that 80% is too shabby, considering I haven't spent years living in a Spanish speaking country and I don't use the language on a day to day basis. People understand me, and I understand them. I get around just fine and I can do my job. But it still contributes to my end-of-the-day exhaustion because sometimes I really have to focus and think hard about what's being said or what I'm trying to say. My brain translates some of the more simple day to day conversations automatically, but not everything comes that easy.

Maybe Alejandro will teach me the "momma joke" equivalent in Spanish before I leave. :-)

Pictures Up

That's all I have to say. See the link to the right - when asked for a password, use my last name. If you don't know my last name, you shouldn't be reading my blog anyway! ;-)

I went out to lunch today with Denisse and her family. We were going to go to the Lake, but her husband hurt his foot playing soccer yesterday so he can't drive long distances. But I swear, if someone takes me to any more of these huge "tipica" meals, I'm going to gain weight while I'm here. Ugh.

I have to admit, for the record, I'm really disappointed in the Lonely Planet Bolivia guide. I have the 2004 version of it and so far I have been taken to tons of places (either for eating or shopping) that aren't even listed. They don't even have a map of the Zona Sur, where San Miguel is. Maybe I'm reading it wrong or missing something. Anyway, disappointing. I'm trying to keep lots of notes.

Dia del turismo

Today was a big day. I went to visit the markets on Sagarnaga Street, which is in central La Paz, an area referred to as El Prado. It's the main shopping area in La Paz for artesania. It rained a little bit in the morning, but not for very long. In general the weather has been GREAT here. I was under the impression that it would be really rainy, but it has been warm (relatively speaking, since it's probably about the same temperature as DC is now) and dry. The church in the picture is Iglesia de San Francisco. It's pretty run down but looks like it's being renovated.

After doing some shopping (I may have mentioned this, but because I get home the weekend before Christmas, I feel like I should take advantage of the time and do my shopping here) at the market with my colleague, Elsa, we went to meet a friend of her's and her son, Alejandro, for lunch. I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was not a place where a vegetarian would be comfortable (as most of you know, I am not a vegetarian). The food was traditional food from Chuquisaca, which is south of here, just north of Tarija. Recommendations were made for food that wouldn't be too spicy. The plate that came was filled with more meat than I have probably ever eaten at one sitting. There was chicken, pork, sausage, two large potatoes, and tripe. Yes, tripe. Being the trooper that I am, I tried it. I did not like it. I ate what I thought was a significant part of what was on my plate, but my lunchmates were unimpressed. But Elsa's dog is going to eat well tonight as a result. I tried, I really did, but I guess I'm just not used to that much meat. Still, I feel that I made an honorable attempt.

Luckily after lunch, we got some walking in. Elsa and Alejandro walked me close enough to where I'm staying that they could point me in an easy direction home. I didn't stay in for long. I backtracked to where we had been, in an area called Miraflores. There's a big park on top of a hill that overlooks the city. Great for pictures as well as people watching. Miraflores Park seems to be a very popular place on weekends, especially for families with kids. So I hung out in the park for a while and then came home. Exhausted.

Tomorrow's plans are up in the air. If the weather is nice, I'm going to Lake Titicaca with our receptionist and here family. If it rains, we'll have lunch here, and maybe I'll hit the Witches Market. I had hoped to do that today, but I ran out of time.

Good grief. It's 9:30pm, and I'm still feeling full from lunch. I guess the diet gurus aren't kidding when they say protein fills you up!

Oh, and tomorrow night I'll post my first week's worth of photos. Stay tuned...

I had spinach and cheese ravioli for Thanksgiving lunch. What did you have?

I feel like when I wrote that blog entry this morning, I wasn't feeling so reflective. Now I am feeling it a little more. Perhaps it was because I just spent lunch with a few colleagues who wanted to know what the history of Thanksgiving was and why we celebrate it. It seems that Americans (of the US variety) have exported some ideas about Thanksgiving to countries in Latin America, so everyone seems familiar with it and wants to do something to celebrate it. For us, that meant going out for Italian food, but hey - that works for me. My colleague Vicky is going home to Honduras this weekend, and she was planning on making a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner for her family to celebrate her husband's birthday. She is going there, armed with my recipes for cranberry-pineapple sauce and apple-cornbread stuffing. She's very excited about it.

