Cochabamba

I know I have written several times about how much we love Cochabamba, but it's not going to stop me from writing yet another blog about it. We decided to escape on Friday from our community that throws a 3-day, drunken, loud, up-super-late-and-stumble-home party, seemingly right outside our bedroom window this weekend every year. What better place to go and visit old friends than Cocha? So, we packed up the station wagon, loaded the child and left a bit earlier than planned cause we heard whisperings of blockades. They did not materialize on our trip, thankfully. We rolled into Mauge's house, our old (meaning previous, not chronologically) Spanish teacher, about 5 hours after starting our trip. Here's a smattering of what I enjoyed most:

-the hospitality of Mauge and Jorge

-laughing with Mauge

-Mauge's pancakes

-Mauge's steak on the grill

-getting to stay in a house that has enough room to give Natty her own space

-not having to get ready to go anywhere early in the morning

-getting swallowed up by the used clothes section in Latin America's largest market (and buying pink and green camo pants for Natty)

-my husband watching the semi-sick baby while I go used clothes shopping with the girls

-warmth and sun

-seeing old and meeting new friends

-watching Natty play, really interact, with a little girl her age

-sitting on the backporch and shooting the breeze all afternoon on Sunday

-strolling the main plaza and watching my daughter throw bird seed at, not to, the pigeons

-finding my Oakleys after almost losing them

-singing 100 bottles of beer on the wall with Scotty, all the way through, on the way home

-actually sounding progressively more drunk as we tried to sing faster to get the song over with

-the look of stupor on Natalie's face after her parents have sung one song for 11 minutes (yes, I timed it) and then saying, "more".

So, Cochabamba, the city of eternal spring and great memories, once again came through for us. Can't wait to go back.

P.S. Don't wait for pictures. I must have said 20 times while we were there, "can't believe we forgot the memory card". Grrrr.