Arrival Info: LAX 8:40, Thursday 29th

Just in case anyone needs the flight info, here it is!

July 29

American Airlines

La Paz - Miami Flight 922 departing 6:30am arriving 4:00pm

Miami - LAX Flight 231 departing 6:20pm arriving at 8:40 pm

They arrive to the domestic terminal, and since they clear customs in Miami, they are usually down to the baggage claim area fairly quickly.

I will see you there!

A Photograph

I have covered my camera in paint while decorating water filters, allowed dust to collect on it while mud has been splattered on it by tires stuck on roads in the rainforest. I've gotten it wet in the morning dew and used it until the battery completely died. Not only to mention that I dropped it three days into the trip on a brick patio while getting off of a hamock. The lenscap and filter stuck together, not leaving each other's side until Jim used his can-do-anything leather man.

I have captured photos of the girls being themselves that will be put on Facebook. I have captured photos that will immediately go into the trash once on my computer. But I have also captured photos of the views and their amazment, the people and their beauty. I have even captured of photos that some say should be used in National Geographic.

But as many photos as I've taken (2575 on the eleventh day on a 4200 photo card) the beauty of all these things can not be captured, even with a high quality lens.

I would never be able to capture a photo of eight girls and children of all ages playing volleyball, not speaking the same language yet laughing at all the same jokes. I would never be able to capture of the fog moving over the foothills of the Andes in the morning. A smile from a toothless women when we came to fix her family's water filter. Drawing flowers and animals and houses with the children while lifting them up in the air and running around playing 'gato gato perro' (because none of us knew how to say 'duck' or 'goose' in Spanish). Dancing with the elders in San Jose. Hand prints of walls and pillers all around Rurre. Deep eyes watching us in wonder. Swinging on twisted vines in the rainforest. Playing volleyball with the local girls...and winning! Blue harrons and king vultures flying over our boats as we sped through the Tuichi river. War paint from orange fruit not only being applied to all of us, but our two guides.

All these things and so much more sit on my camera, but yet none of the were truly captured. In all these moments that I have lived, I have been trying to document so I can share with all my family and friends. But what I realized is even with all this amazing equipment, my photos don't express my experiences that I've had. They don't show the emotions, sounds, adventures, even tastes of my trip to Bolivia.

As detailed as they are, what I've experienced...what I am experiencing, can not be told in a photograph.

San Jose De Uchupiamonas

I have decided that I am going to talk about my experience in San Jose De Uchupiamonas because I felt a certain connnection to the people as well as the place itself.
We left the 21st from Yariapo and arrived about 5 hours later in San Jose. The walk was long, but it was stunningly beautiful and our guides where filled with unfathomable amounts of knowledge. They where able to answer any and all questions that we had. We walked and talked and laughed and connected. Just 15 minutes before we arrived in the community we stopped and waited for the other group so that we could walk in all together. As we were sitting down we noticed a long steep hill right ahead. We all just laughed and watched the butterflys fly around in cool patterns.
Once we reached the top of the hill there was a group of cheery men and little boys with all different types of locally made instruments. As soon as they saw us they started playing their music. They marched behind us all through town. After about 5 minutes we reached the community meeting area. A group of women with huge smiles came up to us and gently laid handmade garlands over our heads. They shook our hands and then gave us a hug and a kiss, just like they had known us forever. They danced for us, they played music for us, they cooked for us, they were always respectful and caring, they honored us in every way possible.
As soon as we got up from our seats all the little children jumped up as well. We stepped out the door and there was the group of men and boys playing music for us, as well as a group of 15 dangerously excited children. They followed us until we got to our tents. When we got there we immediatly dropped our jaws in awe. THERE WHERE MATRESSES IN OUR TENTS. Being a group of mostly all SBMS students, this was surely a dream! The same little kids where just waiting to be our new best friends and as time went by more popped up, out of no where it seemed. They stayed until it got dark and showed up before we had even woken up. We had the honor to wake up to this each morning.

Que Aventura!! Que Viva El Puente!

We´re back in Rurrenabaque after an incredible eight days in Madidi National Park and with the community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas.
So many experiences to share, but for now just an update on our route and the main themes of our journey--Las Wabus (the girl´s nickname) will be writing blogs later today with their thoughts and impressions.

