Alive and well!

What a looooong day it's been! I've taken 3 (or was it 4 naps) today and I'm still tired...

The trip down was very OK. American Airline flights are not the most comfortable things in the world but they got the job done. The Miami airport was pretty crazy. It's very very large - I walked almost the entire thing to kill time. And time I had as my lay-over was nothing short of 10 hours. Everyone spoke Spanish there which I guess shouldn't be that amazing. It was to prepare for things to come. I used some of the time there to just get my mind right.

On the flight down I got to sit next to 2 nice people. One was a gringo like myself and he was journeying to document (he was the photographer) some engineers making some kind of clean water system in a remote village somewhere. The other was an American educated Bolivian woman who was a professor at Syracuse. She gave me her business card in case I needed anything. So I'm off to a great start! The plane ride itself was terrible (due mostly to not being able to recline) but I managed about 4 hours of sleep out of a 6.5 hour flight.

Once I arrived in La Paz there was immigration thing to go through... which was not very impressive. There is one little place for baggage claim here. I guess planes come in one at a time.

My first "cultural" experience came when I went to the bathroom after I got off the plane and a woman just came in and started cleaning... I couldn't help but smile to myself.

Once I got to walk out with my luggage I must have walked right past the FAI sign because I proceeded to walk through the entire airport (nothing like Miami) and then back again before I found them (Nina and the driver). Shortly after I introduced myself to Nina a group of about 10 disciples from La Paz came out of no where. At first I didn't know who they were but then it quickly dawned on me (I think it was the altitude and the thin air). They were very very happy to see me for having been waiting for me for more than one hour - and did I mention this was before 6 in the morning?

On the ride down the from the airport you get some great views of the valley below. With the sun rising it was really a site to see. My one crappy picture doesn't do it justice. And I didn't take any pictures of the stray dogs, but they are everywhere!

Once I arrived where I will be staying I had breakfast with Nina and the driver (yea... definitely didn't catch his name) and Teresa (German volunteer). Got to have some Coca tea and as far as I know it works. I haven't had a headache all day... now being a little winded was another story. After breakfast I was left alone for a few hours where I got to nap and relax a little.

My afternoon was spent with Teresa as she showed me the important places know. We walked through the closest market (I'm staying what is considered a middle class area mind you) and sure they had fresh fruits and veggies but they also had pigeons and stray dogs everywhere - and yes, this is inside. After the tour we went back and ate a little. We were waiting for some new volunteers who were supposed to be coming in so I napped. But they never came. So I came back to my room and  now I'm typing this half asleep.

Oh yea, and it's cold. There is seriously no heating in La Paz - everyone just bundles up. Man we have it good. This change of the way of life is going to take some getting used to... but I think I'm up to the task.