San Javier, Concepcion, and Dirt Roads

This weekend I went to the department of Santa Cruz, which is a 40 minute flight or a 12 hour drive from Cochabamba. I flew with the other Maryknollers on Saturday morning. We had to be at the airport on Saturday at 5:20. I guess I set my alarm for 4 PM! Somehow, I miraculously woke up at 5:06! I was in panic mode! I got ready so quickly, called a taxi, told the driver I was late, and was at the airport before 5:40! It was pretty amazing!

Our flight was so beautiful because the sun was just rising the the clouds were covering the valleys! When we got to the Santa Cruz airport, we were met by our tour guide, Mercedes, who was so great! We boarded our big bus and headed to San Javier, which is about a 4-5 hour drive from the city of Santa Cruz. It was a nice ride, and we got to see one of the rivers that leads to the Amazon! Up until last year, the bridge over the river was only one way. So sometimes you would have to wait hours just to cross the bridge or traffic to stop and let you go!

When we arrived in San Javier we had lunch at Ristorante Luigi! It was very good! I feel like I ate like royalty all weekend. We had these huge buffet lunches because lunch is the big meal here! And, included in the lunches in dessert and coffee! After lunch we went to the San Javier Jesuit Mission reduction. It was absolutely beautiful! The work, time, and sweat that went into building this mission is amazing! Mercedes told us all about how the mission was found in the 20th century, all about the renovation, and how these missions are now World Heritage sights. It was interesting because up until the 1960s men stood in the front of the church and women had to stand in the back. There is literally a line on the floor that shows the separation. Also, cherubs were a very important part of the Jesuits teachings to the indigenous people. Those who inhabited the land previously believed that after one dies his or her spirit is transferred into something in nature--a tree, a rock, an animal--or another human. But, when the Jesuits began teaching their religion to these people they talked about how the cherubs would guide the spirit to paradise or heaven to rest. All the missions were well known for their music. The Jesuits taught the people to play the violin, the cello, the organ, but also added to the musical instruments the indigenous people were used to. In the museum at San Javier, there are very old violins and cellos and flutes that the Jesuits and the people played.

After San Javier, we drove 2 more hours to Concepcion, the most well known Mission today. Concepcion is a very small town with dirt roads, chicken, pigs, and horses running around freely. Less than 3,000 people live there, and we hardly saw any cars. The preferred mode of transportation is motorcycles and mopeds. Even the taxis are motorcycles! We checked into our hotel and went to the Mission for mass that night. It was a beautiful mass because there was so much music. Also, it is very interesting because in Spanish people use the informal (tu or you) when talking to or about God. It is as if they consider God their equal and their companion. After mass we had an amazing cena in the small plaza, which has an unfinished gazebo in the center. All times of day people are sitting in the plaza with their families.

Sunday morning we got up and headed to mass at the Mission at 9. Sunday mass is the biggest mass of the week, and there was also a priest visiting from Germany. So, there were some Germans there with him. I guess there is a relationship between this church and Germany because the Germans helped fund its reconstruction. This mass was packed and people had to stand in the back because there were no more seats. After mass, we stayed in the church and Mercedes told us the history of this mission. It is different than San Javier because Concepcion was fully reconstructed, not just renovated. Even the Stations of the Cross are very modern, depicting many of the political and social issues Bolivia was experiencing during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s when the reconstruction was occurring. For example, Pontius Pilate is depicted as Hugo Danza, one of the most violent and corrupt Presidents Bolivia has ever had. Other problems such as the Police siding with and taking care of the rich and prostitution are depicted in the Stations of the Cross. I thought this was excellent because we struggle with how the Biblical stories and Parables and the teachings of Jesus relate to us today. We also visited the Museum that showed pictures from the reconstruction and another museum that housed statues and artifacts that were found from the time of the Jesuits. After we walked around the town and saw just how rural Concepcion really is.

Lunch, again, was amazing! After lunch, I napped, which I do not get a chance to do while working in Cochabamba, and I read in the sun by the pool. It was very relaxing. After relaxing, Carol and I walked into the center and found a really cool shop. The guy made all the wood work! I bought a three-drawer jewelry box. And, I plan on passing it on to my children! After, we had cena at a restaurant near the plaza. After cena, because it was 4th of July, everyone wanted to go out and celebrate. So, we found a karaoke bar near our hotel, El Ejecutivo. It was so fun! We sang all these English songs and got cheers from the Bolivians. It was funny because there are seminarians studying at Maryknoll, and two of them sang Gangsta's Paradise! It was pretty funny! We stayed out pretty late, but we made some nice Bolivian friends.

Monday was a travel day! We ate breakfast and started to head back to Santa Cruz for our flight that night. It was about a 6-7 hour drive. A little after we left Concepcion, I realized my debit card was MISSING! Yes, my debit card was MIA! I was going to call Dan, the program director, to call my parents, but there was no service! So, we stopped for lunch in a little town, Las Piedras and still there was no service and no phones. In Las Piedras we met Father Roy, a retired priest from Chicago who worked for years in Bolivia, and decided to retire in this tiny town. Father Roy was very hospitable!

After lunch, we stopped in San Javier so a few of the priests on the trip could do mass. I called mom and dad and told them in call the bank immediately. I was really craving peanuts, so I went to about 10 tiendas (little stores) and none of them had peanuts. It was surprising because peanuts are very popular down here. But, Mercedes told me that on Sunday nights many people have Sopa de Mani (peanut soup) so that is why all the tiendas were sold out.

Our drive back to the Santa Cruz airport seemed so long, but we finally made it. Checked in, payed the taxes we needed to, and got on the plane back to Cochabamba.

It was an amazing trip, other than losing my debit card! It was nice to see other parts of Bolivia. The Santa Cruz region is much different than Cochabamba! It is very jungley, hot, and humid. Also, there is more wildlife there, including anacondas, boa constrictors, tucans, etc. Also, it was nice to get to know the students at Maryknoll! They are all extremely nice! In two weeks, I will be traveling to La Paz and Lake Titicaca with them, so I am glad I got to spend time with them before the trip. It was weird not seeing the girls, and this morning when I got up, I was given so many hugs and kisses, and told numerous times how much I was missed. This made me feel so good. I missed them also, and feel bad when I leave.

Tonight is our big Maryknoll meeting with all the priests, volunteers, and sisters. Carol and I will be introduced to everyone.

I miss everyone at home! I hope everything is going well! Sending my love!