After my huge night of sleep, I decided to have a more relaxing day. Went down for the continental breakfast (which was amazing with fresh milk and papaya), and then back to my room to look up some words that I really need to know. I've also decided that I need to quickly get a beginner's grasp preterite, present indicative, and future indicative so that I can express myself effectively.
The bus ride was wonderful. Things that happened in incomplete sentences include:
-bus broke down
-neighbor is first grade teacher and used baby Spanish to tell me about her family and her son's medical education.
-stopped at roadside pension and had an amazing bowl of soup.
-went downhill for 50km on a road that my dad would love to take his car on
-arrived in Cochabamba just at sunset and was met by an amazing amount of generosity.
It appears that V is staying with a neighbor while I am here. I am left feeling slightly guilty as I can't figure out a way to repay all of this kindness. The only thing that I can think to do is take a package up to Riberalta for V's brother. And help V dig a compost pit. And maybe clean the house while she's at work. Actually, I'm sure the reason she moved out of her house is probably complicated and culturally motivated, but I know that I must accept before I seek to understand.
So now I've got to decide where it makes more sense to study Spanish. Here in Cochabamba there are some Spanish schools which are used to teaching foreigners. Up in Riberalta I would be mostly on my own. There are advantages to both. Also, having seen the quality of the roads and landscape, I am less excited to take a bus at the end of June all the way from the northern side of Bolivia to my project site in Mendoza, Argentina. Next time I have internet (which is when I'll post this), I'll investigate a few other modes of transport. Rivers are navigable in the north, and there are trains in the south, so I may be able to get to the Argentine border without a bus. The Argentine roads are supposed to be pretty good. Primero, Castellano...
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