My mom and sister, Alison and Leah, made the brave and long trek to come pay us a visit here in Bolivia last week. For week we’d been anticipating their arrival and stocking their itinerary with plans to see the best of Bolivia. We were going to explore the jungles of Samaipata, let them experience the daily grind of Peace Corps life in Okinawa, and then whisk them away to La Paz and Lake Titicaca to spend a few heavenly days on Isla Del Sol. What we did instead, however, was feed them both some amoebas the first day they got here.
Amoebas, if you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing them yourself, are a ferocious little bug that multiply quickly and send you to the toilet faster than you can say, “is that juice safe to drink?” The probiotics and grapefruit seed extracts they’d been taking were no match for these Bolivian bugs. Poor mum and Leah. Instead of enjoying the tranquility of the shores of Lake Titicaca, they spent three days and three nights in our little Japanese hospital in Okinawa, iv’s in their arms, and bathroom within sprinting distance. It looked like a gruesome battle, but they came out on top, and, always the optimists, reported that the view out their hospital window was quite nice, and that the nursing staff was superb. They deserve an award.
Amoebas mostly having been ejected, (I’ll spare you the details) they were back on their feet in a few days, and we spent the last few nights of their brief stay in Bolivia hanging with our friends in Okinawa, and taking a trip to Buena Vista, a beautiful area not far from us which borders Amboro national park. On a hike there we saw all sorts of exciting flowers and butterflies, some cows and horses, some cute kids in their undies, lots of coffee plants, and a dozen or so monkeys. Ah, nature.
Though we didn’t make it to see the far reaches of this gorgeous country, we did get some much appreciated quality time together. It had been nearly a year since the Montgomery women were all together, and I was so glad to be with them, catching up, hearing their voices, being next to them, and bringing applesauce, boiled water, and plain rice to their beside.
They left in good spirits and (almost) good health and assured me that Bolivia was a lovely place and they were glad they’d come. I was glad, too. It was not quite the vacation we were expecting, but we agreed that a trip to Bolivia is one of the better weight loss programs on the market, and they even hinted at the possibility of coming back for round two. Brave and wonderful souls they are.
It would have been hard to say goodbye if Tom and I weren’t planning to go home for a visit in a little over a month, but with that to look forward to, we said see you soon, and Tom and I left them at the airport to begin their twenty hour journey home. I miss them, as I miss many people and things from our pre-bolivian life, but being around my family reminded me of how good we’ve got it back home. Though we’ll be here a year and some more still, it’s nice to think on all the wonderful things we have to look forward to upon our return. Family, friends, familiarity.
In the mean time, we’re rockin Bolivia, have got our hands full of good work here in our community, and are enjoying the people and places around us. If you’re not deterred by the above story, we would love to have more friends come down to visit us and experience life on the other side for a bit. We’ll do our best to fend off the parasites and show you the sweeter side of third world living. Of course, if you want the authentic Bolivian experience, I’m sure we could arrange that, too.
Some pictures from our time together:
That first wonderful day we took a lovely hike up the river.
And then the next morning the excitement began. Ah, fond memories from the room where they spent most of their vacation. Here's mom and Leah are getting hooked up to their iv's.
Leah, sprung free from the hospital at last
Ma made her break for it a few hours later. Here we are, chillin in the hammock at our house in Oki, watching the motorcycles with their families of four go by.
Me and Leah by the pool at the Japanese clubhouse in Oki. I thought when we signed up for the peace corps we'd be bathing in buckets and cooking over a wood fire for two years. Alas, we have electricity, cell phone service, and an olympic sized pool. Strange, I know. We didn't ask for such luxuries, but since we've got them, might as well enjoy them, eh?
Me and ma, weaving with hemp. She plans to teach the kids at the farmers' market back home how to weave. My mom's so cool.
Leah, with our little friend from Buena Vista
Mom and Leah with my friend Tomasa, outside our house in Okinawa.
I miss you guys. Thanks for coming to play with us! See you again soon.
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