You Know You Live in Bolivia If/ When..?

23 June 201526 June 20154 Comments

”On living in Bolivia through the (winking) eyes of the expats”

[Polska wersja artykułu —> KLIK]

One day, Stephanie, fellow expat in Bolivia, asked on a Facebook page a simple question: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA, IF/WHEN…?, hoping for a bit of the laughter. And I must say, she hit BINGO, as her thread became probably one of the most popular in the history of the group!

Some people would say, that the question had triggered a wave of whining about living in Bolivian reality, but I see it differently – it rather exposed the little quirks that make our Bolivian experience unique, interesting and somewhat funny, as from the perspective of time, some things tend to look less serious or maybe we just got used to them? I compiled the answers (which sometimes contradict each other!) for you to get the feel of living in Bolivia, though some situations have to be lived to be fully understood :)

On food: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA, WHEN…?

…you eat bread and tea for breakfast and dinner [just like in Poland;]
Can’t imagine life without a water kettle
You send your teenage nephew to buy you beer
When you can have fresh squeezed Mandarin juice with breakfast almost every day and not break the bank
When against your better judgment you pronounce the word “HOTDOG”-“HAAADO” because it is the only way to actually be understood
When bananas from anywhere else just taste like cardboard
When you realize jam is ham and mermalada is your jelly and no one knows marmalade
When you get a 3 course lunch for 20bs
When you can’t get a damn beer at Easter
When suddenly you want to eat all things maracuya – yum!
When you are the only one at the table wondering why everyone prefers their cooked veggies served cold
When your Segundo [second course] includes 3 or even 4 different simple carbs
Comida rapida, pollos copacabana, comida medio rapida, pollos brosto, comida restaurant pollo pollo polloo [basically, chicken everywhere:]
Your local corner shop tells you the can of sardines you are buying is “original” leaving you wondering if fake sardines actually exist
Your president tells everyone that eating chicken turns you gay and that coca cola is for cleaning toilets (and is then photographed drinking coca cola)
When you can eat one of your favourite dishes, in a burger! Long live the trancapecho!
When saying you’re vegetarian is met with a look of horror and wonder, but mostly horror
When organic and free range is cheaper than anything
Eat locoto hot sauce and mayonaise on everything
When you are eating a nice lunch on a restaurant patio and someone walks up to you and asks if you want to buy a broom from them….
When you buy 3bs worth of bread to share with the street dogs along the way.

And last buy not least:

When you spend approximately 8000x more time on the toilet than before and bless the days you don’t feel at all unwell.

On lifestyle: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA IF/WHEN…?

You hear dynamite and fireworks and don’t even care to know who is protesting what this time
Every weekend is party time, loud music, block the roads and loads of cerveza
…and the neighbor’s fiesta goes until full blast until 6 AM, keeping you up, and you weren’t even invited!
You start showing up 2 hours late to parties knowing that you will still be the first ones to arrive but at least you wont have to wait for the host to get out of the shower or accompany them to IC Norte [supermarket]!
When you get used to the constant sound of dogs barking at midnight…and constant car alarms
When you learn to use a rubber squeegee on a broomstick and a cloth to mop the floors instead of an actual mop…
When in a school football game the fathers end up fighting, passion for the game
When if today there isn’t a feria [another fair], it’s a feriado [another bank holliday]!
When the cities come to life at night with more people out and about past 7 o’clock at night and more restaurants open than even in the day time
When friends come over for lunch and apologize that they have to leave early, 5 hrs. later.
When people are outside walking around in the streets everyday instead of living in their house glued to a tv most their life.

On economy: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When you get a 12-2 lunch break!! And you still can’t figure out how 6 hours of work results in good profits. And above all double auginaldo!! [actually, the day is still 8 h work, as you need to work later, buy yes, you get double pay at the end of each year;]
When you just bought 25 oranges for less than a dollar and you still say “yapame pues” [give me something extra] And, they do.
Where you have to stand in line forever when 3/4 of all bank workers are sitting around doing nothing!
When the desk worker says they just need one photocopy of this tramite [document] and you make 6! Just in case! Then find out you are still short 4!
When owning a business that the only service is selling photocopiest is a sustainable business
When you have your own casera [a seller at the market] who doesn’t charge you extra for being an extranjero [foreigner]
When you realize a system called anticretico where you pay 12months rent in advance and get the entire amount back when you finish your contract
When movie piracy is a legit business
When you buy something for three bs and they store doesn’t have change or gives you a candy instead
When you realize that 30 USD is actually quite a lot of money. Minimum wage is 250ish, a month
When you realize Bolivia is only a cheap place to live, if you eat offal and do without hot water or basic amenities. Then your 30 dollars doesn’t even feed your family for a day… and when you want to take your family to Spain, for a better life.

