Monday, December 15, 2014

Potosi and Pie

"Christians should put survival of the planet ahead of national security," Henri once told an interviewer. "Here is the mystery of our global responsibility: that we are in communion with Christ--and we are in communion with all people....The fact that people of Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Russia, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia are our brothers and sisters is not obvious. People kill each other by the thousands and do not see themselves as brothers and sisters. If we want to be real peacemakers (Christians), national security cannot be our primary concern. Our primary concern should be survival of humanity, the survival of the planet, and the health of all people. Whether we are Russians, Iraqis, Ethiopians, or North Americans, we belong to the same human family that God loves. And we have to start taking some risks--not just individually, but risks of a more global quality, risks to let other people develop their own independence, risks to share our wealth with others and invite refugees to our country, risks to offer sanctuary--because we are people of God"--Henri Nouwen, "Priest Led from Ivy League to 'Answer Call' at l'Arche,"The Saturday Windsor Star, October 14, 1998

El Cerro Rico in Potosi, Bolivia; this mountain has underwent extraction since the 16th century and continues to be mined today.

A week ago, I visited my friend and fellow Seeder, Rebekah, at her placement in Potosi. Potosi sits at 4,090 meters above sea level, which doesn't allow for easy walking throughout the city for those that are not accustom to the elevation. The center of the city is beautiful, featuring colonial streets and historic churches. I walked around the city one afternoon, and I soon found the divide between the rich elite that live in the center to the poorer citizens that live on the fringes. The income gap is readily visible in Potosi due to the size of the city, unlike Cochabamba's sprawling cityscape.

After reading the above quote in the introduction of a book by Henri Nouwen, I started thinking about my visit to Potosi, and the responsibility that Christians have in loving our neighbors. In Cochabamba, I can pass by people begging for money everyday. They are my neighbors, they are people of God, and they represent the face of Jesus. A large majority of the "beggars" are from rural parts of Potosi. They are recognizable by their traditional clothing. They are generally female mothers and have two to three children at their side. My coworkers have explained to me that these rural folks that come to the city are generally selected by their rural community to beg for money in the city. They usually have little pots with food and other supplies to live on during the day; who is providing this food? I have been told that some have family here that provide room and board. I can't speak for all that beg in the street, but I think I can say that all have a marred identity. And those that have children with them are creating marred identities for their children. Some have chosen this life, and even call it a job, because it might seem easier or they might actually make more money. What I think about is the condition of their souls.  

How can we help these unfortunate souls? I don't think giving them money is the answer. Giving them money just keeps them where they are at. Some people have suggested talking to them, and others suggest giving food. Also, prayer is a powerful tool in this situation (all situations :). 

Back to Potosi:

Spending time with Rebekah and learning more about her placement provided me insight into her difficulties and struggles that I couldn't have acquired without having visited her. We discussed topics ranging from our vacation plans to theology. 

The weather in Potosi is very beautiful during this time of year, which is a stark difference compared to the majority of the year. Combined with the high altitude and lack of central heating in most houses, Potosi is very unforgivable place to live. Climate change has brought milder winters to the area, but the bitter cold is still felt. The center of Potosi was designed to stop strong winds from sweeping through. 

The curvature of the streets is more noticeable in other parts of the city, but this photo illustrates the idea well enough.

During my stay in Potosi, I was able to meet a few of Rebekah's friends, and I was also able to attend her church. We shared a pizza dinner together, and spoke of our upcoming Christmas plans. One morning we made a trip to the "Ojo del Inca" or "Eye of the Inca", which is a 22 meter deep hot spring that is an average of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 "Ojo del Inca" near Potosi, Bolivia. 

I returned to Cochabamba for a short work week, and two Christmas dinners with my coworkers from my local NGO and the NGO from the USA. Unfortunately, the Christmas dinner with the Seed project wasn't complete because three of the workers were not able to come due to work conflicts. I made an apple pie, while the others made a delicious chicken dish and a Guatemalan punch. By the end we could barely move! 

