Bolivia 09’
Travis Cannata
Agreeing to take a trip to Bolivia (A relatively larger country in the center of South America) was easy for someone like me who is an avid “outdoorsy” kind of guy. Being my second time I knew exactly what I was getting into (NOT!). A team of us agreed to help build a civic center / dining area for a church in the jungle of this country. This was a hard task and everyone who agreed to this trip understood the expectations.
Leaving out of Orlando International Airport was the least of any of our worries. It was actually the easiest part of the trip. We checked in, waited a few minutes at our gate, boarded the plane, and took off. There were 7 of us, 6 of us guys and only 1 girl. Patience was almost non-existent, so the least bit of delay ended in confrontation. Our flight had a connection in Miami before we flew into our connection in La Paz, Bolivia. Miami Airport was undergoing construction so it was a little confusing at first to understand where to go. Luckily, the friendly staff was able to guide us in the direction to go and we were able to get situated at our gate.
We decided to eat at a little restaurant called “La Carrera”. I would recommend this place to anyone who stops in the Miami Airport. This serves GREAT food at an incredibly reasonable price. I almost felt guilty taking it. The flight to Miami was smooth and there was no complications. They showed two in flight movies and a couple TV shows. And since this was an overnight international flight, they fed us “plane food” that was surprisingly tolerable. We had the choice of Lasagna and Roast Beef Sandwiches.
The only complaint I had was the lack of space in the American Airways 747 which made it incredibly difficult to sleep for anyone not located at a window seat. As a plus they offered a free set of ear-buds and their in flight radio which played a mix of 50s, 60s, and early 70s music. This did not sit well with the younger crowd and many of them decided to just skip the radio all together and just listened to their iPods.
We landed in La Paz as our connection which is located on the side of a mountain well over 14,000 feet in the air. We had to stop here to re-fuel and switch pilots for our decent into Santa Cruz. The altitude change made a lot of people very sick, and this in turn took us a while to take off because of the “Plane Cleaning” (Yeah…. You get the picture.) Finally off the ground, the flight was only 40 minutes into the Santa Cruz Airport.
The first thing I noticed getting off the plane is the fact that everyone knew exactly where they were going. The airport apparently did not get many tourists. We stuck out like red on white. Customs / Immigration was hard considering I was the only one who even remotely knew the language. And I don’t know a lot. So acting as translator was quite a challenge.
Transportation in Bolivia is a lot different then it is here in the states. Bartering for rides is typical, and renting a bus has no paperwork. We were met by another team who had been in Bolivia since well over a month before we arrived with a bus they rented for little more than $12 American dollars for 14 people who took an hour bus ride from the airport to Santa Cruz. Once in Santa Cruz, we took a taxi to Avis Rental Cars (The taxi cost $1.17 for 11 miles).
Since we were all bent out of shape and worried about renting a car for the day, we did not know what to expect when we got there to rent the car. Avis made it incredibly easy, and unlike the majority of “rental car agencies” in Santa Cruz, they were actually legitimate and provided us with a decent car (For a third world country). Travelers to here need to be careful about renting cars. Many of the “Rental Agencies” in Bolivia will slap a company name like “Hertz” or “budget” in their window and claim to be that company. Since Copyright laws are borderline non-existent and certainly not punished, this is a common problem in Bolivia. A lot of their cars are not maintained properly and the work is done by third grade mechanics, and employees that barely know what their doing, and certainly don’t guarantee their work. Avis was legitimate and helped us through it all and made it so much easier than expected to be in and out of there with a car and peace of mind. We knew we had to rent a car for the last two days at the end of the week, and we already knew exactly where we would head when we returned from “The Jungle”.
At the end of the day, we returned the car and hopped on a 6 hour bus ride for a place called Concepcion’ for our connecting 4 hour Flatbed truck ride to Puquio. This is where we would stay for the next 5 days while we worked on the Civic Center. Our accommodations consisted of a Concrete building with a thatch roof and nets to keep the “bugs” out. And the bugs we are talking about are about the size of a small Dinosaur. The Tarantulas found their way into our suitcases and the wasps were as big as your hand. The nets did little justice and the one moth that got caught in it pulled it down (It was that big).
Over the next five days, we had more outdoor experiences than I think I’ve ever had in my entire life combined. From bathing in rivers, to cutting down shade trees starting at the top, to racing away from animals across a parkour type rock bed in a matrix like fashion. This trip was incredibly eventful. We even got lost in a rock quarry when our driver took off for lunch forgetting that we were still collecting rocks for the floor of the Civic Center. The construction work was as brutal as it was long. Starting at 6am and sometimes not ending until well after dark with a one hour “Ciesta” in the middle of the day for lunch.
