A funny thing happens when you start to understand your surroundings. You start to notice the more positive aspects of the place you're staying.
The parks seem to be more abundant, the people friendlier, the street culture more endearing. Cochabamba is far from perfect, but on my walk this morning I actively noticed I had a different feeling about the city. I don't know if it was from the elation I felt after finally getting my train ticket for the weekend on only the fifth try, or if it was because I was confident enough to find my way around on my own, but I could tell I was really beginning to like this city.
My first impressions were a mixed bag. I was asked by multiple people what I thought, and I would tell them that is was a mix of being both above and below my expectations. I realized that before arriving in Bolivia, sometimes I imagined my rose colored days in Spain and expected Cochabamba to have that feeling, but then other times I expected a really disheveled city due to the pockets of extreme poverty. Cochabamba falls right in the middle of those two extremes. But as I am finding my way around on my own and gaining confidence in both my directions and Spanish, it's swinging a bit more to the rose colored feelings.
The air might not be the cleanest and the trash disposal could use some work, but the people are a million times more friendly than I ever expected. I may have a fear of some of the food, but I love that portion sizes rival those of the United States. I AM ABSOLUTELY HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH ZONZO. It's grilled yuca with cheese. That has got to be the loveliest part of my trip thus far. I'm even beginning to appreciate the way every store is a little shop that looks like it is the bottom of someone's house. Shopping without speaking to someone is quite the luxury here.
Working with kids in areas that are poverty stricken that exist right on the other side of the street from wealthy families, I've learned that education here has it's good and it's bad just like we do in the United States, but what I had pointed out to me is that there is quite the entrepreneurial spirit in Bolivia. That even if one didn't get the education they deserved, they can still open up shop either with a food stand or possibly a real shop with a little help from someone who understands the finances. And I have no doubt that the people here are willing to help each other because I've seen nothing but kindness from everyone, children through old age. I could see the genuine nature of a couple on the street with whom I exchanged a "buenas dias", and they definitely aren't the exception.
My first week was a bit of a contrast to now, and I'm glad that the tables have turned. The children I volunteer with have been a big help with that, but also my fear of the unknown has subsided. It was easier to spend my free time in the house where I felt comfortable because no one was available to show me around, but it just took the first small walk alone one morning to help me start making sense of the city.
I wouldn't have traded this route to traveling for anything else because the availability of the other volunteers to explain customs and how to exchange money and where to eat has really helped make me feel more at home. And now the man who moved here from New Mexico seven years ago and hasn't left since makes a little more sense, even if he's still a bit odd.
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