Chewing Coca Leaves in Bolivia

We are in Bolivia, with a golf ball sized mashes of coca leaves in our mouths. Our technique of patiently macerating leaves in our checks is wrong. But we have the right plant ash too add and it barely matters at over 10,000 feet. The effects of coca leaves are still mild.

Nuestro peublo de Tupiza es fuerte con Bolivianos y  pocho viajars. It is a mass majority of local people, which is what we hope for. But it is not Botswana where a white person is a rare or unexpected site.
I have bought clothes for an occasion to be determined. A tea cup felt hat, an oversized poncho and a beautiful blanket. Nothing has cost more than 50 Bolvianos ($7). But the clothes that I buy or wear could not ease the transition. The dress here is thoroughly divided between traditional and western. A common sight is an older Bolivian women in full traditional dress, carrying a huge load on her arched pack. That being said, the traditional dress seems to be heavily influenced by colonial Spanish. The patterns and dress are typically functional blue crossed patterns.

The life here is equitable in its own way. The currency is of low value but all the towns seem fully functioning within it.  There are viable economies based on lower value goods, textiles and food. It reminds me of a fishermen  I was speaking with in Punta del Diablo, Uruguay.  In short, I described overfishing in Canada and he said he typically caught what could be sold locally. It was enough for him and enough for the surrounding community.

It illuminates the industry that we have in Canada. We have embraced intensive farming so that our economy can expand and diversify. We’ve gained a huge amount. The wealth and currency for people like me and Jackson to travel.
What have we lost? Sustainability and a connection to what is essential. In the end, we are luck but are clearly overusing our piece of the pie.

Canadians are foreign creatures in Bolivia. Our seasonal temperatures, location and size are beyond common understanding here. If you ever want to win a bet with a South American, purpose that Canada is bigger than Argentina or even more unbelievable Brazil.

It has been a stark but welcome change from Argentina. The land is rugged and the altitude so much higher (normally over 10,000 ft). The drop in living cost is marked with full meals on the street costing $1.50 or less. We’re hoping to stay in Bolivia for a while, hoping that we’ll get used to the thin air and simple forms of eating and sleeping.