Observations

Just watched an amazing parade of new kindergartners! Great bands! Great marching music! Great ballons! And ......... a mile of these amazing little people �marching� the distance like they did it every day. Marvelous. Great to see.


I�m presently in the pretty and handsome city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is at present only slightly marred by air pollution, but well before the kindergarteners I just watched are anywhere near my age I expect the present air polution will have much lessened.

Today is a Sunday and most businesses are closed. I believe that if I go to the airport I will be able to reserve a seat on a flight to La Paz. The long bus trips are not as much fun as they once were. Still I did enjoy the 12 hour ride here from Santa Cruz. Lots of good sights. Lots of good conversation. Conversation example: A young man who had begun working underground in the mines at the age of eight and continued in that work until the age of 13 when mine work killed his father. At a later date he was able to find work in Argentina building new subways in Buenos Aires for about three years. With the money he saved he was able to buy a decent coca plantation which with his work as a driver is enoung to take care of his family. The older man I sat next to for much of the time work 25 years on a large minning dredge and became one of the very few Bolivian dredge captains. I have been aboad these dredges. Amazing. They are very large and are capable of making their own lake and moving it with them as they process ore.
I was tired after the 12 hours, but handled it well. Even the 1/2 hour in the road as a flat was fixed. Missed the first class bus.

More later.