Via Bolivia

I am in the third largest city in Boliva, Cochabamba known for highly activist movement in the country and a gaint statue of Jesus overlooking the city (a Bolivian version of Rio, minus the beaches). In 2002, the citizens of the city essentially protested and kicked out an Americian water company from California that was attempting to privatize their water with the support of the then ruling government. The company went as far as proposing to charge for rain! This movement came to be known as the "water wars." Unfortunately, this did not resolve the water shortage in the area and many Cochabamba residents continue to have only running water two times a week (and them rely on their own storage tanks) while more affluent neighborhoods have running water three times a week.

The current and prolific president, Evo Morales participated in this "water wars" movement. Being the first Indigenious president in the country in 2005, Morales is a controversial figure with his nationalization of mining and gas industries (similar to Canada, Bolivia is an exporter of raw resources) and leftists policies with social, health and educational programs including the elimination of the illiteracy, limiting land holdings, attempts to re-distribute wealth and increased Indigenous rights. Morales has also kicked out US Peace Corp out of the country, unsucessfully attempted to kick out Coca Cola three times (once blaming the drink for baldness), calling Israel a "terrorist state", attempting to levy an environental tax on developed countries in Europe and North America, and changing the name of the country from the Republic of Bolivia to the Plurinational State of Bolivia with the new constitution of 2009 and in doing so, he can run for another presidential term (a constitutional loop hole).

Bolivians are highly opinionated about their president. Not doing enough, doing too much. It depends on who you talk to and where they come from. Bolivia continues to be the poorest country in South America and viewed by it's citizens as corrupt (though maybe a little less by some).

With wide boulevards, a young university population, and an unpolished feel, Cochabamba makes a nice contrast to the tranquil, highland town of Samaipata. The town is small enough to know your way around in about 20 minutes and is the perfect balance between having travellers' amenities (internet, cafes and international food with surprisingly good Mexican food) while retaining it's small town character. The friendly locals still gather around the town plaza (square) or market, local festivals still occur with the town brass band playing and locals drinking and dancing the night away and day to day life continuing among the wandering tourists. The town has not become too commercialized yet as there are no major hotels or gated resorts around, no franchise fast food places or supermarkets and the unfortunate trappings of too much money and tourists (hassling touts, prostitution, drugs and crime) that push locals out. I wonder how long this will last as more foreign owners are buying property and starting businesses. The town  has apparently 41 nationalities already.

Samaipata also feels like a treking town as it is jumping off point to the nearby Archeological pre-Inca site of "El Furte" where intricate carvings and temple and administrative site were built on a huge granite rock that sits on top of a hill. My ride up the 9 km dirt road was bumpy in the trunk of station wagon but it was relatively close by. You can also join a tour for the "Ruta de Che" and follow revolutionary Che Guevara's last days as he was captured and then executed in a nearby village of La Higuera in 1967. Samaipata is also close by to the entrance of the Amboro National Park that us unique as you can traverse through three biospheres, the Amazon basin, the dry, red dirt Chako and the beginning of the cooler Andes mountains. I joined a three-day trek and convinced some other travelers to come as well (the larger the group, the lower the costs) into the beautiful park. We camped in the lush jungle by a river, full of hungry mosquitoes and hiked above the tree line one day, bush wacked through thick, muddy foliage and through canyons on another day to catch the beautiful views and see the many Condors and other birds that live there. It is always funny to go on treks as group dynamics happen and the varying camping experience. As the trip was inexpensive ($60 for three days), I brought extra food and as I anticipated, the tent was lousy with broken zippers, holes in the netting and an useless fly to soak up water. Luckily, it did not rain. All this traveling has made me out of shape but this trip is a good start for treks in the higher altitudes.

Off to back my bag and push off. Another night, another bed.