Arizona

The rest of the summer was spent sporadically in Arizona.  There were several game/wine nights, dinners, and get-togethers where I felt I was able to catch up with everyone for a bit. 

Emma (already seventh months old) was sitting up on her own and content with wherever she was, always ready to smile and laugh.  Out of all the time spent with her, I only saw Emma fuss one time, and that was only because she was tired.  I guess you could say I rather like babies now.    

Bianca flew down from Colorado for a long weekend.  Not only was it fun to hang out with her again, but with my limited time over the summer, there was no way I would have had a chance to visit her in Denver. 

It is so nice having an active family.  Someone was always ready to do something.  Both Bianca and Jill accompanied me on separate occasions to hike Camelback Mountain, Mama and I were able to get in a couple bike rides, and gym partners were readily available.  

Although I live by the ocean, water skiing never happens here.  Dad, Paul, Pete and I all went to Bartlett Lake on a rented boat and showed off our skills. The day was a beautiful one, and we headed in just in time before lightning started striking. 

I would like you to note the rooster tails behind all the guys and how they are all leaning in some fashion....

With all my years skiing, I still cannot cut.  Compare the tail behind me to the others.  That's right: my rooster tail is nonexistent.  Luckily, I immensely love just being on the lake, so all I have to worry about is the others getting bored from my non-dramatic turns......until Dad decides to crank the speed up.  During one of my runs, Dad believed he was going too slowly so slammed on the gas and upped the speed over five miles an hour in just a few short seconds.  Yes, I realize that sounds like nothing, but when you're being yanked behind a boat going at breakneck speeds, it's a wee bit scary.  Just saying. 



                                 

After Dad decided to see just how fast the boat could go. 

Bella flew to Arizona with me and stayed with the folks while I was traveling.  Jill was kind enough to allow Bella's litter box to stay in her room again and for Bella's hair to get on her bed.  Although I believe Bella to be a very loving and sweet cat, she had other ideas while I was in Bolivia and left a few surprises for the unsuspecting souls.  Of course, the only way to remedy this situation was to give in to her every demand and feed her scraps of meat or anything else her heart desired.  When I returned from my trips, Dad and I would be eating at the table and Bella would saunter over and just give Dad the eye without even glancing at me, where he would quickly give her half his lunch.  By the time Bella and I flew to Cartagena, she was a full pound heavier.  

As long as the top was open, Bella didn't mind traveling one bit.

Alaska

A week after returning to Bolivia, I flew to Alaska to visit Monica, Thomas, and their new baby, Caleb, who was born on May 28th.  In the beginning, I was rather nervous to do more than hold him as it had been so long since I had actually cared for a baby.  Luckily, as the week went on, I found myself growing more comfortable.  Of course, it was hard not to since Caleb was constantly laughing or showing off entertaining personality quirks.  Plus, I guess it rather helped that he saved all his big spit ups for Monica, which both Thomas and I were more than pleased with.  

Throughout the week, we ate like kings: fresh-caught salmon (literally that day, thanks to Thomas), salads from their garden, etc.  I was also able to see and work a tad at the bazaars for their peanut brittle business.  Seriously, these people never stop working.  It makes my life in Cartagena seem like a cakewalk.  (Well, okay, it is, but still...)

 On one of the days, Monica, Caleb and I drove the two hours to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a home to orphaned and sick animals.  This gave us the chance to see the animals up close, including bears at eating time.  The scenery throughout the whole drive and at the center were magnificent.  Alaska truly is a beautiful state; every picture was postcard worthy, and it was hard to put my camera down.

A perfect way to see brown bears up close and personal without risking one's life.

    My favorite part of the trip, though, (besides visiting with Monica and Thomas obviously) was seeing just how quickly Caleb transformed in one week.  When I first arrived, I had to use both hands to hold him because his neck wasn't strong enough.  By the end, he was holding his head up no problem.  His focusing skills were noticeably better, too.  At one point, I am pretty sure he even gurgled, "Aunt Bev is my favorite", something Monica will deny, but hey, the kid has taste.  

