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Published: August 28th 2008
Hola again!
Right now, I am lounging by the pool at Los Tajibos and am trying to fill in the past week of my life (one of the best weeks ever!). I am so sad to be leaving my beautiful country tomorrow =(.
Alright, well, when we arrived back in La Paz last Thursday night, Laura and I made a B-line for real food- the Rodizio steak house in San Miguel. After bread and eggs for 6 days, it was the best meal of our lives. After we walked a couple blocks over to our Tia Maria Angelica’s apartment to join her and our cousins Javier and Maria for tea (that lasted until 1 a.m.!)
The next day, we had a lunch date with our Tio Jorge Romecin at the restaurant he owned named Il Georgissimo. Right away, he ordered us both whiskey sours and started to discuss our family history, and what has occurred in his life (including his battle with cancer, 4 marriages, etc.). We also met many of our father’s old buddies and several important business men in La Paz (his restaurant attracts mainly those types of customers…we also met a famous newspaper columnist named Paulovich, who wrote an article on our Tio Carlos when he passed away last year).
Lunch ran a little late because we had made a prior engagement with our cousin Majo in order to take part in her boyfriend’s band music video that was on a deadline to air on TV on Monday. We had no idea that Laura and I would have to play the lead’s love interests!! We kept it professional but it was quite the experience. We also made friends with the band and they were invited to our house the next day for my birthday celebration.
After shooting the music video for a couple hours the band invited us out to dinner to thank us for saving their butts but we already had plans to go to a party with our older cousins. Javier picked us up at 11 and we were off to a swanky party in what I think was the sweetest house in La Paz. We met a lot of their friends and had a great time. Maria and I ended up splitting up with Laura and Javier and we went to Sound Bar at about 3, then had milenesa de pollo around 4 a.m. No worries though, Laura and I ended up meeting home at 5:30 (much to Bernie’s worried surprise).
The next day, with no sleep whatsoever, we attended a BBQ at our Tia Wanty (Martha Nunez)’s house. We were tired, not very talkative, and ready to fall over, but the family was so great they kept us awake and entertained, especially the 17-year-old twins Cata and Nata who were uncannily like Laura and I.
We had to run from one BBQ to another that Saturday, straight to Maria’s boyfriend’s house with their 20-something year old friends. We stayed there until about 8:30 until we had to get to my own birthday party that night which started at 9. Slowly the band members and Majo’s friends started trickling in and we had a great time. Bernie made me a surprise birthday cake which my face was shoved into!- apparently its a Bolivian birthday tradition! Around 12, the group of 15 made our way out into town- 1st Hardrock Café where they played the best American music, then Club Traffic where they played electronica. At Traffic, we ran into some other cousins (Lucho Calvo and Paco Calvo). We ended up staying until closing and got home around 5 (no sleep for two days)!!
BUT, it gets worse—Laura and I agreed to cook for about 20 people the next day at our Tia Nena’s house for another birthday celebration. We went there at around 10 o’clock to begin preparing some Turkish food for the whole family. We made a shepherd’s salad, and a dish called Munta (which turned out to be a big hit!!). Everybody loved it much to my surprise. We met more family members and I even sang a little bit for everyone. It was a great birthday lunch. After everyone left, Majo invited the band over so we could watch the final music video—it came out awesome and completely professional looking!! We wished we could have spent more time with them but I had ANOTHER birthday dinner to attend that Sunday night.
The band boys gave Laura and I a ride to Tia Maria Angelica’s apartment where she had cooked for me. We chatted with her, Javier, and Maria until 1 o’clock yet again. (Javier finally could describe to us what happed to his ear- it had 20 stitches in it because he startled his sleeping dog, so the dog grabbed hold of his ear with its teeth and almost ripped it off!)
That Monday was my birthday (even though I had been celebrating it for about a week). We awoke at 10 in order to go to the Bolivian embassy to obtain our official Bolivian IDs! We ran home in order to pack for the flight to Santa Cruz that night. Majo came over to say goodbye and share some fresh apple pie that Bernie made for my birthday (heavenly tasting). I almost cried on the way to the airport because I knew I wouldn’t see the wonderful city of La Paz for quite a while. The view driving up to the airport at night is incredible because La Paz is located in a valley among beautiful mountains. From a top it looks like an oasis of lights among an amazing view.
We landed in Santa Cruz Monday night around 10 and were picked up by our Tia Christina and Tio Jorge Nunez. They accompanied us to Los Tajibos- the best hotel in all of the city! It is beautiful here in Santa Cruz (our birth place)- I still cant believe its winter and still sunny- about 80 degrees.
Next entry will be about our adventures here in Santa Cruz, including family dinner, mini motos on the river, our cute little cousins, and the karaoke bar!
<3 Besos
18-year-old Nejlita the Cambita
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Aida
non-member comment
Fun!
I love hearing how you girls are having a blast! Again, wish I were there. Please send my love to the family! Besos! Aidita