El Tapeque

Cochabamba has a great circus life. I went to watch a circus performance up in the hills above my house in my first week here, with Sian from my class in Cork and her roommate Thomas. Before arriving I had thought it was a small street performance we were goin to watch and was happily surprised to see a beautiful circus tent and lots of people about. I felt like a child, I was so excited.

El Tapeque during the day.

 Went we arrived it was 7 in the evening and there was a power cut in the city so we had to wait outside. For a while I was worried there would be no performance at all, but was reassured when fire jugglers came out to entertain and a lovley clown came over and explained the electricity would be back on soon.

Jugglers from Performing life

Eventually we were allowed to go in they filled the place with candles and just as the performace was about to begin the lights came on, a big cheer errupted and ended promptley in anticipation for the show.

It started off with a clown teeling a little girl the story of El Tapeque. What followed was an amazing selection of acts from different groups all over cochabamba. To kick start the performers was a local group of drummers.Two of the performers were walking on stilts and the even had a fire breather.

There were lots of performers from Performing Life. A local NGO which helps young street children make an income thorugh creative means. Many of them have learned very impressive circus skills in juggling, diabloing, unicycling and poi. 



We also got many giggles from three Mexican clowns. Our friend Thomas was brought up on stage with them, to pester him. They were way to funny.

I left el tapeque with sore cheeks from smiling so much, it was such an amazzing evening

New Life

Last night I woke up to lots of hustle bustle going on in the house. I got up to see what was going on. Mariel and Rocio were both hunched over looking down at Dasha. It took my blurry eyes a minute to register the three little new puppies lying alongside Dasha. Mariel looked up and me with a smile and said sshe throught there was more. I hadnt been feeling the best and didnt think my stomach was up to watching more puppies being born so I staggered back to slumberland. When I awoke the next morning everything was quite, I peeped in to see a tired but happy Mariel. "She had six puppies pops". They were beautiful and Dasha could not have looked more content.

Six little perritos last asleep

Music in the depths of Angostura

We went to Angostura on Sunday, to fish and swim. It was to be my third visit and by far the most amazing. It was so peaceful and this time I didnt have the so many distractions. Me and Lars got a Taxi-Trufi from La Cancha to the edge of Los Cabinos of Angostura and had a picnic. 

When we arrived we joined by a group of locals performing a cerimony on like lake. At first we decided not to  swim out of respect as we thought it was a funeral, then when we heard the music they were playing and took a closer look we realised it was a Baptism. On went my togs. I got a lend of Lars underwater earphones to use as he stayed fishing. 

The sun began to set quite quickly. As I swam in the lake I listened to Polica. This music was perfect to echo through the water as a floated. The water was an amazing violet colour.I Lay on my back and watched birds fly above, I dont think it could have been any more perfect.

Listening to this under water is Beautiful.

Primero Mes in Cochabamba

I have been living here over a month now and life here is good and my Spanish is so much better than it used to be.So happy about that.

The beautiful view of mountains from La Paz Airport 

I live in a modern apartment with a lovely family : Mariel (my 25 year old Bolivian sister) , Rocio ( my Bolivian mum ) and Dasha (my Bolivian pregnant shiatsu). I live 5 minutes by Trufi to the centre of town and have a great roof 11 stories up which I can see the whole city from. (A trufi is a people carrier taxi that you can hail down anywhere and costs 17c all over the city). I love living with a family here, it makes me feel very at home and we eat together some of the time. The daughter is studying medicine, the mum owns a baby clothes shop. They also have birds which like to sing all the time. 

Dasha awaiting her three little puppies. 

The other students from Ireland ; Phoebe , Tom and Aishling live in a lovely apartment not far from me. We had a Mexican themed dinner party there last week because the girls bought ponchos and we wanted to drink tequila. 

Our first taxi journey into Cochabamba. 

I work five days a week in Proyecto Horizonte, Monday and Tuesday from 1-6 and Wednesday to Friday 8-6. In the mornings I work with nutritionists in the centre and in the afternoon I work assisting a teacher in the school. The class I work with has 33 students aged 6-7, they are great and are the main reason I have improved so fast in Spanish.Proyecto is an amazing organisation, with so many people who work very hard to make it such a success. The staff are really supportive and good fun too, twice a week there are staff basketball matches. So far our team los voluntarios has never won, 3 Irish, 1 French and 2 Germans. The Bolivians whoop our ass every time.

The class I work with and their teacher on Dia del Niño 

I have two Spanish classes for two hours on Monday and Wednesday evenings. My Spanish teacher, Maria is amazing and they are one of my favourite parts to the week.

The culture in Bolivia is nice and relaxed. They have pretty good food, I have become a bit of a carnivore here, its easiest and the meat here is very good. I had the best steak of my life recently in an Argentinian Barbecue Restaurant. The food is much cheaper to eat out than to eat at home. Which is great, as its nice and social. We go out most weekends, the clubs here are fun and play brilliant music. I am getting salsa lessons and will have dancing hips in no time. 

La Estancia 

We have left the city twice to go to a lake north of Cochabamba called Angostura.A friend of ours has a house there right on the lake. It was beautiful, we had barbeque's, danced and swam.Last weekend we went to visit Christo de Condorda. The biggest statue of Christ in the world, the most famous is that in Rio but this one is slightly bigger, the view from the top was absolutely beautiful.Our next adventure is next weekend when we plan to go to Chapari, a jungle east of the city. Where we are going to visit monkeys, go rafting and zip lining.

Angostura, Kate and the Beatel