On transportation: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When you risk your life in a micro [bus] which is as old as your grandparents
When the man driving the mini [mini-van] drives 2 inches from the edge of the road and all you see is a thousand foot drop to certain death
When the micro driver ‘facebooks’ while driving
When it doesn’t matter how screwed your car is, provided the horn works
When you need to wait on the green light for all these speeding cars to pass and then you run across the street in between the cars that somehow managed to stop
When the traffic laws don’t apply as long as you have your hazards on
When you have learned to walk as far from puddles as humanly possible
When drivers going round a curve with no exit indicate yet never indicate when they are actually turning off at a junction
Taxis drivers tell you they aren’t going that way when you tell them the destination thus negating the whole idea of a taxi
When local authorities run of green lights for traffic lights so just install some blue ones instead as its close enough
When you see 20 people piled in the back of a pickup or a family of four on a motorbike
When you’re quietly walking on the sidewalk, and suddenly realize the micro driver has decided it’s HIS sidewalk!
When you order something online and you are not sure if its gonna get held up at the airport, at the post office, arrive at your house, or just disappear
You think a road with only a few potholes is a great road.

On traveling: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When you meet real witches in a witches market
When your amazed when you see the majestic Illimani [La Paz]
when you can cross through extreme economic differences in a matter of minutes
When you’ve “finished” seeing everything on the tourist trail and discover there is still 1000 and 1 amazing things left to experience
When you leave La Paz for Coroico and it’s like a whole different world – and so breathtaking [applies to every place outside the big cities]!
When you take an overnight trip on a bus and you have to go to the bathroom but can’t
When you get into a taxi to go from Samaipata to SCZ on New Year’s Day and you have to push the driver out of the driver’s seat and start to drive yourself because he is too drunk to do so himself….
When it is common to hear someone say “si, estoy llegando ahorita” [I am comming now] when you know they are still 20 miles away

On language & (tele)communication: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When Java script becomes ‘Hava’ script and you think its a new tech language
When good old Lama is now pronounced as ‘yaamaa’ (llama)
When y becomes e and e becomes i
When ‘Papa’ is not dad but potato.
My favourite people from Spain speak rubbish Spanish and Bolivians speak better
When your Skype call inadvertently stops and you realize your internet has ‘run out’
When people call YOU and ask “con quien hablo [who am I talking to]?”
You stop bothering to be polite and wait your turn in shops and start to just interrupt the sales person because you know that’s the only way they’ll actually serve you…
When you get a text from a stranger who bought your stolen iPhone and demands the password to unlock it. Bahahahaha!!!!!
When people use cell phones like cb radios holding it in front of their mouths to talk to it and then moving it to their ear to listen to the answer
When everyone’s reason for being late starts with “es que…” [the thing is]
And apologies are “vas a disculpar” Really? I am? I was so sure I wasn’t going to forgive you this time but gee since you are ordering me to…
When you spend over a year living without internet only to eventually get it, but it’s slow as shit
When you start typing your laughter on whatsapp as JAJa instead of Haha [jajaja]

On rules & law: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When it is considered a serious security offence if someone else comes up to the bank counter with you (because they have the details of the account you are sending money to) but its perfectly fine for a person in a full zebra suit to accompany an old person next to you without anyone blinking an eyelid;)
When this is a police photo fit sketch (that can be the cover of the book I reckon)

suspect in Bolivia

When for 200bs you can buy a fake law degree but 60% of the practicing lawyers didn’t bother
When you get out of a DUI with a 300bs bribe [that is actually a fine;]
When one of the most corrupt institutions in the country is the public university
When you wait in line in the morning to get a ficha [number] that allows you to wait in another line in the afternoon [applies to hospitals and immigration, etc.]
When you think you are ahead of the game, because you have a list of the things you need in a government office, given to you by an employee, and bring them all and find out that you should have also brought something else
When you buy a vehicle and find that you can not lift and carry all the paperwork that goes with it
When you get university credits for dancing in parades
When you can legaly ‘masticate’ (chew) coca leaves that give you a great kick of energy, make your mouth numb and eyes red;)

On street life: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When little kids take a pee right on the sidewalk in plain sight and nobody cares or even looks twice
When you can buy anything from house slippers to clothes, toys, anything for the house all on just a short walk to the store. Where almost every house is a store plus vendors lining the sidewalks
When your attempts of an urban jog always results in being chased by sheep, dogs, and your neighbors bent over in uncontrollable laughter!