Delicious apple pie!! 

I finish my last week of work before Christmas vacation with a visit to the communities surround Mizque and Aiquile. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! 





Wednesday, December 3, 2014

A month "alla"

The flower of the potato "Wyach'a", the most planted potato of the region. 

 A slight breeze passed through the distinct green screen door into our small office; it almost made it through the window, but not before it blew some monthly financial reports on the floor. The breeze was heading north, towards the mountains. 
After spending a month in Totorani, I reflect back on my time and the moments leading up to my month long journey. I now realize that the breeze that swept through the office was not only pushing those papers towards the mountains, but was also pushing me. 
I had spent the last two months in the office designing pamphlets, drinking exorbitant amounts of coffee, studying soil conservation methods, and many other not so interesting things. I was yearning for another chance to spend some time with my friends of the land. I received my chance when my co-worker decided to take a quick trip up to the mountains for a meeting with Totorani. I had a day to pack, say goodbyes (unfortunately my friends back in the USA didn't get one..sorry), and buy food for a month.  
The objective of my month stay in Totorani was to prepare holes for seedlings (10,000 eucalyptus and pine seedlings) while informing members of the association about planting phylaries as a method to conserve soils, and the possibility of bringing more baby trout for newly built trout ponds. 
The main objective of my stay in Totorani was to work with the members of the agriculture association on implementing soil conservation methods. Implementing soil conservation methods without any major monetary incentives is historically the most difficult part of agriculture development. My coworker told me I could start preparing for the arrival of the seedlings by digging holes for the transplanting process. Out of the 10,000 holes that I could have dug, I accomplished exactly 15 holes. The people were not interested in preparing for something that could possibly not arrive; at least that is my opinion. The soil would also lose moisture from being exposed to the sun. 
In the middle of my stay I let a friend borrow my camera, not such a good idea looking back on it, but during the day he borrowed it, he erased on my photos from the previous two and half weeks. I was frustrated and a little angry; I was more frustrated because he didn't apologize. 

We made two more trout ponds, and I made a rock barrier (on the left) to protect the ponds from erosion. 

I discovered how to construct the second floor of a building without the use of a cement suction machine. Since I lost my photos from this day, I can only show a picture of the finished product.

They completed some of the walls before I could take another photo of the second floor. 

The method we used to transport the cement from the ground to the floor was labor intensive, especially for me. The business that was directing the construction built a shelf about five and half feet tall. The cement was mixed by a machine and then poured on the ground. Andres and I shoveled the cement from the ground to the shelf, then there was two more workers on the shelf shoveling the cement to the second floor into a wheelbarrow. I rotated with Andres for 2.5 hours in shoveling cement to the shelf. About half way through we started re-hydrating with Tequina, Cochabamba's infamous rice fermented lager. Luckily, the beer only re-hydrated rather than inebriating. 

German and I built some terraces for a vegetable garden he hopes to start. The terraces will increase in size as rocks are found during the preparation of the soil. 

I helped a member of the community (Enrique) prepare adobe for a house he is building, and I also helped prepare more adobe for a church. While I was helping Enrique mix the mud and grass with our feet, Enrique spotted something shiny in the mud, he then pulled out a sizable piece of glass from the muddy mixture. We then continued to mix the mud for another 15 minutes or so with our bare feet. Unfortunately, I lost the pictures of my mud covered feet and freshly made adobe. 

Edgar and Jaime arrived a week before my return to Cochabamba to have meetings with the surrounding communities. We visited Link'upata to talk about reforestation and where to plant the seedlings that just arrived. The association was very excited about the possibility of having a forest in the future. They plan on harvesting the eucalyptus when the seedlings mature in about a decade or two. The advantage of reforesting with eucalyptus is being able to harvest the lumber more than once because the eucalyptus grows back after being cut down. 

The school received about one to twos trees per student. 

