Hundreds of years ago a Spanish Conqueror named Don Felipe de Urriola y Goitgia came to Bolivia seeking Gold and Silver. What he found was a beautiful Ayorean Princess named Anahi. They fell in love and the tribe gave them permission to marry. For a wedding present the tribe gave the Princess and her new husband a dowry of a large, crystal, bi-clored stone. It came from their own mine.
Goitgia was not interested in the stone, he was after gold and silver.

Finally, not finding what he was looking for, he made plans to return to Spain with his new wife. The tribe was very upset and sacrificed Anahi to appease their gods. As she lay dying she handed the stone to her husband.

He realized that the two-colored stone represented the heart of Anahi, divided in two parts; the love toward her people and the love toward her husband.

That mine is still in existence today. It is the only mine in the world where Bolivianite is found, and it is here in Bolivia. The only way to get there is a 20 hour boatride up a tributary of the Amazon. Bolivianite is also called Ametrino, and it is the natural union of Citrine and Amethyst. It was produced thousands of years ago by the crash of two electromagnetic forces that imprinted this peculiarity. It is a stone that has a diversity of color starting with a delicate yellow, through shades of lilac, to reach deep violet.

This special, invisible union between the Citrine and the Amethyst makes the Bolivianite the stone of eternal love.

The stone above is one of these. I found a store that specalizes in them and had to get one for Joeline. (Very inexpensive)

Jody insists that I post new blog pictures. Man, the pressure! I am going to work between 6 and 6:30, coming home, eating, talking to family on the web, and going to bed. Now, where in that itinerary is there anything worth you reading?

Ok, Ok, this morning I walked to the market, which is open on the street every Saturday. Here are some pics of the fruits and meats that are available. Only exciting thing here is the last picture - like what is it? My first guess was rabbit, but the head looks more like weasel. Who knows?

You might also tell me what the long, thin, meat things are behind the steaks - I do recognize a T-bone when I see it

Today we took the Secondary students (7-12 grades) to a resort 50 minutes by bus out of town. Kids had a ball. The Seniors organized a soccer tournament, ping pong tournament, tennis tournament, etc. Course there was also swimming and eating, etc. I stayed for two hours then had to drive like crazy (30 minutes back in my jeep) to get back in time to go with the elementary students to a movie.
All around great day. Really had fun with the K-6th graders at the movies.

On another side, the first and last pics I took on the way out and back. Definately a two dimentional economy.

After leaving the dentist I was hungry, right? So I stopped in at Sole Mia, a pizza place where the owner is from Napoli, Italy. Nice little restaurant, one pic. is my pizza in the "oven". Takes it 3 minutes to cook in there. A little hot?
Pizza and a glass of wine while I waited cost me 50 B's. ($6.85) Little high, but it's only money and the pizza is great. Wonderful Bolivian wine. (No it wasn't a super dry red TJ and Nell - it was a rather sweet white.)

Let's talk dentistry. I have had to go to the dentist down here. He has completely drilled out one tooth that I thought had to have a root canal. He took a mold of the "hole" today and is having a tooth made - matched colors, etc. I don't know if you call it a crown or cap or whataever the term is, but he is building a new tooth. He it doing the same to a top tooth. He has filled two other teeth. Before he did anything, he took a lot of xrays.
Modern? He takes the xray while he stands there, then he and I immediatley look at the xray on the tv screen and discuss the cavity.
All of this drilling and filling and you know how much anathesia he gave me. None, zilch, nada. Never felt a thing, actually went to sleep at one time.
All of this in the states would have been $3000-$5000. My total bill is $162.

The pictures are my view from his office. Gee life is tough in South America. I just hope they don't have a war before Joeline gets down here.

To get an explanation on what these are you have to go down three sets. I am too much of a straight line thinker to turn things around. Never make a politician.

First is out the arm hole, another view of the city. This was supposed to be in last set but repeated first set instead. Understand?
Second pic. is of the lake in Coachabamba. No fish, no jet skis, no usea de lakee at alle. I am told it is heavily polluted. Until just recently they ran raw sewage into it. Currently trying to clean it up.

First pic. is my school from the top of the mountain with the statue. I am using a 10X magnification. Classrooms are in the trees so you can't see them.
Second pic. is another of the city from one of the holes.
Third is looking down inside the statue. Not the best steps in the world and very slick.