On family: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN…?

When you start to see the beauty of placing family above all.

But the most honest answer to the question: YOU KNOW YOU LIVE IN BOLIVIA WHEN? was:

When only expats are answering this post.

;)

# Todas Somos Renee – Fighting for Women’s Rights in Bolivia * Walcząc o prawa kobiet w Boliwii

8 June 20159 June 201514 Comments

Kiedy na początku 2014 roku poznałam Renee Gurley, ekspatkę z USA, nie wiedziałam jeszcze, że ta piękna i delikatna kobieta, pełna życia i pozytywnej energii, była ofiarą brutalnego gwałtu, który zdarzył się zaledwie kilka miesięcy wcześniej. Nie moglam uwierzyc, że to właśnie ona została zaatakowana w Samaipacie – w tętniącym życiem turystycznym miasteczku niedaleko Santa Cruz, zgwałcona, pobita i obrabowana przez trzech młodych mężczyzn: José Enrique Montenegro Coro, Carlosa Flores i Luisa Flores Cámara Alpire. Spłoszeni przez światła nadjezdzającego samochodu, zastawili ją na ulicy, a ona zdołała zaalarmować znajomego z pobliskiego domu, gdzie rezydowała. Gdy wybiegł na zawnątrz, zobaczył trzech delikwentów, którzy zapewne wrocili po Renee, by uciszyć ją na zawsze.

When I met Renee Gurley, an expat from the USA, at the beginning of 2014, I had no idea that this beautiful and delicate woman, full of life and humour, suffered a horrific rape just couple months earlier. I could not believe it was her who was attacked in Samaipata – in a vibrant tourist spot near Santa Cruz, raped, beatten up and robbed by three young men: José Enrique Montenegro Coro, Carlos Flores Cámara and Luis Flores Alpire. They run away, scared by the lights of the random car, leaving Renee on the street. Somehow, she managed to get to the place where she stayed, alarming her friend. He run out onto the street where he saw the three delinquents, who probably came back to the crime scene to finish her up.

Nigdy nie rozmawiałyśmy z Renee o tym wydarzeniu podczas naszych co miesięcznych ekspackich spotkań. Rozmawialiśmy o tym, co mamy ze sobą wspólnego: nauczaniu języka angielskiego i podróżach. O gwałcie dowiedziałam się z jej Facebooka, gdy Renee zaczęła o nim pisać.

We have never talked with Renee about this event during our monthly expats dinners. We talked about things that we had in common – teaching English and travelling. I learnt about the rape from social media, when Renee started writting about it.

boliviainmyeyes

Pisała o swoim koszmarze by wyrzucić z siebie się negatywe emocje, aby rozpocząć proces leczenia wewnętrznych ran oraz poinformować ludzi o tym, co się stało, bo niestety boliwijski system sądowniczy nie wywiązywał się ze swoich obowiązków. Od dnia zgłoszenia incydentu w Samaipacie, nadal była ona prześladowana: musiała czekać 12 godzin by złożyć skargę na policji, po czym wysłano ja do Santa Cruz de la Sierra po raport kryminalistyczny. Po upokarzającym badaniu w centrum medycznym, zgłosiła się o pomoc do Casa de la Mujer, instytucji cywilnej pomagającej kobietom będącym ofiarami przemocy.

She wrote about her nightmare to get rid of negative emotions, to start the healing process and to inform people of what had happened, as the judical system of Bolivia was failing her the big way. Since she decided to report the incident in Samaipata, she has continued to suffer harassment: she had to wait 12 hours for the police to admitt her complaint; she had to go to Santa Cruz de la Sierra for a forensic report where she was being humiliated in a medical center. Eventually, she decided to seek help from the Casa de la Mujer, the civil institution helping the women who are the victims of abuse.

