Orientation

Fact of the day: Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the world's highest Capital sitting at an altitude of 3660m or 11900 ft. This means that walking anywhere leaves you short of breath, everyone is a cheap drunk and foriegners tend to faint when working in tall buildings.

Friday will end my first week at Hospital des Niños in the Infectious disease department, and much to my surprise I understood most of it. Although two weeks ago I knew less of this language than can be found on a Wendy's menu, I am happy to say my comprehension of spoken spanish has far surpassed my ability to speak, which is at least picking up with practice.

However, my work at the hospital (observation, notetaking, occasional wittism) is nearly the least of my cultural immersion. My wonderful host, Mercedes is a young pharmacutical ___(name of job I do not understand yet) has welcomed me into her apartment in the trendy Sopocachi district of La Paz, and has been my introduction to the best latin music in walking distance. Her house-lady (it doesnt really translate) Vicki, has tirelessly tried to broaden my culinary horizons, which I continue to insist are quite wide enough without including the tongue, liver and heart of every animal raised in a 50km radius. But by far the most significant in orienting me in this city of a thousand hills has been my roommate Lisa, a PA student from NC who studies in NYC, and who braved the city two weeks solo before my arrival.

In just these two weeks together we have found the best deals on everything from Matè to salteñas to massages, seen the sun set on the birthplace of a few incan gods, braved street food I would probably die for (and some of us paid for it), spent way to long trying to convince a chilean we are not decended from ancient aliens, danced to some incredible salsa music, and after all that discovered the perfect girls night in (Wine+coke, chocolate, chick flick =incredible).

And tonight we will be braving the haunted Calle Jaen to teach me the difference between pene and peña (dont google it. I warned you). Unfortunatly, Lisa will be heading back to the states on Saturday so this weekend will be a sendoff to remember. Thankfully the other CFHI students have arrived just in time and we will see what misadventures we can get up in this beautiful city.

I can't wait until I can upload some pictures! Hasta luego!