contrasts

Joel and I have been in Uruguay for a few days now. I felt a pang of regret as we said good bye to our friends in Bolivia. It was so nice to spend time with Patricia and Tony and their daughter,Anna. They were very gracious hosts. I believe in the old adage ¨ fish and guests begin to smell after 3 days¨ however we spent time independently away from them so we didn´t wear out our welcome.

At the SAR barbecue Joel was a great hit as he learned how to make the special sauce using a large stone block and stone grinding tool. We probably spoke the most Spanish of our trip so far at the party. I met several family members of Mario, and tried my best to communicate. There was lots of kisses and hugs all around when we left. I told them that we will return in 2 years to help them celebrate the 22nd anniversary of SAR. My plan is that we will explore different parts of South America over time.

We spent only one night in Buenos Aires. It is a huge,bustling metropolis. We looked in at some of the tango halls. The tango show is part of the tourist circuit. I would rather go dance with Joel!

The most obvious contrast between Bolivia and Uruguay is the appearance of the population. Bolivia has the largest indigenous population in South America. The majority of people are darker skinned and are shorter in stature. Many of the women still wear traditional dress, and in the small towns they wear a bowler hat. Babies are carried in a large, colorful cloth slung across the mother´s back. The indigenous language is healthy and is transmitted to the younger generation.

Cochabamba, Bolivia is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. There was a freshness to the air and at night it became cool.

There are few indigenous people in Uruguay. Most were persecuted and driven to the farthest reaches of the country. Of course disease also took its toll. Therefore the population of Uruguay reflects it´s immigrant heritage of Italians, Spanish, German, Portugese and others. We were warned that Uruguayans speak faster than Bolivians, however so far I haven´t noticed the pace as much as instead of the ¨ll¨pronounced like a ¨y¨, it is a soft ¨j¨. People dress smartly and are slim.

Now we are at sea level and it is flat. We marveled at the countryside while we were on our bus ride today to Montevideo- rolling hills and cultivated fields. Large silos and big farm machinery. Very different kind of farming that Bolivia!

It´s time for me to close,
abrazos,
Robin