                                   

                                          Isn't he adorable?  Caleb could sleep through anything.  

Bolivia - Strike!

The day after the tour was a long one.  We were heading to Sucre where we had a flight the next day and had to go through Potosi to get there.  Unfortunately, Potosi had just started striking a few days before, so all our carefully laid plans were for naught.  

Luckily, we ate a large breakfast before heading to the bus station.  Our bus was having technical difficulties, so a different one came after a couple hours to cart us all to Potosi.  Well, kind of.  It dropped us off a couple kilometers from the outskirts of town where we had to walk the rest of the way.   

Kerri and I were some of the last ones to retrieve our luggage from the bus, so most of the people were a good distance ahead before we got started.  There were a few older women we passed struggling with their suitcases, so Kerri and I each grabbed one and continued along, believing it would be less than an hour walk.  Boy, were we wrong.  

Before the wheel broke.

At about 13,500 feet high, Potosi lies on top of a mountain.  The only way to get there was to climb in the thin air.  We passed several roadblocks: burning tree trunks, piles of rocks dumped on the road, tires, and cars.  Occasionally, a vehicle would be allowed through but not often.  

Our group consisted of the four older women, a younger man from Uyuni helping to carry the other two ladies' things, and an Argentine girl with tons of luggage.  

An hour into the three-hour trek, the wheel on my lady's suitcase broke from going over all the dirt and rocks, so I had to pull the thing walking backwards, trying not to drag it on the ground.  This required me to lift my shoulders up and gave me a wonderful workout.  

Once we reached the outskirts of town, we kept hoping for a taxi, but roadblocks were set up all over Potosi, too, meaning we had to walk the whole way to the terminal.  No men aided us, even though they saw we were struggling, and the ladies were constantly asking for help when we passed a group of them.  I did have two nice young ladies help me carry mine for about five minutes up a hill, and a mother, grandmother and their two kids put the suitcase in their stroller for the last twenty minutes to the terminal.  Therefore, I was hugely impressed with the women of Potosi, but there are few gentlemen there.  

We arrived at the closed terminal a little before seven to find other groups of people waiting to get out of town, some already being there for a couple days.  The prognosis didn't look good.  We were told a few taxis and a bus might come at eleven at night (the strikers allowed vehicles to pass in the wee hours), but we didn't know if there would be enough for everyone.  

All the restaurants in town were closed, so Kerri, the Argentine girl and I all shared a cheap hostel room for a couple hours to try to keep warm before venturing outside again to try our luck with a taxi.  Did I mention I was still in the same clothes from the Salt Tour in Uyuni?  Can you say stench?

At 9:45, we joined the hordes of people waiting to get out of Potosi.  Every time a taxi came, people would sprint to claim it.  A little before eleven, the lady working the scene (out of the kindness of her heart), called the three of us over, and we gratefully slid into the taxi for the two-and-a-half hour ride to Sucre.  The stars were beautiful, and I have never been so relieved to escape a town before.  

Sucre is known as the White City and is quite beautiful.  After a large brunch, Kerri and I started walking around the main plaza only to run into the four ladies from the day before.  They are from Santa Cruz and offered to take us out for a drink the next day after their flight.  They were very kind, and it was a good way to hear more about the Bolivian culture.  

After our time with the ladies, Kerri and I celebrated the last night of our trip (and Dad's birthday) with a bottle of wine (not Bolivian) and chocolate.  Bolivia is a beautiful country with much to see, but both Kerri and I agree that a tropical destination is in store for next year. 

Bolivia - Hot Springs!

We were up at four-thirty for the final day of our tour.  Do you remember the thin layer of ice on the window sill the night before?  By morning time, it was a glacier.  An hour later, we were in the jeep, which had been running throughout our breakfast, with no heat.  The poor engine could barely focus on keeping the car going without having to worry about our chattering teeth.  I am not normally a cuddly person, but when Kerri leaned over for my body heat, I was grateful.  

Our first stop was at a couple of fumaroles, an ethereal, though stinky, sight in the middle of nowhere.  

