Internet Connection

My apologies that I haven't been able to upload the pictures from several days ago. I thought I would have wifi to upload pictures, but unfortunately I haven't been able to access a wifi hotspot. Currently, I am using a Bolivian company, Tigo, and one of their products for internet: mobile broadband. The mobile broadband is basically a USB stick that connects my computer to Tigo's 3G network. Unfortunately, I have a limit of 2000 MB. The MBs go very fast and the pictures take a really long time to upload. I promise that the next time I have wifi I will upload the pictures to the appropriate posts!

Update 7/8/12:
The pictures have been posted!

Day 6: Fourth of July & Movie Searching

Happy Fourth of July! Sadly, in Bolivia there was not much celebrationfor this American holiday. There were, however, fireworks in the early eveningwhen the sun set. Didn’t get any pictures, but the fireworks were very nice. Ithink I even saw some Roman Candles and other fireworks that are illegal in the U.S.

Today, we went to buy some movies at local stores. Movieshere are very cheap. A DVD costs 10 Bolivianos ($1.44) and a Blu Ray costs 20Bs. ($2.87). This is what one of the stores we went to looks like. The DVDs andBlu Ray discs aren’t in such great condition, so you can ask for them to betested out. In the picture, that is why there is a TV at the store. They haveall sorts of movies, old ones and new ones alike. All though all movies havetitles in Spanish, they almost always come in English as well. Every once in awhile, a movie you test out is recorded illegally in a movie theater. Thequality is so poor that you don’t want to buy the movie. It’s pirated movieslike that, that probably explain why the costs are so low for the movies. Allof the movies I bought are good quality; although, some discs might be copies.I’ll never know.

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Day 4-6: Food Compilation

In the past 3 days, we have eaten delicious Bolivian food.This post contains information from all 3 days-- pictures will be posted tomorrow 7/6/12

On July 2 (Day 4), we ate salteñas from one of the best placesin the city. Salteñas are difficult to describe, and the pictures I took don’t dothem justice. It is sweet dough that is wrapped up and curled on the top.Inside the dough is a stew. The stew contains hardboiled egg, a black olive,peas, potatoes, and the meat of your choice. You can choose whether to have a salteñade pollo or una salteña de carne (chicken salteña, or a beef salteña).They are both delicious, but they look identical from the outside. I prefer thesalteñade carne. Two salteñas make a good meal. Each salteña only costs 4.5 Bolivianos, or about$0.65. 

On July 3 (Day 5), my grandparents made us this Bolivianmeal called “Ranga.” Rango is mainly composed of cow stomach, boiled with bayleaf and garlic and then sliced into thin pieces. It is then mixed with ayellow chili sauce. It is served with white potatoes, and onions and tomatoes(salsa). I don’t like the texture that the cow stomach has, so my grandma mademe an alternative Bolivian dish, “Revuelta.” Revuelta is simply scrambled eggwith beef, peas, and potatoes. I didn’t take a picture of this revuelta, but Iwill be able to take another picture of the meal later.

Today, July 4 (Day 6), my grandparents made us a Bolivian dish,“Estofado de carne.” It is basically a beef stew. Since the cows eat differentfood in Bolivia than in the United States, the meat tastes much different thanthe meat in the U.S. Strangely, the meat tastes much better here. The meat issliced into thin strips, and cooked with onions, tomatoes, onions, and atraditional chili pepper. It is served with parsley and rice. Delicious!

Day 3: Lunch and Mountains

Today we went out to eat at a local restaurant in Cota-Cota, a part of La Paz. The restaurant serves everything from lamb to pork, to chicken and beef. I ordered Chicharon de cerdo, a traditional Bolivian dish of pork. It was amazing. We ordered an appetizer of patitas, pickled pork legs with pork lunchmeat and assorted vegetables. Take a look for yourself. I only liked the lunchmeat, I didn’t like the pork legs. My grandma ordered lamb ribs…

I didn’t try them but they looked alright. With out meal we ordered Elinga, a dark beer that contains only 3% alcohol, and some Coca-Cola, of course. I was told that the Elinga was so light that it barely tasted like beer, but it seemed pretty strong to me! In Bolivia there are no real laws about underage drinking, so there is no issue with minors drinking, unless you’re 11 or 12 years old or something like that.