The Bolivian government is supplying all of the seedlings through the municipality, but Edgar organized and informed the communities about the possibility of receiving seedlings from the government. The government currently has a program to provide every student with a tree, at least that is what the commercials said on the government financed television channels. 

The mountains around Link'upata, Totorani, and other surrounding villages used to be covered in native trees and bushes, but little by little the trees were cut down to make space for planting crops or used as fuel for cooking. There are still small outcrops of the main native tree, Kewina, but most of the land is now used for farming. Hopefully the associations will continue to be motivated in improving the nature that surrounds them, while also reaping the benefits from soil conservation and future lumber sales. 

Jaime, my co-worker, is thinking about his future wife. 

We saw a flock of these migratory birds along the road, I am not for sure what species they. 

While waiting for a meeting to start in Huaripucara, we taught some of the school children how to play hopscotch. The little things in life...

Vicunas are native to the mountains of Bolivia, they are relatives to llamas and alpacas. They are only used for there fine wool. Huaripucara is one of the few producers of vicuna wool. 

After spending a month in Totorani and traveling to the surrounding villages, I was glad to be back in Cochabamba. Although the air is more contaminated in the city, the weather is more mild and nights are not as cold as they are in Totorani. I enjoy spending time the Totorani, but I hope my next stay will be slightly more productive. Such is the life of an agriculture development worker. 

I returned to Cochabamba for a break from living in "el campo", but I also returned for a yearly meeting with the organization I am volunteering for. We spent a few days talking about our experiences, and officially welcome new workers into the group. During our time together we had a Thanksgiving dinner (with turkey), listened to a lecture on "finding God in midst of our differences", eating a buffet every meal (ugh!), and some games in between.  Our last day together we hiked up to the tallest peak in the Cochabamba area. 

Leonel and I enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful yet harsh environment. 

Dona Vilma showed me how the egg selector functions; Vilma and her husband Gonsalo have 450 chickens. Edgar and I took a day trip out to Aiquile to collect funds for the purchase of thresher. The truck was back in the shop, the bus ride there and back wasn't that quick. 

Sorry for the late post, my normal monthly post couldn't be achieved because the nature of my work. I hope to post every 3-4 weeks. Thank you to all of my readers. Adios! 













Saturday, September 27, 2014

When the truck breaks down

As the sun was setting behind the Cordillera Real, we were descending upon Arani (a pueblo famous for their bread, its super deli!) in our gray Toyota Hilux; already traveling at lower speeds due to transmission problems. The truck began to make some unhealthy noises every time Edgar shifted. Eventually he wasn’t able to accelerate or shift, so we ended up sleeping 2 km above Arani, fortunately we were almost in the valley, avoiding the high altitude chill. There isn’t such a thing as “AAA” in Bolivia; at least we were not able to contact anybody that evening.
            Fast forward four weeks, Jaime, Angel, and I are on our way to Quillacollo, a city connected to Cochabamba, in search of transportation (the Toyota is still in the shop). After 30 minutes of waiting with our cargo, Jamie and Angel returned with news of a bus heading to Linku’pata. There are not very many white people in the transportation district of Quillacollo, meaning I was the recipient of many awkward glances. Some of the glances were accompanied by smiles others were paired with suspicion. A Gringo in the mainly campesino inhabited streets, not a daily or even monthly occurrence. I met the stares with a forced smile; I am intruding on their space.

A view from high above Cochabamba, you can see Cristo de la Concordia if you look real hard.

            Jaime and I hopped on the bus headed to Link’upata with our cargo. The mission for the next few days was to distribute Maca seeds to four communities in the mountainous region of the province of Ayopaya in the municipality of Cocapata: Linku’pata, Machacayma, Huaripucara, and Kumara. The bus only had two people on it when we climbed aboard, but in 30 minutes the bus was at full capacity; carrying more than just people. 46 kilogram bags of rice and sugar, multiple kilos of salt, and several packages of desayuno escolar made the bus slightly less comfortable, as if the worn down seats and leg room only sufficient for people with small stature (not me).

