Travelling in Bolivia

It is soon a week since I started to travel in Bolivia and ended my work. It is strange being completely independent and not have to follow a group.
First I went to Vallegrande and from Vallegrande to Sucre. However, there are no direct buses from Vallegrande to Sucre so I spent a day in Cochabamba. Vallegrande is a sleepy little town and is only famous for Ernesto Che Guevara, that was killed in a small village closeby. After ¨celebrating¨ the bithday of Guevara with Cubans some weeks ago I decided to visit that place. It was very quiet, just like a western movie.
In Cochabamba I celebrated the Aymara new year, that Evo Morales made to a national holiday. With burning sacrifices to pachamama and a lot of chicha.
Now I am in Sucre which is a beautiful city. The whole city center is on UNESCO world inheritage list, because of so many colonial buildings. I will spend some days here before I go to Potosi and the cold mountains.

Times are changing, once more

Tomorrow is the last day of the of my volunteer work in Bolivia. Then 4,5 months passed by in a speed I could never have imagined. Lately I been wondering about what I will do next, work or school. My motivation for study is stronger than ever, I am not worried about that. What made me unsure is that now I will begin a master program and it feels so final. After that I am suppose to begin my career, something I find strange picturing in my head. Nevertheless, I have made my choice and decided what to do the next two years. I am very relieved now, finished the work here, accepted for university and can begin traveling without worries.

My first semester will be in Oslo. After a year and a half abroad I am getting excited of living in Norway again. That is a feeling I have not had in a long time.

Last time in Yapacani ....

I just come to Santa Cruz and left my family in Yapacani for the last time. It feels only weeks ago, since I first meet them. Now we were all trying to hide our tears, without success. I only lived there for 4 months and I been away around a month and a half of that time. Nevertheless, I have a really bad feeling in my stomach.

For a farewell present I had made a photo album, and printed two other pictures in a bigger size. The two bigger photos were of Simona holding her grandson on 2 weeks and the other was of Jaime and me. One the back I had written thank you for everything notes. Both Jaime and Simona started crying. That made me feel worse and started crying myself. Later it made me think about how lucky I am and all the things I have done and will do. That was for sure one of the strongest moments of my life and I was thinking how I soon will be traveling, having new experiences, meeting new people and everything. While they will continue living there life, without being close to having my opportunities or experiences. Still they are waking up each day, does their work and don’t complain. I feel so bad, I should wake up feeling nothing but happiness and pleasure because of my opportunities, but I don’t. Why is it so that those that already have a lot wants more, but those that have little accepts the reality? One thing is sure and that it is easier not to get emotionally attached to anyone, but on the other side, life isn’t fun without it either.

Me and Jaime playing chess.

Simona, Alberto (one of the neighbor kids) and me.
My three brothers and me watching football. Brasil 2 - Paraguay 1
Last breakfast in Yapacani.

Cochabamba, Villa Tunari and some more

The last 10 days been more intense than I had anticipated. First I went too Cochabamba to meet the Oil Labor Union. I, Ørjan and Reidun was invited to watch their first meeting after the corruption scandal some months ago. The Director of the national oil company YPFB is found guilty for corruption. It was a very bad situation since he was one of the leading figures of MAS. For MAS and Evo Morales the fight against corruption been very important and therefor it was very serious when a such important leader was corrupt. Now there are a new director and he also came to the meeting and meet with the labor union for the first time. First they was talking about the corruption and then about what they want from the new Director. The first day was very intense, 10 hour of meeting with only one break for lunch. I have problems to understand how they manage to stay focused under such long meetings, and I have no chance to follow everything, not that I understand everything either. When they finally called it the day they invited us for a cook out. Which was really fun. Several of the union leaders been to Norway before through LO and Energi og Miljø. It was really social where they all was talking a lot to us. Even to me and Ørjan that have a limited spanish they included in all conversations. Something that we appreciated a lot, since it is not always people feel for speaking slower and use a easier language. However, at midnight we called it the night, had more meeting the next morning, last night I had a 10 hour buss ride and was going on a camp the next day. So when they wanted us to come to a karaoke disco we said we was sorry. Another thing that always suprises me is how they see nothing wrong in getting drunk the day before work, or like this example, the day before hours of meetings. Anyways the next day the meetings started at 9 and before that we had to prepare some interviews. After a night in a hotel, with comfortable beds and hot water I felt amazing and ready for the day. They showed up, more or less on time and begun with the same intensity as yesterday. We could'nt stay the whole day since we had leave too a camp for young leaders at 12. 15 past 12 we was running to the hotel. Found a Trufi that goes to Villa Tunari and enjoyed the comfort of to many people in the same car for 3 hours.

We arrived a couple of hours late and in good mood. Something that was not the situation for the others. They arrived yesterday and had a night in a tent with a loot of rain. Luckily all the young leaders from around the country was in good mood and ready to begin. It was around 100 boys and girls from different organizations around Bolivia in the age around 15 - 22. What they had in common was a talent for leadership and that their organizations had propositions for laws that will benefit people between 15 - 30 years. So you can imagine when 100 leaders gathers for only 2 days, they don't all get to say as much as they want. Thing took time, nevertheless it was great. The last night we had a football tournament and my team won :) Then Sigurd and I went out with the others. Was fun and a little strange, most of them was between 15 and 19 years old and we a little older. There is also the fun fact that Bolivian girls always say they are around 5 years older than they really are. Was some funny conversations and both Sigurd and I laughed of our self. At the club it also came around 10 gringoes, and it was funny to observe how they behaved as well. Cant say I was proud to see my own culture then, and I was trying to imagine how the locals usual look at me, it left some questions marks for later. The next day we finished, said goodbye and left, arrived in Santa Cruz after to many hours on the road, again.

