I captured this image through la ventana on our way over Bolivia from La Paz to Santa Cruz. The morning colors were gorgeous and the rugged terrain invites hiking and exploration. I wonder who lives down there.
On the leg from La Paz to Santa Cruz, I was too pumped to sleep any more. I spent too much time looking out la ventana, amazed by what I saw. What an experience it was to see Bolivia as my first (real) time out of country — to be looking at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It was difficult to believe I was actually there, actually looking at Bolivia, and that in a few minutes I would land at Viru Viru in Santa Cruz.
I was tired from riding in airplanes all night. I was tired of sitting in cramped seats. But I was so excited by what I saw it didn’t matter that my ass complained the last hours on the trip. It was worth it.
A very early morning shot from la ventana of my aircraft as we flew over La Paz. We were there only one hour in the aeropuerto and never left the aircraft. I want to return.
Although we flew over Bolivia for several hours before landing, this was my first real view of the country. It is an aerial view of La Paz just before we landed at the La Paz airport. It was only a layover, though, and we never left the aircraft.
At over 10,000 feet, it was an elevation greater than I’m accustomed to. I didn’t notice any altitude problems, although I did not have the opportunity to move around. I’m told it will take me a week or so to acclimate to the altitude, should I ever have the opportunity to visit again.
The view from my window at the Los Tajibos Resort, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
I’m going to begin posting images and snippets of story from my Bolivia Experience. I’ve been back in the Estados Unidos for a couple of weeks, nearly. The FHWA project meeting is behind me. I’m recovering with Daughter and her family in Pennsylvania. It will take me a few more days to get my feet under me, deal with the backlog of tasks that need my attention, and figure out what I want to post.
I had a great time. I met interesting people. I talked about interesting water-related problems. I saw many interesting things, both about water and just interesting. I made a few images, but not nearly enough.
Bolivia is a fascinating place. I think Bolivia captured my heart while I was there.
Huari is a Bolivian beer. One of my favorite things to do is to sample the local wines and beers.
Monday was one of the big days. We held seminars all day, from about 0900 to 1500 hours. Breakfast was fairly early and just before the chef began cooking omelettes. I was disappointed, a bit, but the various breads were quite good.
I might remark that the coffee here is just OK. It is brewed in a way that is unfamiliar to me. I expect that if I lived here I’d have to find a good source of beans, learn to roast my own, and then grind and brew my own coffee.
Along that line of thought, coca mate is legal here in Bolivia. Coca Mate is made from the raw leaves of the Coca plant, meaning that it contains a small amount of coca alkaloids. While we were working on our presentations Sunday afternoon, I brewed some coca mate using the hot water and tea bags provided by the hotel and added just a bit of sucralose. It is a very good tea and I enjoyed it a great deal.
Unfortunately, I cannot bring the tea home with me. It’s illegal in the United States. Also, I’ll now test positive for cocaine, although I have had none of the refined drug. I don’t actually care because the experience of tasting this wonderful tea is worth the risk of not passing a drug test.
Back to my story — we had two translators provided by the US Embassy. They are sufficiently skilled to do simultaneous translation while we are speaking. Those speaking in Spanish are translated into English and vice versa. It works amazing well… if the speaker remembers to pace him/herself such that the translators can keep up.
The morning sessions went well. One of our speakers was the head of a local resource agency, SEARPI. He is an experienced, animated speaker who has good command of his material. Even without being able to understand Spanish, his delivery of his material was highly entertaining and I enjoyed his talk. The translation was good enough that I was able to follow along.
After his talk, he invited those of us from the States to his home for dinner. That will have to be another story, I think.
Lunch was also fun. He sat down with us and one of our hosts (from Tarija) is fluent in both languages. So we were able to have a lively discussion over sandwiches.
My talk came right after lunch. I learned that I can still put them to sleep with the help of a food-induced coma. The room was warm and I was working to pace my talk to keep from getting ahead of the translators. I listened to the translation in my right ear with the volume down so I could track the translator. That worked well, although my pace was a bit slower than I usually use. It worked, nonetheless (unless you count putting them to sleep not working).
After the talks, it was time to mingle. One of the professors from Catolica Universidad Santa Cruz greeted me and we chatted a bit (small bit) in his broken English and my broken Spanish. I have his card and if I get back down here will attempt to spend some time with him discussing his work and students. A number of others asked for a photograph and then we did a group photograph under the university emblem.