Some back story of this next part. Bolivia’s seasons are 100% opposite of the US’s seasons. Their winter is our summer, and their winter is still sweltering. 4 of the 5 days were well over 100 degrees. One of the team members and I were dropped off to collect rocks with a group of the “natives” that was only supposed to last 1 hour. 3.5 hours later we were still waiting for a pick up. After awhile we were starting to get worried that something might have happened. Someone had bought me a 14” hunting knife that was snuck into my back pack as a joke since I was referred to once that week as a “Rambo” of Bolivia. One of the crew said “Who’s Rambo without his knife?” hence, this knife was born. What they didn’t realize is that to the Bolivian people, this was scary for a “Gringo” to be carrying around a knife this big with Americas “Violent nature”. Since it was put into my bag without my knowledge, I pulled it out in the lull time and couldn’t understand where it came from. The Bolivians freaked and told me to throw it into the woods. Right as I was about to, they stopped me because they needed a path cut back to their rock quarry and they had forgotten their machete. So as one of them wielded this shiny new toy, swinging it back and forth through the brush… We came across a nest of Tarantulas, Probably ten, standing in a group in the middle of the path. The team member I was with shrieked like a little girl, completely disregarded and sense of manliness and dignity he had. The Bolivian man with the knife ran dead center and started stomping and hacking away until all that was left was broken pieces and hair. They joked about how they were glad they had the knife because they didn’t want to have two of them get their shoes dirty stomping the large spiders. Finally after earning their trust (I guess) they gave me my knife back and told me to leave the broken spider parts on it as a reminder of them and their “heroic” deed (Strange, but effective).
After completing all we needed to do in the five days, we said our goodbyes and hopped back on a bus to Santa Cruz. Getting stuck with three 15 year old girls for 8 hours in the back of a bus took its toll on me, especially since I just wanted to sleep. It was “blah blah blah blah blah high school is so cool blah blah blah.” Sleep was a scarce thing in Puquio since there was so much to do with so little time. This was my time to catch up and it was a bust.
Arriving in Santa Cruz was a blessing since I wanted to go to the hotel and sleep. We had a day and a half to kill before our flight back to Orlando. The next morning, the first thing we did was head to Avis to rent a 12 passenger van. Once again Avis did everything to make it so easy and so little pressure. We will certainly do the same thing next year when we come back to finish the project.
Over all, it was an incredible trip and a lasting experience. I look forward to returning and finishing the project, as well as visiting the country again. It’s a beautiful country with a breathtaking landscape that no one should ever miss. While this was far from a vacation, it was none-the-less enjoyable. They have opportunity for a vacation. Santa Cruz and La Paz both have elements that a trip to New York City or Sacramento would offer. And could provide a great experience. If your family is looking for a Vacation that is out of the ordinary, I would strongly advise you to give Bolivia a once over and see the opportunity it has for an adventure of a lifetime.
Travis Cannata
Agreeing to take a trip to Bolivia (A relatively larger country in the center of South America) was easy for someone like me who is an avid “outdoorsy” kind of guy. Being my second time I knew exactly what I was getting into (NOT!). A team of us agreed to help build a civic center / dining area for a church in the jungle of this country. This was a hard task and everyone who agreed to this trip understood the expectations.
Leaving out of Orlando International Airport was the least of any of our worries. It was actually the easiest part of the trip. We checked in, waited a few minutes at our gate, boarded the plane, and took off. There were 7 of us, 6 of us guys and only 1 girl. Patience was almost non-existent, so the least bit of delay ended in confrontation. Our flight had a connection in Miami before we flew into our connection in La Paz, Bolivia. Miami Airport was undergoing construction so it was a little confusing at first to understand where to go. Luckily, the friendly staff was able to guide us in the direction to go and we were able to get situated at our gate.
We decided to eat at a little restaurant called “La Carrera”. I would recommend this place to anyone who stops in the Miami Airport. This serves GREAT food at an incredibly reasonable price. I almost felt guilty taking it. The flight to Miami was smooth and there was no complications. They showed two in flight movies and a couple TV shows. And since this was an overnight international flight, they fed us “plane food” that was surprisingly tolerable. We had the choice of Lasagna and Roast Beef Sandwiches.
The only complaint I had was the lack of space in the American Airways 747 which made it incredibly difficult to sleep for anyone not located at a window seat. As a plus they offered a free set of ear-buds and their in flight radio which played a mix of 50s, 60s, and early 70s music. This did not sit well with the younger crowd and many of them decided to just skip the radio all together and just listened to their iPods.
We landed in La Paz as our connection which is located on the side of a mountain well over 14,000 feet in the air. We had to stop here to re-fuel and switch pilots for our decent into Santa Cruz. The altitude change made a lot of people very sick, and this in turn took us a while to take off because of the “Plane Cleaning” (Yeah…. You get the picture.) Finally off the ground, the flight was only 40 minutes into the Santa Cruz Airport.
The first thing I noticed getting off the plane is the fact that everyone knew exactly where they were going. The airport apparently did not get many tourists. We stuck out like red on white. Customs / Immigration was hard considering I was the only one who even remotely knew the language. And I don’t know a lot. So acting as translator was quite a challenge.