I guess the idea of a day where you spend your time with friends and family eating lots of good food and reflecting on the good things in your life is universally appealing.

Well I hope everyone is having a great day and eating lots of turkey (or ham if you don't like turkey), and if you are lucky enough to have Cope's corn and green bean casserole, well, I say you've had a good day.

Today I'll give thanks for having a great family and friends, and the good fortune to explore far away places in the world, while at the same time (hopefully) making a difference in the lives of the people there. I know how lucky I am.

Feliz Thanksgiving

I have to admit, it's a little strange being in another country again during Thanksgiving. And this year is a lot less Thanksgiving-y than last year. Last year I was in Kampala. Because it was a USAID project, the office was closed on Thanksgiving day, so I gathered with a whole lotta American ex-pats (and one German who was thrilled with the discovery of pumpkin pie - Happy Thanksgiving Ruth, if you are reading this!) to eat, drink and be merry the good old American way.

Here, the office is open for business, since the little piece of the project I'm working on is really the only USAID part of the deal.

But in honor of Thanksgiving, here are some interesting facts about one of the favorite Thansgiving foods that you all will probably be eating tonight. The Mighty Potato (Sara S. - this is dedicated to you):

• There are nearly 4000 varieties of potato found in the Andes that come from 8 different species.


• Scientists believe they were first domesticated about 8000 years ago around Lake Titicaca.


• There are lots of ceremonies associated with the potato harvest, for example:

"Ritual ceremonies marked by singing, dancing, and drinking still take place throughout the year to ensure a successful harvest. Young men playfully drag young women across potato fields to make the land fertile. Cow horns and flutes are played to cheer on the plants and bring rains." (From National Geographic News, online)

Hmmm, being a young woman, I'd better stay away from those young guys when I go visit the lake. I don't know what time of year they drag women across the potato fields, but that's not a cultural experience I want to have!

I hope everyone enjoys their turkey today. Happy Thanksgiving.

Just some random stuff...

Ode to Coca Tea
A Haiku…

Green leaf wakes me up,
You give me a nifty buzz,
Can I export you?



I also learned a new word today (Thanks cdc.gov!):

Paresthesias: A skin sensation, such as burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause.

This word explains why my foot fell asleep while I was in bed last night and why my feet feel asleep during a meeting this morning. It also explains why my nose tingles when I touch it. It’s apparently one of the side effects of the Diamox. Well, I think tomorrow morning is the last dose I really need to take anyway.

Dia Uno

Greetings from La Paz! I made it here in one piece – after sitting in planes and airports for a full 24 hours last year to go to Uganda, this trip was a piece of cake. I arrived at the airport in El Alto/La Paz at about 6:40 this morning. I know I mentioned that La Paz is the highest capital city in the world, but maybe what’s more impressive is that El Alto is the highest commercial airport in the world. And flying in over the Andes is pretty damn impressive. I don't have any impressive pictures yet. In the meantime, this is one of the views from my room.

So here are some of my initial observations:

• I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I see evidence of student socialist groups. They have been in every Latin American country I have visited. They graffiti up the walls with things like “Long live the revolution” and “Free university tuition for all” and other related thoughts. I guess it makes me nostalgic for the days when I was young and idealistic and naïve about the way the world works.
• I get a slightly disturbing warm fuzzy feeling from the smell of diesel car fumes. Again, I associate the smell with my travels in developing countries, which I’m sure is why I feel warm and fuzzy when I smell the absence of emissions standards. Here, I could also blame it on the fact that I’m already challenged in getting enough oxygen to my brain, so maybe there are a few variables at work.
• Being in a car or trying to cross a street here are both extremely frightening experiences. They can be in other countries too, but here, the traffic lights and lines to denote lanes on the road are definitely viewed as suggestions rather than rules. I haven’t seen it quite this extreme in other countries.
• I’m slightly disappointed with my first high altitude experience. I really thought I would have some hard core survival stories, but so far I haven’t had much of a problem. Just tired and a little out of breath, but if you saw how hilly this city is, you’d be out of breath regardless of how high the altitude was.

