Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Hola from La Paz

I'm beyond exhaustion. I have been trying to get myself to sleep after the two seemingly endless flights (8hr20 to Miami and 6hr20 to La Paz) and 6 hour transit to get here. No luck whatsoever and so after doing my accounts I am blogging and watching the new season of Grey's Anatomy. The sheer height has meant that the air is thinner and I feel like I've been doing deep breathing exercises since I got here. Some herbal tea and a light lunch of soup seems to have helped. Wonder how I'll manage once I am out of the comfort zone of this place and in the real world, at work? How long does the body take to acclimitise? Answers that seem minor in comparison to the deeper life affirming questions that the fantastic view of the mountains from every room of our apartment beg us to ask.

More than 24 hours since I left the comfort of my home in London here I am in La Paz, Bolivia, on weeks of exciting work and play. The first view of the amazing Altoplano was as we landed and the sun was rising a gleaming deep orange hue around us. The whisps of clouds and the sheer expanse just took my breath away. I'm hoping I can take and post loads of pictures once I am back. But don't count on it as I haven't even downloaded my fab (?) pictures from India as yet. Will try and post my observations of life in La Paz and the surrounds as and when time and the internet connection permit. Till then suffer my horrid broken spanish accent - Buenos Noches! (pronounced Boo-e-nos No-chez). G'nite people....

9 comments:

  1. Wow - sounds swell!

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  2. Anonymous1:28 PM

    Wow How exciting, hope you have loads of fun. Looking fwd to more

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  3. Anonymous3:44 PM

    Looking forward to reading all about it.
    How was your flight this time around ? No screaming children ?

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  4. Bolivia?! How cool is that!

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  5. I'm JEALOUS!!! Where do you work? I want a job like yours too, that takes me to places like Bolivia. You're so lucky. Hope we get to read alllllllll about it in detail - and see some pix too :) Have fun!

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  6. Wow! Another country? I am assuming good pictures and stories will follow in due course of time.

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  7. Anonymous3:11 AM

    Erm, BuenAs noches. Sorry, couldn't resist.
    Hope you acclimatise soon enuff!

    -N

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  8. Anonymous7:00 AM

    Wow! Super cool! Pity that you have to work too.

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  9. Noon/ Uma/ Rohini: It is!

    SO: Screaming kids but not as many or as loud and none on the second leg of the flight mercifully! The sheer distance is killing though....

    Shyam: if I told you that I'd have to kill ya! No seriously, I work in development hence all teh chota-mota countries no one wants to visit as a tourist. Pictures when I get back.

    Parth: yes, I hope stories and pictures will appear - quality I cannot guarantee but i'll try my hardest.

    N: I stand corrected!

    Chakli: I have to say that the work is making it very exciting and I may never have chosen Bolivia to visit otherwise. I am meeting amazing people and hearing amazing insider things about Bolivia that one can easily miss as a tourist so I'll say the work is good.

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