Thank You, Na

This blog is dedicated to posting amazing, beautiful pictures that my good friend, Nadia, found. I also want to post these pictures not just because they are so vibrant but because they are really good shots of what the other half of the country is like. A history, peoples and cultures that I have always been drawn and intrigued by but unfortunately, am not working with or interacting with in Santa Cruz.

Note: I did not take these pictures (I don't have that kind of picture taking talent) and much of the information is a summary of their captions (and maybe some of my own input).

Website: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/bolivia_and_its_new_constituti.html

You can visit this website above to read the descriptions in more detail and to look at more gorgeous pictures.

Indigenous Flag. One can see this waving around all over in La Paz. But I have yet to see one hung up in Santa Cruz.

This man is a coca farmer. He is spreading leaves out to be dried by the sun. During the Bush administration, the US Drug Enforcement Administration requested to fly anti-narcotic missions over Bolivia. Evo Morales, Bolivia's president, rejected the request and as a result, the US suspended trade preferences (http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/bolivia_and_its_new_constituti.html). If you are interested in learning more about the conflict invovled with this plant, email me because I can send you a paper I wrote for Plants and Peoples about it.

The man in the middle handing out copies of the Bolivia's new constitution (2008) is the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. He just got re-elected for his second term as president this past December. I had the privilege of going to a rally/demonstration of his when he visited Plan 3000 during his campaign and saw him in person.

Indigenous woman walking along the highway. They wear very vibrant colors which is a regular part of their dress.

Not much to say but loving this picture of this Aymara indigenous woman.

These are inhabits from El Alto watching people march in La Paz. El Alto is a city that sits right above La Paz. The majority of the population of El Alto are Aymara.

This Aymara woman is voting in a school located in the campo.

Women shearing a vicuña in an Andean village.

Supporter of Evo Morales marching toward La Paz.