Ing. Aquilera volunteered to drive us back to the hotel and we graciously accepted. That meant we had time between the seminar and supper to rest a bit. I did and it was good.
Today I’ll meet with a group of students (with my colleagues), spend some time with the dean of engineering here in Santa Cruz, and fly to Tarija this evening for more meetings tomorrow. I will have to write up my supper story in a second entry. I also need to retrieve photographs from my camera and choose some of the best.
On final approach into Santa Cruz from La Paz, Bolivia.
It’s been a whirlwind of activity already. I left Denver at about 1300 hours, after arriving at the Denver airport, checking my bag, and working through security. My flight was delayed for two hours, first because of a maintenance problem, then because of weather in the Miami area.
Still, I arrived before the rest of the team and met them at their exit gate. We then wandered through the Miami airport until we found our connection, then got a bite to eat.
The flight to La Paz and then to Santa Cruz was a challenge. It’s about six hours from Miami to La Paz, which isn’t all that bad except the flight left Miami at 2300 hours. That meant sleeping on the aircraft, which isn’t that bad for a nap but is difficult for any decent sleep. Still, I cat-napped on and off all night.
We were handed immigration and customs forms, which I worked though. We left the aircraft at about the appointed time and worked through the system. I am now officially a world traveller, having left my country of birth and spent time in another country.
The weekend was a bit of a blur, trying to recover from the travel. But I had a great deal of fun with my friends and our handler, Ramiro. He knows his way around Santa Cruz and showed us some interesting things. The plaza was more interesting than the mall (ha!). The mall is the same as hundreds of them I’ve seen in the States. There was nothing there that interesting, yet the walk was still good.
Today I did my first presentation. I took my time so the translators could handle the flow. I think my pace was about right, although I put my audience to sleep. I’m not all that surprised, given it was a warm room and right after lunch. Yes, I can still put them to sleep.
I had a couple of good questions and enjoyed the interaction. I’m looking forward to more. We’ll spend time with the students tomorrow, then I’ll fly to Tarija while they go to Cochabamba for their next set of meetings. I’ll be able to spend some time with old and new friends in Tarija and will enjoy the higher altitude (and cooler air).
A few months ago, an old friend and colleague called me and a couple of others for a meeting. He retired from Texas Department of Transportation a few years ago and returned to his home in Bolivia. Now he’s the equivalent of a dean at the Catholic University in Tarija.
His interest was in having one or more of us come to Bolivia to talk about our research work in Texas. We chatted over appetizers at one of the restaurants in Lubbock and then went our separate ways.
As time passed, the workshop began to develop. Now all three of us are traveling to Bolivia for a set of workshops. The U.S. Embassy in Bolivia got wind of the project and decided to participate. I’ll be doing talks in Santa Cruz and Tarija. The others will have talks at those locations plus Cochabamba.
Now this is a Big Deal. The Bolivian government is interested in our seminars. Many professionals and policy makers are interested in our talks. The press is showing interest.
I should be trepidated by all the attention that will be directed at me. I am not. I find this very exciting and am so looking forward to the trip, to meeting people interested in the work, to seeing a place very different from my home, and in finding out what they need. It’s possible they might need what I do.
When I returned to Reno from Mount Vernon, I immediately retrieved the necessary papers from my lockbox and applied for my passport. It was returned in a couple of weeks, so I turned right around and applied for a Bolivian visa. That was returned to me on Tuesday. I have the paperwork in order. The flights are booked and reservations are made. I’m beginning to assemble things I need. My talks are nearly done.
I depart in a week. Older Son and DiL will keep the Girl for me while I travel. I will miss her terribly. But it’s only a couple of weeks and this is important.
Near Shaniko, Oregon, was another “shoe tree.” This one has also met its demise.
After spending a few weeks in Mount Vernon, Washington, I could delay no longer and left for Nevada. I arrived a few days ago and began working on those tasks that absolutely must be done. I have a bit of breathing space now, so I can start on the other things I want to do and have time to play a little.
I left Mount Vernon on St. Valentine’s Day, after helping my friend get through some tasks that had been waiting for her attention. One of the things I’m good at is looking through things in storage, sorting quickly, and then organizing those things that need someone else’s attention/review and discarding the remainder. So, this is what I did that morning.
