Last week I had a wonderful opportunity to "live" the culture of Bolivia with all my senses! As part of the orientation program at the Maryknoll Instituto de Idiomas, I went with a group of 25 fellow students to an area near Cochabamba called Valle Alto. We travelled by bus (quite an interesting adventure in itself!) to this agricultural region about 15-20 miles south of the city. The altitude is higher than Cochabamba so we were climbing into beautiful pastoral countryside. Each small "pueblo" that we visited is famous for a particular product. Our first stop was Tarata where we visited an historic church and retreat center established by the Franciscans. Within the courtyard walls of this colonial structure was an incredible oasis of flowering plants, trees and pools of flowing water...a beautiful tribute to St.Francis! The small pueblo of Tarata was centered around a plaza that was filled with people enjoying the balmy Sunday morning. We stopped briefly to purchase freshly baked rounds of flatbread and then we were off to our next stop in Cliza...
The town of Cliza is famous for its open air Sunday "mercado" that sells everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to clothing and household products. The merchants (vendadoras) are almost all women who display their colorful produce and products on street mats and often use a bartering practice called "trueque" where they exchanges one product for another...for example a handful of flour for six carrots! Cliza is also famous for selling roasted pigeon as a luncheon speciality...I didn't have a chance to taste it but the aroma was amazing! By the time we wound our way around the market labyrinth we were all starving...
So our next point on the tour was lunch at a popular provincial cafe in Arani. Our menu included a steaming hot "sopa" of meat, vegetables and quinoa and a beverage made of fermented corn called "chicha" that tasted a bit like hard cider (?). Our last stop of the day was in Punata, where the bus driver unfortunately had to change a tire (!) while we strolled through the plaza of this tiny pueblo known for its unique pastries called "rosquettes" that have some resemblance to pretzels but are slightly sweet and covered with a thin white icing. On our way back to Cochabamba, our tour guide convinced us to make one last stop at a roadside cafe famous for its empanadas and homemade ice cream...now how could we say no to that! All the sites, sounds, smells and flavors of that day in Valle Alto linger with me...as I write this entry. I hope I have given you all just a "taste" of Bolivia...as the Bolivians say provecho!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
putting my faith into practice
My spanish language studies continue to improve and my host family continues to provide me with special attention (I feel like a guest at a Bolivian bed & breakfast!)...but, this week I finally had the opportunity to put my faith into practice here in Bolivia! On Saturday, I spent 4 hours at a very special home for infants and young children under 5 years.
This home for 150 young children and 12 other facilities for women and orphaned children are managed by "Fundacion Amanecer" (http://www.amanecer-bolivia.org/) founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1981 and now recognized by the Bolivian government as a non-profit. I was so impressed with the director of this facility...she has been with Amanecer for over 30 years and is still smiling as she greets each new volunteer!
The entire four hours at Hogar Salomon Klein was spent holding and feeding babies under 1 year...how amazing is that! Looking into the faces of each precious child was so moving and yet so bittersweet...for even though the care at this orphanage is very loving...I know that it is impossible for the staff to give enough individual attention to each infant. So just holding, speaking and giving affection to each tiny infant was a special gift of love...and believe me...the gift was reciprocal! I could not help but think of my beautiful granddaughter, Hadiatou, as I kissed the faces of the sweet infants. This "hogar" and all the other Amanecer facilities depend on volunteers to help feed, play and care for the young children and provide classroom and hands-on training to the older children. As I write this entry, my thoughts are that I can't wait to go back to the hogar next Saturday...the babies certainly didn't mind that my Spanish was just a few words and phrases spoken with much love!
Today my co-missioner, Ann, and I visited the palacious home of Bolivian tin magnate, Simon Patino. In many ways it reminded me of the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, because of the similar style and the opulence of the era in which it was built. Simon Patino was born into poverty in Bolivia but became one of the wealthiest men in the world due to his tin mining interests both in Bolivia and abroad. The beautifully manicured gardens of the home contain many unusual species of plants and the furnishings and decor of the home reflect the European designs of the 1920s. Unfortunately, Simon Patino never lived in the home due to his travels abroad and poor health. Today the home has been converted to an educational and cultural center. It was an interesting visit to a "lugar" of Bolivian history.
Until next time...hasta luego!
This home for 150 young children and 12 other facilities for women and orphaned children are managed by "Fundacion Amanecer" (http://www.amanecer-bolivia.org/) founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1981 and now recognized by the Bolivian government as a non-profit. I was so impressed with the director of this facility...she has been with Amanecer for over 30 years and is still smiling as she greets each new volunteer!
The entire four hours at Hogar Salomon Klein was spent holding and feeding babies under 1 year...how amazing is that! Looking into the faces of each precious child was so moving and yet so bittersweet...for even though the care at this orphanage is very loving...I know that it is impossible for the staff to give enough individual attention to each infant. So just holding, speaking and giving affection to each tiny infant was a special gift of love...and believe me...the gift was reciprocal! I could not help but think of my beautiful granddaughter, Hadiatou, as I kissed the faces of the sweet infants. This "hogar" and all the other Amanecer facilities depend on volunteers to help feed, play and care for the young children and provide classroom and hands-on training to the older children. As I write this entry, my thoughts are that I can't wait to go back to the hogar next Saturday...the babies certainly didn't mind that my Spanish was just a few words and phrases spoken with much love!
Today my co-missioner, Ann, and I visited the palacious home of Bolivian tin magnate, Simon Patino. In many ways it reminded me of the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, because of the similar style and the opulence of the era in which it was built. Simon Patino was born into poverty in Bolivia but became one of the wealthiest men in the world due to his tin mining interests both in Bolivia and abroad. The beautifully manicured gardens of the home contain many unusual species of plants and the furnishings and decor of the home reflect the European designs of the 1920s. Unfortunately, Simon Patino never lived in the home due to his travels abroad and poor health. Today the home has been converted to an educational and cultural center. It was an interesting visit to a "lugar" of Bolivian history.
Until next time...hasta luego!
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