I have been meaning to write this post for quite some time and, with a trip to New Mexico starting in in a few days, I must get this done.
South of the Equator
Despite all the traveling I've done, my trip to Bolivia in June was the first time I had traveled to the Southern Hemisphere. Since my daughter and other teens from our church went to Cochabamba more than 10 years ago, I had been intrigued by the prospect to going there. As with much of my travel in recent years, leading a Habitat for Humanity team provided that opportunity.
My flight from Vancouver to Cochabamba involved stops en route in Houston, Bogota (Columbia) and La Paz (Bolivia). All of this went smoothly except for one glitch in Bogota that fortunately turned out fine. On the flight from Houston to Bogota, all passengers were given a copy of a form for entering Columbia - like the Customs and Immigration forms for many countries. Because I would only be "in transit" and not technically entering the country, I asked the one of the United Airlines crew if I would have to complete the paperwork. Even though specifically pointing out the "in transit" status, she said everyone had to complete the form and really didn't seem to know much about this kind of travel status. After getting off the plane in Bogota, I simply entered the country with the paperwork and it wasn't until I reached the last official before actually going into the public area that I was asked if I was entering the country. When I said "no" the agent politely told me that I should have gone to the "in transit" area. However, he directed me to the Avianca Airlines check-in, where I had to check in again and go through the security screening. I had lots of time and everything worked out fine, but I was relieved there was a lot of time between flights.
High Altitude Effects
In preparing to travel to many areas in Bolivia, one has to anticipate the effects of fairly high altitude. There are some basics in preparing that are standard - don't drink beverages with alcohol on the flight, stay well hydrated and be well rested. It is also common to take prescription medicine for elevation effects. I did all these things, but had never been on the ground at the elevation of the El Alto airport in La Paz (4,062 metres/13,325 feet), so didn't know quite what to expect. The signs of high altitude effects include dizziness, head ache, nausea, shortness of breath and low energy level. Another tip from a number of people who had traveled to Bolivia was to have coca tea as soon as possible after landing. I was vigilant in following all the advice and the impact was less than I had anticipated. I'm not sure if any single thing was the reason for this or if it was the combination of precautions. I certainly was not feeling top notch during the more than four hours at the El Alto airport, but it was okay. The effects seemed to vary notably from person-to-person and there were people on the team who were significantly affected when arriving in La Paz.
After arriving in Cochabamba (2,825 metres/9,268 feet), the elevation effects were not really noticeable except with substantial physical exertion and walking/hiking to an even higher elevation.
Cochabamba
In wanting to lead a Habitat team to Bolivia, I was interested primarily in going to Cochabamba because of my daughter's positive experience there and also from having some personal connections with people there.
I arrived in Cochabamba before any of the others on the team. This allowed me to connect with a friend of a friend to hand off a gift and then to have dinner one evening with a young woman from Seattle who I have known for a few years. Before the others arrived, I also got to spend time with my main contact at Habitat Bolivia and check out the build site ahead of time.
From the time of arriving until leaving, I was impressed with so many things about the city. Despite serious economic challenges in Bolivia and many people living in poverty, there are parts of Cochabamba that are comparatively prosperous. The area where our hotel was located was definitely more upscale than other parts of the city we visited.
Greater Cochabamba has a population of about one million people and it sits in a bowl surrounded by mountains. There are many attractions and we got to see some of them, including the historic Portales Palace, La Cancha Market and the Cristo de la Concordia.
Portales Palace was built over a 12 year period just under a century ago by a mining baron (tin mines), with the main building Patino Mansion now serving as a museum. The architecture is from the French Renaissance period and the 10 hectare gardens are a great place to just wander and relax amid many large trees, shrubs and flowers.
