Where are the children?

For those of you who are wondering if we have spent any time with our kids recently, and for grandparents who want to see kid pictures...this one's for you!

Pictures include more fun at Laikakota park, a hike at Valley of the Moon, horseback riding, and general play.

And, drum roll please: I'm attempting to put an automatic slide show here. If you want to see bigger photos, just click on the picture below and the album will open and you can choose full screen slideshow. And if all else fails, here's the regular link: http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/RecentKidPictures?feat=directlink

Enjoy!

6000 meters high

Weds March 24, 7:15 am

6000+ meters high on Mt. Huayna Potosi!

Okay, before you think we´ve completely lost our minds, here's the rest of the story--where we stopped was not the summit. It was about 20 minutes further on this dizzying ridge (see below), which we could feel in our trembling legs was NOT something we were up to! Meanwhile, Gonzalo (our guide) was fairly dancing on the precipice (with a 1000 meter vertical drop to his left!) when this picture was taken:


View from "our" summit
Going back down.


Why did we do this? Long fascinated by stories of climbers and elusive summits, Larry and I decided to try this one for ourselves because: a) Sergio (Rosi's husband) was willing to take us, b) Gonzalo, a guide who has climbed for many years with Antonio and Sergio (and who has climbed this particular peak as many as 5 times in one week!) was available and c) (this was the part that for us didn't seem to be true) this was a non-technical, "beginners" mountain.


It was an amazing experience, but VERY challenging--we'd venture to say the hardest thing we've ever done. The hiking was absolutely grueling. We started hiking at 2 am and got to "our" top at 7...then 2 hours back down to base camp and 2 more hours to the car. Thats 11 hours of hiking, gaining 3,000 feet (from 16,000 to 19,700) then losing 4,600 feet mostly on snow/ice, with some really steep parts that required ice axes, and all in footwear that was very akin to a ski boot with strategically placed large nails sticking out of the bottom!!! And the effect of the altitude made much of the all-night hike an exercise in endurance. Twice I (Karen) really thought I could not take another step, but then amazingly, you just push on--a sip of warm tea and a bit of chocolate make it all better for a little while! And actually, hiking in the dark meant you didn't know what was ahead of you--on our way back down we could not believe what we had come up!!!


But the view from up on top was truly spectacular, looking down on the clouds. The sheer scariness of it, too, was exhilarating beyond words. Not to mention that we actually made it (although not the true summit, it was plenty enough for us!!)!


For the journey narrated thru the pictures, here's the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/2010HuaynaPotosi?feat=directlink

Week in review: Fathers Day, Susan in hospital, Elliott on Tiwanaku and us to Huayna Potosi

It seems like a very long time since our trip to Sajama...here's what we've been up to in the last week:

• Larry got to celebrate Fathers Day early since last Friday was dia del papa' in Bolivia. Here he is showered with the cards and crafts the kids made at school
  
  
  
  

• Then we had a health scare: Susan had a transitory vascular spasm early Saturday morning which by all appearances looked like a mini stroke (to me). She suddenly lost coordination on one side, couldn't speak--but was never unconscious. Luckily it was not too severe, and unlike a stroke caused by a blockage, a vascular spasm is caused by a quick contraction of a blood vessel which opens up again. Susan spent one night in the clinic, shocked her doctors by how quickly she recovered, and after just 24 hours in the hospital, she was able to join us for the big Fathers Day lunch on Sunday at Pablo and Dani's. In her check-up today her cardiologist pronounced her "100 percent fine". Whew.

20 of us had lunch on Sunday...Gnoccis handmade by Dani, her mom & sisters

• In the meantime, while Susan was being attended at the clinic, Larry and I took our kids plus Lucas to Tiwanaku--site of a pre-Incan civilzation in the altiplano, about 1.5 hours from La Paz. If you look closely at the mural below you can see what the site might have looked like in its time:

• The main thing about Tiwanaku that's so interesting are the huge stone doors and "monolitos" (monoliths) carved out of single, humongous slabs of rock wouldn't have been found anywhere closer than about 40 kms away from the site. Elliott enjoyed this trip the most of all the kids, and I asked him to write about it in his journal. He clearly learned how to spell "archeological" if nothing else! By way of preface, let me add that 1) by "up in the air", I think he's refering to the altitude of the altiplano (about 12,800 ft or up to 1,000ft higher than La Paz) 2) We missed the turn on the way into Tiwanaku (thus the "hidden entrance") and 3) when he loses steam in his narrative I will show pictures of what he's talking about). Now here's Elliott:

