"Each student will demonstrate grasp of new learning by working through an activity or exercise independently" --Madeline Hunter
Bolivia. Not for Sissies. If the extreme altitude doesn't get you, something else will. Bolivia is the poorest and the most indigenous of all South American countries. La Paz, the de facto capital, sits at the foot of the Royal Range of the Andes, at an elevation of around 12,000 feet.
Soroche, or mountain sickness, takes its toll almost immediately on the unsuspecting visitor. The thin air causes lightheadness at best and makes one do silly things like put hotel room keys in the refrigerator.Traditional medicine offers no cure other than time for Soroche; the locals swear by Mate de Coca, tea made from coca leaves and hot water. Other than that the only cure is to descend.
La Paz is a modern city of 2 million people with a Kodak moment waiting on every corner. Cholitas are Aymara women dressed in long flowing skirts with 10 or more petticoats, cardigan sweaters and bowler hats. Cholitas are on every block in La Paz, usually selling candy and soda or minutes and Sim cards for cell phones.
Some of the best Zen moments I've enjoyed here are seeing a cholita sitting in front of her trade blanket on the sidewalk happily chatting away in Aymara language on her cell phone. This blend of old and new is one of the most fascinating things about La Paz.
