Tag: Cochabamba

My Kiva Fellows Blog 6: Magical Moments with Kiva Borrowers

Here’s my sixth installment on the Kiva Stories from the Field website as I serve as a Kiva Fellow in Bolivia. Perhaps the highlights of my experiences were the many opportunities to meet Kiva borrowers.

Here are three of the many wonderful moments I shared with Bolivians who received low-interest loans through Kiva’s partners here in Bolivia. Thanks to all of you who loan through Kiva, you make a big difference in their lives.

Kiva Fellows Blog 6: Magical Moments with Kiva Borrowers in Bolivia

A Day in My Life: Scenes from Cochabamba

Scenes from my daily life in Cochabamba

My life as a Kiva Fellow was obviously different than my normal travel mostly due to the fact that I lived primarily in one city, had an apartment, went shopping for food, spent time in an office, and had time and energy to socialize at night.

Here are some pictures and captions that I hope give a sense of my daily life in Bolivia.

Home: More than just a place to hang my hat for a night or two…

Calle La Paz: my street, just near the corner of Ayacucho, a great location in a quiet neighborhood just north of city center
Some interesting graffiti I passed on my way home, lots of great street art in Cochabamba
My house at Calle La Paz 138, my room was above the AndesXtremo sign, an adventure sports company... the garage to the left contained a climbing wall, how cool! I shared the apartment with 3 Bolivians, a German and a Peruvian... all friendly and welcoming!
My bedroom, quite spacious, pluperfect color combinations... and lots of closet space (although my 50-liter backpack only filled 25%). It desperately needed some decorations, I tried my best with a well-placed bottle of Bolivian red wine ;)
I loved the large windows, I kept them open and let the springlike breeze of Cochabamba flow through
When the curtains were shut the room resembled a black-box theater, I had the stage all to myself... a dream come true!
View from my window, this was taken on the National Census day when everyone was confined to home, a police-enforced mandate. I admit it looks like I\'m interred in a medium-security prison.
With our helper Doña Beni who I always had coffee with each morning (we were the early risers)... every day I asked her

Office: No cubicles, a 10-minute commute, a two-hour lunch break, and not a word in English…

My commute: I caught the #205 trufi from the corner of my street to Km. 2.5 on the highway west to Quillacollo, an easy 10 -minute ride. Such a pleasure after my 75-minute commute (one-way) to my former job!
My CIDRE office in the Chimba neighborhood office in Cochabamba. My co-workers busily getting new clients signed up for a Kiva-funded low interest loan.
My desk... here\'s where I reviewed loan binders, payment documentation, and business procedures. I was located right near the main door so I got a lot of questions from CIDRE clients... I do love to be the center of attention!
Piles of loan paperwork to sort through ay yi yi... Bolivia is not yet as automated as it could be.
Sometimes there was a lot of waiting... waiting... and more waiting. Appointments in this part of the world apparently use a clock I\'m not familiar with.
My co-workers during the mid-day lunch break (from left to right): Gastón, Saúl, Sara, Verónica, Carlos and Alan. They were more welcoming and helpful then I ever could have asked for!
A day in the CIDRE office was never \"normal\"... this safety drill put new meaning into \"putting out fires.\"
One day were at the opening of a new CIDRE branch office. Being Latin America, there was a priest to bless the site, holy water and lots of wine... OKAY!!!!

Client Visits: Time spent with the best “users” ever… an awesome part of my job!

Some of the wonderful faces of Kiva borrowers I had the grand fortune to meet in Bolivia. Every visit was a gift.
Sometimes I traveled to borrower visits on public buses... lots of them.
Other times I traveled with loan officers, this was always fun & good times chatting with my colleagues. I learned so much from them.
I also spent a chunk of time on the back of motorcycles to visit more remote Kiva borrowers. Here is Efraín, my trusty loan officer / motorcycle driver extraordinaire in Santa Cruz.
Some of the road hazards we encountered: muddy dirt roads loaded with livestock, wobbly bridges spanning roaring rapids
Usually visits were 10-15 minute encounters with borrowers, but René from Tarique went way beyond most with his welcome and generosity. We were greeted with a fresh meal from his gardens and a tour of his farm. It was a visit I will remember always.
I usually took the client photographs, however on some occasions the children of Kiva borrowers turned the camera on me.
Are there were some surprises: this Kiva cow was found taking a l-o-n-g drink from the

Work: Still lots of time in front of the computer but I could definitely leave it at the end of day…

I spent a lot of time verifying borrower information, checking ID's...
...and loan paperwork... fortunately the borrowers always graciously complied. It's probably not easy with a strange gringo in your house taking pictures and asking all sorts of questions.
I spent a lot of time at my computer entering Kiva borrower and loan information. This tucan in a hostel in Santa Cruz did not make my task any easier as he spent his time trying to eat the red button on my laptop. (He was also distracting me from the Real Madrid-Dortmund soccer match).
My desk in my apartment in Cochabamba, I spent a lot of time here since I didn't have internet access at the CIDRE office.
Sweating it out in sultry Santa Cruz
There of course all the work made me thirsty... here I'm sampling some <i>guindól</i>, a special cherry-flavored liquor from Colomí
And we had to sample the sweet chicha (corn beer) during lunch in Tarata...
And a final chicha stop at the end of the day in Tarique... it was a long, hot day visiting clients and we were parched.