After lunch, we went to the upper streets of Achumani, another part of the city, and took pictures of the mountains.

Day 2: Day on the Town- The Traditional Market

The traditional supermarket where you buy all of your groceries doesn’t apply in Bolivia, unless you want to pay premium prices for the same products. My grandparents aren’t, so Saturday morning we ventured out to one of the many markets in the city. Called, “El Mercado,” this traditional method of buying vegetables, fruits, and meats is quite fascinating. While I have seen markets like these on TV, seeing them in person is such a unique experience where I have to find myself constantly ducking to avoid hitting my head on the exposed nails and electrical wires holding up the roof of the large room/ shack where El Mercado is. The first picture I took of El Mercado features mi papito signaling my mamita to come see specific fruits. As you can see in the background, there are all sorts of vendors along a narrow dirt path. After a couple of vendors, you find a big open shack/ room where natives come to sell their fruits and vegetables they have acquired from Las Yungas, or a nearby tropical area where fruits and vegetables are able to grow. None of the fruits and vegetables you buy at the market are farmed commercially, and you can tell. These fruits and veges are bruised and have all sorts of marks on them. However, these fruits and vegetables are organic and ripen naturally- and you can taste that! The tropic zone, Las Yungas, is so perfect for farming that the fruits and vegetables come out HUGE in size. From the pictures I am posting here, you can see that there are all sorts of vegetables, some that we are familiar with, and some not so much. I found myself asking my mom and mis papitos many times what certain fruits/ vegetables are. A couple vendors allowed us to take pictures of them selling their products, so they are also posted here. The contents of this bag shown only cost $7 American dollars, or about 50 Bolivianos.

Mis papitos visit the same vendors every time they go grocery shopping. That way, the people you get to know give you discounts and are nicer to you. Even if you can’t get a discount, you can be sure you aren’t getting ripped off if you see the same vendors.

Milk is also consumed differently. Milk is sold in bags and not cartons. It is quite interesting! You cannot buy a carton, because they aren’t sold anywhere. They have all sorts of sizes of bags, and you can buy a variety of flavors of milk. We bough a couple bags of “Leche de Frutilla” or strawberry milk. If you would like to drink it without a cup, which you very well can and many do, you simply nibble off a corner of the bag and drink from the bag. It’s actually more fun than drinking from a glass, and the milk is healthier. You can also buy soy milk this way.

Groceries are a unique aspect of Bolivia, whether you buy them at an American style grocery store, or en el mercado. 

My grandpa signaling my grandma

My grandma buying meat

Fruits ready to be sold

Meat for sale at the market

Day 2: Day on the Town- The American Style Grocery Store

Even though I am thousands of miles away from the US, I can still find great fast food, American movies in Spanish, and American cereal! All of these great products, of course, can be purchased at the local, American style grocery store. These sorts of grocery stores contain dry products, such as chips, cereal, tissues, soaps, as well as vegetables and fruits. But fruits and vegetables can be purchased at the local market, “El Mercado,” for much cheaper. That’s enough to fill a different post… and it will!

Similar to KFC, I can eat delicious fried chicken at Pollos Copacabana. I think that the chicken at Pollos Copacabana is a lot better than KFC, but I guess you will have to try it for yourself! I ordered 2 legs and a breast- a combo meal, which comes with a soda, fries, and optional, fried plantains. The combo meal is served with Bolivia’s famous llajua (pronounced yaaa-huaaaa), similar to a salsa, and the restaurants signature sauce, which I believe contains ketchup, mustard, and a bit of mayo, but no one really knows. In Bolivia you can also find a Burger King, and Subway. You cannot, however, find any McDonalds fast food restaurants. The chain came to Bolivia many years ago and was put out of business by Burger King… interesting, right?

