Election Day

Today in Bolivia, the Presidential election is taking place and La Paz waits in silence while the people go out to make their vote. The political atmosphere in Bolivia has been nothing less than interesting and it has certainly been controversial, much like politics throughout all of Latin America. Throughout my time in Bolivia, I have heard varying opinions about Evo Morales, the current President of Bolivia, and it has been difficult in deciding on an opinion about him. There are always negative aspects of a government no matter what country it is, and in Latin America, corruption is a defining characteristic, thus the government of Evo has not been viewed very differently from the rest. This is not to say that the government of Evo Morales is not a unique situation; it is a completely new situation for not only the people of Bolivia but also for all indigenous people throughout the world. Evo may not be a perfect President but he is the first indigenous President ever to be elected and that is something to be said.

Before leaving Cochabamba there was a lot of talk about the presidential candidates and there was a lot of discussion about who was going to vote for who and why. It soon became obvious that the middle class was in support of Manfred, Evo’s opposing candidate, and the lower class was in support of Evo. The indigenous population dominates Bolivia and they are fiercely proud to have a President that represents their social class. There are even people from the middle class who are happy that there is someone who can finally represent the people of Bolivia, not just a small percentage of them. The change Evo has created is an interesting and controversial issue, and there is so much debate about the amount of good versus the amount of bad Evo is doing. Evo is criticized for creating social tensions between the lower and upper classes, for legalizing coca production, which has led to an increase in narco-trafficking, and for causing the economy to go downhill. He has also been given credit for good things such as developing parts of rural society and for meeting the demands of the indigenous population, something that has not been done with past Presidents.

I had a friend say once that he would vote for Evo simply because Evo has broken the cycle of politics in Latin America. Evo has brought to the forefront a part of society that has been continuously ignored throughout all of history. This really is significant and it weighs on the situation at hand. Do we let Latin America continue its’ cycle of rich politicians ruling society or do we support the change Evo has brought, even if it some of the change is negative? There is worry about Bolivia turning into another Venezuela, a country that has continued to eliminate the rights of it’s’ citizens. Hugo Chavez is a large influence on the acts of Evo Morales, thus I do not blame Bolivians for being worried.

There is no doubt that Evo is going to win this election. He is in the running at this moment and he will win by a landslide. There is doubt about how Bolivia will turn out. What will the future bring? Only time will tell.

A Bittersweet Goodbye

As our final days came to an end in Cochabamba, we all realized how much we had become attached to this beautiful city in Bolivia. To say we had an incredible time is a bit of an understatement; it was an unforgettable experience that brought us to new points in our life and one that has brought us to an understanding with a culture so different from our own. We each have own feelings towards Cochabamba and we each developed our own bonds with people, but I feel that we all have a common sentiment toward our experience and we are each sad to leave so soon.

I would like to take some time to tell you all about my host family. I do not think that I really said much, if anything at all, about them and I feel that they deserve some recognition because they were a large part of my experience. In the beginning, I was very nervous about staying with a host family because I was not sure what kind of people they were going to be or how it was going to work out. My worries were soon faded away; I could not have been placed with a better family. Andrea and Alvaro, my host parents, are two incredible people with so much love to share and they made me feel more than welcome in their home. I developed some very strong bonds with them and I know that they will be life friends. Their children were also a daily joy, always asking me questions in Spanish that I could never understand. I felt very proud by the end when I could finally understand what they were saying to me :).

The most difficult part about leaving Cochabamba was the torn feeling between wanting to stay and wanting to go home. Of course, I miss my family back in the states and three months is a long time to be away, but it is difficult to leave people who you have become so close with knowing that it is not going to be easy to return. Stopping by for a weekend barbeque becomes impossible when you have an ocean between you.

For any of you who are interested in doing a study abroad program I highly recommend living with a host family. I could not have learned the things that I did without living with a family during the time I was in Cochabamba. I became a part of their daily lives, learned about their hardships and their happiness, and above all, I felt like I truly belonged. I now feel like Cochabamba is home to me. It is my home away from home and a place that I will always hold dear to my heart.

Uyuni - The Salt Flats

Hello All! Just want to share a few photos and a few words about Uyuni with you all! Uyuni is an absolutely breath taking place with many natural wonders to see. We did a three-day jeep ride through which we saw many wonderful, beautiful sights and we were able to experience a part of Bolivia completely different from where we lived. The salt flats are incredible: an endless paradise in the middle of a desert with no end in sight. It is easy to feel small in the middle of such a huge wonder, especially with the absence of towns throughout it all. One night we stayed in a “ghost town”, a town with only three residents and the remains of what was once a town. All of the town members had left years before in search of work and only one family decided to stay behind. They have turned it into a hotel spot for tourist doing the tours in Uyuni and they seem to be doing just fine with the income they make off their business. It is an interesting concept to think people can desert an entire town because there is no work and it brings to mind how isolated these towns are from developed parts of the country. They had the choice to leave but their options are limited and their new choices will only take them so far.

Unfortunately, we did not have a guide that was able to explain all the geological reasoning of Uyuni, but we were still able to appreciate the beauty and the wonder of it all. There really isn’t much else to say about Uyuni aside from it being a beautiful wonder and must see spot for those who have a desire to see nature’s beauty at its best. I have posted a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. Hope you enjoy :).