La Paz

Colca Canyon took five days instead of the planned three because of a bout of Souroche and lessons on Peruvian and Argentinian Pisco Sours. The trek was beautiful and we saw a few Condors as well as a whole lot of Llamas, vicuna, and alpaca. The Canyon is the second deepest in the world and it starts out incredibly arrid and rocky and by the bottom we were surrounded by tropical fruits and tons of vegetation. There were avocado trees everywhere and also cactus fruit. I got some moderately uncumfortable pricks in my hands trying to harvest a few tuna (cactus fruit), and spent the next few hours of trekking picking them from my fingers. That and a bit of a sundburn were the only complaints I could make about the trek. Overall it was a great chance to stay in some of the small towns around the Canyon. The culture here is distinctly different from other parts of Peru. The woman all where brigh, ornately embroidered caps, skirts, and vests and the men are usually sporting a cowboy hats and ride around on horses. Overall it seemed like a Peruvian twist on an old wild west film.
We have been in La Paz for two weeks now. After our trek we returned to Arequipa and quickly got a bus to Puno and then over the border to La Paz. The border crossing was a mess of forms, additional money we did not expect to pay, and much more effort because we are Americans. We were the last ones back on the bus because all the other gringos get to pay a small fee and quickly get their visas. We got shuffled into our own special line as soon as they saw our passports. We made it to La Paz and have a visa for ninety days so I can´t really complain.
The weekend we arrived was the beginning of Alasitas and the vote for the new constitution in Bolivia. On Saturday we went to the packed opening day of Alasitas. This is a festival devoted to the god Ekeko, the god of abundance and whatever you buy in miniature is supposed to be given to you by Ekeko. Stalls line the streets selling every type of tiny object you can imagine. There are tiny animals, each representing a different character trait, money in every denomination, passports, work permits, marriage licenses, and divorce papers not to mention an assortment of electronics, cars, and mansion. Even the food was in miniature and Lucy and I had a lunch of mini empanadas, sandwhiches, and pastels. This weekend was also a little crazy because the country is voting on a new, very progressive constitution drafted by Evo Morales. It grants universal access to health care and education. It also provides many indigenous communities with access to land and citizenship rights they were denied previously. It was voted on on Sunday. The whole city was closed down. There was literally barely a vehicle in the streets, just people walking around with their families or on their way to the voting booths. Everyone had purple on their finger to show they had voted. Our hostel is located right down the street from the President´s House so we headed over there at 6 and stood outside for 3 and a half hours to see Evo Morales come out and announce the ratification of the new constitution. We were really close. I could have chucked my shoe at him, that´s how close I was, but so far I am pretty impressed with his policies, even his reactions to the US and our stupid reactions to cocoa production in Bolivia. If George Bush had ever tasted Mate de Coca or Coca cookies he too would have a different opinion about growing coca, plus it helps with altitude sickness and upset stomachs. It is just the cocaine form that is bad, and Bolivians blame the US and other country´s demand for the illegal form of the product for the illegal drug trafficing that is causing so many problems. At the rally for Evo there were alot of derogatory cheers about the US in which we were called junkies. Hmmm...
We also met the first indigenous woman to be elected into the Peruvian Congress. She was staying at Mary Fritz´s hotel (the family friend who is hooking us up with this teaching oportunity). She is so nice and gave us her contact so when we are back in Lima we can look her up. She said she would show us around the Peruvian congress!! Mary has introduced us to a number of other people she knows from her many years living and working in the city. There is a helpful list of young people she has provided for us to show us around the city. It was also great hearing her perspective on the school and politics here. She flew out a few days ago and both Lucy and I are really sad that we can´t count on stopping by her hotel room to badger her and her travel partner, Hope, with questions and dinner invitations.
School started monday and today marks the end of our first week of work. I am in a smaller school in a suberb a 15 minute ride from the center of La Paz. Lucy and I are stayinga t a hotel right on the Prado, the main street in La Paz. It is a really great location right in the center of everything. The hotel is only used for church business and to house volunteers who come down for short trips from churches in the states so we pretty have full run of the hotel.
I am assistant teaching PK through third grade english classes with Luzmilla, one of the English teachers at the school. The kids are adorable but crazy and the disorginization of the whole school system will require another blog post.