We left Rurrenabaque eight days ago in the early morning by first crossing the river to the town of San Buena Ventura by taxi-boat. There we with a few guardaparques (rangers of Madidi) and then began driving westward towards the town of Tumopasa. After a few hours of bumpy driving through communities that the Rio Beni Foundation serves, we turned left and went up to the mountain outpost of Sadidi that marks the Madidi National Park boundary. After a wild ride in the Land Cruisers we got out of the cars and met many of the community members of San Jose who would accompany us on the hike as porters, cooks, and guides. We marked the beginning of our journey with a coca leaf ceremony as a payment to Pachamama (Mother Earth). And we were off! The rest of the day was spent walking in the deep rain forest and learning from Sergio and Yhovani our two wonderful friends and guides. After about four hours of walking we arrived at Yariapo Camp, which has been a traditional hunting camp for San Jose for many years. Descriptions cannot do this place justice--next to the Yariapo River with our tents and five star locally grown and prepared food: no hay nada mejor. Later today one of the girls will be writing a blog on our time their...
Our next day was spent at the Yariapo River fishing, writing in our journals, playing music and listening to the sounds of the jungle. Excelente to say the least.
Early the following morning we left on foot for the community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Our walk took us through dense patches of forest and up on top of a ridge called Wayrapata, which means ¨on top of the wind¨ in Quechua. After around six hours of walking we made our way into the community of San Jose and were greeted with music, drums, smiles, dances, and speeches by the mayor and cacique (traditional leader).
Later that evening we made camp on a lookout over the Tuichi Valley while meeting and playing with a wonderful group of children who followed the girls.
Our next day was filled with activities! Weaving, grinding sugarcane, horse riding, bows and arrows, dancing, and a highlight, our volleyball and soccer games with the community. We won the volleyball game, but it didn´t seem to matter as everyone had come to watch and was having a great time. The dancing at night was certainly a highlight as well! Everyone let loose and had way to much fun under an almost full moon!
Our next day we said a sad goodbye to San Jose and made our way down on the Tuichi River to Chalalan, San Jose´s community-run ecolodge in Madidi National Park. We spent the next three days, listening to the jungle, swimming in the lake, hiking and fishing at a magical place called Islabon, dancing with our new friends from San Jose, and beginning to reflect on the experience until now. Our time at Chalalan was unforgetable. We saw monkies, macaws, pecaries, cayman, eagles, leafcutter antes, giant matapalo trees, and so much more. Our guides knowledge of the rainforest is seemingly infinite.
Yesterday we boated down the Tuichi River and connected with the Rio Beni that brought us back to Rurrenabaque. A beautiful three hour trip that allowed us time to reflect on our adventures and pass by both the communities first served by Dr. Louis Netzer and his land that he lived on while here in Bolivia.

Today we have a meeting with mayor in recognition of El Puente´s support of the Rio Beni Foundation´s work, a visit to a local elementary school, time at the clinic to learn from the health team, and finally a BBQ to celebrate an end of our time here in Rurrenabaque. Tomorrow we fly to La Paz midmorning before making our way home on the morning of the 29th.
Look for updates from La Wabus later today!

Un abrazo!

Crister

Chalalan Eco-Lodge

Crister called with another one minute update from the sat phone!

The group has made it to Chalalan! After almost a week of hiking, and camping they are happy to rest in the hammocks, and wonder at the beauty of the lake. They plan on doing nature walks, hearing the history of the eco-lodge from the staff, and seeing as many local wildlife as possible! Crister reports that the group is generally healthy, but weary. Good thing Chalalan is the perfect place to catch your breath and process everything that has happened!

They will be there for one more night, and then will boat down the river to Rurre. Hopefully then they will post some pictures before they make their way up to La Paz and HOME!

The group is in San Jose

I spoke with Crister on the sat phone again last night!

The group is now in the community of San Jose. They hiked in, and were welcomed with a celebration. They are now camped just below the village with an amazing view of the Twichi river. Today they will visit the community, play soccer, and have showers! Tomorrow they will travel down the river and hike the mile into Chalalan where they will spend a few days. Crister reports that the group is healthy, happy and lots of fun.

