We're Home!

It's been 7 days since we landed in Seattle. Mark met me at the airport, dressed in a suit and a placard that read "Rock Star Shuttle for O'Malley." He said it's because I was "big in Bolivia" (literally, of course). I'm not sure if it was jet lag or reverse culture shock, but I felt as I were moving in slow motion my first 3 days back. First of all, I have to cook my own meals and clean my own house, do my own laundry, and drive myself to my appointments. Then there's the "work for a living" surprise. How soon we forget, my little chickens, how much reality changes with a plane flight.

After a week to think and review photos, and also the great opportunity to attend Rotary 5030's district conference in Portland, I am ready to share my thoughts on the Bolivia trip. My main interest originally lay with Bolivia's systems of education, but thanks to the varied professions of my teammates I also learned a lot about health care and health education, environmental and community concerns re water/sewer/trash, the plight of orphanages (and the children in them), and the wonderful work of the many non-profit and Non-governmental organizations we visited. Rotary clubs and their members are working in all corners of Bolivia, making a huge difference in the lives of needy individuals as well as whole communities. I wasn't there long enough to know every detail, but I was certainly there long enough to feel inspired and motivated to learn (and do) more.

I'll be posting more photos now that I have a FAST internet connection and invite anyone interested in either Bolivia or Rotary's GSE program to contact me.

Santa Cruz catch up

We've been in Santa Cruz since Sunday (today is Thursday) and today we are visiting one of Bolivia's cash crops - Sugar cane.

Sugar cane needs manual labor, and so immigrants come here (from the Altiplano) for the harvest, then stay. Interesting web page about some of the repercussions: http://base.d-p-h.info/en/fiches/dph/fiche-dph-7798.html

Besides the humidity, the weather hasn't been too bad. We leave Saturday for the US, where I'll be updating my blog with the millions of photos I took!

Santa Cruz family

Here's my host family! Chi Chi Mendez is the host dad, his wife Marta (Kiki) and their daughter Andrea (standing). Noelia is a adopted member, more or less, and my constant companion when we're both in the house at the same time! She's 6 years old and is learning how to read. Great kid!