Our cargo, semilla de maca (maca seed).
Maca seeds are relatively small compared to other seeds, about the size of of chia seed. There is a little bit of dirt mixed in with seed because it is very hard to separate without the correct machinery.

After the driver broke the fuel cap, filled the tank, replaced the fuel cap with a plastic bag; we began our trip up the mountain, starting at 8 pm. Just before we left, I noticed a giant bag of coca and two small bottles of whiskey in the front window seal by the driver. I thought to myself, this is going to be an interesting trip.
It seemed like a party in the front of the bus, 5 guys plus the driver surrounded the exit, I think they knew the uncomfortable seats all too well.
At 1 AM and 3 AM we had to get out and push the bus up the mountain because the roads were very muddy. I barely slept because the bus was very uncomfortable, and I resorted to chewing coca out of boredom. We arrived at Link’upata at 5:30 in the morning; we slept in the bus until 8.

Coca from Los Yungas. 

We spent the rest of the day distributing maca seeds to the local farmers. OBADES bought the seeds and then gave the seeds to the agriculture association in each community. The amount of seeds distributed depended upon the amount each associate wanted. Each farmer that bought seeds needed to pay their debt off from the previous year’s seeds before retrieving this year’s seeds. Since OBADES gifted the seeds to the agriculture associations, the associations can generate revenue for future projects.
We slept in Link’upata in one of the school buildings. We were fed by some members of the community, a delicious plate of lentils, potatoes, and chuno. Although we kept warm for a bit before bed with a small electric stovetop, nothing could keep the cold from coming through the hole in the cardboard box that covers the window. We eventually fell asleep; it was very easy after not sleeping the two previous nights (I returned to Cochabamba the previous night from La Paz, I didn’t sleep).

The unexpected dreariness of a normally sunny September day in Link'upata.
The people of Link'upata mostly plant potatoes as a cash crop, you can see the richness of the soil that provides the delicious taste of la papa Waych'a. Unfortunately they are losing there soil due to few soil conservation activities.

We visited Huaripucara the next day, since we didn’t have the truck, we road on the back of motorcycles to reach the community. Along the way I had to get off the motorcycle and walk because the incline was too steep for us both to ride of the motorcycle. It started raining a couple minutes after we arrived. Huaripucara is famous for having herds of vicuna, a relative to the llama and alpaca. In Bolivia, it is illegal to kill vicunas, and they are only used for their fur. Their fur is very fine, soft, and warm; resulting in its expensive products.
After distributing more maca seed to the agricultural association of Huaripucara and waiting out the cold rain; we made our way to Machacayma by motorcycle. We almost fell twice because of the muddy roads. I wasn’t able to sit comfortably or securely on the motorcycle because the foot holds were broken. The motorcycle probably isn’t road safe; well I know it isn’t road safe.
We arrived in Machacayma, but couldn’t distribute seed because the leadership wasn’t present. We ended up waiting 4 hours for leadership to show up, but eventually left for Kumara in taxi (yes, there are taxis in the high Andes) because the leadership never showed up.
The air was very humid in Kumara and a slight wind made my bones shiver. We waited in a small one room house owned by the church until the church service started, so we could take advantage of having a crowd to inform them of the seed distribution. The service was conducted in Quechua. The coldness had everybody saying chiri (cold) under their breath.
 We slept with several blankets on top of our sleeping bags, but my feet were still cold if I wasn’t fetal position. The next day we took a taxi to Totorani, it cost 100Bs, normally taxis are a max of 20Bs for a trip to anywhere in the city. The taxi ride was also about an hour long.

The bed that Jaime and I shared in Kumara, thanks to the some of the church members we had blankets to put on top of our sleeping bags. 


We were welcomed by the warm weather of Totorani and a plate of food provided by German’s family. Within the hour a potato truck arrived to take us to Quillacollo. This is when the adventure of the blue potato truck started. The good thing about riding in a potato truck is the opportunity to see the environment all around you, 360 degrees, but the unfortunate part is the rate at which the potato truck travels compared to our pickup truck and the bumpiness of the ride. There is also rain, and the rain is cold. 