Beyond that, I’m (finally!) excited about being here! I’m settled in to Vicky’s apartment and I have a fabulous view from the 13th floor. We’ve already talked about a variety of non-work plans. There’s a cool looking Jazz bar right next to the office that we are going to try to go to sometime while I’m here, the receptionist is going to take me out dancing with her friends, I get to go to the field in early December (Tarija is one of the areas where we are working. See the southern part of the handy little map I posted), and Vicky and I are going to go to Lake Titicaca the weekend after that. And so far, from what I’ve seen of La Paz, it’s a really cool city. I can’t wait to do some exploring.

I’ll write again at the end of the week. I don’t think there will be much other than lots of meetings for the next two days. And I know that no one wants to hear about that!

You can't make people healthy if you can't breath...

Not to freak anyone out, but this travel gig to La Paz is considered pretty heavy duty in terms of health effects. This is mainly due to altitude. The following is an excerpt from my official concurrence cable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Medical -- Attention! Very Important!

Altitude: The altitude of La Paz is between 10,000 feet and 13,400 feet (4,075 meters) above sea level. The altitude alone poses a serious risk of illness, hospitalization, and even death, if you have a medical condition that affects blood circulation or breathing.Adjustment to Altitude: All people, even healthy and fit persons, will feel symptoms of Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) upon arrival at high altitude. Most people will have increased respiration and increased heart rate. Many people will have headache, difficulty sleeping, lack of appetite, minor gastric and intestinal upsets, and mood changes.

The Health Unit strongly/strongly recommends taking Acetazolamide (Diamox), 125 mg twice a day -- starting one day before traveling, on the day of the trip, and two to three days after arriving at high altitude. This medication has a slight diuretic effect, and stimulates respiration. Diamox cannot be taken by pregnant women and nursing mothers. Consider that many health care providers in the U.S. are not familiar with high altitude medicine, don’t let them dissuade you from taking the Diamox. If you have a severe allergy to sulfa, you may not be able to take Diamox.

• Avoid alcohol and smoking for at least one week after your arrival.
• Limit physical activity for the first 36 to 48 hours after your arrival.
• For those who exercise, expect that you will not be able to perform your normal routine for several weeks. Please start slowly!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I guess as long as weakened appetite goes along with inability to do exercise, it should all even out, right? And I'm also glad to hear that I can blame "mood changes" on altitude too. That's refreshing.

I've got my prescription for diamox, but the recommendation has been made (like my use of passive voice in order to avoid identifying anyone?) that I should try the coca tea when I get there.

One week to go!

Just can't wait to get on the road again...

It has been far too long since I've done any traveling, but finally I'm off again. After several months of planning and cancelling, I'll be leaving on November 19 for Bolivia. I'll be there for about a month, which should be plenty of time to work and to play. I picked up the Lonely Planet travel guide yesterday and have already started to fold down pages.

Here are some facts about Bolivia:

It is South America's poorest country, with 70% of the population living in poverty


• Over 50% of the population are indigenous, with Aymara and Quechua being the largest groups.


• La Paz is the highest capital city in the world at about 12,000 ft (3,657 m)


• The country has had more coups d'etat than any other country, with approximately 60 coups in its history.


• Despite how poor it is, the country has LOADS of natural resources, including natural gas, iron, and magnesium.


• It is the world's third largest cultivator of coca.


• Che Guevara was killed here in 1967.

This time I have set up my pictures on a webpage and hopefully I will be able to take lots of pictures there to update frequently. The link is on the right of this page. It will ask you for a password, which is my last name. If anything exciting comes up, I'll write, but otherwise, tune in after Nov. 19 to hear about my adventures in the southern hemisphere!

