Category Archives: Bolivia
The Children of the Jungle
I hate the jungle. Heat, humidity, mosquitoes, mud, piranhas, butterflies, leeches in the water, snakes in the forest, crocodiles on the riverbanks, malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, no orientation, no views, just trees after trees, from which all kind of crazy … Continue reading
Wake-Up Call in the Jungle
In the village of Buen Pastor which is an arduous one-day march from the last track which can still somehow be navigated by a vehicle, the day begins – in typical Bolivian fashion – with drums. This is the wake-up call for … Continue reading
How punctual are Bolivians?
In Bolívar – American Liberator, Marie Arana writes about the Congress of Panama: The conference was to take place on June 22, 1826, on the Isthmus of Panama […]. Bolívar had decided not to attend the proceedings so that it … Continue reading
Bay of Pigs
The real Bay of Pigs is not on Cuba, but on the eastern shore of Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Here, the pigs have the beautiful beach to themselves. And even when a human being passes by, it doesn’t … Continue reading
After three weeks in the jungle
That’s how you enter: shaved, clean, excited. That’s how you come back after three weeks: with a beard, dirty, exhausted, and only alive thanks to a rifle purchased from an indigenous tribe.
Next move: Arequipa in Peru
The more often you move, the more you find out what you like and what you don’t like. It has been emerging that I love mountains and grassland more than the sea or the tropics. Huge cities are impractical because you lose too … Continue reading
My Donations to Public Libraries
My steadfast refusal to read e-books even in 2016 has two practical disadvantages: Each year, a few trees are felled just for the books I read. Whenever I stay at one place for a few months, I am gathering a … Continue reading
Monkeys are Humans too
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. Recently there has been a renewed discussion about the nature of monkeys and apes and how we should view and treat them. I was reminded of this when I was at Machía Park in Villa Tunari … Continue reading
Next trip: Tipnis National Park in Bolivia
My Bolivian housemate Henry is a computer and telecommunications expert who likes to watch football and drink beer. From time to time though, he says “let’s go into the wilderness” with the spontaneity of someone who wants to play a … Continue reading
Confusing the Sun and the Moon
As I went hiking to Lake Corani in Bolivia, I could be forgiven for confusing the sun, barely shining through threatening clouds like a spooky moon, on the one side, and the full moon on the other side, shining as bright as if … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 