tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84611597238597789702011-08-02T13:43:14.591-04:00An account of my year in bolivia.h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-82013208569918852962010-05-16T18:30:00.003-04:002010-05-26T11:42:15.288-04:00

I had been trying to organize a trip to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats before leaving Bolivia. This trip was kind of on my 'bucket list' for the year. I am still not quite sure how the trip fell together, but it did somehow. On Friday morning at the travel agency, I was told to await a call the next day. So Saturday afternoon rolls around and I am told that I would be leaving at 9:30 Sunday. Okay! I

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-38368385103268328002010-04-29T16:37:00.004-04:002010-05-03T07:07:43.719-04:00

Where in the name of God do I even begin?!I had been planning a trip to Lake Titicaca for some time now with Forest Jarvis, a fellow exchange student. I thought it would be impossible to convince Rotary, but we finally got everything worked out, and we shipped off for Lake Titicaca on the night of Friday, April 23.Forest made it to Sucre by around 2:15, and we spent the day running all over town

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-87857620488851004132010-04-21T17:45:00.002-04:002010-04-21T18:38:37.728-04:00

Here is a little randomness for the end of April before I head out on a trip to Lake Titikaka this Friday.Line started playing zampoña as well, so we have gotten together a couple times to share our knowledge. We spent one afternoon in the plaza with the plan to play, but we were surrounded by questioning children and adults the majority of the time. It was quite enjoyable however, and Line was

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-76950424363691306582010-04-15T08:12:00.001-04:002010-04-15T12:50:48.085-04:00

This is an email I wrote to my mother on Easter Sunday. It pretty much explains everything that was going on at the beginning of the month.Oh my goodness today was great. We didn't really do anything for Easter, but the week before was 'celebrated,' if you wan't to call it that. Vivi didn't eat beef the whole week, we had a really yummy seafood soup for lunch on friday, and Vivi made two batches

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-47854066081631647142010-03-22T17:38:00.003-04:002010-03-24T15:24:07.847-04:00

I had an absolutely splendid weekend. Jorge had been telling me that I have to take a weekend trip to la Candelaria some time before I leave. The Candelaria is a property/hacienda/ranch that belongs to the family. One of Jorge's cousins, Liz, runs weekend tours to the property through her mother's travel agency. It isn't hardly publicized and is really a hidden gem I would say. The property is

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-73957445405378797412010-03-06T11:29:00.002-04:002010-03-06T11:57:09.978-04:00

I had a zampoña lesson the other day after an absence of two weeks. For some reason, I was nervous. I didn't realize I was nervous until I started shaking. René noticed. Neither of us could understand why I was nervous, so we kind of chatted for a long while. René is amazing. I understood all of what he had to say, but it made me sad. Very very sad. All of what he was expressing is a

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-9668242863194811572010-02-28T19:30:00.003-04:002010-02-28T19:58:36.322-04:00

Bolivian mothers. I have reached the conclusion that all Bolivian mothers are certifiably insane. I love my Viviana--I really do, but I would go insane if I had to live here for my entire childhood. I am sure of it. Bolivian mothers are very strict know-it-alls. I am a know-it-all as well, so we often clash. Thankfully, I have learned the art of agreeing even when you don't truly agree.

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-9939536060842117002010-02-28T18:47:00.002-04:002010-02-28T19:29:21.494-04:00

Is it really the end of February? Time must be kidding me. It is officially decided when I will be coming home. June 9. Once March 9 rolls around in just over one week, I will have exactly three months left here. Craziness. This month has been pretty chaotic, so the title of this post is fitting. I have all kinds of random stories to tell. Some are longer, and some are short. I will

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-40445310681770491012010-02-23T19:11:00.002-04:002010-02-23T20:36:10.761-04:00

Oh. My. Sweet. Jesus. Yesterday afternoon was almost as bad as waking up at 1:30 a.m. with this rotton ear infection. For that reason, I feel it is worthy of telling and remembering.I took the day before yesterday and yesterday morning to stay in bed and recoup from a bummer cold, and though bedrest didn't help at all, I set out mentally refreshed for the afternoon. I had much to accomplish

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-85743969215452568292010-02-21T18:58:00.002-04:002010-02-21T19:02:12.234-04:00

I couldn’t really tell you the official dates for Carnaval, as it was really more of a month-long party. Carnaval happens in places all over the world, and in various cities in Bolivia. The most famous is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but the best in Bolivia is in Oruro. Sucre’s carnaval floats my boat just fine though. About 3 weeks before Carnaval really starts, all the teenagers celebrate by

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-84136060724867940142010-01-31T10:57:00.003-04:002010-01-31T21:42:19.559-04:00

As promised in my previous blog, I am writing one more blog for the month of January. It has been an interesting month. I don't really know what happened when I sit down and think about it. Thank goodness I have a whole bunch of pictures to remind me. Time seems to have moved very quickly this month.At the very beginning of January, the exchange students had their Rotary trip across Bolivia. I

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-44478335067793979762010-01-24T19:05:00.001-04:002010-01-28T21:07:56.795-04:00

I am almost a month late to post about my New Year's vacation to Iquique, Chile, but better late than never. We left early the morning of the 27th, if I remember correctly, for an all-day drive across the gorgeous Bolivian countryside. The travel until Chile was probably the most amazing part of the entire trip for me. Of course, paved roads are nearly nonexistent for a trip like that, and

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-85839001596042769562009-12-25T18:36:00.004-04:002009-12-27T11:30:59.201-04:00

Oh my goodness I just had the most amazing Christmas Eve of my life! December in general has been the tamest December I can recall. My first December with absolutely no snow, and the temperatures have been mild to warm with the occasional rainy day. Instead of stepping carefully through the streets as not to slip on ice, I found myself running to my favorite cafe to get out of the pouring rain.

