Arrival / Soy Gringo

Wow. So Bolivia is awesome. The flight to Bolivia wasn't so much. It was a bit cramped and I couldn't really see much of  South America because it was dark out, but when we got close to the airport in el Alto we could see some snow capped mountains. The flight to Miami from Columbus went pretty quickly though, and I just stared out the window the whole time. My time in Miami was absolutely nothing like in the Will Smith song which kinda bummed me out, but the airport could count as one of the nicer malls back home. 

 Bye Columbus

We landed in el Alto at 5:15 am, and the altitude (13,000 feet in el Alto) was noticeable but not too bad. Our host Juanca picked us up at the airport in a taxi around 5:45. The taxi ride was interesting. We noticed lots of dogs roaming around el Alto, which Juanca told us is the poorest city in Bolivia. Next we drove through Achocalle, which is a very scenic barrio located between el Alto and La Paz. Achocalle is an Aymara word that from my understanding has something to do with the place where vegetables ripen. Juanca told us that there are 36 separate cultures and languages in Bolivia, but the main three languages are Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua. The most striking difference between the scenery in Ohio and Bolivia is that Bolivia's terrain is the complete polar opposite of everywhere in Ohio. It's very rocky and there are mountains, cliffs, and canyons all over the place. You also don't really see any grass, mostly just shrubbery (except there aren't any nice paths running down the middle). Juanca's district is called Mallasilla. It's very beautiful here and the views are amazing, as indicated by the pictures below taken from the back of the house.

 This is the golf course that I'm supposed to be allowed to run on real soon. Way over on the right side of the picture is the tee box. You have to drive over the Moon Canyon to the green. No fairway.

 Way off in the distance is el Alto, where our plane landed.

A better view of the Moon Canyon.

Juanca's wife Monica had breakfast ready for Caroline, Conrad, and I when we arrived. Then I got to meet their daughter, Lucia. She is 6 and her English is way better than my Spanish. They also have two German Shepherds, Agusto and Jack. Agusto has to be kept away from the cat, Lupe, because he has apparently been looking for the chance to eat her. After breakfast, Juanca showed us the workshop downstairs where we will be working and doing research for Proleña. My host family is so nice and they are currently having an addition built on second floor, where I will live when finished. Until then I have a room on the first floor. I think that's all I have for right now.

Last minute thoughts: There's lots of speed bumps here and the taxi driver had to cross them diagonally so the car wouldn't bottom out. Also, Coca Cola tastes better here.