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South
America / Letter 14
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Jan.
4, 1999.....Caranavi, Bolivia
I traveled northeast to Caranavi, Bolivia.
Paul and Jay Mikaelsen, my brother and
sister-in-law, run Radio Caranavi, youth projects,
and are just starting a television station for this
area under the World Mission Prayer League. They are
also helping to set up a cleft lip and palate
medical team for this fall. I am looking forward
to returning to see them later this year.
On New Years eve, Paul and Jay's friends invited us
over for a Parrillada (Bolivian grill-out). It
started with ribeye steaks, followed by ribs, then a
slice of roast, on to ubre (cow's udder), and then
tripe (grilled intestines). This was complimented by
a cheese rice casserole and fresh vegetable salad. I
have never eaten so much meat in one sitting in my
life...................You probably want to know
what umbre tastes like?!?! It is tender, the texture
of a hard cheese, and didn't have a strong taste. I
must admit I only had a few bites. The next cuisine
adventure was tripe................a little bit more
tender than a salty rubber band and I managed to get
one mouthful into my stomach and it stayed there.
The evening was spent with fire works and at
midnight everyone placed 12 grapes in a glass with
champagne. At the stroke of midnight you drink the
champagne and eat each grape making a wish for each
of the 12 months. New Years is a festive time for
friends and family that lasts for 2-3 days
continuously. I swear Bolivians never sleep.
I took a side trip north/northwest to
Rurrenabaque, Bolivia. This is in the lowlands of
the amazon. It took me seven hours to drive 160
miles with only one flat tire, one landslide, and
some very big pot holes. You have to see the roads
here to believe them. They are very dangerous,
traversing along shear cliffs and are often closed
or blocked by mud slides and swollen rivers. Some
days you can only make 100 miles in a full day of
travel. The weather is very hot (85-90F) and humid
because the rainy season has started. I took a
guided boat tour through the jungle and savanah. I
saw parrots, macaws, eagles, raptors, many colorful
little birds (sorry, but I don't have a bird book
with me), butterflies, spider monkeys, capuchina
monkeys, howler monkeys, snakes, alligators, 5
jochis.....you have to look that one up because I
don't know what it is in English....., amazon
porcupine, and much more. The area was teaming with
wild life, flowers, and green vegetation. All I can
say is fantastic! My guide caught an alligator and
let me hold it and look at it. They are incredible
creature.
Tomorrow I head to LaPaz, Bolivia and tour other
parts of Bolivia with Paul and Jay. I hope to write
soon, but email has been very erratic. Sorry, but I
have not been able to send pictures because of how
slow Peru and Bolivia's email has been. Hope
everyone is having a wonderful New Year.
Adios, Ben |
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