This past week I was able to put my camera to good use! I was assigned the job of taking pictures of all of the kids for their sponsors stateside,
(if you are interested in sponsoring one of these kiddos, check out Lifesong for Orphans page, https://www.lifesongchildsponsorship.org/countries/bolivia/, of course, I'm biased, and think you should sponsor one of my kiddos, it would give you a way to get to know them aside from whatever I can tell you about them!! :) But, Lifesong serves in many countries, and all those kids would love to have sponsors as well, so whatever God leads you to do!)
I also spent half of this week traveling! I went to Uyuni with my friend and her husband. After traveling by bus for about 10 hours (including the lunch break) we finally had arrived at a little city that appeared to be completely made of mudbricks, it didn't even have paved streets, and everything was either dusty or muddy! Now-Obviously, I am from the states, plus I have been living in a big Bolivian city for the past year, so my view is slightly tainted by the modern buildings, crazy traffic, and luxuries of life, namely: affordable restaurants, private bathrooms, soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms, towels, hot water, etc.
My friend and I had been under the impression that her husband had the entire trip planned, we learned at 8pm on the streets of a new town, that his "plan" was to figure it out as we went along. So for about two hours (maybe a little more,) we wandered around with our backpacks and in the cold. We discovered that almost every restaurant was ridiculously expensive, so we ended up in a little burger shack that had much better prices. However, their kitchen was a griddle, and in a corner of the "dining area," they had an electric kettle perched precariously on a little stool.
After eating, we headed out into the cold (maybe 50s?) we walked, and walked, and walked, my friend and her husband were both tense and arguing over their misunderstanding, I was grumpy that they were grumpy, thus texting my mom complaining about it, and I was wishing that I had never left Cochabamba. We couldn't find a hotel that had space, or that was affordable. Finally, after 10pm, we found a hostel with space. The bathroom was shared, had no toilet paper, or soap, nor any towels or soap for showering, and to get to it, I had to walk past an open bedroom door where a guy was just casually sitting in his underwear! I was freaked out to say the least, my tired self became very uncompromisingly city and American, and I cried. Upon waking up, I realized that it wasn't such a horrible place at all, but we still found a different hotel with private bathrooms for the second night!!!
We went on a tour of the train cemetery and different locations on the immense salt flat! I had been picturing a pond or lake of salt, but this went on for miles and miles, in addition, it was covered in water- sometimes only an inch, sometimes up to a foot, and we drove through all of it!!! I also anticipated the water to be very cold, but the sun had warmed it beautifully, so we walked barefoot in the salty water for a long time. We also ate lunch in the salt hotel, which is what it sounds like, a hotel made of salt bricks, even our table and stools were made of salt, the floor was loose salt as well. Then we headed back to town where we found a chicken and fries shop and checked into our hotel.
The ride back was long, but I am back in Cochabamba now! It is so crazy to remember my opinions on this city after being here two weeks, compared to how I feel about it now, two weeks from leaving.
The private bath and my nice hotel!
The slightly sketchy, "I don't want to be here" hotel.
The Salt Hotel
There was also the graffiti option of "Flick Flack" I guess "I still love you" is a better option?
The burger house kitchen!
When someone gets on a bus and sells bracelets you take the free one... even if it is covered in saint stickers!
Traditional dress
Selfies while brushing your teeth, Tia Su at your service!
(if you are interested in sponsoring one of these kiddos, check out Lifesong for Orphans page, https://www.lifesongchildsponsorship.org/countries/bolivia/, of course, I'm biased, and think you should sponsor one of my kiddos, it would give you a way to get to know them aside from whatever I can tell you about them!! :) But, Lifesong serves in many countries, and all those kids would love to have sponsors as well, so whatever God leads you to do!)
I also spent half of this week traveling! I went to Uyuni with my friend and her husband. After traveling by bus for about 10 hours (including the lunch break) we finally had arrived at a little city that appeared to be completely made of mudbricks, it didn't even have paved streets, and everything was either dusty or muddy! Now-Obviously, I am from the states, plus I have been living in a big Bolivian city for the past year, so my view is slightly tainted by the modern buildings, crazy traffic, and luxuries of life, namely: affordable restaurants, private bathrooms, soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms, towels, hot water, etc.
My friend and I had been under the impression that her husband had the entire trip planned, we learned at 8pm on the streets of a new town, that his "plan" was to figure it out as we went along. So for about two hours (maybe a little more,) we wandered around with our backpacks and in the cold. We discovered that almost every restaurant was ridiculously expensive, so we ended up in a little burger shack that had much better prices. However, their kitchen was a griddle, and in a corner of the "dining area," they had an electric kettle perched precariously on a little stool.
After eating, we headed out into the cold (maybe 50s?) we walked, and walked, and walked, my friend and her husband were both tense and arguing over their misunderstanding, I was grumpy that they were grumpy, thus texting my mom complaining about it, and I was wishing that I had never left Cochabamba. We couldn't find a hotel that had space, or that was affordable. Finally, after 10pm, we found a hostel with space. The bathroom was shared, had no toilet paper, or soap, nor any towels or soap for showering, and to get to it, I had to walk past an open bedroom door where a guy was just casually sitting in his underwear! I was freaked out to say the least, my tired self became very uncompromisingly city and American, and I cried. Upon waking up, I realized that it wasn't such a horrible place at all, but we still found a different hotel with private bathrooms for the second night!!!
We went on a tour of the train cemetery and different locations on the immense salt flat! I had been picturing a pond or lake of salt, but this went on for miles and miles, in addition, it was covered in water- sometimes only an inch, sometimes up to a foot, and we drove through all of it!!! I also anticipated the water to be very cold, but the sun had warmed it beautifully, so we walked barefoot in the salty water for a long time. We also ate lunch in the salt hotel, which is what it sounds like, a hotel made of salt bricks, even our table and stools were made of salt, the floor was loose salt as well. Then we headed back to town where we found a chicken and fries shop and checked into our hotel.
The ride back was long, but I am back in Cochabamba now! It is so crazy to remember my opinions on this city after being here two weeks, compared to how I feel about it now, two weeks from leaving.
The private bath and my nice hotel!
The slightly sketchy, "I don't want to be here" hotel.
The Salt Hotel
There was also the graffiti option of "Flick Flack" I guess "I still love you" is a better option? 
The burger house kitchen!
When someone gets on a bus and sells bracelets you take the free one... even if it is covered in saint stickers!
Traditional dress
Selfies while brushing your teeth, Tia Su at your service!
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