Blogs from La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America - page 13

Advertisement

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 27th 2015

Solo dos días de preparar y trabajar en los detalles de la conferencia. Este evento que habíamos intentado coordinar desde meses antes desde Colombia en el Museo de Etnografía y Folklore (MUSEF) resultó muy bien recibido por los interesados en la arqueología. El día anterior a la conferencia, el primer día sin viaje después del paseo por Argentina y Chile, david tuvo una entrevista en la televisión comunitaria, en una en el canal nacional, patrocinado por el gobierno y con fines comunitarios. La periodista del canal, nos sugirió hablar con Marcos Michel, director de patrimonio del gobierno, él estuvo muy interesado con el tema y nos conecto con la prensa y con Julio Ballibian, director del museo de arqueología de tiwanaku en La Paz. Excelente nuevo amigo con quien entablamos varias buenas conversaciones en torno a ... read more
Conferencia de david en el MUSEF
Exposición de gorras andinas en el MUSEF

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 24th 2015

I realised that travelling to various countries had made me observe my social conscience and develop what for me had become a healthy a set of values, in turn leading to a happier lifestyle. I realised that this started when I worked in France as part of my university degree. From the conditions stated in their work contracts I realised the French had a good set of social values as well as a good working code - one which maintained a balance between personal rights and the rights of the company. I now refuse to sign the optional opt out form 'the 40 hours maximum working hour week' set by European law, which often UK employers force employees to sign in the UK. After studying about the many French revolutions which took place during France's history ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 24th 2015

I went to check in for my flight. I put my passport and walkman on the desk as I had just finished listening to it, when the man at the desk exclaimed in an amazed tone: ‘is that a Discman!?’ Wow I haven’t seen one of those in years.’ In defence of my poor walkman and with very little idea of what to say to such a comment even though I had been asked it several times, I said ‘Yes , it’s jogproof too’ The man was overjoyed. Without further ado, both my ''discman'' and I got safely through passport control, through security and to the departure gate where it rested safely in my hands for the best part of an hour until we both boarded the flight together. The first flight went like a dream. ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 24th 2015

It seemed tourism was quite new to Bolivia, unlike in countries such as Argentina and Chile. I thought a lot about the newness of the Bolivia and how it is only just developing itself, deciding its politics, marking out its boundaries and assigning land to various parties. This made me consider how hard our great grandparents must have had it, growing up in lawless countries at a time when laws still hadn’t come into play. I was grateful for having grown up in the UK at the time I had. I felt that if I’d have been born in my Mum’s generation I would have EXPECTED to have security for life and worked so hard just to get my pension, if I’d have been born into my Grandma’s generation I would have been resilient but obsessed ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 23rd 2015

As well as preparing for my flight tomorrow, I visited the local San Francisco cathedral museum, which after having passed it several times I felt it was my obligation to learn about it. I arrived just in time to take a tour in Spanish and I joined the tour group. The tour began with the guide describing in detail each one of the series of twelve painted pictures relating to Jesus’ crucifixion. I wasn't interested in this part of the tour, so I took the opportunity to add some new ‘religious’ Spanish vocabulary to my word bank. As the lady went through each picture, testing us to check we were listening and understood the details of the cruxifiction I zoned out and zoned back in again when she mentioned the cock in one of the pictures ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 22nd 2015

From about 10am, in the main square there was a tango concert starring tango singers, in preparation for the end of 'Carnaval.' Today is the last day of Carnaval in La Paz and this afternoon from midday, according to the local people in the market was the 'burial of the cucumber' in the cemetery. Intrigued I went down to the cemetery to investigate. It was yet another carnival, with the red and green cucumbers dancing around and children spraying water and foam everywhere. It took place outside the cemetery and I believe that they may have buried the cucumber there unless 'the burial of the cucumber' is just a title for the ending of Carnaval. The cemetery was interesting. Again like the cemeteries I've visited in other South American countries, they have tombs of different designs. ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 21st 2015

I checked into another hostel which didn’t have a club attached to it unlike the one I stayed in last night which played music from 1am to 5am. I got up with a positive attitude and went for a coffee in the local market where I met a guy called Santiago, a Bolivian, who told me that Bolivians don’t like Chileans because they charge their holiday makers a fortune to get near the coast. Like every latino does, ) he told me about there being lots of robbers in Buenos Aires and he also gave me the name of a travel agency to help get me out of La Paz . He’s guessed immediately that I’d been to Yungas (the area between Coroico and La Paz) recently as I had 15 red mosquito bites on my ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » La Paz February 20th 2015

Finally the hair-raising bus rides, us both being irritated by our insect bites and plant scratches after the hike in the tropics, not having access to wifi, the hours spent looking for hostels, the car exhaust fumes in La Paz, the sunburn, the altitude sickness combined with our not so successful trip to Coroico was finally getting to us both. I’d been getting annoyed at Ronald for not giving me space, our comfort levels were very different – what seemed like a slightly uncomfortable 4 hour bus ride for Ronald, felt for me like I’d travelled from Edinburgh to the south of Spain stuck in a can of sardines on the back of a child’s bicycle with deflated tyres speeding over the biggest bumps possible. Also, Ronald’s spontaneous attitude of ‘lets see as we go ’ ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » Coroico February 19th 2015

The Corte de Luz (the blackout) due to a burnt out transformer, which happened two days ago today provoked a march through the town to the main square and brought about a town meeting attended by all residents of Coroico where various speeches were made regarding three points. First of all, everybody in the square stood up to sing the national anthem of Coroico. Then one speaker, stood up in the middle of the square with a microphone and said ‘Residents of Coroico, we are here today to reclaim our rights as Bolivians……’ It was peaceful thankfully and beautiful to see a community work together for a better future. The first point was regarding the sharing out of the land. The land of Coroico used to all belong to the church but the scenic parts (the ... read more

South America » Bolivia » La Paz Department » Coroico February 18th 2015

At breakfast we learned that the transformer which delivers electricity to this town carries electricity all the way from Cochabamba, Ronald’s home town and is susceptible to getting damaged any where along the line due to bad weather. This time there had been a strong wind in one of the regions and the transformer had burnt out. Somebody heard on the radio that at 6pm this evening it will be turned on again. Of course all the electricians were in bed, drunk after celebrating carnival so couldn't fix it any sooner. We ate well today. Breakfast was included at the hostel – banana and papaya, bread with butter and jam, nescafe with hot milk. Then, we went down to the local market for lunch and ate eggs, meat, rice, bread and fried banana. We climbed up ... read more




Tot: 0.08s; Tpl: 0.006s; cc: 6; qc: 60; dbt: 0.0383s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.2mb