Cocaine, Zebras, Tradition, oh my!

   Bolivia, the fifth largest South American country, and the only one that is totally landlocked, was our next destination.  Known for its poverty, lack of tourist travel, and vibrant indigenous population, Bolivia was a totally different world then anything we had seen so far.  The urban areas reminded us of Africa because of the roaming dogs, the street vendors, the trash on the roadside (and in every field across the country), the adobe and brick architecture (although there were much more brick structures in Bolivia than in Africa), and the well-used feeling of buildings whose plaster was inevitably falling off.  Beneath this superficial venear of first impression we found a deeply hard-working, proud society.  Many, many women dress in a hybrid of Inca and 16th century Spanish attire complete with two long braided pleats in their hair, a boulder cap, a skirt with stockings, and a brightly colored blouse and shawl.  The most common language spoken among locals is one of two Incan or pre-Incan languages Quechua or Amara.  The hard lifestyle of a Bolivian whose major source of income would likely be some sort of farming is worn on the face of locals whose furrowed brows, lack of expression, and general gruff demeanor might seem intimidating.  This image is softened by the children who can be found walking with their parents or being carried in a blanket slung over the shoulders.  The children´s angelic smiles and puffy cheeks reveal the love of family that lies beneath the rough exterior of this enigmatic people. 

   Modern society seems to clash here in Bolivia where cross walks (zebra crossings) need constant monitoring by men in full zebra costumes (once we saw a moose costume, appearently the costume store was not familiar with its zoology) who literally push people back onto the sidewalk when it is not their turns to cross.  The more modern Christian (Catholic) religion that the Spanish brought to the region when they arrived in 1533 is often turned into a hybrid with local Inca religions.  Markets teem with the local foods Bolivia is known for including many types of corn, potatoes, beans, and grains such as quinua with no sight of any prepackaged sauces or foods of modern society.  And finally, modern drug trafficing is cast in sharp relief to what I might call the heart of Bolivia, the coca leaf, that is used more than tobacco in Europe and is more instrumental for religious and ceremonial purposed then wine in Western religions.

Look how many people can fit into a pringles can on the salt flats!

Or, you can sleep in a salt hotel on a salt bed!

Zebra crossing.

Traditional clothes at a graduation ceremony.

   Bolivia was a fascinating culture with extraordinarily weird physical surroundings such as snow capped mountains, deserts, and salt flats.  Let me take you through some of the highlights...