"On Saturday we went to Tiwanaku. Tiwanaku is an archeological site. It's up high in the air. On the way I almost touched the clouds!!! Well there was an hidden entrance to go in to the archeological site. Once we found the entrance there was a large green field and then there was land that rose up that was shere the archeological site was. To the left of the archeological site was a small town with a museum. We ate lunch and then we went in the museum. There was a part of the museum where they were flipping the lights on and off. There was a mummy in that certain room and it was scary because you could see a sceleton head wrapped in cloth if you cant imagine it here's a picture:

Then after we looked at the mummy, there were seloton heads added beside it there was about twenty! Then we turned around and started twards the door. After the mueseum we went to the archeological site.

P.S. Mom, can I do a quick thing of the archeological site?

My favorite thing in the archeological site was the hearing hole, the monolitos, and the place where the monolito heads are in a pattern.

Then we went out of the archeological site and saw a HUGE monolito taller than my mom and dad. It would take 4 karens to be as tall as it! Well, sorry abot not writing enough about the archeological site, but THE END!!!! TIWANAKU!!!

Pyramid that's being excavated/reconstructed

One of the "monolitos" that Elliott likes so much

Puerta del Sol...once a single slab, broken by Spanish invaders . In its original location, the sun rose thru the exact center on June 21 and it is carved with images so it may have served as a calendar.
Sitting on the steps up to the main ceremonial courtyard

Another stone slab-door

The subterranean temple with head figures in a pattern that Elliott mentioned

The "hearing hole"--you could hear a speaker talking quietly across the courtyard by putting your ear to the hole in the stone.

The picnic area...benches nicely cushioned with paja/straw

Kids sacked out on the drive. Thank goodness for the lack of seat belt laws!

• Last but definitely not least, Larry and I managed squeeze in one more truly magnificent adventure: an overnight hike to climb Huayna Potosi...6000 meters high...that's 19,700 ft! which involved hiking all night on snow/ice. More on that tomorrow!
  
• And, in a lucky (for me) turn of events, Larry's plane this morning was so late he had to reschedule to depart on Sunday!

That brings you up to date. Stay tuned for mountain climbing pictures! Karen

Sajama getaway

Larry and I had a fantastic overnight trip to Sajama National Park this week. When we put the kids on the bus Monday morning, we borrowed Susan's car and hit the road for a 5 hour journey.

It is always thrilling for me to go driving on our own in Bolivia. Once you get out of La Paz/El Alto and its insane traffic and absence of helpful directional signs, there is one open road and no end of expansive, breathtaking scenery. I think Sajama is my favorite place in Bolivia--I love the snow-capped mountains all around and the feeling that you're the only one on the planet, and certainly that you're on some kind of frontier.

Larry and I hiked to boiling geysers, soaked in hot springs, drove tricky and sometimes treacherous roads (well, at least in a borrowed Toyota sedan!) We visited 18th century adobe churches and had a hot bath, warm bed and wonderful meals at the Tomarapi lodge we stayed in.

Here's a handful of pictures...the full spread is at http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/2010SajamaTrip?feat=directlink

Llamas
Geysers
Churches

And Ahhh...the hot springs

Food!

As most of you know, coming to Bolivia is an amazing eating opportunity...Susan prepares major lunches for the family every day of the week, and weekends usually hold a restaurant with good Bolivian food and an amazing meal at Pablo and Dani's house. As Susan says, "If the Gisberts arent' eating, then they're talking about food."

Heres some photos, mostly of the market and some of the uniquely Bolivian dishes we've had: http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/Food2010Bolivia?feat=directlink

Vegetarians beware: graphic market shots and meat-intensive dishes are pictured here! I've mainly pictured the unique Bolivian dishes...but our diet is quite well rounded with salads and vegetables at the Gisbert table!

Provecho!

A hike to the Muela del Diablo

We got to go on a hike yesterday! A little one, but our first hike in quite some time. Got us setting our sights on some other small adventures.