We had a day off today - Cochabamba Day - so I decided to take a trip up the mountain. I bought tickets for up and down in the gondolas. The first picture is at the start of the ride up. Next pic is the statue from the base of it, and the third pic. is in the statue, looking out one of the holes at arm level.

I decided not to ride down, but to walk. Course I went as fast as I could, ocnsidering there are over 1,000 little steps. Hard to keep under control.

My legs were wobbly for the rest of the day.

I went to the Iranian restaurant last night. You show up at about 10:00 for dinner. First pic is of the owners son, who is a student in Chile at a music academy. He is home on vacation. Very good musician. The guy with the drum is amazing. The seoond pic. is the same guy playing what he called a (spelling?) Digidu.
I was truly fascinated by the music he could get out of that thing.
Third pic. is my dinner. Persian dish. Very good. Fourth pic. is some old guy and the owners youngest son (one studying in Chile)

We took the Kindergarten and first grade class to the airport. Aero Sur, has a new, large airliner that flies from here to Madrid, Spain. The kids loved it. Took them all through the plane, had a first class visit.
Oh, the second photo is not of kindergarten kids?
Sorry, wrong picture. Really wanted to show you that the parade dress here is no different than the states.

Today was the parade for "Cochabamba Day". High Schools from around the country come to march. The parade started at 8:00a.m., we started at 9:45. After the parade I took the kids to a restaurant to eat and have cokes. We finished eating at around 1:00 and high school bands, cheerleaders, etc. were still going by. They tell me the last one starts at around 3:00.
Huge parade!

Had a ball with the kids and with the children and adults along the way. We were cheered, clapped for, etc. Absolutely wonderful reception by the crowd and not one sign of any dissention. (Been reading the papers lately?) Wish Chavez would stay in his own country and leave this one alone.

The pictures are 1. some of my kids on the bus on the way to the parade.
2. Our group starting to line up to begin. 3. Some of the girls at the end of the parade. (Joeline will love this, most of the girls wore high heeled shoes to march in.)

Notice anything strange about these pictures?

Ok, how about no cars?

The government here bans cars for a day every few months. City of over 1 million people. No cars allowed on the streets today from 6am to 6pm. Hugh delivery trucks stopped at the edge of town. If you have an emergency you can drive, but it better be an emergency or you go to jail.

Interesting concept. People really take advantage of it. Kids on bikes, scooters, families walking together. Nice idea.

This is the turn around right below our living room balcony, Carl says at night they keep it lighted and it is beautiful to look down on. Will love hearing the water all the time.




These are photos of the farmers market just walking distance from the apt. Fresh flowers anytime, yea. Best part is the fruit and veggies and tree/vine ripe.

For those of you who actually know Carl, if he stays up until 3:30 a.m. and gets up at 6:30 a.m. ---- he needs a nap! Actually the rest of us need for him to take a nap. Even when he is in another hemisphere you still know he needs a nap. so while he is napping, I will post some pictures of what he did this morning.

Just a couple of blocks from the apartment, every Sat. there is a farmers market. I just want you to see what they have. He was saying there is no reason this should be a 3rd world country. they have this rich fertile valley, much like my much loved San Jacquin Valley in California. They also have tin, gold and silver mines. These resourses just have never been utilized. These pictures will show you some of the produce, all cultivated with very primitive methods. I just know that I am going to love having fresh flowers anytime I want and all the fresh tree/vine ripe fruit and veg. I want. Carl said that with this weather the flowers and produce is always available winter or summer.

No I did not get a nap before I went out last night to the Afganastan restaurant. Got home from school late, talked to Joeline on the internet, then got dressed to go out. Got to the restaurant at 9:30, for a 9 o'clock show and was the first one in the place. Literally. They had a table all set for me.

