Soccer

All of us trainees had a shorter day yesterday; since they let us out of class a few hours early, we figured we would take the time and do something we rarely have time for, exercise. After playing an hour or two of frisbee, most of the trainees went home. Just about the time we were finishing playing frisbee, a group of Bolivians from the neighborhood were starting up some informal soccer. We had been asking each other whether or not they would use the entire soccer field; at some point this week, someone placed seven or eight large piles of dirt all over the field. I decided there was only one way to find out. I asked if I could play; they were very nice, and said yes. We played for an hour or so as the sun was setting. Early on, the sky started to get dark; after all, it was getting late. All of a sudden, as the sun was setting behind the mountains, an orange glow lit up the sky. Out of a month of being here, I have seen any sign of any clouds maybe three days total. This night, Thursday, the sky was filled with clouds. They were all a very bright orange. For about fifteen minutes, we could see perfectly. Even though we continued playing until it became too dark to see, I couldn´t help but be awe struck by playing soccer with twenty people I hadn´t met calling me Choco (the didn´t know my name, so the just started calling me Choco, which is a friendly way of calling me the white guy), in another language, in a field with cows eating grass around the end lines and piles of dirt all over, under a sky full of orange luminescence by a sun setting behind 16,000 foot mountains just a few miles from the field we were on.

A side note, one of the nurses from the PC Bolivia central office set me up with an organized soccer team. We are going to play this weekend. I bought cleats today. They said today in a session on stress that exercise was the best way to relieve stress..I guess I am going to have to take them up on that offer..As for the trip to the mountains this weekend, we spent most of our time in the market in Quillaquollo..we didn´t make it past 9,000 feet. We did however talk to some people that have climbed Tunari (16,500 ft), got the info, and are going to give it an honest two day shot the weekend after next. Last but not least, I was still feeling sick these past few days (16 days with stomach problems), but felt pretty darn good today..hopefully the good health will continue.