Montero and Beyond

Well we've been back in Montero for about 5 days now, and tonight we leave for Argentina. Our visas expire tomorrow so apparently we have two choices: leave the country which resets the visa or apply for temporary residency. A guy we met in Cochabamba from the US was going through the process of applying for temporary residency, and he told us that along with a fair amount of money and lots of paper work, you are also required to have a blood test done; needless to say we decided to take a vacation. I think this must be Bolivia´s way of helping the economies of their neighbors, though I don´t know if neighboring countries are returning the favor. Argentina at least is not, as we don´t need any type of visa to go there (one of the reasons we choose it).

The slight complication to this awesome plan is that Katie Arancio (a friend of mine from Wake) arrives today (we thought) for a visit, but this was easily solved by purchasing a ticket for her and having her accompany us to Argentina. After busing an hour to the airport and waiting several hours for her this morning, however, Daniel and I finally realized her flight doesn´t get in until tomorrow morning. (Tricky itineraries, leaving on the 20th, getting in on the 21st, muy confusing). Since Maya, Mansfield and I need to be out of the country tomorrow (and Argentina isn´t that close) we´ll be leaving on tonight's bus, and Daniel and Arancio will follow tomorrow. Despite the complications, everything now appears to be figured out and we are looking forward to visiting some vineyards in Argentina and lots of outdoor activities (hiking, swimming, horseback riding, etc). We are not, however, looking forward to our 20 hour bus ride tonight.

We´ve hardly spent anytime in Montero, but one of these days we are going to start doing some work. We actually did get a chance to work on Friday; Friday morning we went with a nurse and a doctor to the local jail where they were doing examinations, and Friday afternoon we helped a nurse vaccinate animals (dogs, cats, and monkeys, yep monkeys) for rabies. The jail seemed pretty laid back with most of the prisoners hanging out in the courtyard with the guards. As we were leaving visiting time had begun, and there were women selling food and a man selling bracelets just like we see on the street everyday.

On Saturday we had a meeting at the clinic and set up our schedule for October after we get back from Argentina. Saturday afternoon we went into Santa Cruz, attended another soccer game and went to the large fair that Santa Cruz is currently hosting. The soccer game was fun, but not as intense as the first one as both teams were from a lower division. Our home team of Montero was playing though, so it was fun to get to cheer them on and watch them win! The fair was great; it had booths from over 18 countries set up, and everyone was really dressed up (including girls in prom dresses that were the models for the booths).

Until next time, Chau!