Until we meet again

Hey all

This maybe our last posting as v busy up until we leave on Sunday morning. We went to a great guitar concert in the week and then Friday we went to the main house for some traditional food, which included a previously unheard of cut of beef that is somewhere between the skin and the belly. Was very salty, but good. We then hung around as we were supposed to be going to a regional Q'owa, the monthly Pacha Mama offering ceremony. As per Bolivan - or Pete Cook - time (xx!) the 'after dinner' departure had still not happened at 11.30pm, so some of us opted for touring the local streets and we saw plenty of Bolivians smoking out their shop fronts and streets with little fires of burning coals and various sacred items.

Lou Lou has managed to get a bad throat in 95degrees! But it didn´t stop us spending Saturday touring the city, eating crepes, spotting the trees that had been struck by lightening in recent storms and preparing our presentations for this week. Saturday night, out housemate was going back to Oz and it was her birthday, so we decorated the house and made food and had a v nice evening with other volunteers and Bolivians. We did manage to start a small fire with the candles and also invited a trillion evil little bitey ants into the kitchen by leaving out some cake. Oops!

Sunday we spent a very civilized day by the pool at a 4star hotel in the posh bit of town. It did rain a bit , but we took shelter and sipped watermelon juice, whilst parrots wandered by. The down side was a rich Bolivian who declared that he was living in a fascist state - pretty much what any middle class and rich Bolivians have declared to us, plus denouncing Evo for not being able to read!! There is some issue re some new laws that Evo has brought in re racism and how he had banned all mention of it in the press, which obviously means no reporting of racist incidents either. Journalists launched a petition which has had thousands of signatures,  but think people are signing it against state control of the media too, like in Venezuela. Not entirely sure, as not found anyone who can explain it to us in English.

Sunday evening, Lou Lou went to the movies with a group of volunteers to see a crap action film, but wanted to hang out with new friends and experience a Bolivian cinemas, which was just like going to Avonmead. They were switching the Xmas lights on, so we came out to sparkling reindeers and a giant coca cola tree. We then had a mega chinese takeaway.

There has been some interesting dog developments. Lou Lou has taken to grabbing Tenis for protection on at least 2 occassions of late. It would appear that the sleepy dogs that lay around under the trees in the day,  like to gather a la Westside Sory stylee in the evenings and zig zag across the road towards you in a saliva sodden slalom, so that despite your efforts to hasten to the opposite side of the road, they eventually surround you in a snarling pack. There were 12 large dogs yesterday, which prompted Lou Lou to squeal 'don't move` and for Denis to grab his t-shirt in the region of his heart. The dogs eventually tootled off, unaware of the trauma they had caused and before we could recover, a stradler came out from under a gate, but from where we were stood, appeared to rise up from out of the pavement, the flames of hell licking up around him. There followed much beer, cider, wine, etc.

So today was a normal day at work, we had a quick siesta in the park at lunchtime, not far from the local builders who slumped into their wheelbarrows for a quick 40mins.

Tonight LouLou is doing a presentation on CAICC, tomorrow we hope to meet with the director of CAICC again, 3rd time lucky - another Bolivian habit: mañan means anytime from tomorrow to next year! Wednesday we should be going to the prison and then doing our UK presentation to the kids, Thursday is another owrk day, followed by shopping and starting to pack up and an attempt to get contact local NUS. Doesn´t look like Lou Louwill get any links with sex worker project, but can only try. Friday is our final work day, exit interview, then friend's birthday party, cocktails and private karaoke lounge. Saturday Lou Lou is off with a group to hike into a tropical zone and then a bunch of us are going to a posh restaurant for a Bolivian meal for our send off  : (

So, may post some more pics if possible - can´t right now, as probs with IT. If not, will bore you senseless with pics on our return.

Sleep deprivation dependent, may well be in Sugarloaf c.6pm Monday night, will txt people if going!

Take care mis amigos, miss you, but don´t want to come home either, as just beginning to settle into the crazy way of life  here. Catch you in the subzero temperatues soon,
Lou Lou & Tenis
xxxx