Tuesday Morning- Yariapo

I spoke briefly with Crister this morning and he reports that the group is doing well after their first day of hiking into the jungle. They are now at the Yariapo creek and enjoying a day of rest and reflection. All they can hear is the jungle's sounds and water flowing past the camp site. The Yariapo is a traditional camp for the community of San Jose. Crister reports that the group continues to be a joy to travel with. I wish I was there...

xx-kira

Thoughts from ¨Las Chicas¨

A compilation of handwritten thoughts from dinner this evening:

Uncallamaya was a place I will never forget. The people and their way of life opened my eyes to something I have never experienced before. -Ati Namvar

Uncallamaya made me realize how important our work on building filters really makes a difference in a community. I will never forget that visit. - Christina Tebbe

When we arrived in Uncallamaya we had a short meeting before meeting the children and their families. The first thing we talked about were the toilets. I never thought I would come accross a community that did not have flushing toilets and toilet paper as well as sinks and running water. These are things I do not take time to truly apprectiate. It was hard for me to accept that they live that way--most people in the world do. But after spending a day with the children I was able to enjoy my time there. -Lucia Nuechter

Our visit to Uncallamaya really opened my eyes to how a lot of the world lives. The Foundation has made such a difference in parts of the community. It shows me that there is hope for worldwide clean water. -Sydney Riegert

On our second day in Uncallamaya we went around the community to clean and fix family´s water filters. We saw people who didn´t use their filters for a few years because they didn´t know how to use them. One woman´s husband passed away eight years ago and she had to raise five children on her own even thouty she and her family had been drinking water full of bacteria from a creek down from their house. She smiled the whole time we were there. It made me realize that even though these families are in such tough situations, they weren´t worried at all. They were happier than most who have clean and healthly water. -Emalani Artiss

My experience in Uncallamaya is one that I will never forget. Words cannot express the joy I felt when I was with the kids. There was one girl, Gabriela, who I felt a connection with before speaking a word to her. She had a smile that lit up the room. She seemed confident fearless even and was incredibly beautiful. Though I have pictures of her, and though I hardly spoke a word to her, I will never forget her face and the beautiful way in which she carried herself in a situation that was, in several aspects, less than beautiful. -Sophia Phillips

Joy was everywhere in this rural community. Even when the children´s hands were shaking with cold and their thin clothes were soaked, they always had the spirit to play a vivacious game of volleyball or laugh at something so small. I watched the way those strong people struggle, but their bright smiles were what stayed in my memory. -Marandah

Uncallamaya. Wow, what an experience! From the writings above, I bet yáll have heard (or read) all about it. Here´s a link to my blog where I have my take on it.
www.peacefulcookies.blogspot.com
-Heather Harkness

Back in Rurre!..and we´re off!

We´re back in Rurrenabaque after two incredible days in the community Uncallamaya. As a group we learned, laughed, and shared with the community. Though we passed many hours playing volleyball with the young children of the community, our main work was the maintenance of the BioSand water filters and the delivering of direct mediucal care in a clinic set up in the local schoolhouse.
Today we spent in Rurrenabaque exploring the Sunday feria (market) and getting organized for our trek to the community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. We will be out of direct contact until Monday the 26th of August, but we´ll send short updates via our satelite phone to be posted on the blog.
It has been an incredible journey thus far. What a fantastic group we have!
Un abrazo muy fuerte de nosotros!
-Crister
enjoy the attached photos!

Heather

Hola todos! We're in Rurre, and I'm officially in love with this place. It's really great here. Everyone at the clinic is so amazing, and great to be around. We started making filters today. :) Christina, Emalani, Marandah and myself all washed sand. I know, I know, washing sand sounds strange. How about I explain this? Here goes:
1) shovel about six shovelfuls of gravely sand into a wheelbarrow.
2) have someone hold the hose over the wheelbarrow so that it is almost full.
3) The others then run their hands through it, trying to get all the fine dirt up into the water
4) After you finish doing that, dump the water out.
5) Rinse and Repeat (haha) four more times. It isn't sparkly clean, but since it's used with cement, it´s ok.
That´s all I can write now, and to those who read my other blog, I promise to write as soon as possible.
Adios,
Heather/ Carolina (kah-row-leen-a)

Mi Bienvenidos a Bolivia!!