Musiała również czekać sześc miesięcy, by oskarżenie trafiło do prokuratury. Później było jeszcze gorzej: sztuczki stosowane przez obronę i akceptowane przez sędziów spowodowały przeniesienie sprawy sądowej z jednego miasta do drugiego. Przez jedenaście miesięcy Renee była zmuszona przeżywać koszmar przesłuchań, napiętnowana ironicznymi spojrzeniami swoich napastników. Szczególnie jednego z nich – dwudziestoletniego Montenegro, męża i ojca, będącego głównym oskarżonym, który podobno skrzywdzil więcej kobiet. Jego rodzina, spowinowacona z lokalnymi urzędnikami, nie raz próbowała zastraszyć i przekupić Renee, by ta wycofała zarzuty.

She also had to wait six months for the indictment of the prosecution. What came next was even worse: the delaying tricks used by the defense and consented to by the judges resulted in moving the trials from one town to another. For eleven months Renee was forced to accept again and again the suspension of hearings under ironic gaze of her attackers. Especially one of them – Montenegro, the married man, the father of the baby, who was the main figure in the rape, supposedly not only this one. His family, well connected with local officials, has tried to intimidate Renee and pay her off to drop the charges.

Montenegro – główny oskarżony przed kolejną odroczoną rozprawą/ main accused before another postponed hearing

Nie, Renee się nie złamała. Z zaparciem walczyła dalej, nie tylko dla siebie, ale dla wszystkich kobiet w tej zamkniętej społeczności, które, jak się dowiedziała, żyły w strachu przez lata. W Boliwii, gwałt jest bowiem wciąż uważany za drobne przestępstwo, które przynosi wstyd rodzinie ofiary! Dlaczego tez kobiety nie chcą o tym rozmawiać. Ich rodziny biorą pieniądze od oprawców i zapominają o sprawie. Ale czy gwałt to coś, co kobieta może wymazać z pamięci?

No, she did not break. She stood tall and strong, fighting not only for herself, but all the women in this closed tied community, who, as she learnt, have lived in fear for years. In Bolivia, the rape is still considered a minor crime which brings shame upon the family of the victim! This is the reason why women don’t want to talk about it. Their families take money from the perpetrators and try to forget. But is the rape something the woman can ever erase from her memory?

Jakby tego było mało, Renee była ofiarą dyskryminacji i rasizmu władz i niektórych mieszkańców Samaipaty, za bycie kobietą i cudzoziemką. Pomimo niepodważalnych dowodów winy trzech oskarżonych (raport sądowy, skradziona torba znaleziona w domu Montenegro, kredyt przelany w noc gwałtu z telefonu Renee na konto Montenegro), istniala realna szansa, że trzej mężczyźni wyszliby na wolność przez zakończeniem procesu.

As if that were not enough, Renee was a subject to discrimination and racism of authorities and some residents of Samaipata, for being a woman and a foreigner. Despite evidence that said it all (forensic report, robbed bag found in the house of Montenegro, her cellphone credit passed to the Montenegro’s account), there was a chance, that the three men would walk free before the end of the trial.

Renee nie jest jednak sama. Aktywistki praw kobiet w Boliwii (zwłaszcza z organizacji Ley 348 – przeciw wykorzystywaniu kobiet w Boliwii) i zwykli ludzie, którzy nie mogą znieść tego “cyrku” z wymiaru sprawiedliwości, który dzieje się na ich oczach, zaczęli oferować swoje wsparcie. Hasłem przewodnim kampanii społecznej, która rozpoczęła się w Santa Cruz de la Sierra i kontynuuje w całym kraju i zagranicą, są słowa: #Todas Somos Renee (Wszystkie jesteśmy Renee). Historia gwałtu z 2013 roku jest udostępniana w mediach społecznościowych, w lokalnej prasie i kanałach telewizyjnych. Gdy kobieta – reporter podczas niedawnego wywiadu zapytała Renee o to, dlaczego została zgwałcona, ludzie słusznie zareagowali oburzeniem. W ostatnich dniach minister rządu, poinformowany o sprawie przez pełnomocnika Renee, Erica Viruez, oficjalnie zagwarantował lepszą kontrolę aresztowanych, by zapobiec ich ewentualnej ucieczce.

Now Renee is not alone. Bolivia’s women rights activists (especially from Ley 348 – Against Abuse of Women in Bolivia) and common people who can’t stand the ‘circus’ of justice system that is happening in front of their eyes, are offering their support. #Todas Somos Renee (We are all Renee) is the leading slogan of the social campaign that has started in Santa Cruz de la Sierra and continues in Bolivia and abroad. The story of the 2013th rape and the trial proces is being shared on social media, in local newspapers and TV channels. When one female reporter asked Renee why she was raped, people rightly responded with indignation. Recently the Minister of Government, informed about the case by the Renee’s attorney, Eric Viruez, officially guaranteed to better the control of the arrested to prevent their possible escape.