 The lowlying clouds and steep cliffs made you want to stand up the whole trip, but I sat for the first half of the trip. 
This is a picture of the Misicuni Dam, the project started in 1987, and has yet to be completely finished. The dam is planned to be used to generate hydroelectric power, 80MW of electricity! 
We took a bathroom break at one of the high points in the trek. The women walk about 6 meters away from the                truck to use the bathroom, while men walk about 30 meters or more. Who is more shy? The people of the campo are generally very nice and reserved; I enjoy every ball of coca and minute I get to spend with them! 
I stood on this gas tank for the last 2 hours of the trip; it was out of choice because I wanted to see and take pictures of our surroundings. The air was fresh the entire trip! 

I was glad to return to the "Corazon de Bolivia" or "Ciudad Jardin de Bolivia" after and exhausting three days of travel. I don't think I could live in Link'upata, Kumara, Machacayma, or Huaripucara because its too cold. Totorani is just right, and Cochabamba even better if we are talking about the weather. 
The Cochabamba Valley was very clear on the day of our descent. The wind had swept all of the smog away from the city. One of things I like about our trips up to Cocapata is the fresh air; I think of it every time a bus drives down the street spreading its toxic emissions. 

Monday, August 25, 2014

The Last Month

Hello again!
I left Totorani on July 18, and I have yet to go back for more than one night. It is now August 25, and the changes of job have finally begun to sink in. The last month has been interesting, frustrating, and a bit stressful.

Living in Totorani for about 3 months was enough time to become accustom to the way of life, but not enough time to learn the customs and culture (this might take a decade or more). I left knowing that I wouldn't be able to return for extended amounts of time like I did before; this was sad, but it couldn't be any other way. The problems that worked themselves into the minds of people in the community came about naturally, or maybe with a little help from government propaganda about the people of the US. This, combined with the upcoming elections set the stage for the development of the problems. Rumors started to spread around the I was giving large amounts of money to my host family; I do pay rent, but it is only about $22 per month. This is not a lot of money to them, just like it is not a lot of money to me. My host "dad" was constantly being annoyed by other people in the village about me supposedly giving money to him. st "dad", German, is the president of the agriculture association, so having these rumors being spread was affecting his image.
It doesn't help that there isn't very much work with the association, so I end up working with German most days. These rumors have not only reached the people in Totorani, but also the surrounding areas in Southern Ayopaya. I was told that someone at the regional meeting between communities announced that there is a Gringo living in Totorani giving lots of money to only a few people. This is particularly damaging to my image as a service worker that is trying to do development work without gifting.

Giving things to the people we are trying to help would only damage and further the problem that the people are so accustomed to. The government has recently backed away from giving, but there are still a few NGOs in the region that use this method which has been proved ineffective. Transforming the people's minds from "we need to be given things to improve are situation" to "we have the capacity to provide for ourselves and improve our lives" will take a long time to change, and is not a simple process. Sometimes people do need to be given things, but judging when is the right time is the tricky part.

Anyway, continuing with the problem. When I first arrived I said that I would help anyone, but the geography of the community and me not having transportation (motorcycle) put limitations on my ability to spread my help evenly. I couldn't just sit around and wait for people to ask for my help, so I worked with German the majority of the time. One of those projects being the trout ponds, which actually helps in the development of the community because the ponds represent another source of income that can be gained. With this project I didn't feel like I was benefiting one person, but others could have perceived it differently.

The result of this conflict within in the community and lack of work with the association, means I will be moving to Cochabamba. I will return to Totorani when more work is available. For example, in November the government is giving Totorani and other surrounding communities pine and eucalyptus seedlings for forestation. We are also looking for opportunities for me in Misque and Aiquile, mainly with the conservation of soils and egg production. I might also be helping develop a project in apiculture. I will be in the office a lot more than before; I feel somewhat indifferent about this. As of right now, I am studying apiculture, chicken egg production, and conservation of microcuencas. It is nice to be in Cochabamba (city of eternal spring), but I miss the calm life Totorani.

