THE ROAD IS CLOSED!!

The last month has been frustrating! More often than not we have a ‘trunca’ across the road when we wish we enter or leave the community. The road in Patajusal 1 and 2 crosses private land so literally belongs to the community. Anyone who uses the road does so only with the permission of the members of each community.

The main ‘user’ of the road is the lumber company. An agreement was made that the company could use the road provided it would build the road and maintain it. The company built the road by cutting a swath with a cat through the forest and they maintain it by driving on it. Logs cut from farmers’ fields are hauled day and night while the weather is good. But there is a problem. All this driving puts holes in the road and when it rains, the holes get deeper since the trucks drive straight through. After some time the road is nothing but potholes and the community decides to stop all traffic until the road is repaired.

This is the problem with which we were faced in November. We could understand why when the road was wet since we could see the damage. Even though our truck is light we still try to be considerate of the community. But when the road was dry we became quite frustrated – until we realized what was happening.

One day I returned from Yapacani after attending a meeting there. The weather was fine and I did not anticipate any problems. But when I came to the entrance of Patajusal 1 the trunca was closed. I had taken some people with me and they checked at a couple places for the key but were unable to find it. I walked to the school and the store but at neither place did I find the key. So what do I do – turn around and go all the way back to Yapacani or stay in Hotel Chevrolet for the night? The people from the community are always warning me that it us unsafe to drive at night but does that include sleeping in the truck in the middle of nowhere? Let’s just say that I have spent much more comfortable nights. The next morning I returned to one of the places where I was told the key would be. They had returned from the field the night before and they gave me the key after making me promise to bring it back as soon as I opened the gate and also promise that I would not let anyone else through. I was home in time for breakfast and a nap!

Another day we were expecting some supplies for the workshop and had obtained permission for this truck to enter. We received the key with the usual conditions of letting no one else through. When I arrived at the gate the truck was there as well as the road grader. But the man from the road grader, who happened to work for the lumber company, would not allow me through the gate. After some very frustrating conversation, I went home and told Jake to deal with the problem. He went to the gate and negotiated that the truck could come through in one hour. Part of the problem was that I was a woman and there is no way that a man will let a woman tell him what is going on. And then when I had the key, there was no recourse except to stick to his guns. When Jake came, things could be negotiated. It was at this time that we realized that there was some serious negotiating being done with the lumber company. The company wanted to grade the road even though there were wet spots and the community leaders wanted them to wait. From that time on, one of the members of the community was assigned to stay by the trunca and open it for those who were allowed to pass through but to keep the lumber company from moving trucks. We appreciated that since we did not have to look for a key every time we went in and out of the community.

The road has now been ‘fixed’ in Patajusal 1. They raised it so that water does not run over it as quickly, but it is still made of clay which causes great problems when it is wet. It is not unusual for the micro (the bus that provides public transportation) to be stuck somewhere on the road. One night we were coming back and made sure that we were at the trunca when the micro would come through. It had been a bit wet but we were sure that we could make it. After a couple hours of waiting we were told that we could only go to one of the farms but we would have to wait there until morning. However, the micro could go through. So we stopped at the farm and Jake stopped the micro so that we could get a ride. Then the people on the bus decided that we could go down the road after the bus. So off we went – for a few hundred meters. Then the micro decided that it could go no further and would back down the road. Then we could go – if we took the people and the cargo. Although we were loaded down much heavier than we wanted, we agreed and we were able to make it to our own beds. Not another night in Hotel Chevrolet!!

But now we have another problem. The road is fixed in Patajusal 1 and they have started construction in Patajusal 2. A bridge needs to be built to divert some of the water so a large hollow tree about 5 feet in diameter is put across the road. The first time I encounter it I am somewhat concerned about how I will get over it. One man (my dear friend from the lumber company who has his truck in the middle of the road, waiting to get through) tells me that it will be in the morning but another man says an hour. It is lunch time. It turns out to be about 20 minutes and they tell me I can go through. OK, but how and where. I make my way up the ‘bridge’ and get high centered. No problem! They hook the wench from the cat on to my truck and pull me through. But the next time it is not so easy and that time Jake is driving. It takes an hour or so to get out the next time and we are glad that the guys have a great sense of humour and adventure. Not only is the lumber truck still in the middle of the road, but also the cat has broken down and is sitting on an angle across the road with the blade in the air. Thankfully Jake has some experience although this is worse than driving on snow covered ice. He figured out how to manoever the truck through the greasy mud and we were able to move in and out of the community once again.