Cochabamba reputedly is the biggest market town in Bolivia and the main market is La Cancha. In this crowded and hectic market, you can purchase almost anything Bolivia has to offer from vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, coca leaves, (illegal to bring into Canada), crafts, souvenirs, local clothing. electronics and more. There were at leas two dozen kinds of potatoes!! Even if you do not go to La Cancha to purchase anything, it is still a remarkable experience. Bartering for purchases is common and most people on our team felt they came away with at least a few bargains. While I think that's debatable, it was a lot of fun. One warning about the market is the presence of pickpockets, but fortunately we did not have any incidents.
The Cristo de la Concordia is a huge statue that sits on top of a mountain and can be seen from many places in the city. The statue stands about 34 metres high and, until recently, was the highest of its type in the world. A crown was added to the Cristo staue in Rio de Janeiro to increase its height to 40.4 and claim the title of tallest Cristo statue.We visited the statue on a break day part way through the build. Access to the Cristo is via road or a footpath that has something like 1,200 steps. About half the team decided to walk up to the statue via the steps while the rest of us elected the less rigorous option of the bus.
While in Cochabamba, we stayed at the Hotel Aranjuez. It was comfortable, had great service and friendly staff. It exceeded my expectations and I'd recommend it to anyone! It was close to most services we needed - restaurants, ATMs, shops, large grocery store - and also a short drive to the Habitat build site.
In addition to having a great hotel, we had dinner at a number of good restaurants and there was no shortage of food. Much Bolivian food is geared more toward carnivores, but the vegetarian on the team was able to find good alternatives most of the time. Lunch at the build site each day was catered and prepared specifically to accommodate vegetarian preferences. The young couple who operated the catering business were not only great cooks, they were a lot of fun to be around. All of their cooking was top notch, but their soups and desserts were especially good. The best lunch meals of all my Habitat trips to date.
Our Habitat Project
Habitat builds vary a great deal from country to country and this one was no exception. We were doing the ground work for the construction of two houses adjacent to each other on fairly large lot in the city that had been given to two sisters by their mother. With a doubt, this project was the most physically demanding of all the builds to date. While some of this may was likely related to working at an altitude higher than where we live, the work itself was hard. It included digging in dry clay soil with pick axes and shovels, carrying/moving large rocks, moving bricks, carrying heavy bags of cement, shoveling sand, moving cement via wheelbarrow, and carrying and working with rebar.
While it was demanding work, it was satisfying and it was a good feeling to finish each day with a sense having expended lots of energy.
As with most international Habitat builds, we got to work with people from the partner families and one or more Habitat staff. In Cochabamba, we got to work with a few other local volunteers - young people who could speak English really well. We also got to spend time with these young people away from the build site, which was great.
Before even starting the project, we got to meet the partner families at an informal bbq in the garden area at the back of the hotel. While it is normal to meet and work with the partner families, this is normally done at the build site. I really appreciated being to meet people before showing up at the build site on the first morning.
A Very Special Evening
It is common for Habitat to establish programs and partner with local organizations to help address an array challenges related to strengthening the communities where affiliates are located. One of the partners in Cochabamba is an orphanage called Ninos con Valor, which provides a home for kids infected with HIV at birth. The boys and girls are housed in separate locations. We were able to visit both locations and spend most the the evening at the girls orphanage. The girls range in age from a few months to 18 years. It was incredibly heartwarming to spend time with the girls, with translation being provided by a number of our Bolivian hosts from Habitat. They were not shy and readily engaged in conversation with us, even though there was a language barrier. They exuded so much joy and appreciated being able to hang out with us.
South of the Equator
Despite all the traveling I've done, my trip to Bolivia in June was the first time I had traveled to the Southern Hemisphere. Since my daughter and other teens from our church went to Cochabamba more than 10 years ago, I had been intrigued by the prospect to going there. As with much of my travel in recent years, leading a Habitat for Humanity team provided that opportunity.