Hola! I cannot believe I am actually here! When I first arrived in Rurre, where I am currently sitting in a small internet cafe, I was instantly shocked by the beauty and colors of the jungle, and the pure joy of the town. Everyone seems to know everyone else, making the community appear to function as a whole. Yesterday was our orientation day in Rurre, which was ended by a dinner with the rest of the Rio Beni team. At first, I was a little bit nervous about talking completely in Spanish, but was soon completely comfortable with everyone, and we talked the entire time. We sat under the stars, and took bites of fresh fish in between bouts of laughter. It is amazing how funny things can be, even with a language barrier. Tomorrow we are traveling to the community further into the jungle, and I cannot wait to meet the people and take some amazing pictures!

Hasta la Vista Babay!

Marandah

Christina: Day 4

Hello everyone! We´ve all so far survived to the fourth day of the trip. Rurrenabaque is amazing along with all of the people. So far most of what we´ve been doing today is working. We arrived at the clinic at 8:30am, greeted by one of Leo´s jokes, who is one of the doctors at the clinic. We headed outside to where the water filters are and got to work. My job along with acouple other people was to shovel sand into a wheelbarrow than bring it by a hose and clean the sand. We did this for about 2 hours, it was a lot of work but it did make our hands feel very soft after! Then we dumped all of the sand into a pile and added cement to that. We used shovels to mix the sand and cemement. This is where the back breaking work started. Once it was all mixed together we added water and started mixing all of that. This was even heavier, it was entertaining because some people got really into shoveling (Marandah). Once all of the mixing was done it was time to put all of in into the filters. I was one of the people who lifted the cemement into the filter, that was a hard job to, we are getting quite the workout here. Other people had jobs as well, one of the best ones was using a big mallet and slaming it against the filter to get rid of all the air bubbles trapped inside. Then we were all done, job well done! Now we have to wait for the cement to harden before we can do anything else. Later today were going to paint filters that have already been made, can´t wait for that. Everythings great here and I am looking forward to many more amazing days to come :)

Hasta Luego!
Christina

hola from rurre!!

just had some delicious chocolate cake from a baker here in rurre and now i'm sitting at a cute little internet cafe. i love it here!! its so homey and comfortable yet so different than anywhere i have ever traveled to. we met the team at the clinic and got a full tour yesterday and it was amazing! we learned all about the bio-sand filters and today we actually got to make 2 together! our Hotel Oriental is fabulous to say the least. the first night i was way to hot and couldnt sleep because i slept in my sleeping bag(i didnt realize how warm and legit it was,thanks daddy) and didnt want to let any part of my face or hands be open to mosquitos but last night i slept great because i came out of my sleeping bag, but instead i woke up with two bites of my hands! oh well haha. the weather here is supposed to be hot but i guess we brought the cold weather down with us from el alto because it has been cloudy and rainy but i still like it. its refreshing to breath the regualr air here at normal altitude! the plane ride over here from el alto was an experience i will never forget. i never thought i would have to guts to go on a little 20 seater plane over the andes but we all did it together :) now we are going back to the clinic to work on the water filters again with kinteen! cant wait to go travel to the first community tommorrow....
love,
Ati!!!

In Bolivia!

We arrived yesterday morning in El Alto Airport, met Christopher, drank our coca tea, and after some deep breaths we passed through customs and immigration and boarded our bus at dawn. A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we drove accross the Altiplano to Lake Titicaca. Our day at the shores of the Lake was a perfect relaxed introduction to Bolivia. We took a long midmorning siesta (nap), ate great food, walked slowly around town, sailed in small boats in the afternoon, went over logistics, and shared our initial thoughts and expectations for the journey. Our day ended just as it began: with a stunning sunset.
We are now back in El Alto Airport waiting for our flight to Rurrenabaque. A bit of rain from a ¨Surazo¨ (southern front) has delayed our flight a bit, but as we say in Bolivia, ¨Todo es posible, nada es seguro¨--everything is possible, nothing is certain!
Check back soon for photos!