The last project I helped with before leaving Totorani was the construction of a greenhouse.
We started by leveling the soils, and then we began sifting the soil. We sifted the soil because the greenhouse will be used to grow onions for transplant. 

We then installed re-bar arcs for the frame, and then weaved some steel wire through the arcs to stabilize the arcs. The arcs were not preformed, so we bent them into shape as best as possible. We also installed two mini terraces to reduce erosion. 

 Before placing the plastic over the frame we installed a small sprinkler system inside. The main problem with many greenhouses is the lack of an irrigation system, but Edgar came up with the design to include an irrigation system. The plastic is the most expensive part of the project, costing around $80. You have to use a special kind of plastic to ensure that all of the suns light can penetrate through the plastic, and this plastic will also have a longer lifespan. 

The plastic is rolled up during the hot periods of the day. You can see one of the micro sprinklers in the top left side of the photo. 

The greenhouse is portable, so when the soil quality starts to diminish, you can move it!

The week after leaving Totorani we traveled to Mizque and Aiquile to inform the agriculture associations that there would be employees from my US organization coming to evaluate the projects that my Bolivian organization is doing. The evaluations are completed every three years. The project might undergo a name change, but the general goals will still be used. We are also visiting so I can be introduced to the communities and start forming relationships in hopes of being able to help them later. I will be staying at a Baptist church in Aiquile, as to avoid the same problem that developed in Aiquile.
The villages are actually outside of Mizque and Aiquile. Chaguarmayu and Chilicchi are the villages outside of Aiquile. The Bolivian organization has projects with the production of eggs, amaranth, and chia. The area is sub-tropical, the elevation is halfway between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It is much drier than Cochbamba, but water is collected in tanks or pools to be used throughout the year.

This structure is used to store corn. I don't know the name, but it is sort of like a mini organic silo. 

In Chaguarmayu, almost every plant has thorns. I believe some of the thorns are strong enough to pierce a tire and my the vibram plastic that my boots have (I made sure to watch my step). A variety of crops can be grown here, all you need is water! 
Peach blooms in Chaguarmayu!

Outside of Misque, we visited San Isidro. The organization also has projects with chia and amaranth. They also cultivate carrots and onions. This area has much more water than Aiquile, and the soils are also better. I was able to try some fresh chicha. Chicha is a fermented corn beverage.
 I tried some from this bucket; the chicha is still fermenting. I don't know how long or the process that is involved in producing the chicha, but I enjoyed the taste!

On the way back to Cochabamba we started having problems with the truck. About an hour away from Cochabamba, the transmission quit. We ended up staying the night in the truck. Thankfully we were almost in the Cochabamba Valley, so it wasn't too cold.

I am excited to transition into a new position in my work, but for now I feel like I am floating and have no direction. I know this feeling will eventually be overcome once my new duties are put in place and direction is given. God is great!


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Small Stone House


An entry from my personal journal upon arrival at the small stone house:
I just arrived the "house on top of mountain", in other words, German Perez's other house. The time is 8 o'clock sharp and the air is silent. I am being kept company by one of German's relatives (I later found out her name was Sofia, German's younger sister) and her three young daughters. It is cold up here, but the mud insulated rock house and cow dung fed fire are enough to keep us warm until the morning sun rises high about the mountains. 
There is a frost blanket over the maca fields right now. The fields are small and sprawled across the curves of the mountainous terrain. It is very unlike the farming practices in the USA, but there are also no mountains like these in the USA. 
The field below belongs to German Perez and field above belongs to another community member. 
The mom and her daughters keep quiet as I write, the daughters only uttering sweet nothings to their loving mother when needed reminders of her presence. 
I am waiting for German to return with two of his daughters, Maritza and Carolina. Elizabeth and her mom will make the journey by foot with the donkeys. 
After sitting a while in the small stone house I was given a bowl full of warm chuno soup, and the soup took away the coldness that was left in the morning air. I think I will do some walking around. 