Dispatch from Kentucky

I took a very interesting trip last week. I went with a colleague to Kentucky to work on a childhood obesity prevention project in eastern and southern Kentucky. It was fascinating stuff. I think as well-educated, well-resourced adults, we around here already have a difficult enough time preventing obesity - or in some cases, just trying to get rid of 10 pounds of beer weight or resisting a bagel or whatever.

But out where we were working, there are no sidewalks, there are very few ball fields, and there are a lot of mountains and winding roads. Apparently the only folks who go walking in the woods are the ones that you don't want your kids to be near anyway, so hiking is out of the question. The economy is tougher than in many places. The main money makers are found in coal mines and meth labs. We were told that marijuana is one of Kentucky's largest cash crops these days. The nearest place to go grocery shopping isn't close, and if you are lucky enough to get there, you may not have money or food stamps left by mid-month anyway. So trying to tell people that they should exercise more or eat more fruits and vegetables really doesn't work very well.

Pretty much all of the kids in the areas where we worked get school breakfast and school lunch, but it's not always healthy either. For lunch on the last day of training, we had fried pork chops, mashed potatoes with gravy (real gravy!), cornbread stuffing, peas (canned), and coleslaw. What makes this way of eating especially hard to change is that, in an area where parents are poor and want to spoil their kids however they can, good parenting is symbolized by one's ability to feed their kids traditional comfort foods. Talk about a tough habit to break!

It's not that I haven't seen this sort of setting domestically before. When I was in high school, the church youth group went to the Virginia part of Appalachia every year for work camp, so I've seen these settings before. Still, in a way it's even more difficult to see in this country because as a country we are so wealthy, yet so many people live like this.

For what it's worth, though, I should tell you that Eastern Kentucky has a beauty to it that I bet most people don't see. The air is clean, the mountains and forests are damn scenic, and we happened to have great weather too. I'd love to go back. After all, those really are my neighbors out there, and I'd like to give them a hand.

Reversing the Cultural Exchange

I'm still here in DC. But that doesn't mean I can't get interesting and enlightening cultural exchanges happening.

Every year during this week, there is a big global health conference in DC. People come from all over the world to attend panel discussions, round table events, networking opportunities, and all sorts of professional improvement activities. They also come to shop.

One of my colleagues from when I was in Uganda is here. It's his first time in the US, and boy is he having a good time. We have introduced him to the finer things that the US has to offer, including Best Buy, Payless Shoes, and Chipotle burritos. He really likes the carnitas burritos. In the office we have also introduced him to some very good chocolate cake and iced tea. And yesterday we went shopping at Filene's Basement.

He is a bit overwhelmed by everything, but is embracing it all at the same time. And he has had some very funny observations about Americans. I'll share my favorite commentary:

We were waiting for the metro yesterday and I said to him, "Onesmus, you have experienced the metro system in DC, in New York City and in Boston. You are now an expert!" He laughed and said, "Yes, but no one in Uganda will believe me when I tell them that you travel like rats!"

Yes indeed - they will hear that Americans travel to and from work through a network of underground tunnels. What I am most proud of though, is that I have educated yet another outsider that one should always stand right, walk left on the escalator, and wait until people have exited the train before boarding. If he goes home having learned nothing else, I will still feel that I have been a succesful tour guide.

Feet back on the ground

I arrived home on Sunday night after a great trip. If anyone ever deserves a great host award, it's Norma and Rick. Thanks guys!

Though the weather was cold, I highly recommend hitting Tilburg during Carnival. The potent alcohol makes it easier to prounce things in Dutch, and it's a great excuse to wear cool fluttery gold eyelashes.

Now I am back home, and my next big adventure is... Jury Duty.

But I'm under oath to not talk about that, so there will be no blogging on that matter! ;-)

Not your typical tourist destination

So, Norma and I went to Amsterdam on Wednesday and saw all sorts of great artwork in the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. I went back yesterday to see the Anne Frank House, and to take a canal boat tour. All of these stops were impressive and, especially in the case of the Anne Frank House, very profound. But none of these stops were quite like the stop I took on my own yesterday in the Red Light District.

