Samaipata: Farewell Tour 2008

Quick snack break on the ridge. Tamara (left) is a friend we met on the road back in La Paz. She's from Australia.



Helping Tamara through a cattle guard. "You sure this is the trail?"



Purrrrty.



"Guys? I mean, I don't think the waterfalls are anywhere near here. Maybe we should have gotten a guide?"



Our guide (yes, we smartened up the second day) Carmelo. Unfortunately he was married; I adored him!



Can't do the landscape justice with photographs. Come visit Samaipata! Their slogan is "hiker's paradise." This is a day trip to Los Volcanes.



Tajibo, my favorite tree, found all over Bolivia.




Two happy girls with happy ponies. We were able to rent the horses ALL DAY from a local hotel. We rode almost 3 hours up to the ruins (walked for a while then rode back).



We reached the top! On foot from here ... see you later boys! (we tied the horses to trees)



Trip to El Fuerte, site of Pre-Incan, Incan and colonial ruins.



More Pre-Incan ruins.



Me, howling to my Leona back in Santa Cruz.



Samaipata's little mercadito.

Saying Goodbye (cue Muppets take Manhattan)

Drinking puro outside my house.



Dona Vicky and Don Yonny threw me a going away tea party, and everyone brought food.



Then we went next door to Profe Negra's (the math teacher) for a proper drunkfest with some teachers. Rosa, Chela, Dawn, Profe Hernan (school director), me and Negra.



Dawn and I busting some moves.



Sair wants to join the party.



We're not sure how they knew we wouldn't end up taking the early micro (as planned), but people showed up to see us off in the morning, too. From left, Don Yonny, my host dad; Jacky, my host mom's sister who has a little baby/eats lunch with us/watches the novela at our house every day; Dona Uba who picked me up when I first moved to town and introduced me to the community; Profe Ruth, the English teacher, my first friend; Profe Negra, the math teacher and my neighbor -- she insists on feeding me (and occasionally Emily) every time my Dona Vicky goes out of town; Dona Vicky hiding in the background because she's crying; Profe Rosa teacher of life scienes thus my work partner; Jhon, one of my older host brothers who stays at the house off and on, who called me something like 8 times on my last day in Bolivia, Profe Marlene, who teaches social studies and makes me drink more beer than I ever should. Regretfully missing: me. I'm in the taxi,waving goodbye.

Back to site

Fiesta de la Virgen Rosario. First we paraded her through the plaza and prayed on each of the four corners, then we went to a mass -- we entered the church by walking underneath her and a priest with a carnation 'baptised' us with holy water at the other side, then the party literally started right after mass at about 10am. I'm told they change her dress each day!



And the band played on ... and on, and on from 10 am until forever. The party was inside the alcaldia and they locked the doors not so no one could get in, which was occasionally allowed, but so no one could leave!



My lovely site mate, whom I will miss immensely.



Don Yonny brought us a horse to play with from the campo! So we took turns cruising through town.



Visiting Don Yonny's chaco, the land where he raises cattle and grows corn.



Leona, pig. Pig, Leona.



Don Yonny and I chatting by the fence. He always says he wants to move out of Gutierrez and out into the monte.



One of my trees didn't make it, so Dawn planted another in its place.



Local housing on the outskirts of town.



Professor Wilson, a good friend, in Palmarito -- a small Guarani community about half an hour from me.



Dona Vicki in her natural state.



Don Yonny, in his natural state? Or just butchering some pigs.



A homemade stove. Everybody's got 'em.



Dawn, me, a giant cactus tree. You know, the usual.

Cuzco

Cuzco, Peru from above.



Some very silly ladies in Cuzco, one of whom practically chucked her baby alpaca into my arms.



Bet you know where this is ...



... but really all of Peru is this gorgeous, and then some.



Hiking, afraid of heights. So worth it.



Back for some horseback riding in the mountains! And yes, Dawn and I totally galloped off into the sunset later.



This was my favorite day: a festival for San Jeronimo outside of Cuzco. No tourists, great people, *interesting* food. See below.



Cuy (guinea pig), best washed down with several large beers.


*photos by Dawn*