Never a dull moment...

It seems like everything is coming to a head here in Potosí.

WATER (of lack there of)...

I am now used to the fact that the water in the “lagunas” (that supply half of Potosí with water, including my apartment and my office) run dry most afternoons. My office has large buckets that they fill up in the morning for this event. None the less, it is still rather unpleasant to be the first one into the washroom the next morning, since “business” continues as normal in the afternoon, water or no water.

However, this morning was the first morning that the water hadn’t replenished – even for a couple hours. So, my plans for laundry before work didn’t happen. My shower was non-existent. There was no water for “mate” (tea). And, the disgusting toilet from last night still hasn’t been flushed. But still, life goes on here without much of a blink of an eye. Because they know here that access to water isn’t a right, it’s a privilege.

I LIVE, THEREFORE I PROTEST (speaking of privilege)...

** Potosí:

There has been an ongoing strike at the university. I am lucky to have access to both sides of the issue. The wives of both my boss as well as my Spanish teacher are professors at the university, where as the local friends that I’ve made here are either students of the university or know someone who is a student. Hearing both sides and being neutral in the middle is fascinating.

The protests were first started by the professors (about their salaries) and lasted around a month, culminating a couple weeks after I got here. But, upon an agreement, the students then took to the streets to protest the resolution. The protests, ranging from rallies and marches to road blockades turned a bit “aggressive” last night with dynamite being set off in the main plaza. Neither side of the issue sees much of an end in sight, despite the overall impression that I get that everyone just wants it to be over.

** Santa Cruz:

I’m going to Santa Cruz this weekend to meet up with Nic, who is coming to visit for the holidays. To get there, I have to take a 3 hour bus to Sucre and then a 12 – 20 hour bus (I love the time variation!) to Santa Cruz.

But of course, just to make life interesting, I received an email yesterday from the Canadian Embassy warning all those living in Bolivia to avoid Santa Cruz this weekend, because of a large protest expected there, where they will be deploying the military. Additionally, it is expected that there will be a blockade around the city, preventing travel. I’m not entirely sure I understand the issues with this protest, but I’m sure I’ll be finding out soon enough!

And, since being resourceful is always a necessity in Bolivia, Nic and I now have backup plan A and plan B, incase I can’t get into Santa Cruz when she arrives. Either way, it should be an adventure!