It was 10 years ago that we outfitted the "ambulancia"--the Isuzu Trooper that we bought here and drove to Tierra del Fuego and back. In honor of that anniversary, on Monday we are going to borrow Susan's car and take ourselves on a little overnight trip to Sajama, the national park near the Chilean border where we spent the first night of our trip 10 years ago. Instead of camping in the ambulancia, we are going upscale and we'll stay in a community-run ecolodge near the park. We're both excited about this little getaway (and thankful to Susan, Rosi, et al for taking care of the kids for us...and loaning the car...and packing the picnic....??!!!)

Here's more pictures of our hike up the Muela: http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/2010MuelaDelDiabloHike?feat=directlink

More on the Coroico trip

Here is a link to more photos from our weekend...choose slideshow and you can see full-size pictures with captions:
http://picasaweb.google.com/krchildress/CoroicoMarch2010?feat=directlink


And here is a 1 minute you tube link for a glimpse of the road to Yungas. This video is nothing earth-shattering, in fact I took it as an afterthought. But maybe it captures a little bit. I think the new road is noteworthy as it still snakes along the side of a dramatically steep valley, and the road goes from paved to 4x4 track or paved with stone many times without any warning. (There are certain areas that just can't be kept paved because they are prone to land slides, isn't that nice?)

Remember, this is THE major route, not some remote side track. What I wish I had captured were the busses that come careening around the bend right at you, or the clouds of dust that get kicked up in the dirt parts. Or the encouraging sign in one section that says it all: Geologically Unstable Area!

But for what it's worth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ8PlQkHzb0

Coroico

This is the hillside town of Coroico

This is the house we stayed in, which I think says it all. :) We had a great weekend here. The only downside was biting bugs that defy insect repellent, so we've come home scratching!

I'm working on a web album for more pictures, but wanted to send this much to let you know we're back safe and sound.

Karen

Paro update & weekend plans

Just to let you know that the paro ended as planned on Thursday evening. No legislation was modified but the goverment did concede to release nearly 60 people who were arrested and jailed for thier road-blocking activities, once damages are paid, that is. Also, it appears some drivers will be included as a part of a commision that will review the drunk driving laws in 30 days.

So the kids went back to school today, the city streets clogged up as usual with traffic and clouds of black exhaust (coming from all those vans and busses that are back), and all is back to normal.

And, just so you know our whereabouts:

This weekend, Pablo and Dani are taking our family plus Susan to Coroico, a town in the Yungas (valley region). We'll be going from La Paz with it's million people at an elevation of 11,500 ft down to a small town of 5,000 at 5,700 ft. It should be lots warmer and quieter! I for one am looking forward to getting out of the big city for a little while!

And yes, Coroico is the town we've traveled to more than once on the infamous "road of death." For a gallery of thrilling pictures, see: http://images.google.com.bo/images?hl=es&q=most+dangerous+road+in+the+world&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=diCRS4mYNM-WtgexmbWDCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCkQsAQwAw.

I just learned (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yungas_Road) that the road was dubbed the most dangerous road by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995, many years after I had taken it the first time in 1986 as part of my little job at USAID, or in 1991 when Larry and I went on it as part of our honeymoon...ignorance is bliss! But the new, paved 2-lane road opened in 2006 and that's the one we'll be taking, so don't worry. Besides, Pablo is driving so we couldn't be in better hands.

More on Monday--
Karen

Letter to Ms. Cross's Class

Thank you for writing me!

I liked reading all of your letters!

Now here's one for all of you:



Dear Mrs.Cross's class,
I could tell that all of you are learning about black history
in social studies because all of you wrote it on each of the
letters.The new kid Tank sounds really nice,
I really want to meet him!!!Do you know what the classrooms look like in Bolivia?
Respons(no)They look really blank and boring when you come in the classrooms they
arnt very greeting.The walls are clear exsept for the alfebet on them.



Now back to the Black History part,Salome and J'Aaron explaned to me a little of what Black History was its like afracin americain history, right? In our school in social studies we are learning about Oruro which is a department in Bolivia. Departments are what they call States. Oruro is high in the mountains and it is cold and it is where the President of Bolivia was born. There's also lots of llamas there and quirquinchos which are like armadillos. There was a war there too.

What else? You need to know that Ms. McDonald is a very nice gym teacher. Mine here makes us do army exercises. I do have a really nice english teacher though. Guess what that is my favorite class.

All of the letters you wrote me were very good,now I have some sertain answers
to sertain peoples questions.

To:Jaesa
You know how you said if it was hot in Bolivia,
well in a place called Yanacachi it was so HOT you almost c oundn't
stand it!But it would be hot in La Paz if it was on a lower altatude.


