We are heading to the Salar de Uyuni today! These are the largest salt flats in the world and apparently are a beautiful must-see when in Bolivia! However, getting to the Salar from La Paz is quite a journey. We will be taking an overnight bus ride from La Paz to Uyuni ... 11 hours! Eek! Hopefully it will all be worth it, and I will have amazing photos to share with all of you.
We will be completely out of communication for the next few days as people on the Salar only have radio as means of communication! So until then, enjoy! ♥
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Feliz Cumpleanos, Pedro!
Totally unrelated to Bolivia, but just as important ...
Happy Birthday, Peter!!!
Hope you have a very special, exciting, and happy birthday. Have an awesome time in New Mexico and enjoy yourself!! Miss you and love you! ♥
Heather´s Here!
Yayyy!! Heather is now here in Bolivia. We spent the weekend in Coroico, the Yungas jungle region in Bolivia. We stayed in a cute cabin on the mountainside. Here, we had two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and nice indoor/outdoor area complete with comfy couches and a hammock -- perfect place for rest and relaxation! It was so nice to have a weekend outside of bustling La Paz to read, sleep, and basically do nothing.
The town center was just as lazy as our weekend. With little more than a handful of restaurants and a few hippies selling some handmade jewelry, Coroico is really not an eventful town and left us wanting a little more.
Unfortunately, however, I was sick for most of the weekend, and spent the majority of my time laying on the above mentioned couch recouperating. Despite my illness, it is so nice to have Heather and Shirin here with me, as I think I was getting to the point where I needed to have family around <3.
The town center was just as lazy as our weekend. With little more than a handful of restaurants and a few hippies selling some handmade jewelry, Coroico is really not an eventful town and left us wanting a little more.
Unfortunately, however, I was sick for most of the weekend, and spent the majority of my time laying on the above mentioned couch recouperating. Despite my illness, it is so nice to have Heather and Shirin here with me, as I think I was getting to the point where I needed to have family around <3.
Busy in Bolivia!
Ah sorry for the delay in posting! This last week has been crazy, then complicated by my mild illness, so finding time to sit down at the internet cafe has been tricky. But, I am so glad that I have time today to add some posts. And, as you can see, I´ve inserted some select pictures relevant to some of the posts!
So, I finished out the week at Servicios de Adolescentes finding more babies in uteruses, running around with the doctor to and from different places, and listening to the woes of local teenagers (pregnancy, STD concerns, school stress) -- very similar to those in the U.S.
Needless to say, sexual education is severely lacking in the lives of young Bolivians, and thus, many young women become pregnant and/or contract STIs prematurely and unnecessarily!Although I don't know how much of an impact we will make in our broken Spanish, my fellow CHFIers and I will prepare a presentation on safe sexual practices and the signs, symptoms, and treatment for common STIs here in Bolivia ... this should be interesting!
So, I finished out the week at Servicios de Adolescentes finding more babies in uteruses, running around with the doctor to and from different places, and listening to the woes of local teenagers (pregnancy, STD concerns, school stress) -- very similar to those in the U.S.
Needless to say, sexual education is severely lacking in the lives of young Bolivians, and thus, many young women become pregnant and/or contract STIs prematurely and unnecessarily!Although I don't know how much of an impact we will make in our broken Spanish, my fellow CHFIers and I will prepare a presentation on safe sexual practices and the signs, symptoms, and treatment for common STIs here in Bolivia ... this should be interesting!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
La Gymnasia
I joined a Bolivian gym today! The gym here is brand new and is located in the multicine (a complex with a movie theater, food courts, arcades, and a few random stores). The membership was expensive, at about half the price I pay for the gym at home in NY. However, I’ve always been a strong believer that exercising and taking care of my body is well worth the “splurge.” Even on a student’s limited budget, I always make allowances for a membership to a nice gym.
