Capture The Color

Thanks to Elle for nominating me for the Capture the Color contest. 

I've always had a love for photography, and have no problem hauling my huge Canon 7D with me on my travels.  What is the best souvenir you can possibly take home from your trip but your photos....or a hot guy with an Olympian swimmers body (Okay seriously, I need to stop crushing on these swimmers bodies.  I feel like a Pedophile).  But I digress, you don't need a fancy SLR camera to take great photos, in fact, two of the photos I chose for the contest were taken with a small Canon Point & Shoot.  I won't tell you which two they are either.

>>>>Blue

This photo was taken in the Philippines on an island called Boracay.  I chose this photo mainly because it had several shades of blue, the deeper blue skies, and the almost teal-like colored waters.  What you don't see is my poor aunt next to me fanning me while holding my freshly cut coconut drink, because I was near the verge of dehydration. 

>>>>Green

This photo was taken in the Caribbean island of Dominica during our hike to Trafalgar Falls.  The whole island was filled with Green landscapes, even more so than my favorite country, New Zealand.  

>>>>Yellow

If you have seasonal allergies like I do then this photo is probably your worst nightmare.  I feel like sneezing just looking at it, but I also feel happy, maybe because I was drunk on lots of wine when I took it.  The photo was taken in Sonoma Wine Country in California during the winter.

>>>>White

For me, probably one of the most beautiful spots in the world are the Salt Flats in Bolivia.  There are no paved roads, strip malls, or traffic lights.  The photo was taken at a Salt Hotel (a different one from the one I stayed at).

>>>>Red

I had several photos that I wanted to choose for the Red Category, but the lady from the Himba Tribe in Namibia became an obvious choice.  While modern women are applying moisturizer on their face in the morning, the Himba women are applying otjize (a mixture of butter, fat, and red ochre) that causes the red hue on their skin and hair. 

I now nominate five other bloggers (including some new blogs I have recently discovered) to take part in the Capture The Color contest:

• Jackie from 6 Months To Live
• Ashley from Wanderscapes
• Celine from The Happily Ever After Project
• Fidel from Scene With A Hart
• Megan from Meganotravels

Visit The Silver Mines Of Potosi, Bolivia

The Silver Mines...aka Cerro Rico

Potosi is one of the highest cities in the world at over 13,000 feet, and is usually visited while on the way to the Salt Flats of Bolivia.  The city is most widely known for Cerro Rico (meaning Rich Hill).  Cerro Rico was founded in the 1500's as a mining town for silver, and it became the main source of silver for Spain during that time.  Similar to the Gold Rush in the United States, people rushed to Potosi to take advantage of the copious amounts of silver.  At one point in time it became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world.

People of the Mines

After 1800 the mountain was drastically depleted of its supply of silver.  The working conditions were extremely poor, and the conditions have not improved much till this day.  Nowadays it takes more than it gives.  It is said that over 8 million people have died due to mining-related illnesses and accidents.  The average age of a miner is 40 years old.   Most miners die of Silicosis due to the elements they are exposed to every day. It is no surprise that the other name for Cerro Rico is "The Mountain that Eats Men."

Buying Dynamite for the Miners

Before heading up the mountain our local guide asked us if we wanted to buy a care package for the miners.  We each bought a care package, and inside were packages of crackers, dynamite, and a bag of coca leaves that the miners like to chew on as they work (it helps fight hunger and fatigue).

An elderly woman who works at the mines

One of our first stops was to visit the lady above.  She waits weeks in hopes that tourists will come visit her so she could share her story.  She has seen her husband, her children, and several other loved ones die due to the conditions of the mines.  In fact, she continues to work at the mines even with a broken hip.  She told us that despite knowing the dangers of the mines, she will continue working there until she dies.  In her eyes, and for many others living in the city, they do not have another option.

One of the many entrances into the mines

I opted to not go inside the actual mines as I was warned that the conditions were bad, and some areas were extremely narrow and not great for people who are claustrophobic.  I saw many of the miners walking out, tired, worn out, and nearing the end of their short lives.  How can anyone really say they hate their jobs after experiencing meeting these people?  Next time you are looking out your window at work while sitting in your ergonomic chair remember these faces. 

As soon as I stepped out of the truck we were bombarded by smiling and eager kids that were selling us rocks. The kids clinged to us, and with my "Spanglish" I learned a little more about these boys.  They loved our cameras, and our oversized sunglasses.  They had these infectious smiles, and cute giggles as we tried communicating with them.  I know that many of the young boys I met that day are now probably working inside the mines.  There are about 800 children that work in the mines.

Photo taken by one of the local kids

It really was a somber experience,  and if you have Netflix you can instantly watch The Devil's Miner, a movie about a child of the mines. 