To:J'Aaron
Hi,you asked about the monkeys,
I hope to meet them this weekend!
I'm still looking in the dicionary for a little word
of monky language.I havent found any yet!


To:Canyon
Hi!I got a lego star wars set
called the Tanative IV for my birthday.
Do you remember the first time I came to your new
house? You and Forest were playing the wii,
well now I probably am alot better at that than you! Not bragging or anything, but there's one here and my mom lets me play it a lot since I'm going to school and all.


To:Brandon W.
Hey I have read a lot of books here and would probably be close to beating you on AR points if I could take the tests! You are crazy.

To:Brandon S.
Thanks for saying get well. I wasn't really sick, just homesick which means I was missing home and my school and all you guys.

OK, thats all I have for now. Signing off from parts unknown, Hasta la vista!

Elliott

It's a Paro!

What's this? It's the street in front of the house--almost completely empty of traffic. It feels like a Sunday but it's Wednesday afternoon. Why? All the minibuses and microbuses are not moving today--the bus drivers' union called a 48-hour transportation strike--nationwide-- that began this morning. To me, it feels like 2/3 of the cars are off the streets.

Which means that schools are out for the kids...a paro (strike) is the Bolivian equivalent of a snow day!

Previously, I would have said that it wouldn't be a trip to Bolivia if there wasn't a paro or demonstration of some kind. We've been here when we couldn't plan a trip anywhere out of La Paz because of road blockades, and another when we went home a few days early because the President resigned and we got worried. But in the years since Evo has been president, there have not been paros--this is the first one. It will be interesting to see how he handles it...after all, Evo is the people's president, and I think he's not a stranger to the organizing side of a strike.

But this is a particularly ridiculous strike. Drivers are protesting Public Decree #420 which imposes tougher sanctions on drunk bus drivers. Now that's something to oppose, isn't it???

This is an issue that has been in the papers since we first arrived--beginning with the news that nearly 100 people have died in bus accidents in the last couple of months, all with drunk drivers at the wheel.

The leadership started their protest with a hunger strike on Monday. Clever aren't they--I guess that technically allows them to keep drinking? The cartoon in today's paper sums up my thoughts exactly:

(Caption says: Drivers on hunger strike--it should be an "alcohol strike" instead.)

In any case, we'll see what tomorrow holds. Supposedly the government is going to sanction those that are blocking roads in an attempt to weaken the momentum of the strike, and all indications are that Evo is standing firm on decree 420. I'm guessing school is out again no matter what.

Luckily, for us in the city taxis are running and private cars are circulating normally--we haven't heard of any blockades. And, most businesses seem to be functioning, at least where we have been today.

And after all, civilized strikers stop striking for the weekend, so there should be a break very soon. Will keep you posted...Karen

Larry's Here!

While I was picking up Larry at the airport at 7am, Abu Sue got the kids off to school. I sent Elliott with this journal assignment to do during his English class today:

Write 4 sentences about how you feel about Dad getting here:

Well, you know my Dad is coming today. I'm in a very, very different mood in school. My stomach is not nervios and I'm looking forward to school today. I'm really excited so school should go by fast.

Write 2 things you have missed the most about Dad:

I have missed going to the movies with dad. Plus when we got to spank dad on the swings. [K: by way of explanation, this is a little swing-set game that goes way back]

I can't wait to show this to Dad (something besides the Wii):

My new lego star wars set I got for my birthday.

Dad will be surprised by this about me (not Wii abilities!):

Dad will be surprised about how I'm learning spanish.

Here are 3 things I want to do with Dad while he is here (besides play Wii):

1. Go to the movies with only Dad.

2. Go to the place with the free monkeys [K: this means monkeys not in cages--it's something Elliott has seen from pictures of a place Larry and I went in Yungas, and we are planning to go this weekend!]

3. Go to the BIG SLIDE!

The best thing about having Dad here will be:
time will probably go faster and he'll be here.
Larry was waiting at the door when the school Gondolas arrived. Susana and Foster get home first at 12:30pm
Followed by Elliott on the big bus at 2pm.

We can't believe we made it...5 weeks is the longest we've ever been without him. As I write, Larry's drinking his coca tea and a has had a couple of naps and the kids are doing their best to let him acclimatize to the altitude! More soon...