I handed off those things that needed her attention, then carried bins to her storage area for her. We shared a bite of lunch and watched a little television (Walking Dead Marathon) as I realized it was time for me to go. I said a very difficult “Good Bye” to her, her dogs, and Mount Vernon and drove into town to refuel and head out.
Sunday afternoon is a good time to drive through the Seattle suburbs. There was traffic, but nothing like what I experienced on my way north. It did not take long to be on the long upgrade to Snoqualmie Pass. Rain fell on us off and on, but no snow.
Soon, we crested the pass and descended onto the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. The farther east we drove, the less rain and clouds we experienced. After a bit, I checked my road atlas and decided to stop in Yakima for the night. I had food with me, so the Girl and I went for a walk, then settled in for the night. We both enjoyed our bite of supper while I checked the television for the next day’s weather.
We drove US 97 south to Bend, Oregon and then on to La Pima, where we took SH 31 southeast, finally connecting with US 395. As I drove into Lakeview, Oregon, I recalled the last time I passed through this interesting small town in southern Oregon. I stopped there last June on my first trip to Mount Vernon to get a bite to eat and find a few geocaches. It was a beautiful June day last year, with just a hint of the oncoming afternoon heat in the morning air.
This time through I stopped for the night. Alturas, California was a little beyond my reach. There’s a wonderful little hotel in Alturas where I’d stay anytime. But I didn’t have any miles left in me, I wanted out of the car for awhile, and the Girl needed a walk. So, Lakeview it was.
Given there were only about 250 miles to go, I wasn’t motivated to make a really early start. We didn’t languish too long in Lakeview, but didn’t rush out the door either. The route through northern California is quite beautiful and we stopped along the way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, find a geocache, and be alive.
Yes, there is now an element of just being alive. Somewhere along all the miles over the last three-quarters of a year, I found something that was lost. There were a few glimpses in the years since 2005, when I left my clinical depression behind. I shared many of those moments with Wife before her decline. As I recover from Wife’s death, I find myself in moments of simple joy — simple happiness. I am able to spread my arms wide, look into God’s sky, and be thankful to simply be alive.
There are entire days that come and go and I feel gratitude. I am grateful for many things — all the years I shared with Wife, even those difficult times that measure character. I’m grateful for my family (and hers). I’m grateful for my children and grandchildren. I’m grateful for old friends. I’m grateful for new friends. I’m grateful for my dog training friend and her dogs. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to get to places where I can see people who are important to me, whom I love.
I feel happiness again. I’m able to feel light, to run with the dogs, to look at the mountains, the sky, my dog, and feel the lift the comes from joy. I’m able to thank God for his grace and mercy.
Happiness is not a constant state. Without periods of non-happiness, the value of the gift is lost. So, I don’t feel happy all the time (I’m not sure that is even possible). But, I have big chunks of time now when I feel good. It has been a very long time.
I have some additional thoughts on this. Maybe I can pull them together for another essay. We’ll see.
In particular, there is a small rest stop along US 395 in the California mountains north from Susanville. I can’t remember the name, but that’s not important. The Girl and I got out of the car, I made a sandwich, snagged a few carrots from the Yeti, and put an apple in my pocket. We bypassed the fence and walked out onto the very rocky ground. She sniffed about, doing her doggie thing, beggin for a bite of my sandwich, and running from me when I chased her.
I smiled at her, at the sky, and marveled at the rough terrain. I used my phone to determine there was a geocache only a few hundred feet from my location. We hunted it down. I listened to the passing traffic, busy folk on their busy ways. I listened to vehicles stop at the rest stop for breaks. I gave the Girl the last bite of my sandwich, laughing at her as she ever-so-gingerly took it from my fingers, knowing that if she gets snappy I’ll palm the morsel. I enjoyed my apple, it’s sweet-tart crunchiness a nice ending to a cold meal taken outdoors with gratitude and joy.
We ran back to the 4Runner, laughing, and knowing that it was time to drive out the last of the journey. We drove on, she snoozing in the seat next to me, me with music playing just enjoying the road.
We drove through Reno and on to Carson City so I could retrieve a few things from my storage unit and see Younger Son. We spent a couple of hours with him, catching up on the news, enjoying some food, relaxing. The Girl and I returned to Reno to meet a friend for coffee at a favorite place, Java Jungle. Then the Girl and I found a hotel where we can stay a few nights.
