Posted 3:43 PM by MelanieandSteve
MANAUS, BRAZIL AND SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA, 12-16 April 2005

BON DIA Bolivia style: Since the Amazon, we spent a couple days in Manaus, Brazil, taking care of basic business before moving on to brighter backdrops. We spent two lovely days in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and caught an overnight bus here to Potosi, Bolivia.

BOLIVIA:

Some call Bolivia ´´The Tibet of the Americas´´. The small landlocked country high in the Andes boasts the worlds highest capital city (La Paz), highest city (Potosi), and highest navigable lake (Titicaca). Guide books and locals alike warn travellers suddenly ascending its high altitudes to relax and take it slowly to avoid altitude sickness.

PRECONCEPTIONS BOLIVIA: Before flying to Bolivia, we knew it was poorer than Brazil and subject to political struggle. [Bolivia has changed governments more times than the number of years it has been in existence.] So we expected Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to be behind the times, basic, and busy. We thought about advancing our flight there from Brazil but our low expectations stopped us.

LAST STOP IN BRAZIL, MANAUS: Instead, we stayed two days in unenchanting Manaus `getting things done`, thinking we were seeing the last of richer country conveniences. But other than pretty good pizza served on the plaza patio at Splash restaurant, Manaus offered little to do and lacked places to play.

FIRST STOP IN BOLIVIA, SANTA CRUZ:

SANTA CRUZ, a major city between three regions, the Pantanal, Amazon, and Andes, was clean, cultured, comfortable and fully equipped. This surprised us and we wished we had gone there sooner. It was sweet and special with a perennially populated central square flanked by a gorgeous cathedral and side street shops sated with merchandise, more abundantly than in Manaus.

RELAXING RESIDENCE AND SWEET SPECIAL TOWN: Our relaxing Residencial Bolivar Hostel had a shady hammock-hung courtyard with a beautiful breakfast buffet amid meandering mascot toucans and parrots. The calming atmosphere was a welcome comfort after our red-eye flight.

FESTIVAL AND FANFARE, FIREWORKS AND FUN: We arrived during the Festival Internacional de Teatro with celebrations planned all week. We saw the Chinese Lion Dancers and Peruvian Stilt Performers. There was an unexpected firework show, after which we made casual acquaintance with the Irish owner of a local plaza view pub.

CRUISING SANTA CRUZ´S ART AND EXPRESSION:

THE MUSEUM: We visited the Catedralecio Museum. It was interesting to see the confluence of Catholic Influence and Indigenous Individuality in the all-Mestizo-Made Christian artwork. We marvelled at ´´the world´s smallest book,´´ only millimeters large with the microscopic text of The Lord´s Prayer written in seven languages.

ERIE ART EXPRESSIONS AND CAGE COLLECTIONS: In a courtyard, we studied an interesting display of erie animal sculptures with apparent political themes, and we admired a collection of plastered sculptures in bird cages at a nearby gallery. The art we saw evinced a sense of confinement, sadness, and frustration.

POLITICAL REPRESSION CONSISTENT WITH ART EXPRESSION: The art we observed was interesting in light of Bolivia´s historic sturggles with overbearing outside influences. Bolivia´s beginnings saw Spain´s conquistadors and slave drivers. Later it saw Chile and Brazil and Paraguay bully it out of coastal boundaries leaving it landlocked. Now, they stuggle with the United States manipulating their land resource management practices.

Their Frustrations have surfaced in recent federal flare ups. This year, Bolivia´s president resigned. The people protested and rejected his resignation, so he is back in office, but political discomfort continues, as was apparent in the artwork we saw.

BOUNCY BUS BY NIGHT: LUXURY LOST

WE BOARDED AN OVERNIGHT BUS to Potosi. As soon as we exited sweet Santa Cruz, our previous expectations of Bolivia´s lack of development were realized. Our more expensive ´´Sleeper Bus´´ was dirty, bathroomless, and cramped with seatless people sleeping in the dusty aisle. Twice in the night we sprung flat tires from the bumpy roads. And our backpacks in the luggage compartments got caked with dust.

BENCHMARKS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT: Off the bus, our roadside stops were equally underdeveloped. Restaurant food, which we did not eat, appeared suspect, and public toilets were pitiful. They were worse than the holes in the ground of Asia or Africa. These stinky squatty potties lacked even a bucket of water for the usual makeshift flush.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS BOLIVIA:

NONETHELESS, our first impressions of Bolivia remained really great. The mountainous landscape viewed from the bus was beautiful and other Bolivian highlights included the folks, the food, folklore, and festivities.

THE PEOPLE are among the loveliest we´ve met anywhere in the world. Their Spanish has been the easiest yet to understand, perhaps in virtue of their patient pace. They love to stop and talk and they have struck up Spanish speak with Melanie on the bus and boulivards. When asked for directions, no Bolivian seems satisfied to point. Instead these patient people have repeatedly walked us where we wanted to go, always sharing a few more friendly words on the way.

BACK TO BLACK PEPPER: Foodwise, we knew we were in a good place when our first food server brough us both salt AND PEPPER - something we have not seen elsewhere in South America. This was one of a few food items that seemed to represent a northward influence closer to home for us. For example, further South, we saw no Mexican food, but here there are Mexican specialties like Tamalis and Tamarind.

UNMISTAKEABLY INDIGENOUS:

50% of Bolivians claim to be 100% indigenous, and their beautiful brown faces show it. Women all over wear their long black hair in big thick braids below felt or woven hats. They don skirts and aprons below the knee and complete their outfits with a brightly striped blanket wrapped around bundles or babies and tied to their backs. Men sit outside solitary sierra houses wearing wide woven hats, and it seems like everywhere we look could be a post card.

NEPALESE NOSTALGIA:

Last year in Nepal, we saw lots of Tibetan dress and culture. Back then, we commented that their woven, colorful clothing reminded us of South American Andean Apparel. We had not yet realized that this Andean region has been penned ´The Tibet of the Americas.´ Now we know that not only the altitude, but the culture itself commands the comparison. Also, the layout and feel of Potosi reminds us of Nepal´s Namshi Bazaar and Thamel areas lined with shops of colorful goods.

NEXT TIME: Mines, money, and mountains in Bolivian Potosi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO: Mindy H., Hunter S., and Pete J.