But things changed again. We planned on taking a few days of R and R over Christmas but the day before we planned to leave the road was closed – and we could do nothing about it. Although we did not have a lot of rain, there had been ten days of rain up river and all that water comes down to Patajusal. There is a curve in the river where the water flows into the community and the night before we were to leave, the river literally came down the road. By morning the road was covered from our laneway toward the crossing in Patajusal 1. That meant that we had a choice – stay in the chaco or walk out. I had made sure that all the fruits and veggies were eaten so that nothing would spoil while we were gone. So that reduced our options and we walked out. There were 10 of us who waded through about 2 miles of knee deep water with slimy clay under foot. Many of our neighbours had water running through their houses and the chickens were perched on the roof. It reminded me of the newscasts of the floods and hurricanes, except this was something we were experiencing. Words cannot describe, nor would you believe, what it was like. (And where was the camera – safe and dry in Yapacani. Although I wished I had it with me, it probably would have fallen in the water since I am such a coordinated person that I fell as soon as we started!) Fields that were green with rice the day before were now lakes as far as the eye could see. At the bridge we walked through water to our hips and the bikes we had with us were covered in water. I was wearing shorts so did not have a problem. Some of the men didn’t have a problem either – they just took off their pants and walked in their underwear and then dressed again at the end of the adventure.

Most of Patajusal 1 was dry but we did encounter a few spots where the water was running over the road. The worst part was about 100 yards of fast flowing waste deep water. We formed a line and all went through together. Then it wasn’t far to the corner at La Pista where we waited for some type of transportation that would take us to Yapacani. It ended up being a farm truck but we were happy to ride with the sheep, the fish, various types of produce and about 20 other people in the back of the truck. It was an experience.
So how is the road now? I have no idea. Jake left for the chaco by micro three days ago and I have not heard from him since. Hopefully he is safe in the house and is just waiting for the road to be dry enough to pick up the truck.

Congratulations Leonarda and Crisobal

Sometimes couples get married in Bolivia. Most of the people we know are not officially married although they have been living together and have established homes and families. There is difficulty obtaining the proper documentation for marriages so the ‘official’ status is not something that is easily obtained. There is no stigma if a couple is not officially married.

But one of our part time employees, Cristobal, and his wife, Leonarda, decided to get married. This was going to happen in September but the papers were not in order until a week before the wedding in December.

If you get married in La Pista, the church puts on the wedding and covers the expenses, I think. But then the minister and his wife were the padrina and madrina so maybe they covered those expenses. All we know is that the couple did not pay for the wedding. Each person in the church and a number of people of the community were asked to bring something. We were asked to pay for the wedding cake along with two other people. Others were asked to bring pop and others prepared the meal. Two days before the wedding Leonarda came with us to Yapacani to buy a dress. Now who in Canada would wait that long!

The wedding was to start at 2 so we came around one. The noon meal still had not started. I was to take pictures and was surprised that both the bride and the groom were wearing the clothes they wore every other day. It was about 3 o’clock when Jake was asked to come into a room and I went in with him. Things had changed. They wanted Jake to tie the groom’s tie. Now, Jake will have to learn this – it is the second time that he has had to do this. The bride was now dressed up and things were starting to look more like a wedding. A minister came from Cochabamba for the wedding and his wife took along all the finery that went along with a wedding – the bouquet, rose petals, veil. We decorated the church with flowers that we picked from the garden at the hospital.

Finally things were ready and the service started. First came three little girls spreading rose petals, then the groom and his madrina, and the bride and her padrina. The service was much the same as in Canada except that there was a part where they placed a gold chain around the couple signifying that they were tied together for life. They wore it until they got out of church and then the woman wore it.

