about last Friday, i entered the denial phase. I am really not ready to leave Bolivia. So par for the course, I maybe stopped doing homework and am kind of pretending I am not a PA student....oops. it will be okay, Monday October 28th will just REALLY suck.
for my last weekend in La Paz, I had somewhat of bucket list. It included visiting a mirador, doing an intense amount of shopping, and hitting the town. Obviously the Germans were on board and so were some of the interns.
First stop of Robin, ahem, Pepa's Farewell Tour: Mirador Killi Killi. Mauricio, the giant german, and I took a cab to what could've very easily been a human trafficking center. We hopped up to the top, past a giant bear/dog and saw what was the best view of La Paz I have see yet. The city is huge and seriously beautiful. Since it's situated on a mountain it makes for some OK views...
God bless the panorama setting on the iPhone.
Second stop: Coffee and art. So emo.Good coffee is not easy to come by in these parts so we trekked to a nice coffee shop and then hit the Mamani Mamani gallery again. I bought some art, in the form of a calendar. Now I just need a desk, and a room, and a house to live in. Oops.
So for my last Saturday night, my intern friend Edu had a little fiesta at his apartment which was kind of a mcmansion. His parents own some brewery so we drank some free nice beer and long story short everyone got a little hammered. The group of us, including my German amigos, Edu, the most annoying German man I have ever met and 3 of the intern girls went to a discoteca. We danced the night away and I didn't pay a DIME. I learned to salsa and I also showed off my sweet american dance moves and lack of rhythm. Honestly couldn't have asked for more.
All was well and good until it was 4:00 am and I was locked out of my house. I sat with my dog for a moment and contemplated life. Then I rang the doorbell and apologized to my landlord profusely for waking her up. I am sure she was pleased to see me.
Sunday started a little slower than anticpated but worth it. The Germans and I had a marathon shopping day which included buying another suitcase so I could bring all this shit home. We feasted then
My last week. I was scheduled to work in the consultorio movil (mobile clinic). The game plan was to meet this Doctor, dentist and driver at 8 and then we'd hit the road. But wait, it's Bolivia time. So we left at 10. The mobile clinic travels to prisons, schools and also just the side of the road to treat the underserved of La Paz. We went to a women's prison first. Here, you bring your kids with you to prison. Prison is actually sort of a little gated community where prisoners work and the kids go to school. Not as terrifying as expected, at least not the women's prison. We saw like 20 kids who were so freaking cute. Alas, no phones or cameras allowed so my only memory of these kids will be my sore muscles from them climbing on me. I can't imagine growing up inside the walls of prison, only to learn years later that you live inside a huge city. It's really wild.
Consultorio Movil became somewhat of a food tour of La Paz, which I was obviously down for. I've eaten more legit bolivian food this week than ever before. Iloved all of it, except the fish market. I really could've done without that one and now I still feel like I can smell fish.
Anyway, I did 3 days with self-proclaimed Dr. Gryffindor and his crew. The men's prison, San Pedro, wasn't my favorite. You know that feeling when someone is staring at you and you can feel their eyes? Yeah that x 100 male prisoners. But once we were inside the office with the kids it was really good.
Dr. Gryff is big on nicknames (obviously). So I got an array of Robin Hood, Batman and Robin and of course, Robin Williams. Too soon, doc, too soon.
Anyway today I am playing hooky from consultorio cause I have had enough Bolivian prisons for one lifetime and also I've got a lot of shit to do.
p.s. i saw the new justin timberlake movie. for $2. in an empty theater. what a dream...
This is how I feel about leaving
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