My flight from Vancouver to Cochabamba involved stops en route in Houston, Bogota (Columbia) and La Paz (Bolivia). All of this went smoothly except for one glitch in Bogota that fortunately turned out fine. On the flight from Houston to Bogota, all passengers were given a copy of a form for entering Columbia - like the Customs and Immigration forms for many countries. Because I would only be "in transit" and not technically entering the country, I asked the one of the United Airlines crew if I would have to complete the paperwork. Even though specifically pointing out the "in transit" status, she said everyone had to complete the form and really didn't seem to know much about this kind of travel status. After getting off the plane in Bogota, I simply entered the country with the paperwork and it wasn't until I reached the last official before actually going into the public area that I was asked if I was entering the country. When I said "no" the agent politely told me that I should have gone to the "in transit" area. However, he directed me to the Avianca Airlines check-in, where I had to check in again and go through the security screening. I had lots of time and everything worked out fine, but I was relieved there was a lot of time between flights.
High Altitude Effects
In preparing to travel to many areas in Bolivia, one has to anticipate the effects of fairly high altitude. There are some basics in preparing that are standard - don't drink beverages with alcohol on the flight, stay well hydrated and be well rested. It is also common to take prescription medicine for elevation effects. I did all these things, but had never been on the ground at the elevation of the El Alto airport in La Paz (4,062 metres/13,325 feet), so didn't know quite what to expect. The signs of high altitude effects include dizziness, head ache, nausea, shortness of breath and low energy level. Another tip from a number of people who had traveled to Bolivia was to have coca tea as soon as possible after landing. I was vigilant in following all the advice and the impact was less than I had anticipated. I'm not sure if any single thing was the reason for this or if it was the combination of precautions. I certainly was not feeling top notch during the more than four hours at the El Alto airport, but it was okay. The effects seemed to vary notably from person-to-person and there were people on the team who were significantly affected when arriving in La Paz.
After arriving in Cochabamba (2,825 metres/9,268 feet), the elevation effects were not really noticeable except with substantial physical exertion and walking/hiking to an even higher elevation.
Cochabamba
In wanting to lead a Habitat team to Bolivia, I was interested primarily in going to Cochabamba because of my daughter's positive experience there and also from having some personal connections with people there.
Cochabamba sits in a bowl surrounded by mountains with elevations of 3,500 metres or higher. 
I arrived in Cochabamba before any of the others on the team. This allowed me to connect with a friend of a friend to hand off a gift and then to have dinner one evening with a young woman from Seattle who I have known for a few years. Before the others arrived, I also got to spend time with my main contact at Habitat Bolivia and check out the build site ahead of time.
From the time of arriving until leaving, I was impressed with so many things about the city. Despite serious economic challenges in Bolivia and many people living in poverty, there are parts of Cochabamba that are comparatively prosperous. The area where our hotel was located was definitely more upscale than other parts of the city we visited.
Greater Cochabamba has a population of about one million people and it sits in a bowl surrounded by mountains. There are many attractions and we got to see some of them, including the historic Portales Palace, La Cancha Market and the Cristo de la Concordia.
Portales Palace was built over a 12 year period just under a century ago by a mining baron (tin mines), with the main building Patino Mansion now serving as a museum. The architecture is from the French Renaissance period and the 10 hectare gardens are a great place to just wander and relax amid many large trees, shrubs and flowers.
Cochabamba reputedly is the biggest market town in Bolivia and the main market is La Cancha. In this crowded and hectic market, you can purchase almost anything Bolivia has to offer from vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, coca leaves, (illegal to bring into Canada), crafts, souvenirs, local clothing. electronics and more. There were at leas two dozen kinds of potatoes!! Even if you do not go to La Cancha to purchase anything, it is still a remarkable experience. Bartering for purchases is common and most people on our team felt they came away with at least a few bargains. While I think that's debatable, it was a lot of fun. One warning about the market is the presence of pickpockets, but fortunately we did not have any incidents.
