Now that my major health problems have passed, the trip has become “okay” with fun highlights combined with many hours in internet cafes.
1. I’m having really bad nightmares. They are usually about me getting physically hurt or maimed in some way.
2. Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, is the limit of where I can travel. The hygienic practices of the people are the worst I’ve ever seen, and it trickles down into the restaurants and those cooking the food. The main ingredient in every Bolivian dish is oil (most likely recycled) and I haven’t gone more than a couple meals without finding a bunch of little hairs in the food.
3. My stomach will never be the same: it has been in a permanent state of discomfort (cramps, gas) for weeks. No one makes it through Bolivia with their stomach unscathed, not even travelers from other South American countries. I’ve been living on a diet of pizza and candy bars to minimize symptoms.
4. It was either the the best or worst idea to start in the Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. I made it but there was a moment when I didn’t think I could continue. That would be when I was in the hospital with an IV in my forearm (salmonella).
The next month will find me in Salta, Argentina for a stop to view the girl mummy and then on to Chile for a couple weeks. I think the worst is over.