Yesterday and today I been in Santa Cruz and made interviews. With a Priest that was a little conservative and with a local radio in Plan 3000. Have some more organizations and people ready and will continue this the next days as well. Takes time preparing the questions, find some information in advance, and later use the information. I am very excited about using this information later and that is where the big job is.

Enough about the boring part. I now have a cold, it actually exist a cold winter here, I truly could'nt believe that. At the same time some days are warmer than the summer home and the next is cold. Cold is 15 degrees normal and down to 10 degrees sometimes, those times are hard. It does'nt exist any heating and inside and outside always is same temperature. I never use socks or shoes, so my feets are always freezing, I have started to use a sweater. Little warm bedcloathes, those blancets that exist isnt warm, thank god for the sleeping bag.

And now that the seasons are over I get excited about what will happen on the transfer marked. Have Real bought Kaka, and what will happen with Tevez??? So many questions and so many rumers. I almost feel that off season is more intense.

hadet

PS

It is fun for me when people comment :)

Political situation in Yapacani

For around a month ago I wrote about some farmers that "closed" the Town Hall, now I feel for continue telling about that beautiful situation. When I returned from La Paz 3 weeks later the Town Hall was still closed and there been several road blockades and other demonstrations. Nevertheless, the politicians are dissagree more than ever and the situation continues. One of the Mayors generally supported by the farmers and the countryside and the other Mayor is supported by the city. Right after I got back the farmers was tired of sitting guard outside the Town Hall, since the situation has been dragged out a long time. They decided to make a brick wall infront of the gates, now there is impossible to get in unless you break down a brick wall. I have to laugh each time I see that. The days have passed in this manner for the last week and a half.

Then I got reminded I should write about it, suddenly there was a lot of trash in the street, big piles all over the places. When I asked some more about different consequenses there was a lot and more is soon to come. All those who are employed are not getting paid and there are already many who stopped working. Schools, hospital and other public buildings are loosing the electricity since the bill hasnt been paid. No breakfast at school. No small children support to the mother, this is really bad for many poor mothers. All projects been closed and many others had to stop their work since they cant get authorization to continue. This is only what is already the problem, people believe it will only get bad from the comming week. What worse can be I can only wait and see.

Yesterday the "city" people organized a march against the Town Counsil. They gather some of the trash from the street, then walked to the homes to the members of the counsil and dumpded the trash in their gardens. They also walked around with dolls of the Mayors, that they was hitting, kicking and later burned in the city senter. This time I didnt follow it, but I saw everything on the local evening news. Now I am excited about what will be in the newspaper. However, in the newspaper there are also some other national topics I am excited about, but I dont have time to write about them. I sometimes feel everything here is a joke, it is hard to really take it seriously, since I find it hard to be true.

Soon Champions League final

Next wednesday Manchester United will meet Barcelona at Olympia Stadium in Roma. This is a huge event that might not happen in a long time. Therefor I feel for mention it here to. It has been on my mind the last two weeks and no I probably am thinking to much about it. This year I will see the final in Santa Cruz, maybe with my coordinator Jose, if not probably alone since I am quite alone to have a passion for English football here. Last year I watched it in Poland with some scottish and many polish people, that was more or less equally passionate. However, this is not really important, since I will enjoy the game and are already more nervous than I probably should be.

Back to Bolivia. The sun is back and the daytime temperature is warm norwegian summer and the night time it is just a little warmer than perfect. I been using the days to prepare and make some interviews, preparation for the information work in Norway, I read newspapers and about the history of philosophy. I find it stranger and stranger that I only have around 2weeks left in my family. The time passed by very quickly and I also just want to relax and enjoy the end of an experience I probably never have again.

For the end it now looks like we will get an autorication from the Cuba Consulate to follow and write an article about the medical and teaching brigades they have here. If we get that it be great and very interesting. I also have some interviews with the opposition in Santa Cruz, with some Parlaments members so I am preparing questions and try to read myself up on different topics. Which takes time since it is on spanish. We also get to visit a oil instillation and interview the labour union there. So I finally have enough to do and I can controll it more myself. The last 2 months been frustrating with bolivian organization and work culture, excluding and other problems, but that is all a part of the culture experience. A thing you can say to everything, good and bad.

The last days a started to loose more in chess against my 12year old brother. I never played it much and feel I learned a lot from playing against him, he have a different style than me that I never find I good way to defend against. I want to continue play when I get home, I really like this game. Even though a 12 year old boy often beats me. In the beginning I usually won, but now it is more 50- 50. He adapts and learn faster than me, something that my small instinct for competition dont like.

I have also been dreaming about a lot norwegian food lately, for some reason a bowl of rice for breakfast every day isnt my favourite thing. Even though when I was travelling I started to miss rice a lot and the rice breakfast. When I realized that I was almost shocked, since home I never liked rice so much, but now I cant be without it at the same time I want to be without it. Most of all I want to eat shrimp on loff bread, with a lot of majones. I also am looking forward to eating norwegian ice cream, my own made variaty home, mixed with everything. And I am missing the norwegian nature, the safe forests, the sea and things that are familiar.

Lets all watch the game on wednesday. It will be a great day, I hope. I am a little bit scared, anyway I got to go.

Chao