South American way

[stanky]

are you the tallest person on the bus?

[President Bush]

Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, the four major peaks to the left are called Illimani, tallest 6432 m/21,102 ft. It was explained to me that the women in red are the village (Yumani) authorities overseeing the ceremony that initiates the growing season on this end of the island. Just happened to be walking by.

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[President Bush]

Stone paths (no roads, no cars, only burros) are all over, stopped at a place to sip coca leaf tea and grandmother let me take her picture for a small tip.

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[sparks]

Absolutely beautiful there Prez.

[President Bush]

Why Bolivia and what is the cost of living like there?

Gasoline available again in the hills outside Santa Cruz de la Sierra where we are holed up in a small mansion, it's raining. Bolivia is going to have to raise fuel prices at some point, with the boliviano (that's the currency) black market rate of 12 to 1 USD... gasoline is under $1.20 a gallon/$.31 a liter.

There was a national strike last week for a few days, trucks and buses blocking main highways in the cities over fuel shortages.

Still virtually zero diesel available, trucks lined up for a kilometer at filling stations. Bolivia is buying it from Russia, offloaded from ships at a Chilean port then shipped in. Selling it for less than what they pay contributes to the currency crisis.

Makes new US $100 bills look like gold coins. Official exchange rate is just under 7 bolivianos to the dollar, the only rate I saw offered in La Paz. The parallel black market rate of 12 bolivianos to the dollar smacked me in the face when we came over here to Santa Cruz area.

That makes things real cheap. Get a tasty rotisserie chicken breast and rice for less than a dollar. Not a lot more available in the boondocks where we are. But we have a four-wheel drive and it's very pretty.

[sparks]

Thanks Prez!

[President Bush]

Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia. It was designated a World Heritage Siteby UNESCO in 1991.

FL and I renting a little place about five blocks from the main plaza, La Plaza 25 de Mayo. Never could determine exactly what cultural event was being celebrated there today, sounds as if it is just the sort of thing that happens all the time thanks to the university.

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[President Bush]

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[grayman]

Loving the photos Prez.

Thanks for showing us your world!

[Admin]

Their use of colour is phenomenal.

NZ has an aversion to standing out, and with the national colour being black, pics around here are very boring.