Last Wednesday was my 3-month mark in Bolivia. Since the time of my last letter, I have graduated from Bolivian high school, been to my first soccer game, and visited beautiful waterfalls and ancient Incan ruins.
School ended at the beginning of November. As with many other high schools in Santa Cruz this year, classes ended a week earlier than expected. One Friday afternoon the director simply announced that school was over. This approach is meant to keep students from traditional rioting and misbehavior associated with the last week of school.
I participated in my school’s graduation and my host dad walked with me to receive my Bolivian diploma. The service was beautiful and not unlike that of a US graduation, with the exception of the lack of graduation cake.
Above: My host parents and I just before the ceremony.
Two days later, I had my Fiesta de Promoción. This is the last opportunity the school provides for the senior class to be together, so it is a huge deal. Students and their chosen partners (often boy/girlfriends) desfilar (parade) down an aisle dressed in Prom style dresses.
Above: My whole host family and me at the the Fiesta de Promoción.
They then return to tables to sit with their families to chat and party until 2:30am. As part of the fiesta, they have a traditional Waltz that comes after every you desfilar.
Above: Waltzing with my host dad.
Afterwards, my class went to a quinta outside of the city for our “Amanecida.” Amanecida literally means something like “sunrise,” and traditionally it is a party that is meant to last until the dawn of the next day. My party began at 4am and lasted until 4pm the next day.
Perhaps one of the most popular Sunday activities in Santa Cruz is to go to the stadium and watch fútbol (soccer). I went to my first ever fútbol game 3 weeks ago. It was a game between the two most popular Santa Cruz teams: Oriente and Blooming. The competitive atmosphere within the stadium was absolutely marvelous! Almost everyone in Santa Cruz has a strong sense of support for one team or the other, and I have found that asking about a person’s preference is often an easy way to start a conversation. I myself am an Oriente supporter—the team colors are green and white, the same as the colors in the Santa Cruz flag.
Afterwards, I decided to join an all-girls fútbol team in order to try and learn the game better. So far I have been to a handful of practices. The heat in Bolivia makes it seem all the more intense, but doesn’t stop it from being pretty fun.
Last weekend I took another family trip to Samaipata. This time, though, I had the opportunity to see some of the town’s most popular tourist attractions: Las Cuevas and El Fuerte.
Las Cuevas is an area full of beautiful waterfalls. I was able to swim out and bathe in them—it was truly amazing.
Above: Las Cuevas. You can see my host mom, me, and my friend Sarah standing up on the left.
El Fuerte is a sight of ancient Incan carvings ad ruins. I took an hour and a half hike around the area to see all the different carvings. Although there is still a bit of mystery as to the explanation of these carvings, they believe that they served some kind of religious purpose.
Above left: Overlook of the main section of El Fuerte. Above right: At the "Templo de la Sacrista" at El Fuerte.
During this trip, I also got to try coca leaves for the first time! They are the main ingredient in cocaine, but the leaves themselves are not a drug. However, the miners and indigenous people of Bolivia have been known to eat them because they kill appetites and prevent altitude sickness. They are really weird to eat because they leave a slightly numb sensation in your mouth.
Above: Two large bags (of many more) that we saw in a town outside of Samaipata... they are absolutely filled with coca leaves!
I have also attached a photo of a boa constrictor that my parents found here in Santa Cruz. One morning, I awoke to my host mom’s screams, only to go outside and find her with this snake. My host dad killed it and then later had it skinned.
Above: The boa, my host dad, and me.
That’s all I have to update for now, but future plans promise much more to come! Enjoy Thanksgiving (I baked a few apple pies for my host family and Rotary)!
Chau,
Maija