Un abrazo desde los Andes!
Crister, Jim and Christopher

last day in my bed...

wowwww I can't believe I'm finally going to Bolivia tomorrow. there's so many thoughts going through my head... but tonight is the night where I need to clear my head. I need to think good thoughts because I need a clear mind and an open heart. This journey is going to change my life. Learning about the rest of the world and other peoples lives besides the tiny little bubble i live in is what I have always strived to do. and tomorrow I will finally be going on the adventure to get that chance. The chance to see what else is out there and experience life outside what I know. Lately I've been facing a lot of my own stress and worries... don't we all? I need to learn to just trust myself and trust that everything is going to be okay. stressing over little things shouldn't hurt me like it does...come on, people face real problems everyday and this is chance for me to understand to appreciate life and appreciate what i have been given. I wonder what will change when I get back... I wonder how my opinions and attitude will change and I hope that I can meet people and experience things that will change my life. I hope I can meet someone that will teach me about life in the real world. I'm gonna miss home a lot... I will admit. But that's part of the experience and I shouldn't worry about anything at home when I'm gone. I have to promise to not worry about my AP homework and APUSH class and everything else going on at home. Living in the moment is what I have to focus on. nothing else.

another thing that's on my mind that I just have to get out is that I'm really nervous about what the altitude is going to feel like. I keep trying not to worry but I can't help it!! Oh well. I'm just gonna put this one in the hands of god.

Bolivia will give me the opportunity to open my eyes and I truly can't wait.

That's it for now.... next time I write I will be in Bolivia!!!

Love,

Atiiiii!!

Sophia

Wow I can't believe that we are leaving tomorrow.....the time has flown! I remember very clearly sitting in Jim's office, between my parents, just beginning to discuss the possibility that I might join him this summer on a journey to Bolivia. Over the months since then, I have thought a lot about why this journey is important for me, and why I am doing it. I am so excited to see and experience a culture and way of life different from my own. I feel that though Santa Barbara is incredible it is very sheltered, and I am ready and eager to experience something outside of our beautiful bubble. I want to help. I want to be able to see the joy in peoples faces when we help in the clinic, and when we provide them with clean water. I want to know that what I am doing is making a difference in someones life. I want to connect with people. That is one of the reasons for my focus I chose dance. I think that not only is it a great way to learn about the culture of Bolivia but learning some of the traditional Bolivian dances will provide a way for me to connect with the people without the need of language. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to go on this journey, and so very very excited to see what it has in store for me.

Christina

Hello everyone! Tomorrow is the big day, the day we make our way to Bolivia. It feels like just yesterday we were at our first meeting talking about the trip, and now were just getting ready to go! I've heard so many wonderful things about this trip from previous participants. This trip will definitely be considered a journey of a lifetime.
All of us team members have chosen projects to learn about while were on the trip. I have chosen to observe the elders of the communities and learn about their everyday lives and how they differ from ours. I also look forward in getting to know them, because I'm sure they are very fascinating and have many interesting things to share with us.
I will write more over the course of the trip, and look forward to sharing my experiences with everyone!

Hasta Luego
-Christina

Marandah

I cannot believe that in less than 24 hours, we'll be on our way to Bolivia! The week has been so insane between the packing, the freaking out, and the waiting that I almost forgot why I was going in the first place. I first decided to participate in this adventure when I learned how much we get to be with the Bolivian people, as well as in the clinic. I really want to become a doctor, and am very interested in the medical side of our trip, but how we can connect it to the people is the best part. Aside from the amazing community service part of the trip, I think it will also help me become more comfortable with being someplace completely new. In my life, I know I will go many foreign places, and I want to know that I can feel like I'm at home anywhere I go. While in Bolivia, I hope to observe what Bolivian youth do to stay healthy, and what they do to get better.

Well, I am so excited to leave.... Hasta Manana!