This was the only entry I put in my journal for the 4 days and three nights that I spent high above Totorani; although  it won't be hard to rehash the details of my time in the high Andes.

The first day I arrived in the Maca fields I only thought we were going to stay one night, but after harvesting maca all day, I knew the time was going to be longer. The process is very slow, and even slower if the maca is smaller. We used small pointed hoes to lift the first 5 inches of top soil, and then the maca is loosened from the surrounding soil creating enough space between the earth and the maca making it easier to extract. German's wife used her hands to extract the maca, but I thought using a hoe was easier. I was harvesting the maca on my feet until my back started to hurt; I eventually transitioned to working on my knees. The process can be tedious depending on the size of the maca root, there could be 40 little maca roots within a square foot of land. Every little maca roots contributes to the overall weight, so we harvest all traces of maca.

We worked in the west part of the field in the morning because the soil on the east part of the field wasn't thawed until 11 am. Then we eventually moved to the east part of the field in the afternoon to make the line of harvest horizontal as we moved up the field.

We ate Pampaku for the majority of the meals, but it only contained potato. Pampaku is a method of cooking using wood burned fire to eat stones, then covering the hot stones and food with soil and letting it cook for an hour or so. The combination of dirt and peeling dirty potatoes results in the creation of this extremely sticky black substance. There is no sink or close water source to wash your hands.



The first two days we ate and worked within the clouds that surrounded the mountains, but it was only cold when you are not moving.The sun starts to set around 5:30-6, and I remembered to take a photo of a beautiful sunset, that can almost be compared to those I have witnessed in Kansas.


We make the trek back to German's Small Stone House during the making of this masterpiece that can only be seen well above Totorani. His house lies about a mile from his field, and we used the newly constructed road as our trail back to the house. This part of the year is the dry season, so any soil that isn't reinforced by grass turns into powder.


The morning is generally the coldest part of the day, but waking up high in the mountains also has advantages. Every morning I was able to see sun slowly rise from outside the door from the laying position within the house; it was truly spectacular.

The last two days the clouds disappeared, and were able to enjoy the hot sun wind blown dust without cold fingers. The last day we transported the donkeys from German's house to the maca fields for the transportation of a portion of the maca down the mountains. The rest would be transported by a community member that owns a small van.

Other than maca, they also produce potato, which was originally all they produced before maca was introduced into the area. Maca was introduced for obvious reasons - to increase the variety of crops that are planted to prevent the dependence upon a single crop (this reason brings to mind the Great Potato Famine in Ireland in the years of 1845-1852), to increase the income of the local farmers, maca can be planted along with other crops to prevent disease, and maca is a good supplement in the diets of the locals, etc.

Most of the potato grown in the high fields is turned into chuno. Producing chuno is the process of freeze drying/dehydration of a plant, mainly tubers. In Totorani, they mainly turn oca (a type of tuber) and a variety of potato called Waych'a. They lay the potato or oca out on a layer of paja, and the process usually takes a week and half depending on the temperatures and humidity. This is one of many things you can see as you walk along the road high up in the Andes along with herds of llamas and flocks of sheep.


The last night we stayed in the mountains was more interesting than the others. German went back to Totorani, leaving his wife to watch over the children...and me. Maritza decided to burn some pasture grass, which burns hot and fast when it is dry. At one point, the burning got a little out of hand, so I had to step in and help. I think the craziness of the night is a consequence of the full moon and clear skies that provided an atmosphere perfect for little mischievous acts.


The following Sunday we washed the maca in the river, and then laid it out to dry.

Our giant pile of maca.

Part of the group that helped wash the maca. 

