Quick post

Hey folks

I was hoping to post once a week minimally. So here is your quick update from Bolivia.

I am currently in the city of Cochabamba, which is the 4th biggest city in Bolivia.

This city really demonstrates the segregation found in South America but I also really enjoy the two completely different areas of town.

The north side(though I doubt locals see it so distinctly), reminds me a lot of the southwest US. It is likely designed after European cities  with it's wide avenues and roundabouts, but because most of the buildings are more recent to me it looks a lot like Texas or Arizona during the nice time of year.

It's super hot here and there are tons of flowering trees with purple, red, pink and orange flowers. 

I even saw a pomegranate tree for the first time. So this area has malls, and fashion boutiques, and small cafés and independent restaurants as well as chains that look more upscale.

Everything is built with cement or concrete and plaster, where as everything in the poorer neighborhoods is made with those red construction bricks that are so popular in South America. The buildings in the north were also completed (in Peru and Bolivia people do not pay taxes on unfinished buildings, often they are built with extra floors or rooms with no intention of completing them). In the north there are almost no street vendors and if there are they have a permanent metal booth. There are also very few people walking around (in comparison) but those who are look western fashionable, often with business suits or American brand clothing. There are lots of Children in uniforms from private schools. In my few hours in the north, I saw exactly 3 traditional indigenous women, and saw handfuls of white Latinos. 

The south of the city may also have wide avenues but you can't tell because like in La Paz (the city of markets - I will write later), the streets have been taken over by vendors of all sorts. Street markets for blocks selling all sorts of goods, all run by the indigenous women (called cholitas). The streets are packed with people. It's loud and dirty and a little smelly but feels like every square inch is full of life. 

There was a similar pattern in la paz, but I didn't stray too far into the wealthy neighborhoods. A fellow backpacker said "it's like a completely different city". And to that I would have to agree.

The middle part of Cochabamba seems like a mix of the two, but I wonder if people actually verbalized the differences or if it's just a fact of life. Funnily enough, I was told in la paz that Bolivians don't shop at supermarkets (preferring the vast street markets), I have seen tons of tiny little corner stores but I walked around all day today and didn't see a single supermarket. 

I enjoyed both parts of the city today and will likely explore a little more tomorrow. This city is often skipped by travelers and I haven't figured out why yet. To me it seems like a lovely place. Both sides of town seemed friendly and inviting. Both had beautiful things to see, hear and taste.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this city as much as I have, maybe it's the weather, or the fact I ate like half a pineapple and a huge slice of watermelon for less than a dollar...

So far bolivia is treating me extremely well. It's a shame so many people avoid this country.