Now, if you think you know what I am referring to, you probably don't. I am one of probably very few Americans who have made the trip here and did not go to a "coffee house" or smoke pot in any other establishment.

What I did do though, was to stop off at the Prostitute Information Center. I have to say it was truly fascinating.

The PIC is in the heart of the Red Light District, where, at the time I stopped, I was the only woman present who was not scantily clad and motioning suggestively in a storefront window. Norma and I had walked by it the day before, and I was very curious but it was closed (lucky for Norma!) so I came back. I walked through the door of what ended up looking like just about any other gift shop in Amsterdam. There were postcards, books for sale, maps, pamphlets of frequently asked questions, and condoms.

Okay, most of the other gift shops probably don't sell condoms.

The PIC is staffed by a former prostitute (that's their term - my public health colleagues would beat me if they thought I was jumping on W's terminology bandwagon by not referring to them as "Commercial Sex Workers") who was very nice, and offered to answer any questions I had. So, of course, I started asking. In case you didn't know, sex work is legal here.

Here's what else I learned about sex work in Amsterdam:

They are all free-lancers, and would get their start by talking to the landlord who owns the windows. The literature in the PIC says that they are supposed to have certificates showing they have gone through health screenings, but that's not really enforced, and there isn't a certain period of time during which they need to get "renewed." There are free clinics for health screenings and STD treatments that the PIC can refer prostitutes to (or clients), and they have a loosely organized group called the Dutch Sex Workers Network, which serves as something of a support organization. However, I was told that the level of supportiveness from one's colleagues very much depends on each place. Just like any other place of employment, you might luck out and get supportive co-workers. Or they might just see you as competition. But sometimes these groups are useful, because, as the woman I spoke with pointed out, you have to totally separate your feelings from your work and realize that "sex is not the same as love."

Basically, as she explained it, they are in it for the money, plain and simple. As she pointed out, if you get a job as a cashier at a supermarket, you aren't doing it because it's fun or interesting. You are just doing it for the money. I asked her if there was any sort of blanket policy on condom use. She said no, but "if they take the work seriously, they use a condom, because otherwise they get sick and can't work." But, she admitted, if men find out that someone isn't insisting on it, they will more likely go to that prostitute.

There were many more questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't. Two women came in while I was there and asked the woman for information about a Hep B screening that was going on. She gave them written information and told them where to go.

There's probably more that I learned but just am not remembering as I write this. For more information you can go to their website: www.pic-amsterdam.com . I haven't actually looked at it yet - that's just listed in the information sheet they gave me.

And sorry, I didn't take any pictures.

Department store culture shock

There's a rumor that Americans are much more prudish than Europeans. That we seem much more uncomfortable with all things sexual. We try to protect ourselves and others from exposure to these things and we make everything even remotely sexual sound like it's wrong, evil, or immoral.

Quite some time ago, if you lived in the Washington, DC metro area, you probably heard about the Victoria's Secret display at Tysons Corner shopping center. In their front displays, they depicted female mannequins in lingerie in suggestive (well, I guess that's sort of subjective too!) positions, either by themselves or together with another mannequin on a couch/bed sort of structure. The local news stations were all over it. Passersby in the mall were asked their opinions, morally upstanding citizens called for boycotts of the store, and in general everyone seriously got their panties in a bunch over the display. I can't remember exactly what happened in the end, but I think the warring parties arrived at some sort of consensus and some of the advertisement was removed or changed.

I was remembering this today as I was browsing through a department store in Tilburg. It's a chain-store, much like, let's say Macy's or Hecht's in the US. First floor - shoes, accessories, greeting cards, third floor - bed linens, kitchen supplies, second floor - clothing and lingerie. As you come up the stairs to the second floor, you are met off the escalator by two female mannequins, each one in bra and panties, one sitting on a bed, and one draped across the bed next to her.