Leisure Time and Food: Fun friends and new experiences and a vast new universe of flavors to explore…

I normally spent the lunch hour at one of the many vegetarian restaurants in Cochabamba... here at Gopal with Paul, a great choice. These are wonderfully healthy, filling and economical meals (about $2). My favorite was Sabro-Vida, just around the corner from my apartment, I became a regular there.
I spent mornings over coffee catching up on the news. Here Bolivian President Evo Morales caused a minor diplomatic stir when he said having relations with the US was like "taking a crap"
I took some classes in the evening to stay social. Here my salsa dance class practices the <i>dile que no, paso básico, and enchufla..</i>
I also attended the weekly Charlas at Sustainable Bolivia which feature interesting talks by local volunteers engaged in great works around Cochabamba.
I also visited the interesting sights around Cochabamba like the elegant home of tin baron Simón I. Patiño who was one of the richest men in the world a century ago.
And I visited the timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa (founded in 1760) which still houses eight nuns, far below the 200 at its height.
I often spent idle time people-watching at the Plaza 14 de Septiembre and reading lively left-wing commentary at the Panel de la Plaza posted for the public good. Cochabamba continues the proud tradition of rich plaza life with gusto.
I did lots of food shopping at the enormous Mercado Cancha Calatayud in Cochabamba, Bolivia's largest market town.
Sometimes I just bought fresh fruits and vegetables from the green grocer truck that passed by my house.
Or simply stopped at the nearby 7-Eleven for sundry groceries.
When I was lazy and not wanting to cook in the evening, I took to the streets. My favorite was "Gino's", a roving cart where I could buy tasty $1 vegetarian pizzas.
At home I made a lot of smoothies... and found a new passion for <i>tumbo</i>, a passion-fruit relative that perfectly blends sweet and sour, yummy!

Toro Toro’s Land of the Lost: Walking In the Footsteps of Dinosaurs

The many natural wonders of Toro Toro National Park, Bolivia

Toro Toro Town

I was in great need of a long weekend in Toro Toro which awaited me at the end of a curvaceous and bumpy six-hour ride from Cochabamba. The town, with its laid-back vibe, is the base for an adjacent national park that promised me a rewarding getaway with spectacular sights. It was my first escape from large Bolivian cities in two months and I was ready for a mini-holiday from my consuming Kiva duties.

There’s not much to Toro Toro town and that’s what makes it such a delight. It’s a traditional quechua-speaking village that hasn’t changed much from its Republican days except for a mild increase in tourism once 60-million-year-old dinosaur footprints were found in the area. And given that it sits in a place of striking natural beauty, it’s a small wonder people started coming here.

There are a handful of basic hostales spread about town that serve meals since there aren’t any restaurants. I was incredibly happy to stay with the warmest and welcoming hostess Lily at Hostal Las Hermanas, a lush paradise of blooming roses, bougainvillea, lime and pomegranate trees, hanging coyate squash (which is cooked and sweetened for tasty desserts), a host of potted flowers and a menagerie of kittens and parrots roaming the grounds.

On the hills above Toro Toro town, the water-eroded white limestone seem like huge bones scattered about
Of course, a huge dinosaur sculpture adorns the Toro Toro town plaza... for once it\'s not revered Independence hero Simón Bolívar
Street scenes in Toro Toro town, a traditional cholo region where locals still speak quechua as a first language
The pretty stone church in the center of Toro Toro town
An unexpectedly grand home in Toro Toro, an otherwise town made of stone and adobe
The
Gabriela, the playful child at my welcoming and comfortable Las Hermanas hostel in Toro Toro, taught me some words in quechua
The peculiarly named \"Street of Forget\" in Toro Toro town
Coca leaves for sale at a home in Toro Toro town
Local farmer boy with his donkey and dried cornstalks (for livestock fodder) along a road near Toro Toro town
The last bus of the day (
Waiting with my pals from Cochabamba for the bus to depart Toro Toro town

Continue reading “Toro Toro’s Land of the Lost: Walking In the Footsteps of Dinosaurs”

Bugs in Bolivia Are Everywhere!

Volkswagen Bugs in Bolivia 1

While these Volkswagen beauties have not been produced anywhere for almost a decade, Bolivia continues its love affair with the classic Beetle (marketed here as the “Peta”). In all the major cities and towns, the streets abound with this unique and cherished automobile.

I’m not sure how much longer these cars with remain a characteristic feature of the streets of Latin America but I certainly love seeing (and hearing) the “people’s car” everywhere I go.

Volkswagen Bugs in Bolivia 2

Día del Peatón: When Pedestrians Power the Streets of Cochabamba

Día del Peatón - Pedestrian Day in Cochabamba

One Sunday every four months Cochabamba celebrates “Pedestrian Day,” a surreal phenomenon when all streets in the city are closed to motor traffic (except emergency vehicles) and residents take to the streets en masse. Side streets remain tranquil and quiet, with dogs sleeping on the pavement and the only sounds are children playing soccer on fresh asphalt fields.

