A Typical Day In Bolivia

Over the last few weeks many people have asked what our daily schedule looks like and how we fill our days here in Bolivia. As to be expected it is a little different each day depending on many variables but here is our general schedule. Most days begin at about 6:30 when Ella walks into our room and asks to watch a movie. Now that Ella is in a "big" bed she is able to choose her own wake up schedule and in turn chooses ours. Typically John takes language school in the morning so he rises first and begins to prepare for the day. In Bolivia you don't buy bread by the loaf but rather you purchase bread fresh from a street vendor or bakery almost daily. Over the past few days John has started the day by making a quick bread run to the near by shop or bakery. Bread is cheap so it is best to just buy what you need as you need it. Typically it is fresh out of the oven as well. Around 8:00 John heads off to school and Jennie and Ella begin their day by playing or watching a Veggie Tales movie. Jennie also begins the task of cleaning up breakfast and getting laundry started. (Neither is easy in this culture.) Meals in Bolivia are a big challenge. You can't buy pre-made ingredients like you can in the states so it takes much longer to prepare a good sized meal. Bolivian tradition is that you eat a very large lunch (several courses) and then a small dinner. Because of the altitude and work ethic in Bolivia most people don't eat until late, and thus don't like to go to bed on a full stomach. With that said Jennie begins making lunch around 10:30 or 11:00. Typically a soup with veggies and some sort of main dish, chicken, wrap or something of that nature. It has been a challenge but Jennie has done a great job adjusting to the new changes and feeding her hungry husband each day. On John's way home he typically stops by the Central Market and purchases some fruit or veggies for the dinner or the next day. John has found a pleasant little Bolivian woman (Qanta) who gives him a decent deal and always throws in a "yapa" or free gift with his purchases. After lunch, Jennie heads off to school and Ella heads to a nap. One tradition John has started is making fresh orange juice. Oranges are very cheap and you can get about a dozen for a dollar. With a hand squeezer John makes some fresh orange juice in the afternoon and stores it away for the morning. (Yum Yum. Come and visit and we will make you some.) When Jennie arrives home at around 6:30 we eat a small dinner (sometimes Jennie stops and picks up a chicken or some meat from the market) and then spend the 40 minutes or more it takes to heat up water and hand wash the dishes. The sun sets around 7:00 and typically we are settled in by 8:00 to do homework and relax. Of course added into these days are furniture shopping when necessary, trips to the market for household items, and grocery shopping. This will be our routine for the next fews months until language school ends. At that point our days will change and our schedule could look much different. Overall, very full days and little time to relax. But we are settling in well and enjoying our new routines and life in Bolivia.