Do you think anyone batted an eye? It didn't look like it. I'll have to ask Norma and Rick to be sure, but it seemed like business as usual, with many shoppers out today, since I think a lot of people have the day off from work to celebrate the last day of Carnival. Kind of funny though. I thought for a moment about taking a picture, just so that I could really illustrate the point. If someone had done that at Victoria's Secret, onlookers would have thought that the photographer was just as intrigued or shocked by the display as they were. But it occurred to me that if I had taken a picture of the Dutch lingerie manneqins, it would look just as strange as if someone took a picture of the Macy's shower curtain display. So I didn't take it. I already stand out enough as it is here, seeing as I am several inches shorter than most everyone else and a few pounds heavier. No need to exaggerate the differences.

Learning from our mistakes - or not

Today we took advantage of having a car and drove to two spots. Kinderdijk is a beautiful area with lots of windmills which were built, like most of the windmills here, so that people could build homes where water was previously - aka "land reclamation." The picture here is of the windmills at Kinderdijk.

After Kinderdijk, we spent the afternoon in Zeeland touring the Delta Works Project, another huge land reclamation project (and impressive display of engineering) on the west coast of the country. The Delta Works began construction after a huge flood in 1953. The quotes taken below are from the museum display:

"In 1953, the dikes were too low - too steep - too weak...All the experts issued warnings. But no action was taken! This was a consequence of the Second World War and the Cold War (in the 1950s). The government spent a great deal on defense in those days and not much on the dikes."

In February, an abnormally strong northwesterly storm blew in from the North Sea. Winds reached 110 km/h out at sea but gusted upwards of 180 km/h. Evacuation began, as water rose to levels previously unseen. By March 1, over 72,000 people had been evacuated from their homes, mostly to control disease spread. Coordination, however, was not smooth. "Those at the top were often unaware of what the rescuers were facing...There were misunderstandings in the armed forces. No one knew exactly who was in command and thee pilots were not allowed to act without orders... After a phase of incompetent maneuvering, coordination of the work carried out by various organizations improved."

The finalization of the Delta Works Project completed a series of storm surge barriers and reinforced dikes that should provide people with protection from the sea for years to come.

Sounds like a familiar story. And it seems fitting considering that now it is midnight here, which means Mardi Gras is well underway in New Orleans, which suffered a similar situation over 50 years after the Zeelanders lost close to 2000 people who died in the flood of 1953. We should learn to pay closer attention to history. It might help us to avoid a lot of heartache and devastation in the future.

Chocolate, beer, and lace

Yesterday we rented a car and drove all the way to Belgium. Which is actually very close. It was the most anticlimactic border crossing I have ever experienced. We were driving, and Norma or Rick (I can't remember because I was asleep) said "hey - we're in Belgium now." Just like when you pass to another state on the highway and there's just a sign that says "Welcome to..." No passport stamp or anything. We spent the day in Bruges, which is a very cool little town. It's very medival-looking, with some of the travel guides saying the town just sort of ground to a halt in the middle ages, while the more cynical ones point out that a lot of it has been recreated, just for us tourists. Either way, it is pretty, which hopfully you can tell from the picture, which I took from the top of the bell tower in the center of town.

As you can tell from my Title line, the main three products of the area appear to be chocolate, beer, and lace. There were more chocolatiers per capita than probably necessary (I have, indeed, found what my mom would call "heaven"), and many restuarants bragging hundreds of types of beer. Lace is another product that I did not purchase, but it is a local product of which the people are very proud.

Then we went to Ghent for dinner. Norma's Belgian colleagues told her that Ghent is where the nightlife is, but we couldn't find any. We may not have been looking in the right place. But Ghent also had many interesting old buildings, including a castle in the town center.

Today (Sunday) Norma and Rick hosted a Carnival party. It started at 1pm. I was wasted by 5pm. I was sobered up by 9pm. What a party! There were only a few Dutch people there, but we all enjoyed ourselves partaking in tradition. We had a great view of a parade that took place in town, and we dutifully threw confetti everywhere and wore silly hats, which was the minimum required to participate in Carnival.

We were going to go out tonight, but considering we were all feeling a bit hung over by about 9:30, we decided that we would throw in the towel. We got to experience the drunken reverie that is Carnival on Friday night anyway, so I certainly didn't miss out on anything. It's 10:30pm, and it has been a busy few days, so I am going to call it a night and head to the warmth of my bed.