These are the different varieties of maca we harvested over the week. There are varying colors and sizes, but the majority are ball shaped like the ones above. The black maca contains a higher amount of iodine than the yellow variety, and the all root maca can yield a higher amount of alcohol, which is the preferable variety for the factories that produce maca liquor and beer. I have read that eating too much yellow maca can give you a goiter, and by supplementing your diet with black maca will fix this problem. 

The time I spent in the mountains with my host family was opportunity to build trust and to experience the life of the Bolivian Andinos. Although I enjoyed my time in the high Andes, I definitely enjoy living in the lower part of the mountain. I hope that God continues to bless my journey in Bolivia with new and exciting experiences that bring flavor and excitement into my life. I want to say thank you to all that read my blog, and I hope that you can vicariously experience my life through my pictures and words. I hope to post again sometime in the next two weeks about the construction of a greenhouse, and also about problems that are occurring in my project. 

Below is a picture of the mini vacation I was able to enjoy this past weekend in beautiful Toro Toro, which lies 4 hours by trufi (a van that can fit up to 14 passengers) or 6 hours by bus southwest of Cochabamba. The area contains beautiful land formations, evidence of dinosaurs, friendly Bolivians, and a few good places to eat. 


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Trouts ponds and the maca

The last few weeks have been busy, but have also had times for relaxation. I was only able to spend 10 days in Totorani due to meetings scheduled the following . The 10 days I spent in Totorani were full of work and new projects.
          I arrived in Totorani just as the sun was setting and all of the farmers were coming back from the fields. I talked with German and his family for a little while before retiring to bed.
          The project we started on the following day was constructing the frame for a greenhouse. The greenhouse is made with simple materials, with the most expensive part of the project being the special plastic used as the top. All of the parts will be transportable, sort of like a tent. I spent the majority of the day bending rebar into loops that will be used to fasten the plastic and the frame to the ground. I bent the rebar by hand using a cheater when I could, then I hammered the rebar into shape after bending the loop.

          I was only able to accomplish bending the loops during the 10 days, but I hope to continue on the project the next time I return. The greenhouse will be used to grow tomatoes, peppers, and maybe strawberries. These can only be grown in the summer months when the temperature is higher during the night. In the winter the greenhouse can produce onions, carrots, lettuce, beets, garlic, and few others, these can be grown at a faster rate than they would outside.
          Another project that we completed was constructing two trout ponds that have cement linings. The trout ponds used before were only dirt and were much smaller than the new ones. The ponds are 2x15x1.5m, and each can hold about 100 trout depending on the size of the trout.



          We took a break in the middle of constructing the ponds to clean maca in the river. We did this by placing the maca in woven plastic bags in the river and letting them soak for a few hours. Then we came back and began washing the maca by pressing on the bags with our feet. The water was cold, and only became bearable after my feet became numb. After washing the maca in the river we set it out to dry in the sun for a week or so depending on the size of the root. The maca harvest isn’t over, so I know more foot washing will be present in the coming months.


          I was able to speak to some more of the community members during my time; I was trying to gather information about the history of Totorani for a presentation I had to give the next week. I talked with Francisco, a potato and sheep farmer that lives across the river, about the history of Totorani. Like the rest of the people I have talked to about this, he only knew the age of the community, nothing specific. I still enjoyed the conversation even though I didn’t gather new information.

      A picture I took while walking around on my free day. The adobe brick is the material used to construct houses in Totorani. 
          One of the days I worked on the school’s garden, preparing the soils for carrots, onions, beets, and winter lettuce. The work is hard because of the large amount of rocks that are in the soil. I found that breaking up the soil with a pic and then using the shovel to sort the soil from the rocks was the best method. My hands were full of blisters after that day, and I had only prepared a small portion of the plot. I want to remove the majority of the rocks because carrots and other root vegetables will produce better if there are fewer rocks.
          I left Totorani feeling like I was leaving home, which I think is a good feeling to have. I am slowing becoming more accustomed to the culture and the calm life that Totorani offers. I am also becoming more excited about the upcoming projects, and I am slowly building stronger relationships within the community.