I am just so happy, I can´t stop smiling. I love traveling. I love being in a foreign country. I love not wearing a lick of makeup and pulling my wet hair into a pony tail each morning without a second thought. I love giving nearly everything I´ve brought away to people who could really use it and stuffing all my possessions into one small backpack. I love buying breakfast on the street for a few cents and living such a simple way of life.
I love that I will be in my own bed one week from today.
Life in Bolivia is good. The food, a bit too good. I¬¥ve eaten myself silly in the last two weeks. They make great bread in this country and when everything else has made my stomach go a bit haywire, bread has come to the rescue — a good five pounds of rescue, I am guessing by the snuggness of my jeans. The wine is great. Last night, after a bit of this and that from four different bottles from a local winery, I stumbled out of my chair at a Cuban restaurant and remembered that I¬¥m at a much higher altitude and the drunk, stumbling gringa isn¬¥t as cute in person as she thinks she is after yet another “vaso de pinot, por favor.¬¥¬¥ Speaking of the Cuban restaurant, have you ever had ropa vieja? Wow. Hands down my new favorite food of all time. It is pulled beef that is marinated with magical spices — a bit like machaca without the bite. It is so, so good. And I loved the giant portion of rice and beans. Bolivians aren¬¥t terribly keen on beans, so it was a nice change the bread routine. Me likey Cuban food in Bolivia.
Today, a day of wandering the markets and checking email and avoiding work because I´m on vacay baby! I´m off to La Paz tonight and Peru tomorrow. I am counting my lucky stars to have this opportunity. I am just so goofy happy, I feel like I should have a soundtrack playing behind me as I wander the streets of South America with arms outstretched. I really am in seventh heaven.
-Kellita