After the service there was the gift line and each person received a bottle of pop and a bag of tostatos (puffed corn) when they presented their gift. The gifts were not opened but put away to be opened later. Following this, everyone enjoyed a dinner of chicken, rice, and yuca. It was nice to be just a member of the congregation with no extra privileges.

After dinner there was a bit of a program with some music and activities and then the night was over. It was only 10 o’clock so it seemed very early for a Bolivian celebration. Everyone went home and the bride and groom and their children went to their house – and life goes on.

A Milestone for Lidia

While you in North America were busy with Christmas preparations we were experiencing a different type of festivity. December marks the end of the school year and with that comes graduations or promocións. We were asked to be padrina and madrina for the promoción of one of the young girls from Patajusal 1. We know her father but we really did not know her so we were rather surprised, and a bit anxious, when we were asked. We had heard that being a padrina or madrina carried a lot of responsibility and that there was usually a fair bit of money involved. But we were assured by the father that all we had to do was attend the ceremony and come to the house for a little meat, and at a later time assist her in making her decisions about what she wants to do after graduation. After reading some information, both positive and negative, we felt that we should agree since it appeared that it was an honor more than an obligation.

But there were some obligations, although not the type that we would have thought. We were asked to be at the school at 3 so that they would know everyone was ready but instead they were at our place in Yapacani at that time asking if we would pick up the tables and chairs and bring them to the house. Then the pop had to be picked up. That was done and the time had changed to be at the house by 5 so we were there but the father was still in the shower and we were given a meal. We arrived at the graduation ceremony after it started but they just joined the end of the line to enter. They were certainly not the last ones to arrive! I had offered to take photos so I was kept busy.

We attended the ceremony although the other relatives did not. There were not a lot of people there considering the number of students graduating. The outdoor ceremony started with each student, dressed in their school uniform, being introduced to the people along with their parent of the opposite sex. The parent congratulated the student and presented her with a flower or bouquet and then the principal presented the certificate. And that was that. There were some messages from the staff and some singing but everything was rather low key and things were all over within the hour. We brought everyone back to the house and thought that we would have supper right after the ceremony. But that was not to be – supper was at 9 – in reality it was at 10. By that time Lidia had changed into a formal dress.

Since we were honored guests we were given the best of the meat and we each received a piece of beef at least a foot square. Then we also were given baked potatoes, yuca, and platano. There was no way that I could even think about finishing all that, especially since we were already fed earlier.

Following the meal, Lidia stood beside a table and each guest brought a gift and congratulated her while Lidia threw confetti on their heads. Those who choose to give money instead of a gift sewed the money on her dress. Oh,yes, Lidia had another long dress on by this time.

After the gifts were given, the dance started and Jake had to have the first dance since he was the padrino. That was a bit of a shock for him and he was totally unprepared. After a bit of a rough start it was OK. The night went on and on but we left about 1 in the morning. The last ones finally left at 4.

We returned the next morning to help clean up, we thought. But first we had to eat! Then it was time to open the gifts. First all the money was given to Jake and he had to count it. Then he was given the money to keep so that neither Lidia nor her family would spend it unwisely. When she needs it she will come and ask for it. Jake then had to open each gift and present it to Lidia. None of the gifts had names on so she has no idea of what each person gave. This whole celebration took a couple of hours and after that Jake brought back the tables and chairs.

We were thankful that alcohol was not a main focus at this promoción. At the next one we attended there was a ‘bottoms up’ drink after each dance and each person who presented a gift also had a ‘bottoms up’ drink. It amazed me that the ‘honored guests’ were still standing after a couple of hours. However, the party was still going on at 7 the next morning.

Although the father said there were no financial obligations we have a feeling that Lidia will be asking for money for her education. Instead of just handing out money we are asking that they submit their grades and also write an essay telling us how higher education will benefit themselves, their community and their country.

One for the Hoogland Clan

We are thankful that our new grandson arrived healthy and safely on December 2. His name is Kolten James Barrett and he is being spoiled and cared for by his Dad and Mom and his six sisters!