Entertaining Angels: A Touch of Bolivia

The red dot is where Okinawa is located.

Bolivia is a country in South America, sharing a border with Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, and Argentina.

This is the Cueca, which can
you can watch on my
"Videos from Bolivia" page.

It is impolite to not wear shoes, even in the house.
Bolivians say "Chau" instead of "Adiós". Adiós means "there's a chance I will never see you again" whereas "Chao" means "see you soon."
When you greet someone you say "¡Hola, buenas dias!" (Buenas tardes or buenos noches) take their hand and give a kiss on the cheek.
Bolivia has many dances unique to their culture, and often times the dances vary depending on location in Bolivia.

My diner one night. Bread with refried
beans, cheese, and a topping of
cilantro, tomato, onion, and
locoto (local pepper)

They primarily eat rice, beans, potatoes, bread, and meat.
The food normally has some peppers in it, and a spicy salsa can be added to your food.
If you don't eat what is in front if you, you can offend the locals you are eating with.
You can buy a lot of food on the street, however there is a good chance it will make you sick.
Lettuce and strawberries can be eaten, however you need to know how to correctly wash them or they will make you sick. Tomatoes can be eaten if the skins are cut off.
"Silpancho" is a traditional dish with rice on the bottom, beef in the middle and egg on top, and "papas fritas" on the side.

You can take a Trufi around Cochabamba, which is a very inexpensive way to travel.
You also can take a taxi, but you want to make sure it is a company taxi.
There are no real enforced traffic laws in Bolivia. They do have stop lights, but it is not uncommon for a car to run a light if there is no traffic.
Pedestrians do not have the right of way. If you cross you want to make sure you have plenty of time or run because the oncoming car will not stop.

The Amazon Rainforest is on the east side of the country.
Cochabamba sits in the Andes Mountains.
Lake Titicaca is a glacier-fed lake and is the largest body of water in Bolivia.
Salt Flats are the largest in the world and are on the Altiplano.
La Paz is the highest capital in the world above sea level.
Potosí is unofficially the highest city in the world above sea level.

My cousin and I at Cristo de la Concordia.

Bolivia has one of the largest biodiversities in the world.
Cochabamba has "Cristo de la Concordia", which looks like "Christ the Redeemer" in Brazil, however it is bigger.
"La Cancha" is a HUGE market spanning too many blocks to count. You can buy items from animals and food to bikes and electronics. It is very easy to get lost in the Cancha. Make sure you take a map!

Entertaining Angels