Date Accomplished:  October 16th, 2009

Help People In Need In A Third World Country

It's no surprise that helping people is in my blood, and I am constantly trying to find other ways to add helping people onto my life list.  I have committed myself to a job where all I do is help change lives, either by curing their sickness, or helping them find comfort of letting go when a cure is not possible.  It was no surprise that my trip to South America was incorporated with all sorts of ways to help people, primarily the children.

The start of my journey of helping people in a third world country started in Peru.  Before heading to the Uros Islands in Peru we bought loads of fruits and toys for the children of the island.   Each child I met during my stay got pieces of fruit, and their eyes would light up as I handed them their treats!  They were so thrilled to get food!  In exchange, some of the children would perform a native dance for us.  The children were full of life, happy, and they didn't have one Nintendo DS or Wii in sight.  We were told not to buy candy because the children didn't have easy access to a dentist, and the last thing they needed was rotten teeth.

We also visited a sad little area in Bolivia called Potosi.  Potosi is home to Cerro Rico (aka Rich Mountain).  It once was filled with silver, and miners worked long and hard, in some of the toughest conditions looking for silver.  Most miners die by the time they reach 40 because of the horrible working conditions, and they make little to no money.  We met a lady that sold care packages for the miners, so we each bought a bag to give to the miners inside the mines.  The bags were filled with essentials needed for the typical miner and their families (like coca leaves, dynamite, food etc).  The miners looked absolutely beat, and it broke my heart seeing the children knowing they would be working in the mines in a matter of years. 

 The Children of Potosi eating some of the snacks we bought

One of my favorite experiences in South America was visiting an orphanage in Sucre, Bolivia.    Instead of just giving the orphanage money we went into the markets and bought all the supplies that they said they needed plus more!  They had some broken shower heads so we bought a few of those.  We bought them a blender so they could make smoothies and sell them.  We bought tons and tons of supplies that an everyday person would take for granted, tons of food, and the best thing we got them was...just guess...nail polish!  The girls were fighting over them!  Our truck was FULL of goodies, and all the money came from our pockets.  The lady that told us about the orphanage was absolutely overhwhelmed by our generosity.  I couldn't stop opening up my wallet and finding more things I wanted to buy for the girls. 

 Shopping for things for the orphans

When we got to the orphanage all the girls lined up, so shy and timid.  The one thing that continually came out of their mouths was the word "Gracias"  (Thank You in Spanish).  They sang a few songs for us, and in a big circle we all introduced ourselves.  There was one little girl that had a baby!  Her uncle had raped her, and when she told her family that he had raped her they told her that she was lying and kicked her out of the house.  After the introductions the girls became more comfortable with us, they wanted to take pictures, try on our sunglasses, hug us, and begged us if we could stay.  When we had to leave, the girls got extremely sad, and asked if we would be able to come back for them.  It totally broke my heart.  I wish I could have taken some of them home with me!

With the orphans

Me with some of the girls...taken by one of the orphans

Meet the girls....



After my experience in South America I really cannot wait to help more people in third world countries.  It gives me a different type of satisfaction from the type of help I do at work.  Although this is listed as completed....it definitely is going to be an ongoing thing I want to keep doing!

Date Accomplished:   October 10th, 2009

Put My Hand Over A Geyser

Steam Geysers in Bolivia

While in Bolivia I had the opportunity to visit Sol de Mañana, a geothermal field filled with steam geysers and mud pools.  The best time to visit is early in the morning to really get a sense of the steam against the cold air.  I am not kidding when I say it was really cold that morning!  I almost didn't want to get out of the truck, but as I saw other brave souls head towards the geysers I knew I had to just suck it up and go for it.  I literally hopped out of the truck, got someone to take a picture of me next to the geyser, and then ran back into the truck.  I didn't even have time for fear to get the best of me. 

It's difficult to explain how powerful the steam was bursting up from the ground, but luckily I found a 2 second video I recorded....

Date Accomplished:  October 19th, 2009

Stay In A Hostel

Okay...how many people put staying in a hostel on their life list?  Like really?!  Well, I do.  I'm all about pushing myself, and staying in a hostel is pushing myself!  I guess you can say I have spoiled myself during most of my travels.  Ideally, I am a 4 star and up type of gal, but I have gone down to 2 star on some of my travels.  I don't think less of anyone that stays in a hostel, heck, I think they are smart because of all the money they save.  I just love having my own bathroom!  That is really the bottom line.  I don't care about bunking in with 10 other people, I just don't want to have to share one toilet with 10 other people.

So while in Bolivia and traveling through Salar de Uyuni (the salt flats), and literally being in the middle of nowhere, we were pretty much forced to stay in a hostel.  Some people got the luxury of having their own rooms, or only sharing with two other people.  I got the short end of the stick, and got the 6 bed bedroom right by the bathroom!  YECK!  We slept on concrete beds, no insulation, limited electricity, linens that had not been washed for months, 2 toilets for everyone in the hostel, and no showers (thank you baby wipes)! We even had to bring our own toilet paper!  The worst part was that even with the concrete walls, it could not block the stench from the bathroom, and the mysterious wet spots on the floor...ughhh...lets not even go there!  Thank goodness I had a sleeping bag...so I didn't even really have to touch the linens on the bed! 

