Flexibility

Cecy and I have just returned from a "sand safari." Have you ever seen a desert of salt thousands of miles wide and dozens of feet deep? Go to southern Bolivia, where you will find a town made of salt. Salt is processed and exported around the world. Have you ever seen flocks of flamingos migrating? What about herds of llamas and alpacas, a wild fox? A bubbling volcano with geyers shooting vapor into the morning sky? A night sky with millions of stars (that all have names!)? Have you ever been so cold that water froze, you had no heat, so to sleep you crawled into a single bed with a friend (that would be Cecy!)? Have you ever traveled with a tour group that never shut up for 3 days straight, in a four-wheeler that bumped over rocky roads for hours upon end so that you didn`t know which hurt more, your ears or your butt?--try to doze! Have you ever longed for warmth and a firm bed so much that you could hardly enjoy the view? As you can see, our trip south was with mixed emotions. the beauty of God´s creation, along with the harsh physical conditions.

Overall it was worth it, but at the end, I realized it was time to head home. Time, money, and energy was running out. We needed to rest, after pushing hard for 2 weeks. I searched different options and every door was closed except to La Paz. So today we returned in train and bus (10 hours) to the same hotel, and slept the afternoon. Tomorrow we are going to shop and visit a museum about Che Guevara and Bolivia and get a pedicure/ manicure--it´s so cheap here. Then Saturday we will leave for a 3 day, 2 night "vacation" in the southern Bolivan jungle, with waterfalls, and hikes and beautiful views, a pool, massage therapist, etc. The whole trip might cost $40! Then we return to La Paz to leave the following day for Peru. We will spend about 9 days traveling through southern Peru, staying in interesting spots along the way until Lima, where we will stay a couple days until leaving for Colombia. Our goal is to be in Buenaventura for Jaime Useche´s Explosion around the 16 (the event is Oct 19-21).

I feel good about the decision and hope to have a future opportunity to travel to the south of South America--little by little (besides as an American I need a visa in advance for Paraguay, and to enter Brasil costs $100 for a 5-year visa--all in God´s timing). Better fewer passport stamps but more thorough, enjoyed, and restful time. Thanks for praying! God is guiding. He is the warmth--of my soul--that I can always depend on!