Trying to warm my hands by the fumaroles.

After two hours of driving, our feet were frozen and we were miserable.  Finally, we arrived at the hot springs.  Getting undressed and changed into a bathing suit was torture, but thank goodness we did.  As the sun rose over the adjacent lake, we thawed our bodies out in the deliciously warm waters.  Best....feeling....ever!  There was a party-like atmosphere as all the tourists once again came to life, and laughing could be heard echoing off the mountains.  The girls' changing room was hazy due to steam rolling off our heated bodies, and we all gleefully climbed back into the jeeps to begin the six-hour ride back to Uyuni.

I didn't need my ski cap on but couldn't bear to take it off before getting into the water.

We stopped at a lake with llamas grazing for a while and some amazing rock formations, Italia Perdida, named for looking like a giant city with cathedrals.  

To show just how gargantuan these formations are, that is me in the rock's crevice.


That night after pizza, we bought a bottle of Bolivian wine to celebrate our survival (Ummmm...I do NOT recommend Bolivian wine.) and watched Uyuni celebrate its 126th year anniversary with a parade.  The parade consisted of groups of people from surrounding villages walking through the main street in town.  Seeing enough of the parade, we retreated to the warmer temperature of our hotel room to finish the wine.  It was a wonderful evening.  

Bolivia - Laguna Colorada

On the second day of the tour, there was still a lot of driving, but we stopped many times to get out and explore.  There were so many different landscapes, some looking like the surface of Mars, while just a half hour drive away was a beautiful lake covered in ice. 

Railroad connecting Chile and Bolivia.

If you look closely, you can see the smoke coming from this volcano.

We passed many grazing llamas.

 My favorite part of the day, though, was Laguna Colorada.  As we crested a mountain, we were suddenly overlooking this large, beautiful lake with bright red colors from algae growing there.  Flocks of flamingos and other birds were wading in the waters.  The sun sparkling on the water combined with the peacefulness of the place made this the perfect spot to stroll along and marvel at the wonders of the world.  

Our accomodations that night were quite rustic compared with the night before.  We were now at 14,000 feet, and as soon as the sun sank behind the mountains, the temperature dropped to below freezing.  We had no fire, and the stove in the dining room was only turned on for an hour or so at the end of the evening.  All four of us shared a room where there was a thin layer of ice on the windowsill when we arrived.  Imagine having to brush your teeth or wash your face and hands with icy water that left your hands numb for the next thirty minutes.  That night, I slept in all my layers, including my scarf, ski cap, and long johns.  I was still cold but luckily was able to doze off.

Notice the wet floors and thin bedspreads.

Cup after cup of hot tea saved our organs from freezing.

Bolivia - Salar de Uyuni

The first day of our tour was the Salar de Uyuni.  This is the world's largest salt flat at over four thousand square miles.  Everywhere we looked, there was this massive white blanket covering the ground.  Most of the day was spent driving through it, but we were able to get out several times to take pictures and stretch our legs.  

When we stopped for lunch, the salt had taken on a honeycomb pattern.  We could see water just ten centimeters below the surface, and yet the salt could still hold jeeps driving over it every day.  

The jeep was our restaurant for the next few days. 

One of the coolest things was driving up to Incahuasi Island.  Surrounded by the salt flats was this small mountain covered with hundreds of furry, saguaro-like cacti.  We were able to hike around the island, and while looking out over the salar, it seemed as though we were in the middle of the ocean.  

During every stop, we would try to get creative with the pictures.  Here's just a sampling:

We were professionals.  Lying on the hard salt was the only way to get some shots.  

 Before driving to our hotel for the night, we stopped for a couple of hours to watch the sunset.  As the temperature went down, we began to add more layers.  It was a good thing I recognized Kerri's clothes because half the time I could not see her face.  

Our inn in the humble town of San Juan was surprisingly comfortable and relatively warm.  Plus, for a little over a dollar, I took a wonderfully hot shower that took all the chill from the evening away.  The walls and beds were made of salt, so if we moved at night, salt grains would fall on our heads.