At the Mega Center, or a local shopping complex/ mall, I can see “Los Juegos del Hambre” – The Hunger Games, “Valiente”- Brave, or even “Hombre-Arana”- Spiderman. Almost all of the movies are shown in Spanish, with a few exceptions that only have Spanish subtitles. This is a huge change from seeing movies 5 years ago, where all movies were shown in English with Spanish subtitles.

If you head over to a local grocery store, you can find almost all American cereals—if you’re willing to pay for it. Sure, you can find Honey Nut Chereos imported from the United States, but you have to be willing to pay 124.50 Bolivianos, or $17.94. If you aren’t willing to pay such a steep price, you can settle for Chockgol (a chocolate cereal themed after Latin America’s precious soccer), or Choco Krispis (chocolate Rice Krispies), or you could settle for a familiar Froot Loops (packaged and sold from a Latin American neighbor) without such a steep price.

At the grocery store you can also find some great beverages. Coca-Cola products, from Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta, are manufactured, bottled, and sold in Bolivia so they are not as expensive as an imported beverage, but they also have a slightly different taste. Made with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup, the Coca-Cola from Bolivia tastes much more real, with a better flavor. If you would like some Red Bull, the imported energy drink only costs 12.90 Bolivianos, or $1.86—not such a bad price.

If you like hot sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce only costs 6 Bolivianos to 15 Bolivianos (depending on bottle size), or $0.86 to $2.16—a steal. But, this familiar hot sauce is not manufactured in the US, but at a facility near Bolivia.

It’s always nice to find American products when in a foreign country, but sometimes you have to be willing to pay for imported products. Sometimes, though, you can settle for the same brand manufactured somewhere closer to Bolivia for a cheaper price.

Day 1: Safe Travels

We have safely arrived in Bolivia! After a 2 hour flight to Miami, a 1 hour layover, then a 6 hour 40 minute flight into La Paz, and some altitude sickness, the adventure has begun! At 13,300 feet, the altitude at El Alto airport in La Paz Bolivia can be very difficult to adjust to. Once the airplane doors opened and the pressurized cabin adjusted to the air pressure of the city, my mom and I quickly felt the altitude. The altitude brings headaches, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, among other things. Each individual’s reaction to the altitude varies. Some people don’t even experience any sort of altitude sickness. Regardless, when you exit the aircraft you find paramedics waiting with oxygen. Needless to say, we did not need any.

Miami airport: At the gate waiting for our flight

 We arrived at 5:30am to a cold, dark, yet welcoming city. Early rising Bolivians went about their business preparing for an average Friday. My grandpa, or as we say, “Papito” was waiting for us at the airport. When you leave the terminal, you find Bolivians making a living (via tips) assisting travelers with carrying their luggage to their cars.

Coca Tea- You can't see the leafs in the water

When we arrived to my papitos neuva apartamento (grandparents new apartment), we had some Coca Tea. The Coca leaf is a leave that is almost sacred in Bolivia and other South American countries. Used as medicine, the coca leaf provides relief for all sorts of things, including altitude sickness. That’s why we drank it. As you can see in the picture, the coca leaf is placed in hot water, and sugar is added. To the average American, it looks like a bunch of leafs in hot water, but it actually provides much needed relief for the altitude. Other uses of coca tea include stomachache and headache. I know what you are thinking, coca leaf… cocaine. While the coca leaf is used to make cocaine, so are many other chemicals that we do not have, nor want. It is perfectly safe to drink in hot water, or even chew. There is no “high” associated with the leaf itself. It’s the leaf when combined with chemicals and all sorts of other bad things.

Because of the altitude, my mom and I felt very tired. So tired to the point where we slept after having coca tea and bread (desayuno- breakfast), woke up for lunch (a soup with chicken and potatoes… no picture of this meal, sorry), slept, and then woke up for “cena” or a light evening tea. Bolivians are used to this meal schedule of light breakfast, heavy lunch, and light dinner. The high altitude can cause indigestion, which can make it difficult to eat big meals.

Since I don’t have a stable Internet connection, I will be blogging these posts irregularly. While I am writing daily, I cannot post daily. So, when I have Internet I will post all of the posts I have written.