Via Tunari

The photo on the left will give you an idea of how the jungle looks outside of Villa Tunari where I went last week end. The hotel, El Puento is in the middle of the jungle and has twelve natural pools in the river. It was really beautiful and well worth the six hour bus ride there and seven hour bus ride back.

The man who runs the hotel asked me why I was learning Spanish when the majority of people in Bolivia speak either Quechua http://www.ullanta.com/quechua/ or Amaryi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymara_language
I told him I was learning Spanish for all of Latin Americ not just Bolivia but it gives you an idea of the importance of the indigenous languages here. He was a tin miner before the mines closed down and now he runs this hotel. He says it was like going from hell to paradise.

Back at school now and learning the verbs. Whoever said Spanish was easy if you knew French didn´t learn all the irregular verbs I am sure.

On Monday for the first time I saw President Evo Moralis on TV. He was playing soccer against a team of women. Very cool. Interesting that I have been here ten days and it´s the first time I have seen him on TV. The fellow I am staying with says that Evo doesn´t like populism so he doesn´t do the kind of media that other leaders do. Can´t wait to meet him which will hopefully be next week or the week after.