Bolivia

Hello  - just an update on my trip here. 
I arrived at dawn on Monday
after a long trip and was so excited to be back, it really is the most
dramatic and extraordinary city. I look at it and wonder why would
anyone build a city nestled precariously among lunar jagged mountains,
it is so dry and the sun so fierce, it is so high that you struggle to
breath easily. It was settled by the Aymara for gold of course, the
river that runs through it, now a stenching toxic death river was full
of gold.


I am very proud as president Evo Morales is now at the for front on
the fight against climate change, he has stood up at the UN for more
extreme action, more then any other country. It is because Bolivia is
suffering hugely as a result of climate change. Glaciers have melted
away, crops fail from over heating, there is drought then flooding..
for one of the poorest countries in the world this is a catastrophe.
The city has an old colonial part, all cobbled narrow streets ornate
baroque churches and colonnaded houses. there is also El Alto the poor
part at the top of the mountain where the poor farmers are migrating
hoping to find work. It is a busy dirty city with buses pumping thick
black smoke and a lot of crime. Every taxi you get in is a tense ride
not knowing if you will be kidnapped and robbed - taxi's don't have a
good reputation here. 


Everyone at the cooperative asked me to please
remove all my bracelet's etc as they tell me (with much graphic sign
language) that my arm will be cut off or my throat cut.. umm..
The streets are full of the Chola's - Indian ladies who wear large
petticoeated skirts, a bowler hat perched on the top of their head, a
lovely fringed shawl of alpaca and their hair in two long plaits that
tie at their waist with coloured pompoms, they sit on the street
selling chilits, tissues or fruit which they then roll onto a shawls
and pack  on to their backs with the baby and other goods.
They are so beautiful!



Bolivia has the worlds shortest people I recently found out and it is
true that a lot of people come up to my waist - but this always causes
many smiles, especially when I squeeze into the public mini bus to
whizz around town.

Today I went with Daniel, he works at cumbrseyallama, a group looking
at the mines, advising and supporting the fair trade process - he is
also  working with ARM (association of responsible miners)  we went to
the office of the cooperative of Cotopata  - up and down mountains we
drove and finally to a small alley and into a little house which was
decorated with streamers and balloons and football trophies, and naked
girly calenders..it was lovely to see Juana (the woman who came to the
Fair trade launch in Hatten Garden and cried with such emotion when
she spoke of how this certification was effecting their lives) and the
whole team - we swapped by piles of cash for a beautiful lump of gold
- which I walked out forgetting and Juana had to run after me - I
shoved that in my pocket and we headed to see Javier - the goldsmith -
we spent a hilarious few hours discussing a new collection, the
aesthetics, size, feel etc all without a language in common - a
perfect understanding..



Tomorrow I go to the mine about 2 hours away and thank goodness it is
considered inauspicious for women to enter the mine as I suffer
claustrophobia - but will be great to see. It is down in a more
tropical zone and a mile walk through the forest to the mine .. I will
let you know all tomorrow xx