Bolivian update

I'm on my way to my next destination on the Watson Fellowship -- Ciudad del Este, Paraguay -- and am transiting through Bolivia. Most travellers I met in Peru raved about Bolivia: the landscapes, the people, and of course, the prices. Nevertheless, there are far fewer U.S. Americans in Bolivia than in Peru, perhaps because of the recent $135 USD visa fee slapped on all (and only) US residents.

At any rate, because I am spending so little time here, I will offer only the most superficial observations.

1. The Bolivian navy on Lake Titicaca. Bolivia has a navy, which is slightly ironic considering Bolivia is a landlocked country (one of only two in South America, the other being Paraguay). I noticed this on Lake Titicaca, which is shared by Peru and Bolivia, and at 3900m, is supposed to be the highest navigable lake in the world.

2. The one chifa I went to in La Paz was an artist's residence rented out to be a Chinese restaurant, which apparently in two years time, will become an art museum. For now, however, it's just a chifa.

3. Evo Morales. Bolivia's first indigenous president seems to have a lot of support in the La Paz region -- everywhere there are political slogans painted on buildings supporting "Evo" and his political party, the "Movement toward socialism."

4. Llama fetuses. On the street where I am staying in La Paz there seems to be a proliferation of herbal medicinal remedies, which include different kinds of alcohol as well as llama fetuses hanging from the ceiling. Apparently people sacrifice them here in homage to Pachamama, a goddess in Aymara and Quechuan cultures here in the Andes.