No landscape. No fancy doors. Not even a nice front. None of these are priorities for homes in La Paz, Bolivia. At the top of the list is the wall you see in this picture to guard the home. Every house has a protective barrier against thieves. A house without …
Some of you asked, “How did you get out of Bolivia without the proper documents?” Good question. In my last post, I related how my birth certificate and my passport had two different names. The birthdate was the same. But my original name was Janneth Corina Perez Arenas. And my passport read, “Janet Eckles.” Bolivia’s …
Rosa and I stood at the entry way of a home in Bolivia. I placed a brand new Bible in her hands and hugged her tight. I patted her over her thick black braids that cascaded down her back. “I feel different,” Rosa said, “I feel free.” Calmness and reassurance rang in her voice. The …
“We have good news and we have bad news,” the immigration department said as I got my papers inline for my exit out of Bolivia last week. To my surprise, laws had changed. Now anyone born in Bolivia must have an official ID. So being the obedient chica, visiting my own country, I inquired about the …
Who loves classical music these days? My six-granddaughter does. And Mozart is one of her favorite composers. She plays his music over and over again. The other day, she pulled my hand. “I love it. C’mon, Nana, let’s dance.” Dance? It’s not salsa, I thought. I smiled and shuffled a bit, trying to follow the …
Oh my, dear friends, I owe you an apology…for clogging your inbox with an extra post. But I just had to share with you the fact that as you read this, I’m traveling from Lima, Peru to my next stop in La Paz, Bolivia. God is with me through your prayers and support like you …
The odor was awful. Hubby and I walked from here to there in the garage; We looked and looked while I fought nausea. “What is that horrible smell?” The stench was so bad even the skunks passing by held their noses. After looking some more, we found the source. We had carved fat off the chicken, …
My heart beat fast as I gazed at the red, white and blue of the huge American flag that covered the front wall of the court room. The stars seem to sparkle as my parents, my brother and I raised our right hand. We repeated the customary pledge: I renounce my Bolivian citizenship and pledge …
“You look fabulous,” the doctor’s nurse said when I went for a post-operative appointment. As all procedures go, this one had its risks, bleeding, infection, etc.” I was awake during the procedure. With a local anesthetic to numb the identified area, I lay on the procedure chair. And while a bright, hot light shone on …