The case of Renee Gurley is a case that should serve to create a precedent to avoid this situation from happening again./ Sprawa Renee Gurley powinna posłużyć do stworzenia precedensu, aby zapobiec takim sytuacjom w przyszlosci.

Minister Carlos Romero

Krótko po tym, Paola Parada, sekretarz Rozwoju Człowieka w imieniu gubernatora departamentu Santa Cruz, wyraziła poparcie dla Renee, potępiając Raula Costa, prezesa Komitetu Obywatelskiego w Samaipacie, za jego ksenofobiczne, dyskryminujące i seksistowskie wypowiedzi. To właśnie on obawiał się, że sprawa Renee zaszkodzi turystyce w jego rodzinnym mieście …

Shortly after that, Paola Parada, Secretary of Human Development on behalf of the Governor of Santa Cruz, expressed her support to Renee, condeming Raul Costa, the President of the Civic Committee of Samaipata, for his xenophobic, discriminatory and sexist statements. It was him who have worried that the Renee’s case will damage tourism in his hometown…

Renee ma nadzieję, że jutro (9 czerwca 2015) postepowanie sądowe w końcu dobiegnie końca, jej gwałciciele dostaną wyrok, na jaki zasługują, a ona sama będzie mogla zacząć układać na nowo swoje życie. Ja również mam taką nadzieję! Wszystkie oczy zwrócone są na Vallegrande – małe miasteczko słynące z miejsca pierwszego pochowku rewolucjonisty Che Guevary, w którym jego szczątki spoczęły w 1967 roku. Od jutra, możne to być także miejsce triumfu sprawiedliwości i prawdy.

Renee hopes that Tomorrow (9th June) this all will come to en end, her offenders will get the sentence they deserve and she will be able to move on with her life. I hope so too! All eyes are turned to the Vallegrande – the small town famous for being the first burial site of Che Guevara, after his 1967 assassination. May it be also the place where thejustice is served and the truth wins.

May the women of Bolivia have the safety they need to live in a a safe society and may they have equal access to the justice system…rape is wrong always…there is not someting wrong with the victim, there is something wrong with the rapist…may we remember this…the days of blaming rape victims and harassing them from pursuing justice is OVER!!! May we have victory on Tuesday to begin to pave the way!/ Niech kobiety w Boliwii posiadaja bezpieczeństwo, by spokojnie zyc w spoleczenstwie i mieć równy dostęp do wymiaru sprawiedliwości … gwałt zawsze jest złem … ofiara nie jest winna, to z gwałcicielem jest cos nie tak … pamiętajmy o tym … dni obwiniania ofiar gwałtu i nękania ich, gdy domagaja sie sprawiedliwości, sa policzone!!! Niech we wtorek dane nam bedzie zwyciestwo, by rozpocząć torowanie drogi (innym)!

Renee Gurley

P.S. Obecnie Boliwia zajmuje niechlubne pierwsze miejsce na liscie krajow Ameryki Poludniowej o najwiekszej przemocy w stosunku do kobiet… /Bolivia takes inglorious first place on the list of countries of Latin America with the highest violence against women…

Epilog

Dzień 9 czerwieca 2015 będzie przez wielu w Boliwii kojarzony ze zwycięstwem sprawiedliwości. Tak, moi drodzy, sprawa sądowa w końcu dobiegła końca, a oskarżeni zostali uznani za winnych w obliczu prawa i skazani kolejno na 25, 24 i 4 lata wiezienia. Renee możne w końcu zamknąć ten ciemny rozdział swojego życia i poświecić swoją energię i talent na to, co kocha najbardziej – podroże i pisanie. Cos mi się wydaje, ze jeszcze o niej usłyszymy, bo to w końcu niesamowita kobieta, o której zapomnieć nie sposób:) Powodzenia, kochana! Niech spełnia się Twoje wszystkie marzenia. Dziś uczyniłaś wiele osób szczęśliwymi, torując drogę do lepszego jutra. Trochę patetycznie to zabrzmiało, ale taka jest prawda:)

The day, 9th June 2015, will be associated by many people in Bolivia, with the victory of justice. Yes, the court case finally came to an end, all three defendants have been found guilty before the law and sentenced consecutively to 25, 24 and 4 years in prison. Renee can finally close this dark chapter of her life and devote her energy and talent to what she loves most – travelling and writing. It seems to me that we will hear more about her in the future, because in the end, she is an amazing woman :) Good luck, dear Renee! May all your wishes come true. Today you made many people happy, leading the way to the better tomorrow. It sounds a little pathetic, but it’s true :)

Fotos: ‘Internations’ meetings, Facebook page of ‘Ley 348 – Against Abuse of Women in Bolivia.

