Finally I have a bit of free time to catch up on what's been going on lately during these past few hectic weeks. You know that 2 weeks ago I went to a conference in La Paz. Well, this last week I took a trip to Chile. I had to leave (again) to try to get my visa and decided to go to another consul to see if it would work out better. I took everything that I was told I needed to get a work visa. To get the student one I have to go back to the States, so we got the head of the national evangelical association who is friends with our pastor to write a letter saying that I am working as a volunteer with the church. I can get a work visa for volunteer work. However, the consul decided that I also need a work contract. Who ever heard of a work contract for volunteers? Whatever. So once again, I had to return without a visa. I did get another 30 day stamp (my last one) when I came back in, so I'm good until I get out for summer break here, which will give me more time to work out that visa stuff.
Unfortunately, I left the camera on the table as I ran out the house to catch the bus, because the trip to Chile was one of the most scenic trips I have ever been on. In 12 hours our bus traveled through the Andes mountains, then accross the Altiplano which is a giant plain in the middle of the mountains, and back into the mountains where we passed through a range of huge volcanoes and a lake full of pink flamingos, then descending down all the way to the Pacific Ocean. I went from llamas and sheep and condors to pink flamingos to sea gulls and sea lions; from dry 80 degrees a home to glaciers and icy wind to humid coastal breeze, all in half a day. In the Altiplano I think there must be 150 llamas to each person. But anyways, it was a great drive and I got to spend an afternoon on the beach and I guess I'll get to do it all over again next month. Next time I'll take the camera. . . and hopefully all the right papers.