The Cristo de la Concordia is a huge statue that sits on top of a mountain and can be seen from many places in the city. The statue stands about 34 metres high and, until recently, was the highest of its type in the world. A crown was added to the Cristo staue in Rio de Janeiro to increase its height to 40.4 and claim the title of tallest Cristo statue.We visited the statue on a break day part way through the build. Access to the Cristo is via road or a footpath that has something like 1,200 steps. About half the team decided to walk up to the statue via the steps while the rest of us elected the less rigorous option of the bus.
While in Cochabamba, we stayed at the Hotel Aranjuez. It was comfortable, had great service and friendly staff. It exceeded my expectations and I'd recommend it to anyone! It was close to most services we needed - restaurants, ATMs, shops, large grocery store - and also a short drive to the Habitat build site.
One of the patio areas at the hotel.
In addition to having a great hotel, we had dinner at a number of good restaurants and there was no shortage of food. Much Bolivian food is geared more toward carnivores, but the vegetarian on the team was able to find good alternatives most of the time. Lunch at the build site each day was catered and prepared specifically to accommodate vegetarian preferences. The young couple who operated the catering business were not only great cooks, they were a lot of fun to be around. All of their cooking was top notch, but their soups and desserts were especially good. The best lunch meals of all my Habitat trips to date.
Our "top notch" chefs.
Our Habitat Project
Habitat builds vary a great deal from country to country and this one was no exception. We were doing the ground work for the construction of two houses adjacent to each other on fairly large lot in the city that had been given to two sisters by their mother. With a doubt, this project was the most physically demanding of all the builds to date. While some of this may was likely related to working at an altitude higher than where we live, the work itself was hard. It included digging in dry clay soil with pick axes and shovels, carrying/moving large rocks, moving bricks, carrying heavy bags of cement, shoveling sand, moving cement via wheelbarrow, and carrying and working with rebar.
While it was demanding work, it was satisfying and it was a good feeling to finish each day with a sense having expended lots of energy.
As with most international Habitat builds, we got to work with people from the partner families and one or more Habitat staff. In Cochabamba, we got to work with a few other local volunteers - young people who could speak English really well. We also got to spend time with these young people away from the build site, which was great.
Before even starting the project, we got to meet the partner families at an informal bbq in the garden area at the back of the hotel. While it is normal to meet and work with the partner families, this is normally done at the build site. I really appreciated being to meet people before showing up at the build site on the first morning.
A few pictures of the build site.
A Very Special Evening
It is common for Habitat to establish programs and partner with local organizations to help address an array challenges related to strengthening the communities where affiliates are located. One of the partners in Cochabamba is an orphanage called Ninos con Valor, which provides a home for kids infected with HIV at birth. The boys and girls are housed in separate locations. We were able to visit both locations and spend most the the evening at the girls orphanage. The girls range in age from a few months to 18 years. It was incredibly heartwarming to spend time with the girls, with translation being provided by a number of our Bolivian hosts from Habitat. They were not shy and readily engaged in conversation with us, even though there was a language barrier. They exuded so much joy and appreciated being able to hang out with us.
I sat most of the time with one of our Habitat hosts (Boris) and four girls. The girls told us a fairy tale several times and, according to Boris, story was different every time! Near where we were sitting, there was a chart on the wall with check marks beside a list of items. We discovered that the chart was essentially was a record of misbehaving in some way. The truly funny aspect was how proud a couple of the girls were of the long list of check marks beside their name!!
Boris going through the fairy tale book with four of the girls.
After getting to mingle for quite a while, two of the largest pizzas I have ever seen were brought in from a local pizzeria and we got to share dinner together. To conclude the evening, a couple of the older girls treated us to a dance performance.
The evening was memorable and a highlight of the entire trip.
Closing Thought
While the trip was not without some challenges, I am very pleased to have gone to Bolivia and especially Cochabamba. The Habitat hosts were welcoming and helpful at all times. Hopefully, I can return there, but after visiting a few other places.
P.S. I'll post another blog about the R&R portion of the trip.
