Thursday, August 11, 2005, 10:51 AM
New photos are up from our travels this summer to Argentina, the US, and Samaipata. Just click the link to the right. There are also some photos from the last Despedida at JR's house. A new post will be put up just as soon as we get a little more time. It has been busy trying to get everything caught up after being away from home for over 2 months. Hope you enjoy the photos!
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( 3 / 792 )Saturday, July 23, 2005, 02:51 PM
Wow! Nobody mentioned to me there were blog hecklers. One blog entry and two comments down and the heckling starts before we even land in Bolivia! It's best to just get used to the criticism I suppose. Be proud like a writer showing off their 3 ring binder of rejection letters. Only after being published of course. Keep it coming Bart. I love it. ;0)
So we arrived back in beautiful Cochabamba Thursday, after almost 40 hours of travel time. Our luggage decided to take the long route and hopefully will arrive tomorrow after visiting Miami. The only real excitement on the trip was landing in La Paz and then our trip from La Paz to Cochabamba.
Before continuing I have to give credit to pilots flying and landing in the Andes. Bolivia's national airlines have an incredible record and probably some of the best pilots in the world. Landing in the thin air of the La Paz airport (4100 meters) is no easy task. I've never experienced a gentle landing at that airport. But this was the first time I've ever experienced a 737 literally bouncing off the runway and careening left and right upon touching down for a second time. My anger at not having asked for an exit row seat in Lima quickly dissipated. There were many sweaty finger imprints in the arm rests as we exited the plane. Our excitement to get on the next leg to Cochabamba was clear on our faces to the airline employees, I'm sure.
Even more so when we were asked to get back off the plane as there was a mystery malfunction. "Una hora, no mas" to fix the problem. No big deal, I'd rather be on the ground then in the air when they find a problem. And it is not the same plane that was bounced off the runway only hours before. So we barely sit back down in the waiting lounge before they call us back on the plane. Apparently a really, really quick fix to the mystery problem. "What were those loud clunking noises anyway??" I'm thinking. I'm trying to keep calm for Carlye, as though she needs my "husbandly" sturdiness and strength. And as though I can mask any emotion at all after the exhaustion and fatigue I feel from the last 35+ hours of traveling.
Not surprising then that the take off seems excessively long, the plane excessively slow, and the intial few thousand feet excessively rough for such a clear day. What was surprising was when the gas masks I so purposely ignore during the preflight demonstration drop from the ceiling after 10 minutes of flight. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be putting the mask on small children, my wife, the poodle the lady with big hair is carrying, or myself. How exactly do those things work anyway? And why the fuck am I sitting in the exit row? I don't even speak Spanish that well. It was no help when the steward ran past us to sit down in an empty seat and put on a mask. Fortunately, another steward quickly came along to tell us the masks were not necessary. Unfortunately, there was no explanation and no calm pilot coming over the PA system to tell us little people that everything is alright. Just stewards serving us drinks like nothing happened at all. So when the plane starts taking sharp left turns I tell Carlye, very assuredly, that we're turning back, going back to La Paz. Something is very wrong with the plane. Carlye, bless her, leans across me and looks out the window. "Wendell" she tells me gently, "that's Cochabamba right there sweety. We're just turning to land." Well... I knew that.
After our initial culture shock that tended to persistently hang on throughout our stay in the US we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Our trip back home was much needed and allowed us to rest up and get healthy. We had a great time hanging out with family and friends. We truly can not express how thankful we are to everyone for making our trip happen. There really is nothing like being home after a time abroad. We look forward to hanging out and just being with the people that are most dear to us in the future.
We'll be putting pictures up soon. We'd love to see anyones pictures from our stay as well.
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( 3 / 770 )Thursday, July 14, 2005, 02:07 PM
Well, I've finally entered into the world of blogging. I'll try to make it interesting, but those that know me will know what a difficult task that is. Perhaps even monumental along the lines of Mount Rushmore, or perhaps even futile, along the lines of the "war on drugs." Regardless, I'll be keeping this blog up to date on what is happening in our lives (travel, work, play, life in general), what is happening in Bolivia (Colonia Ecologica and politically), and just expounding and writing in general.
Carlye and I are currently on our US tour, playing gigs around the NW, and generally fattening up for the year of starvation and deprivation to come. I'm enjoying micro brews as though I were a 1 year old eating cake for the first time. My head and face covered in hoppy malty goodness. There is nothing like losing 40 pounds over the course of 10 months and then putting 15 back on. In one month. I'm more inconsistent than the Trailblazers.
I usually consider myself in the category of apolitical, but living abroad and especially living in Bolivia has shifted my thinking and thoughts on politics. So I'll be curious to get feedback on budding political thought from those that read this blog as politics is bound to be peppered throughout the coming months.
So with no further ado, welcome, enjoy, and please participate.
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