sidewalks of cochabamba, bolivia

Sidewalks are often overlooked, but they can be an art form even as we step all over them.  I thought Cochabamba had some nice ones.

cochabamba at night

Places are always a bit different at night, and Cochabamba was no exception.  The colorful buses looked like parties rumbling by.

cochabamba markets

Markets are often my favorite part of visiting a new place-- and not necessarily for buying anything.  I just think it's a great way to see local life, what's being sold, etc.  Here's a look at Cochabamba's markets.

tree in the road

I fell in love with this tree I saw in the middle of the road in Cochabamba, and I'm happy they didn't cut it down, that it just became a part of the road.  When my partner and I walked by, kids were skateboarding around it, and it made me smile.  

Often, it isn't the crazy "exotic" things you see while traveling but the simple things that leave an impression.

Have a great weekend, and for those of you that celebrate Easter, Happy Easter!

from berkeley to bolivia

The way my partner's family ended up in Cochabamba is a good example of our making plans and life laughing at those plans.  And how, often by being all Tao and going with the flow, we end up exactly where we belong.

So, let's go back to Berkeley circa the hippie '70s.  Enter a pretty young Southern Californian ESL teacher and a spirited Bolivian musician.  It isn't long before they're married and driving their VW van from Berkeley all the way down to the southern tip of Argentina for their yearlong honeymoon.  On their way back through Bolivia, they decide they will raise their future kids there.

cochabamba, bolivia

 

Cochabamba is in the heart of Bolivia, which is in the heart of South America, so one could argue that Cochabama is the heart of South America.  But it is called the breadbasket of Bolivia and is more of a mellow little city than would really fit the 'heart of South America.'

In any case, Cochabamba is special to me because my partner grew up there from age four to eighteen, and I was thrilled to spend some time there and see his old house, his old school, meet old friends and family, etc.  And it was charming in its own right.

 

 

The cuñapes (cheese-filled bread in a mochi-like rice-based dough) are delicious!

And go nicely with this concoction: shot of espresso with sweetened condensed milk.  Decadent and guaranteed to keep you bouncing off the walls-- until you crash from the sugar high.

 

little living spaces

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It came up recently that living in tight quarters can be tough both logistically and on relationships.  Fortunately, my partner and I have a 400-square-foot rental at the moment and still like each other.

Anyway, here is a neat compilation of tiny and cool living spaces in a contest aptly called the Smallest Coolest Home Contest.  One of my favorites from New York (of course): 397 square feet of awesome exposed brick walls, high ceilings and tall windows.

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Who needs more square feet when your home is this gorgeous?

I also love this one, which has 360 square feet:

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So, how many square feet do you think we really need?  I guess it depends on how many people you want to invite over-- but even then, smaller often feels more festive.  Or is that just me?  :-)

a new room with a view

When we lived in Cambridge, we had a beautiful view out of our window of the Charles River and New England's amazing four seasons.  Now that we're in California, we don't have quite the same dramatic changes, but it's still nice to see the colors of the hills around us change.

What a difference, no?

This one is random, but it's my friend's Prius.  I just liked the light.

the world through a little lens

the world through a little lens (This preview shows 14 of the 40 pages.)

I'm still over a year (and several continents) behind in going through my travel photos, but I've compiled a photo book that I hope you'll enjoy.

(NB: I'm not getting a penny from these, as I'm trying to help raise some money for two of my friends' nonprofits-- and I'd be happy to support any of your fundraising efforts, too, if you think I can be helpful.)

Book intro:

This is a simple tribute to the little digital camera. While fancy cameras keep adding impressive zooms and megapixels, sometimes, when all you want is a memory preserved, an idiot-proof point-and-shoot is just the answer.

All of the following photos were taken with a standard pocket camera, and none of them have been enhanced in any way, in the hope that their natural beauty will shine through, imperfections and all.

So, here's to the little guy that braved hail in the Falkland Islands, trekked across the Sahara on camelback, tramped up a glacier in New Zealand and dove down over 100 feet into the seas of Indonesia and never let me down. I hope you enjoy seeing the world through its little lens.

Blurb for good:

Proceeds from the sales of this photo book will go to support Grizzly Youth Academy (http://ngycp.org/site/state/ca/), a rigorous National Guard/SLO education partnership program that gives troubled youth the discipline and confidence to start healthy and productive lives, and Alpha, a nonprofit committed to helping and supporting expecting and new parents and babies (http://www.sloalpha.org/).

So, spread the word-- it's for a good cause!

flight from tarija to cochabamba, bolivia

From Tarija, we flew to Cochabamba, where my partner grew up from age four to age eighteen, and I was thrilled to finally see it.

I love how Bolivia's airports allow friends and family to hang out over a balcony and wave as you walk to your plane.

We waved goodbye to the pope (well, he waved goodbye to us-- I'm not sure if we really waved back).

We flew away from the tiny airport of Tarija:

Flew pretty low, as most of Bolivia is already some 9000 feet above sea level.

We approached Cochabamba and saw its tan-colored lake.

And finally landed at Aeropuerto Jorge Wilstermann, an amusing sign of the German influence in the area.

We made our way across the tarmac, and my partner marveled at how this dinky airport was actually the new and improved one.  "You should have seen the one we had growing up."  Funny how that always seems to happen.

Next up: Cochabamba, Bolivia.