Has a great filet mignon ($6). Very different taste than the states, but wrapped in bacon, and extremly tasty. People started coming in and by 10:15 the girl was wailing. Man is she talented.
Anyway, Huessin comes in and introduces me to his, uh, cousin, neice, sister, I don't know. But she is very nice and interesting to talk to. She is Iranian. NOT Iraqui, she made that very plain when I mixed the two up. She escaped 20 years ago when the Iraquis were killing the Iranians. According to her because the Iranians were not being what the Iraquis considered proper Muslims.
So, her and part of her family escape in the back of a truck to Pakistan and eventually Australia.
Then the owner of the restaurant comes over and hugs me like we are lost brothers. He is her, uh cousin? Huessin is his (brother, nephew, I know not sister). Then, another guys comes up and everyone hugs. He is a nephew? who is studying at a music conservatory in Chile - classical musician. He has flown up here just to spend a few days with her. So I am in the middle of this big family reunion. All at my table, well, and at the bar and other tables. When the singer finally took a break at midnight (1 1/2 hours of continual singing, playing) I offered to take family pictures of them. (Joeline insisted I take my camera) They were overjoyed, especially when I told AKU, the owner, that I would email them to him. After a bunch of family pictures, they insisted I get in with the major members of the family for a picture. (NO, Clifta, I am not the one in the balerina outfit - oh that is another picture)
I am trying to get out of there when they say they have to buy me a drink. By the time I finish it the girl is singing again and no one leaves once the entertainment starts - bad manners.
She sings non stop until 2:45 YES ladies and gentlemen that is in the morning. These kind, loving people, must sleep all day.
I got home at 3, emailed their pictures, got to bed at 3:30, was up at 6, and am still waiting for Joeline to get up, so I can say good morning to my lovely wife.
Now, to top all of this off, I am supposed to go back tonight - the singer is in country for two nights - and take a bunch of my American hire teachers.

OH, OH, forgot. In the middle of all the drinking, I finally told them to bring me a coffee. Intelligent right? NO.
What I get is a tiny cup filled with some sort of black, thick liquid. I stired and stirred, mistake! When I finished the "coffee" the cup was literally still half full of a thick black paste. Have no idea what it was.
Oh, well, maybe I will find out tonight.

First of all I want to start by appologizing to all of the other Grandparents out there. I know that for years you have mistakenly thought you had the best grandkids in the world. I don't want you to feel too badly that the race is for second place on that list. My grandchildren are so far superior to all others that it is kind of embarrasing.
But, don't feel too badly, somebody out there is in second place and that is not too bad. Chuckle, Chuckle, poor losers! man I feel sorry for you.
Look at the cake MY GRANDCHILDREN send me all the way to Bolivia.
They are in swim meets tomorrow. I think Michael Phelps is coming down to watch them, if he can get off Opra in time.

Thanks a million Wyatt and Jordan!

A few weeks ago I saw a sign in a small restaurant window advertising that a girl singer was going to appear at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. Having nothing better to do, I showed up at about 7 to make sure I got a good seat.
I order something to eat, had no idea what it was, turned out this was an Afganastan restaurant. I was served at about half past 7. I ate very slowly, and had a drink to wash it down. By 815, I was through with dinner. dessert and a few more drinks. By 9 I had had two coffees, another dessert and a few more drinks. At 930 the girl walks in with friends and they sit down and have supper. By now the waiter has asked me if I would mind moving to the bar so they could seat people who had reservations for the 8 pm show.
At promptly 10 the girl gets up, picks up a sax and really wails. Then she alternates between guitars and fiddles. She is really good. She plays for two hours straight. Of course during that 2 hours Huessin, bartender, and I had a few more drinks.
At midnight she comes and sits down. Huessin tells me she is just taking a break and in 30 minutes she will start again. By now I don't care / even though she sang California Dreaming for the American.
I go to my bed, which had been calling for hours.
Today as I drove by the restaurant I see another poster, so I stop and go in.Huessin greats me like an old friend. He speaks as much English as I do Spanish and Afkstan or whatever it is. By doing my usual pointing he agrees to reserve me a table for Friday night to hear her again. The poster this time says 8.30. I look at him and say ocho trienta. He says Si, then hesitates and says in broken English .. No No for your Senor Diaz, Diaz.
Insane world, but I am learning. Though the poster says 8.30 I am going to be there at 9'30, eat my dinner and enjoy the shows. Oh, I plan to go home after work and sleep for about 4 hours before going. This old dog is not that dumb twice. And yes "Joeline, this time I will take pictures.

By the way, if you are wondering about all the weird punctuation marks, I bought a keyboard today to hook to my laptop. Can't stand those little keys. Well, I got home and hooked it up. Guess what it is a Spanish Keyboard and trust me there is a difference. I have typed all of this time and still can not find the "'/?><>"|{} DARN COLON KEY to put between time numbers. I did discover that the SUPR key is the delete key.