Long overdue update

Where to begin?

1) Environment Las Americas is no more, at least for the time being... The board is gone, two directors quit, along with a few others, and there is nobody left in the office... We are shut down until October 1, according to the founder and Executive Director who is, to say the least, optimistic (as well as delusional and dictatorial, but that's all for another day).

2) I went to the Festival de la Virgen del Carmen in Independencia northwest of Cbba. It was awesome, a nonstop music and dance fest with some of the friendliest people ever and gorgeous backdrops. Amid dancing with anyone and everyone in the pueblo streets all night, every night, we went hiking in Las Vegas (read: dry area) and visited a mine where they extract and polish beautiful, striking blue rocks (similar to Lapis Lazuli, I'm told, but different). Our final afternoon there, we had in-your face views of the bull running... A little different from Pamplona. To see photos of everything (there are lots), click here or on the photos below.

3) After very little sleep on the ride back from Independencia, Alyssa (a co-worker) and I had a great Wednesday with some Indian-style veggie food in town and a hike up to the Christo de la Concordia, which affords some sweeping views of the city.

4) On the way down from the Christo, Alyssa and I were robbed at gunpoint in front of a handful of people who did nothing... After hours with the police and walking home with nothing but a police report in hand, there was, of course, nobody at either of our houses to let us in. We also found out later that (supposedly) the same four guys who robbed us also robbed two money changers (coincidentally, the guys that we usually go to near our office) and shot them (they survived)... We were told by ramdom people in the market today (Thursday) that it was on the news last night, including a video shot by a journalist of the second crime. We had to go back to the police station this morning to watch the video of the two money changers being attacked and shot to see if we could identify the four guys (really bad images of them, we're still not sure)... It's been a long 2 days.

Despite this completely offensive (not to mention scary) event, I am still loving being in Bolivia. Tomorrow I leave for Uyuni, where the massive salt flat in the south is, then next week I meet my Dad and his wife in Cusco, Peru, to see Machu Picchu... Hopefully in the days before I leave in early August there will be another short trip to the Chapare to go downriver in dugout canoes to visit indigenous villages... we'll see if there's time.

¡Lluvia!

¡Finalmente, llovió! After more than two months of completely dry weather, it rained last night... for a little while, at least. There's also fresh snow on the mountains to the west. It's also been pretty cold, although it's generally colder (freezing, actually) inside the office than outside, where there is sunshine. As I write I am wearing wool socks and am wrapped up in a llama-wool shawl.

Other, various news:
This weekend I'll be traveling to Independencia, in the west of the department of Cochabamba, to go to a festival for the Virgen del Carmen. Really I'm most excited about the bull running on Tuesday afternoon... :)

My organization, Medioambiente Las Americas, is perhaps on its last legs, unfortunately. Due to various problems with the board and resignations of virtually all of the directors, an impending financial crisis, and a general feeling of discontent with the way things are being done at the top, things are falling apart. I've already completed my requisite 300 hours of work for the internship, so at this point I'm just helping to wrap things up before I travel for the next few weeks (later next week I will most likely leave for Peru with Aurélie, although now there is also talk of southern Bolivia/Chile).

Besides all of that, I'm having a great time. Recently I've been out and about more than in the past. I got to see a play (I actually understood 99% of it!), meet a bunch of artist-types, went to an art opening last night, and have generally been having a blast. Of course, now that my time here is nearing its end, I am figuring out all of the things that I should have done in the previous two months!