Corazon in Bolivia

Buenos Dias mis amigos divine ones!

Another great week, wow, it is all pretty incredible. This week began with a rough Monday, Lunes, in class, a new teacher and a new student who is practically speaking in complete sentences in espanol! She is brilliant, a “former” investment banker born in Chicago, Georgetown graduate and Aussie to date. Adorable and funny. We get on right away! Let me back up, earlier that morning, I had been having a wonderful conversation with another great couple from Australia, they both have quite their jobs, and are traveling the entire world for the next year. They were both in the international recruitment fields for some huge company and decided life is too short to stress out, and so they sold all of there “cosas” things, and stored the rest at their parents homes and off they went. They are here for a few weeks, and tonight we will celebrate his birthday! They even said they are staying till next weekend so we can all celebrate my 49th birthday! Yikes!!

Anyway, they had told me to ask for a private teacher, which I did and by mid morning break, after a rough two hours I was put with Yerko, the tall one in the photo and the rest of the week went great! So, this weeks new friends are Victoria, former stressed out banker, now on travel and exploring and Tim and Belle.  It is really amazing how quickly friendships are made, a common ground is laid and off we go!

One night we all went to a guitar “recital” in the enormous town theatre.  There were 6 guys, each more talented than the last and the grand finale was a trio including the flamenco player.  All of us sat there stunned at the sheer talent and joy these guys had, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

During the day we quickly found a routine and excitement in talking and sharing life stories at our mid morning coffee break. I love their stories, especially Tim, he is hilarious, he has been everywhere and done a lot, and his girlfriend Belle is just as sweet and funny! Victoria has some great ones to share too!

This week in the afternoons I toured another church, this one with a legend of a former priest performing satanical rituals in it, and another one where it is still a monastery.  A LOT of catolica here!!! The Casa de Libertad is this enormous house now for government use, but formerly another monastery.  Of course there my camera battery died! We hiked, and I mean hiked vertically up Calle Dalance to the top where there is another, yes, another catholic monastery, now a school and church. What amazes me is this, there are tons of churches here, but at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning, where do you think everyone is???

Hmmmm, at the futbol stadium! Of course! No disrespect for these dear Bolivians, but I do think that all of the ringing of the bells, does not stand in the way of their love for futbol!!

Okay, the week was full with classes and afternoon conversation/tours. Each day I hike up that hill to mi casa for lunch, and then back down again for the afternoon. By evening I am BEAT! this altitude hits you when you least expect it!

Friday night we had a lovely fiesta at the school, they barbecued for us and we all had to wear a costume. I missed this tidbit of info and as I was leaving mi casa, thank goodness, Maggi, the daughter of the family I am with mentioned this to me and handed me a mardi gras type mask to wear. I actually thought they were playing a joke with me, but once at school I saw it was no joke! The last picture is all of us with our “costumes” on! It was fun!

Belle, Tim, Victoria, me, Iris, and Russ

Saturday morning mi familia and I had a yoga class! Yes, the whole family, madre, padre, son, his wife and their precious 4 month old and two other house students, Christoffe from Germany and Iris from Switzerland!  A full house! They loved kundalini yoga, and can you believe it, thank goodness last weekend I had found that book in espanol, I was able to read some from it to explain pranayama and savasana. We had a great time, I felt so happy and they want to do it more!

The school asked me to teach Monday night, so, tomorrow night, I will teach at the school, students and teachers will be there. I am excited!

This morning after meditation, I hiked again up that hill to La Recolletta, it is a great hike, it literally feels like you are on the stairmaster at the highest level, each step is an effort, each breath, a gift! Coming down is fun, and you can see the entire length of the street all the way into downtown, so I walked down into town and circumnavigated the central area, including the Central Mercado! Okay, I will try to get photos of this place, EVERYTHING is there! From flowers, to chickens, beef, spices, fruitas, vegetables, clothes, you name it!! No refrigeration, and yet there are no flies or bugs, as you might imagine the meat is just laying out, but it is super fresh and clean. I know, hard to imagine!

Well my friends, you know I think of you, and you know me, I am having conversations with you in my head all of the time! Thanks for writing back, and I hope you enjoy the photos.

My biggest thoughts this week, were:  (while recovering from last saturdays wicked sunburn) Why do we refuse to accept reality when it is right there in our face!? I knew the sun was strong, but I tried to think that okay, maybe just a few minutes would be okay. So, how many times in life do I do this? And where else do I do it? Just a thought my friends, I am still looking at that!

love, blessings and huge hugs,

Kirpal Kaur