Why Bolivian Police is Corrupted? *** Korupcja w boliwijskiej policji

20 April 201515 November 20156 Comments

Przeczytałam ostatnio (w El Deber), że policjanci z Santa Cruz, najwiekszego i najbogatszego departamentu Boliwii, dysponują jedynie 6-ma alkomatami, z czego dwa mają po 15 lat! A jak to wygląda w praktyce?

I read recently (in El Deber), that the police of the richest and biggest department of Bolivia, Santa Cruz, has only 6 breathalyzers, two of which are more than 15 years old! And how does it look like in practice?

Policjant zatrzymuje samochód do rutynowej kontroli, pytając kierowcę, czy pił alkohol. Niezależnie od odpowiedzi, każe sobie dmuchnąć w twarz, a potem wsiada do samochodu, i każe jechać na posterunek. A tam, daje kierowcy dwie opcje:
a) zapłacenie kary w wysokości 700 bs.
b) poczekanie na pielęgniarkę, która pobierze krew do analizy, i która ma się pojawić na posterunku w ciągu 24 godzin.

A police officer stops a car for a routine check, asking whether the driver drunk some alcohol or not. Regardless of the answer, the policeman asks to blow in his face, and then gets into the car, telling the driver to go to the nearest police station. And there, gives the driver two options:
a) to pay a fine of 700 bs. for driving under the influence
b) to wait for the nurse, who will take the blood for analysis and should appear at the police station within 24 hours.

Na pytanie, czy można użyć alkomatu, kierowca dostaje odpowiedź negatywną, bo do alkomatu ponoć jest kolejka. Do wyboru jest więc tylko opcja a i b. Po negocjacjach, kierowca płaci 350 bs., wsiada w samochód i jedzie do domu.

When asked, why not use the breathalyzer, the policeman says that there is a long queue to use it, so the driver has to choose between option a and b. After some negotiations, the driver pays 350 bs., gets in a car and drives away.

Skąd o tym wiem? Cóż, nie mogę zdradzić swojego źródła, ale mam nadzieję, że po artykule w lokalnej gazecie, ten i inne problemy zostaną rozwiązane. Prawda jest bowiem taka, że brak podstawowego wyposażenia stróżów prawa, prowadzi prostą drogą do nadużyć i korupcji. Choc z drugiej strony, nie trudno się dziwić, że niektórzy policjanci ‘dorabiają sobie na boku’, skoro muszą opłacić kupno munduru, broni, amunicji, a nawet gwizdków, z własnej kieszeni…

How do I know it? Well, I can’t give away my source, but I hope that after the article in the local newspaper, this and other problems will be solved. The truth is, that the lack of the basic equipment in the law enforcement, easily leads to power abuse and corruption. On the other hand, it isn’t surprising that some are tempted, considering that there are policemen who have to pay for uniforms, buy their weapons, ammunition and even whistles, with their own money….

boliviainmyeyes

Alcohol limit in Bolivia —> click.

Blooming Autumn in Bolivian Tropics *** Santa Cruz de la Sierra kwitnie jesienią

7 April 201515 May 2016Leave a comment

Stare polskie przysłowia: ‘w marcu jak w garncu’ czy ‘kwiecień-plecień, bo przeplata trochę zimy, trochę lata’, wydają się być prawdziwe nie tylko w ojczyźnie, gdzie niedawno niektórzy obchodzili ‘białe święta’ Wielkanocy, ale również we Wschodniej Boliwii, gdzie tropikalna pogoda tez płata nam figle. Tuz po zakończeniu kalendarzowego lata, temperatury zaczęły przewyższać 35 stopni, a wraz z rozpoczęciem kwietnia przyszły (tak na dzień czy dwa) pierwsze —> ‘surazos’, czyli zimne wiatry. Taka pogoda w kratkę, zdaje się wpływać doskonale na otaczająca nas przyrodę, bowiem drzewa kwitną jak szalone – szczególnie moje ulubione —> toborochi! Zresztą, zobaczcie sami:)