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-32255475114964467732009-12-20T12:20:00.002-04:002009-12-21T09:48:36.808-04:00

Wow. What a great December. I managed to get past the homesickness I was feeling just after Thanksgiving and I have been insanely busy this month. Busy in the good way.Jorgito and I were feeling extra Christmasy one day, so we took a morning to put up the Christmas tree and that afternoon to bake Nana's Sugar Cookies. Jorgito decided to get started with the tree on his own, and by the time I

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-26159955343833559912009-12-07T09:13:00.003-04:002009-12-07T09:25:29.148-04:00

I always kind of knew I was a quiet person deep down, but I am proving it here. Maybe 'proving' isn't the right word, because I can always change that quality if I so choose. I have become quieter here at least. I struggle with opening up to people entirely, and yet I have always preached that such honesty is the best policy. I know it is. If Truth were revealed in every heart, life would be so

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-85263304732324334502009-11-20T17:37:00.004-04:002009-11-21T10:03:07.119-04:00

Where to begin. How about the beginning? Since before my arrival in Bolivia, Sucre has been preparing for the Bolivarianos. The Bolivarianos are basically the Olympics for 6 countries of South America that were liberated by Simón Bolívar. So I have mentioned this all before, but this week has finally come and we have officially started the Bolivarianos. The opening ceremonies were last Saturday

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-53529853288735836892009-11-20T16:36:00.004-04:002009-11-21T09:54:15.329-04:00

Sorry for the break, everyone. I finally got back in the mood to write, and I will make up for my absence with two posts. This post will cover all the randomness that is not worthy of one full post.Halloween. Yes, I know it is November, but Halloween is the 31st and I wasn't going to write a post on the 31st just so it would fit in the right month. Deal with it. Well, Halloween was never really a

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-11018692875641853202009-10-18T17:14:00.006-04:002009-10-18T19:17:53.646-04:00

Not too much too say right now. At least not too much of anything specific.The first image you see is of a Tarco Tree. They are very popular in Sucre, and I understand why. Absolutely gorgeous. They are everywhere and it seems like they are constantly flowering. For at least the last month they have been in bloom, and flowers fall every day. I can't seem to figure it out. When I come home every

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-25118471371814257162009-10-08T18:24:00.004-04:002009-10-09T07:18:35.543-04:00

I am kind of going out on a limb here. I hope noone finds my words too foolish, but I guess that is life. "What have I got to lose" in expressing all this anyway. I would absolutely love to hear some words of wisdom if you should have any to offer. hmnelson12@gmail.com. I am always up for a hearty discussion. I advise you to read with patience and an open mind. My mind is confusing, and it gets

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-39718751515111306202009-09-27T17:38:00.003-04:002009-09-30T19:15:54.279-04:00

This could get lengthy, but I will try my hardest to streamline it.Last Sunday marked the 53rd birthday of my Uncle Fernando. Because he lives in La Paz with his wife, Ximena, and was in Sucre all week, we ended up throwing a party in our home. A huge portion of the family was there, and I am pretty sure I was the only person below the age of 30. It sure was nice. Adults know how to party. Just a

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-82173038340311383582009-09-15T10:27:00.008-04:002009-09-17T20:29:56.304-04:00

Where to begin. Well, I am way too exhausted to have any thoughts for the day, so I will settle for a nice narration of my incredibly chaotic week.What started as a nice Friday afternoon in the plaza, ended as a very eye-opening and frightening one. So far in my life, I have been lucky enough to avoid any major suffering or hardship. I realized for the millionth time just how lucky I have been in

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-57192349069061570522009-09-05T12:28:00.006-04:002009-09-08T22:07:23.959-04:00

Thought for the day: Trying new things, and RE-trying old things, can be fun, but just going for it even if you don't like it at all is best. I do not eat raw tomatoes or carrots. I do not like nuts. I DO NOT dance. I definitely do not volunteer to go climbing in the middle of a mine. I never thought about tasting a beer or even so much as looking at a bottle of whisky. All this until I arrived

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-10194272674938163592009-08-26T17:33:00.005-04:002009-08-29T08:31:37.422-04:00

Thought for the day: "Maybe understanding is possible only after." Thank you, John Steinbeck, for your delightful morsels of humorous insight. As an attempt to maintain alertness in all the classes I do not understand, which include all classes but math, I have been reading J. Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. For the third time. I don't know that the quote really applies to anything specific

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-18763139501647510802009-08-20T16:36:00.003-04:002009-08-20T18:45:23.188-04:00

Thought for the day: Schools in the United States are spoiled rotten. I am reaching the end of my second week of school here and have managed to settle in quite nicely, more or less. Early this week, a realization seeped in to my rapidly-growing noggin as I cluelessly watched my physics lab partners. After the professor anounced something I failed to understand, I couldn´t figure out why everyone

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-52914628596941702132009-08-13T14:50:00.008-04:002009-08-15T22:20:14.434-04:00

Thought for the day: Now that I am somewhat accustomed to life in Sucre, I have come to realize something. Everything is exactly the same as in the states, but in a different language. Life is universal. Truly. Especially in school. All good students cram to the front of class. All good students are in favor with their teachers. All senior guys all are obnoxious jokers. Here, the guys make this

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8461159723859778970.post-53336430568818701782009-08-01T17:09:00.005-04:002009-08-01T23:50:42.008-04:00

Cheerio good neighbors! I thought it would be wise to get my blog started before I leave. Actually, Brad Bonner thought so, but whatever. ;-) Here goes: I ship out on Friday the 7th at 6:00 AM. My family and I will head to Omaha on Thursday afternoon to dine and enjoy our last American evening together...but I think the true reason for this is so they don't have to wake at the buttcrack of dawn

h.nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180965970885826202noreply@blogger.com8