Tired and happy, she waited on her little bed in the hotel room while I schlepped necessaries from the 4Runner before calling it a night. I knew I’d be busy the following day and would need a few days to regroup.
It will take me a couple more days to regroup. It’s good to be in western Nevada once again. A part of me would love to stay here. It’s familiar, it’s beautiful, it’s not too cold, there is sunshine many days. But, my sense is that my time as a resident of this place is ended. My intuition tells me that I’ll move on to another place, or to other places. Maybe it’s time to be simply a nomad, having no home other than what I carry with me. I just sense that this is no longer my home.
That thought would be material for yet another random rumination (YARR).
I happened on a beautiful afternoon at Martha’s Beach, Shelter Bay, Washington.
My friend asked me to meet in La Conner for a late lunch. After lunch, she sent me out to Martha’s Beach to run the Girl and enjoy the sight. What a beautiful place it was and I’m so glad I spent a few minutes there.
There was much snow at Deadman’s Pass, Washington.
There was much snow at Deadman’s Pass, Washington. The Girl and I stopped here, briefly, to get out of the 4Runner, play in the snow, get some exercise, and take a break from the highway. It was good.
A County Road bridge across the Colorado River near Silt, Colorado.
I landed in Layton, Utah this afternoon. After fighting rain, snow, and highway spray for an hour and change, I gave up. I suspected a band of snow northwest from Salt Lake City and didn’t think it wise to drive into that. It is likely I would have decided to bag it and then have to hunt for a place to bunker in for the night. It just didn’t feel right.
So, Layton, Utah won the toss. I found a La Quinta, which doesn’t hassle me about my dog (wouldn’t anyway because she’s my service dog, but it’s just easier). I checked in early, took care of staging our things, and then the Girl and I crashed for an hour. I guess I was quite tired after fighting the highway.
I didn’t post while staying in Denver because bandwidth sucked dirt. I had “high speed internet” through an xfinity WiFi subscription. But it was definitely not “high speed.” I could do email alright and some light web surfing. But any work that required some bandwidth (like posting pictures on my weblog) just was not going to happen.
It’s too bad, because I have some decent images made there in Denver while I visited the kids. I’ll probably post a few of them over the next few days as I rejoin the world of the wired.
I departed Denver yesterday morning after being there about a week. It felt like it was time to move on a bit. I need some highway under me and some solitude.
The trip out of Denver got nasty as we approached the Eisenhower Tunnel. There was more snow than I expected and more traffic as well. The combination made for some slow going as we crawled over the hill. The mess didn’t dissipate until someplace west of Vail/Aspen. But the roads dried and some sun shone and that made the afternoon much better.
We paused at Silt, Colorado, next to the Colorado River for a pee stop and time to get out of the 4Runner. It was nice to get out for a bit and the windows needed cleaning badly.
But, I was tired and called it early at Grand Junction. But first, we walked a couple of miles. It was good to be away from the city and the requirement of an on-lead walk. The Girl reveled in her freedom, running from bush to bush, sniffing, peeing, pooping… doing doggie things. Between her enthusiasm and the sun, joy came to my heart. It was quiet, I was outdoors, and we were back in our beloved environment, walking.
I got a room, got us settled in, found a bottle of red wine, and a bite of supper. It was good to be settled in for the night. I spent some time reading, writing, and listening to music. We fell asleep snuggling on the bed. I love her warm and she loves to snuggle. It was a good thing.
I woke fairly early this morning, but not buttcrack-of-dawn early. I made some coffee, sat down with my journal and Bible, then read and wrote a bit while I woke. We headed out at a decent hour, got a bite of breakfast, refueled the 4Runner, and really cleaned the windows.
We passed a lot of familiar territory west from Grand Junction to Green River, Utah. it’s a route I’ve driven dozens of times, but it still never fails to impress me with the vistas.
We headed northerly on U.S. 6/191 to catch I-15 and head into Salt Lake City. This was mostly a new route for me. I drove part of it last summer on my way back from Denver, but not the southern portion of this leg.
We hit rain and then snow when we got to Salt Lake City. The spray was so bad that visibility was severely impacted. After fighting with it for an hour or more, I gave up. It just wasn’t worth the risk and I was tiring rapidly from the strain. So, we stopped. We’ll pick up the trip in the morning.
It’s good to have bandwidth again. I missed writing and posting images.