Major thoroughfares are filled with dance groups, live music, children’s’ rides and of course a huge variety of food. Families and friends gather, grab bicycles and head to the fume-free streets for a day of healthy fun in this fair city.

The strangely deserted streets of Cochabamba beneath its iconic Cristo de la Concordia
The strangely deserted streets of Cochabamba beneath its iconic Jesús Cristo

The Día del Peatón holiday started in thirteen years ago in response to the choked streets of Cochabamba and to raise consciousness about fossil fuel pollution in this especially congested city.

From the start it was a huge success and something residents now look forward to and genuinely enjoy.  Today an estimated 300,000 citizens, young and old, fill the city’s streets.  A study this year determined that contamination levels are 80% lower on Día del Peatón, reason indeed to leave the house and breathe in some much cleaner air.

Bicyclists aren't the only traffic on Pedestrian Day, even a pony and young rider gets in on the action!
Bicyclists aren’t the only Pedestrian Day traffic, even ponies get in on the action!

Continue reading “Día del Peatón: When Pedestrians Power the Streets of Cochabamba”

Peter’s Picture Show: Round and Round at the Alasitas Fair

All things small at the Alasitas Fair in Bolivia

La Feria de la Alasita is a craft fair in Bolivia where miniature ritualistic items are sold to enthusiastic locals. Objects include tiny baby dolls, wads of small bills, petite bottles filled with healthy concoctions, cars, houses, even diminutive diplomas. With the help of the Tiwanakan deity Ekeko, god of abundance and prosperity, the Aymaran people of the Andean altiplano believe that possessing (or gifting) these figurines will become reality for holders.

While the crafts on display were fascinating, I especially enjoyed watching the whirlwind commotion at the fair.

Afoot in the Hills Above Cochabamba

One of the great joys of living in Cochabamba is the ease of access to its surrounding mountains which abound with great hiking trails.  The lofty peaks of the olive-colored Tunari Range of the eastward-reaching Andes awakened my inner rambler and I headed to the hills on many weekends.  Here are some highlights:

Parque Tunari

Kilometer 0! The start of trails in the Parque Tunai just to the north of the city
Rising above Cochabamba, the heat and the chaos were absent at this height
One of the many tranquil camping areas in the park, they were all idyllic and empty
Using my trusty compass from Amy to help orient myself
The steep but stunning cliffs the higher I climbed
Some of the attractive wildflowers in bloom along the trail
Descending back to Cochabamba on \"William Shakespeare Avenue\" one of the \"newer\" streets that rise above the city
A fine resting point above the Cochabamba valley

My first weekend in Cochabamba I rose early, grabbed some bananas and chocolate and my filled water bottle, and hoofed it from my apartment to the gate of the Parque Tunari.  This is the closest and most accessible areas for hiking and soon I was rising high above Cochabamba. The city’s iconic Cristo de la Concordia with his monumental outstretched hands quickly faded to a mere spec far below.  I was surrounded by the smell of eucalyptus and the spectacle of spring bloom.

I encountered very few people on the trail, just a couple families out for a picnic and one dedicated student, his nose diligently in his textbook at a particularly inspired lookout above Cochabamba. Eventually I reached an abandoned campground I and goofed around in the children’s playground:

I kept ascending and finally stopped high above the Cochabamba valley at around 3700 m (over 12,100 feet).  I took in the beautiful vista s of the valley below and the towering Mount Tunari (the highest peak in the region at over 5000 m) covered in clouds to the west.

It was a satisfying hike from house to hilltop, I’ve never had this luxury before.  All my previous hikes required some sort of transport from my home… this was fueled by just my own two feet.

Continue reading “Afoot in the Hills Above Cochabamba”

Peter’s Picture Show: Paragliding in Cochabamba

Here’s a visual of my awesome paragliding adventure with the great guys at AndesXtremo.com in Bolivia. It was a thrilling tandem ride from over 10,000 feet above sea level in the Tunari Range of the eastern Andes and landing in the Cochabamba valley below.

I can’t recommend this highly enough, I will definitely do this again!

The Open Arms of Cochabamba

The welcoming city of Cochabamba

I took to the welcoming city of Cochabamba almost immediately.  With friendly and unperturbed locals, an even-tempered climate (it is lower than La Paz, resting at a comfortable 2,825 m / 9,268 ft) and far less congestion with its tree-lined thoroughfares and ample gardens, I felt more at ease here.

Cochabamba, nicknamed the “Garden City” and the “City of Eternal Spring”, decidedly lives up to its reputation.

Riding the cable car to Cristo de la Concordia overlooking Cochabamba

After the first couple of days I was already in the swing of things of this culturally active and socially progressive city.

Continue reading “The Open Arms of Cochabamba”

Peter’s Picture Show: A Bus Ride Through Bolivia

Here’s a 3.5 minute video of our eight-hour journey through the Bolivian mountains from La Paz to Cochabamba.  We saw all sorts of inclement weather, beautiful terrain and unfortunate accidents during the trip.  Thankfully we arrived unscathed.