-Marandah

En Rurre

10 July, 2010

Hello from Rurrenabaque on a cloudy and peaceful Saturday morning. The town slowly awakens: usual birds singing away, slowly getting over-matched by the local boys having an early soccer game on the dirt outside the clinic/office (today is the World Cup game that determines third and fourth places – nearly everyone wants Uruguay to beat Germany); some workers across the way dig trenches and begin to stack rock for a foundation - nothing like the sound of rock on rock signaling manual labor; and music already comes from the Plaza as the municipality is having a special meeting today. Rurre.

I arrived in La Paz last Tuesday after the flight from Santa Barbara. Hard to believe that I first took this route to visit Dr. Lou in 1999, and have averaged three trips a year since then. The altiplano of Bolivia rose up and met the plane on its slow and short decent right on time at 5:05 a.m. I wanted to breath deep the cold dawn air, yet knew better. Slow goes the entry at 13,200 ft.

In La Paz I did mis mandados (errands): went to our friends at America Tours Eco-travel and confirmed that everything was organized – which I had no doubt they were. Great folks. I then went to the Ministry of Health with Dr. Frida (she worked with the Rio Beni Foundation since the earlier days, now lives in La Paz unfortunately because of health conditions) to try and sort out some paperwork. Went twice. Sort of sorted out. We’ll know more on Monday…or maybe Tuesday, or…. We have a great working relationship with the Ministry, yet the presidential office is putting some regulations into place that are fairly tough on the different Ministries. Enough of this.

My flight to Rurre, my second home, up and oooovvveeerrr the Andes, was delayed, but I made it to Rurre by mid-afternoon Thursday. After all these years and delays I know the airport rather well. I was happy when they remodeled it and added on a new section a couple of years ago. More areas to explore and busily wait.

The team had a busy clinic day yesterday, especially because the laboratory is now up and running. We met and discussed logistics for El Puente 8 as the community of Tawa plans for our stay there. The group at Chalalan is preparing for our trek, our camping stays at Yariapo Camp and their community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas, and of course our stay at Chalalan Eco-lodge. Needless to say, all I see and speak with are in admiration of you. Everyone is eager to meet ‘las chicas’ and is really amazed and proud of you for making the commitment to help the work here and become actively involved. They are going to meet a special group of girls. The El Puente journey, now in its 8^th year, has become something the town anticipates -- part of its calendar year.

I’ll work this morning, and then in the afternoon watch the World Cup with friends. Then I’ll meet with team in early evening as tomorrow I head back up to La Paz. In time, I plan and hope, to watch the finales de La Copa Mundial and feel the energy of a global phenomena and very much a local game in every part of the world’s streets, dirt patches, homemade pitches and soccer fields in shantytowns, barrios, towns and the modern stadiums of the big cities.

See you all bright and early (actually it will be dark) on Monday. Together we’ll watch the sunrise and the Andes explode with majesty on our way to Lago Titicaca.

Que tengan un buen dia con sus familias. ¡Nos veremos!

Lucia

Hey guys! I can't believe that the trip is only in a few days! I am so excited for all the experiences we are going to have! We have this amazing chance to step out of our ourselves and try new things together. I am also excited to meet all the kids because they have always been very inspired by them. I notice them right away, their bright eyes, smiling faces, their will to learn and a whole future ahead of them which I find exciting. Their brains are very interesting to me, I see that some kids grow up in difficult situations and they do not have loving families but when they are playing they manage to let go of all the chaos in their lives. I would love to be able to witness that beauty, the pure joy that kids have for life. I would like play with the kids, observe them and the way that they interact with the people around them, communicate with them and maybe get the chance to be a little kid with them. I hope that they will be just as inspired by me as I am by them and that we can become great friends.
With this group I am sure we are going to have the trip of a lifetime!

-Lucia

Team Member: Heather

Hey! I'm Heather, one of the girls going on this amazing expedition. Crister suggested that I start blogging, in hopes that the other girls will follow soon behind. :) I can't wait. I mean, who would? We leave in 5 days... whoa... This is all starting to move so quickly! Leaving is going to be hard, but I honestly won't rest until we're on the plane. The excitement is building up, I can feel it!

We've all chosen "projects" to work on while in Bolivia. I chose dance, and (hopefully) Sophia and I will be collaborating on it. Well, I guess I'll write more later. Over and Out,

Heather Harkness