Everything's coming up tulips

It may still be February, and it may be freezing cold here, but that won't stop the Dutch from showing off their blooms. Norma, her friend Aundrea, and I went to Hoorn today for the Holland Flower Festival. It was inside (thank GOD!) a large convention center sort of place north of Amsterdam. I can't say exactly where because I have yet to take a good look at a map to get oriented. But the flowers were indeed beautiful, and if it's a preview of what will be seen outside in another month or two, I'm sad to be missing it.

We saw a good amount of the Netherlands too, by train to Rotterdam where Aundrea lives and then by car to Hoorn. A few hours all together. To add to my brilliant observations from yesterday, I should also say that the Netherlands is very wet. I'll write more about that later. For now, Carnival starts tonight and we are about to head out bar-hopping to join the festivities.

So much to see, so little idea how to pronounce it...

As much as I've traveled, I'm finding that I am feeling more lost here than anywhere because of language difficulties. I was set loose today to find the town of Breda, which is a few stops over on the train from Tilburg. The train system should be pretty easy to decipher, except that 1) it's all in Dutch and 2) written Dutch looks very different from spoken Dutch. So it's really of no help to me when the train conductor announces each station as we pull in because he makes everything sound like he's clearing his throat.

Some of my other initial observations about the Netherlands.

1. Everyone has a bicycle. And everyone uses the bicycle as their primary mode of transportation. There are even designated bike lanes on all roads, and sometimes they are even separated from the road. This does not mean they share the sidewalk. Pedestrians walk on the sidewalk. Cars and pedestrians always watch out for the bicyclists. There are even divets on the side of stairways so that you can wheel your bike down beside you instead of carrying it. The Dutch get a lot of exercise and are generally not overweight.

2. Everyone seems to smoke. Okay, maybe not everyone, but all of the eating and drinking establishments which we have visited have had smokers all over the place inside. I'm not used to leaving a restaurant smelling like an ashtray.

3. There are some very tall people here.

4. Life comes to a halt when Speed Skating is being shown on televison.

That's all I have to report today. We will be doing a fair amount of touristy stuff over the next few days, including visiting a flower festival and going to Belgium, so I am sure I will have much more execiting things to report by Monday. Unless I'm too hung-over from Carnival to blog. But you'll hear from me again at some point.

Grocery shopping in Tilburg...

It's the first time I have ever been to a grocery store and had virtually NO idea what any of the labels said. Though Norma says her favorite grocery store word is Winkelwagon, which means "shopping cart." It's just fun to say, she thinks...

Dutch is not at all like any of the languages I have ever seen, or heard for that matter. After a good long nap, I am sure I will be able to focus a bit and figure out how to describe it. But for now, after a virtualy sleepless night on the plane, I am going to sleep.

From SUVs to Bicycles and Trains

Well, I found out last week that I'm not going back to Uganda. Only slightly a bummer, but a bummer nonetheless. But never fear, loyal readers - this does not mean the end of my traveling exploits! Because there will never be an end to my traveling exploits. It will just mean a new location for them to happen.

And what other corner of the world could be appropriate for exploits than Amsterdam?!

So, on February 21st, I will be jetting off again, this time bound for Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, then to Tilburg, where I will be visiting my good friends Norma and Rick. There I will be spending about a week and a half doing all things Dutch - like bicycling everywhere, waxing philosophical about Rembrandt and Van Gogh, eating cheese, wearing wooden shoes (okay, maybe not). Oh, and of course there is Carnival in Tilburg. Would.Not.Miss.It.

It's a significantly shorter trip than Uganda, and I can almost guarantee I will not experience an earthquake or be chased by an elephant while I am there, but it will be an exciting trip, regardless. Especially if I get to keep talking about amsterDAM and emphasizing the DAM part like we all did when we were kids so that if we got yelled at for cussing, we could just say that we were simply boning up on our geography. :-)

So tune in next month...