Oh...and lets see...what pervert thought it was brilliant to have 6 girls sleep in the room with the broken window?  It must have been the same pervert that was watching us change in the morning!  Yeah buddy.  We saw you!  The funny part was that we saw the pervert a few days later walking in Santiago, Chile!  The even funnier part is that he remembered us too, and he decided he would follow us for nearly an hour.  CREEPER!

I think I will have to pass on staying in hostels from now on, unless I am again in the middle of nowhere and it is the only lodging available. 

Date Accomplished:  October 19th, 2009

Tour A Beer Factory

When most people tour beer factories they tour factories of known beers like the Heineken Beer Factory in Amsterdam.  I tour small, rinky dink beer factories like Sureña Beer Factory in Bolivia.

You know what?  I prefer the small beer factory.  We were toured by a family member of the company, and went into rooms that the "big" beer factories would never let you enter.   We were walked through the entire beer making process, and even got to see the beer bottled, packaged, and shipped off.

The best part was when we got to sit down and drink some of the cerveza fresh from the assembly line!  It wasn't the best beer I had ever tasted, but it certainly was still drinkable!

We were given a few cans of beer as a souvenir and then spent the trip drinking our souvenirs in the van.   I don't know what was in the beer because a group of us began singing Michael Jackson's 'Heal The World', and our once sweet timid Bolivian guide became a little drunk, and the convenient pole in the van became a guinea pig to human molestation.   Oh Cerveza!  The things you make us do!

Date Accomplished:  October 15th, 2009

Be In Two Places At Once

 Walking up the hill from Peru to Bolivia

I'm a sucker for romantic movies, specifically ones inspired by Nicholas Sparks books. I know, I know, I'm a total chick! So when Mandy Moore was spitting out her life list in "A Walk To Remember" I took note when she said she wanted to be in two places at once. 

Then when Shane West had Mandy Moore straddle the state line of Virginia and North Carolina so that she could be in two places at once I just about spewed up cotton candy, three pounds of sugar, and a red velvet cake due to all the corny sweetness.  Not gonna lie, I totally gushed over that scene.

Left foot in Bolivia and right foot in Peru

My Two Places at Once tale didn't involve Shane West, Mandy Moore, nor did it have Toploader singing "Dancin' In The Moonlight" in the background. 

Instead it involved a solo climb up a hill, and a grumpy Bolivian immigration officer who hated Americans.  Despite the lack of romance and the absence of Shane West rubbing a fake tattoo on my shoulder, I still got to be in two countries at once, Peru and Bolivia.

Date Accomplished:   October 11th, 2009

Imprint My Own Coin

The city Potosi in Bolivia was founded in the 1500's as a mining town for silver, and it became the main source of silver for Spain during that era.   Because of it's huge resource of silver it also became a haven for coin making.  

I could have easily gone to one of those penny machines found in famous touristy areas to imprint my own coin, but when given the opportunity to do this at Casa de la Moneda it was a no brainer that this would be a more authentic experience.

I first bought a blank coin at a shop, and then put my coin in the ancient coin imprinting contraption.  With a sledge hammer,  an ounce of coordination, and channeling my inner Thor, I pounded on the surface.  BAAAAAAM.  I Am Women, Hear Me Roar.

Proudly, I glance up, and the lady looked at me, smirked, and said,  "You have to do it again, and harder this time."

Coin Contraption: 1  CeCe: 0

I banged on it a few more times, and out came a pretty coin.  It beat those penny machines by a mile!

On a side note, disregard my dry, non-manicured Paul Bunyan fingers.

Date Accomplished:  October 16th, 2009

Chew On Coca Leaves

A major problem for people traveling to Peru and Bolivia is the altitude.  Many people succumb to some form of Altitude Sickness.

Coca Leaves are probably best well known because of its coca alkaloids (think cocaine!)  Before any druggies out there start booking flights to Peru and Bolivia, I have to give you the bad news.  The amount of the alkaloid that produces cocaine is so minuscule that you aren't gonna get a high from it!  Coca Leaves are best used for altitude sickness, to curve hunger, and to help with fatigue.

When traveling to Peru and Bolivia, my major complaint was shortness of breath.  It was amazing how a little hill can get a person so winded.  I pretty much lived off of coca tea and coca candy while in Peru and Bolivia. Most locals like to chew on the leaves, but I wasn't a big fan of that!   Several hotels we stayed at even had coca tea set up near reception.  Even though it didn't have the best flavor, it definitely helped with the acclimation during my first few days in high altitude.

Date Accomplished: October 5th, 2009