Due to the altitude, I was a bit nervous for my first workout. So I decided to take it easy today: 20 minutes on the elliptical, minimal ab work, and only 2 sets of exercises with the free weights. Although I must say, the altitude did affect my workout. After the first 15 minutes on the elliptical, I thought perhaps I should stop, but I powered through and did not pass out! My little 5 pounds weights also felt a little heavier here, but perhaps that’s because I have not been to the gym in about 1 month! Oops!
Overall however, how did it feel to work out again? Pretty darn good – yay for endorphins!
Erica and I are going to try out the pilates class this week, and if we are feeling really optimistic, we may even attend a spin class! Maybe we will be superathletes when we return home due to our increased tolerance for low-oxygen states?!
Due to the altitude, I was a bit nervous for my first workout. So I decided to take it easy today: 20 minutes on the elliptical, minimal ab work, and only 2 sets of exercises with the free weights. Although I must say, the altitude did affect my workout. After the first 15 minutes on the elliptical, I thought perhaps I should stop, but I powered through and did not pass out! My little 5 pounds weights also felt a little heavier here, but perhaps that’s because I have not been to the gym in about 1 month! Oops!
Overall however, how did it feel to work out again? Pretty darn good – yay for endorphins!
Erica and I are going to try out the pilates class this week, and if we are feeling really optimistic, we may even attend a spin class! Maybe we will be superathletes when we return home due to our increased tolerance for low-oxygen states?!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Servicios de adolescentes
Today I ventured away from Hospital del Nino and hiked up to El Alto for a rotation in an outpatient adolescent clinic. La Paz is surrounded by high mountains, which have homes built into the hillsides. These surrounding neighborhoods are known as El Alto. From La Paz, the homes in El Alto provide a stunning view, especially at night when the homes are brightly lit, almost like lit skyscrapers in New York. However, upon entering El Alto, I quickly realized that El Alto is the exact opposite of rich mountainside homes overlooking La Paz.
The clinic mainly serves pregnant adolescent females. Due to the lack of proper education about birth control and contraception, countless teenage girls end up pregnant, with no options other than to raise her child(ren) on her own.
I enjoyed my first day here. Annie and I got some basic hands-on experience including palpating for the fetal lie in the mother’s uterus, measuring the height of the mother’s growing belly, and even finding the fetal and placental sounds using a small portable sonography device.
The most challenging aspect of this clinic is the complete lack of ingles spoken here. However, la doctora would like us to prepare a 20 minute presentation on any topic related to adolescent health -- ack!! I will definitely keep you posted on how this plays out ...
The clinic mainly serves pregnant adolescent females. Due to the lack of proper education about birth control and contraception, countless teenage girls end up pregnant, with no options other than to raise her child(ren) on her own.
I enjoyed my first day here. Annie and I got some basic hands-on experience including palpating for the fetal lie in the mother’s uterus, measuring the height of the mother’s growing belly, and even finding the fetal and placental sounds using a small portable sonography device.
The most challenging aspect of this clinic is the complete lack of ingles spoken here. However, la doctora would like us to prepare a 20 minute presentation on any topic related to adolescent health -- ack!! I will definitely keep you posted on how this plays out ...
Addicted to Pasankalla
We discovered a new treat in Copacabana called Pasankalla. Pasankalla is a traditional Bolivian snack made from corn. They are light, puffy, and slightly sweetened; think kettle corn popcorn crossed with rice puff cereal.
They are sold on the streets of Copacabana, in large bins, and for less than $1 (or 5 bolivianos) you can get a large bag to take with you. Although native to Copacabana, I know I’ll find Pasankalla somewhere in La Paz to satisfy my cravings, but I wonder where I can get some Pasankalla in New York?
They are sold on the streets of Copacabana, in large bins, and for less than $1 (or 5 bolivianos) you can get a large bag to take with you. Although native to Copacabana, I know I’ll find Pasankalla somewhere in La Paz to satisfy my cravings, but I wonder where I can get some Pasankalla in New York?
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