Mapa

A new low-tech version to help you locate me and the route taken so far if you wish. (I'm in Tarija)

Peaches and Grapes

We crossed the border at La Quiaca-Villazon—yet another constructed difference in the vast and peculiarly similar people-scape on either side.  Bolivia, “Moneys!”  We proffered the border guard our crispest 135 dollars.  Odd that money marked my fist experience here where otherwise I have spent  a total of 25 dollars in the past 11 days.  No matter.  First impression not ruined.  The popcorn here is much chewier than I'm used to. 

It is tempting of course to write about the difference and similarities between places, but that doesn't really tell you much about Bolivia.  Except of course the one difference important to me which is a severe lack of avocados.  None in fact.  The season apparently is not until June sometime, but I don't buy that.  I think it's just the reagion. 

So as a brief update I will just say that I have harvested tons (quite literally) of peaches, which are in season, then peeled them.  For hours and hours.  If there is one thing to take away from my experience thus far it is that old women can and will peel things faster than me.  They will also be very quiet until they are not, in which case it all starts to come out.  The house is filled with women, seven in fact, and as far as I can tell I am only one of two men who sleep here.  The men who do show up do the typical man things such as machete branches and oversee pesticide spraying (wasn't WWOOF supposed to be organic!?). . .

This is a vineyard, so the wine flows freely, as it has all over town.  Sadly the harvest doesn't happen for a couple weeks, so you'll have to wait for pictures of me stomping on grapes (you'll also have to wait for camera to be found as well. . . not hopeful about that.)  I should probably leave it at that for now as the internet is pretty sparse.  I'm having a good time and reading a whole lot, so I have time to read long emails (cough cough) if you write them!