Transportation in Bolivia is a lot different then it is here in the states. Bartering for rides is typical, and renting a bus has no paperwork. We were met by another team who had been in Bolivia since well over a month before we arrived with a bus they rented for little more than $12 American dollars for 14 people who took an hour bus ride from the airport to Santa Cruz. Once in Santa Cruz, we took a taxi to Avis Rental Cars (The taxi cost $1.17 for 11 miles).
Since we were all bent out of shape and worried about renting a car for the day, we did not know what to expect when we got there to rent the car. Avis made it incredibly easy, and unlike the majority of “rental car agencies” in Santa Cruz, they were actually legitimate and provided us with a decent car (For a third world country). Travelers to here need to be careful about renting cars. Many of the “Rental Agencies” in Bolivia will slap a company name like “Hertz” or “budget” in their window and claim to be that company. Since Copyright laws are borderline non-existent and certainly not punished, this is a common problem in Bolivia. A lot of their cars are not maintained properly and the work is done by third grade mechanics, and employees that barely know what their doing, and certainly don’t guarantee their work. Avis was legitimate and helped us through it all and made it so much easier than expected to be in and out of there with a car and peace of mind. We knew we had to rent a car for the last two days at the end of the week, and we already knew exactly where we would head when we returned from “The Jungle”.
At the end of the day, we returned the car and hopped on a 6 hour bus ride for a place called Concepcion’ for our connecting 4 hour Flatbed truck ride to Puquio. This is where we would stay for the next 5 days while we worked on the Civic Center. Our accommodations consisted of a Concrete building with a thatch roof and nets to keep the “bugs” out. And the bugs we are talking about are about the size of a small Dinosaur. The Tarantulas found their way into our suitcases and the wasps were as big as your hand. The nets did little justice and the one moth that got caught in it pulled it down (It was that big).
Over the next five days, we had more outdoor experiences than I think I’ve ever had in my entire life combined. From bathing in rivers, to cutting down shade trees starting at the top, to racing away from animals across a parkour type rock bed in a matrix like fashion. This trip was incredibly eventful. We even got lost in a rock quarry when our driver took off for lunch forgetting that we were still collecting rocks for the floor of the Civic Center. The construction work was as brutal as it was long. Starting at 6am and sometimes not ending until well after dark with a one hour “Ciesta” in the middle of the day for lunch.
Some back story of this next part. Bolivia’s seasons are 100% opposite of the US’s seasons. Their winter is our summer, and their winter is still sweltering. 4 of the 5 days were well over 100 degrees. One of the team members and I were dropped off to collect rocks with a group of the “natives” that was only supposed to last 1 hour. 3.5 hours later we were still waiting for a pick up. After awhile we were starting to get worried that something might have happened. Someone had bought me a 14” hunting knife that was snuck into my back pack as a joke since I was referred to once that week as a “Rambo” of Bolivia. One of the crew said “Who’s Rambo without his knife?” hence, this knife was born. What they didn’t realize is that to the Bolivian people, this was scary for a “Gringo” to be carrying around a knife this big with Americas “Violent nature”. Since it was put into my bag without my knowledge, I pulled it out in the lull time and couldn’t understand where it came from. The Bolivians freaked and told me to throw it into the woods. Right as I was about to, they stopped me because they needed a path cut back to their rock quarry and they had forgotten their machete. So as one of them wielded this shiny new toy, swinging it back and forth through the brush… We came across a nest of Tarantulas, Probably ten, standing in a group in the middle of the path. The team member I was with shrieked like a little girl, completely disregarded and sense of manliness and dignity he had. The Bolivian man with the knife ran dead center and started stomping and hacking away until all that was left was broken pieces and hair. They joked about how they were glad they had the knife because they didn’t want to have two of them get their shoes dirty stomping the large spiders. Finally after earning their trust (I guess) they gave me my knife back and told me to leave the broken spider parts on it as a reminder of them and their “heroic” deed (Strange, but effective).
After completing all we needed to do in the five days, we said our goodbyes and hopped back on a bus to Santa Cruz. Getting stuck with three 15 year old girls for 8 hours in the back of a bus took its toll on me, especially since I just wanted to sleep. It was “blah blah blah blah blah high school is so cool blah blah blah.” Sleep was a scarce thing in Puquio since there was so much to do with so little time. This was my time to catch up and it was a bust.
Arriving in Santa Cruz was a blessing since I wanted to go to the hotel and sleep. We had a day and a half to kill before our flight back to Orlando. The next morning, the first thing we did was head to Avis to rent a 12 passenger van. Once again Avis did everything to make it so easy and so little pressure. We will certainly do the same thing next year when we come back to finish the project.
Over all, it was an incredible trip and a lasting experience. I look forward to returning and finishing the project, as well as visiting the country again. It’s a beautiful country with a breathtaking landscape that no one should ever miss. While this was far from a vacation, it was none-the-less enjoyable. They have opportunity for a vacation. Santa Cruz and La Paz both have elements that a trip to New York City or Sacramento would offer. And could provide a great experience. If your family is looking for a Vacation that is out of the ordinary, I would strongly advise you to give Bolivia a once over and see the opportunity it has for an adventure of a lifetime.
posted by Travis Cannata @ 1:58 PM
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