Polish old proverbs: ‘In March as in a pot’ or ‘April the weaver, because interweaves a little bit of winter with a little bit of summer’, seem to be true not only in my homeland, where people recently celebrated ‘white Easter holidays’ but also in Eastern Bolivia, where tropical weather plays tricks on us too. Shortly after the end of the calendar summer in the Southern hemisphere, the temperature have exceeded 35 degrees, and with the beginning of April, just for two days, came the first —> ‘Surazos‘, the cold winds. This mixed weather seems to be having a very positive effect on the nature, because most of the trees are blooming like crazy – especially my favorite —> Toborochi! See for yourself :)

Toborochi

Dry Times of Bolivian Elections *** Boliwijskie wybory ‘na sucho’

29 March 201515 November 20159 Comments

‘Ley seca’ obowiązywała już kilkakrotnie podczas naszego pobytu w Boliwii, za każdym razem nas zaskakując. Dlaczego? Pewnie dlatego, ze nigdzie indziej nie zetknęliśmy się z ‘Suchym prawem’. Prawem, które zakazuje sprzedaży oraz spożywania alkoholu zarówno w miejscach publicznych jak i prywatnych!

‘Ley Seca’ has effected us already several times during our stay in Bolivia, each time, however, coming as a surprise to us. Why? Probably because we had never experienced the ‘Dry law’ anywhere else before. Law, which prohibits the sale & consumption of alcohol both in public and private places!

Ley seca obowiązuje przed/podczas wyborów, po to, by obywatele Boliwii świadomie podjedli decyzje na kogo głosować. Jeżeli jednak przeczytaliście mój ostatni artykuł, to z calą pewnością zdaliście sobie sprawę, że glosowanie ‘na trzeźwo’ sprawy wcale nie ułatwia.

Ley seca applies before / during elections, so that the citizens of Bolivia could make a conscious decision who to vote for. But if you read my last article, then for sure you realized that voting while sober ain’t easier.

‘Suche prawo’ obowiązuje na 48 godzin przed wyborami, co w praktyce oznacza wzmożony ruch w sklepach monopolowych tuż przed prohibicjż. Tym razem pech chciał, że my dowiedzieliśmy się o obowiązującym zakazie zbyt późno i nie zdążyliśmy zaopatrzyć się w nasze ulubione wino. A trzy (i poł) dni bez wina strasznie się dłużą, bo sklepy oficjalnie mogą zacząć sprzedawać napoje wyskokowe dopiero 12 godzin po wyborach.

‘Dry law’ applies for 48 hours before the election day, which in practice means increased traffic in liquor stores just before prohibition starts. This time we were unlucky forgetting to stock up our favorite wine before the ban. And three (and a half) days without the wine seems so long because the stores can officially start selling alcohol again 12 hours after the election day.

No właśnie, tak to już jest, ze zakazany owoc jakoś tak lepiej smakuje i zakazy zakazami, a biznes się kreci. Każdy ma również swoje sposoby na ominiecie prawa – mniej lub bardziej wyrafinowane:

However, as we all know, the forbidden fruit somehow always tastes better, so despite the prohibition, the business continues and everyone has their way of bypassing the law – less or more sophisticated:

11045848_10205553418502281_4221109416109861418_n

fot. Internet

A jest czym ryzykować – złapani na gorącym uczynku klienci musza zapłacić mandat w wysokości 720 bs. (70 €), sklepom i innym biznesom grozi zaś kara w wysokości 7.200 bs. (700€) Alternatywą jest 8-godzinny pobyt w więzieniu. Cos mi się zdaje, ze areszty w te dni nie świecą pustkami, w odróżnieniu od portfeli;)

And the risk is high – the customer caught in the act must pay a fine of 720 bs. (€ 70), while stores and other businesses pay 7,200 bs. (700 €). Alternatively, one can spend 8 hours in prison. I have a suspicion that arrests in those days aren’t empty unlike the wallets:)

P.S. Ley saca to nie jedyny zakaz, obowiązujący podczas wyborów. Otóż wszyscy Boliwijczycy musza głosować a dezercja oznacza kary pieniężne, problemy w banku czy nawet utrudnienia w podróżowaniu, które jest zakazane w samym dniu wyborów pod groźbą kar pieniężanych itp. Z tego ostatniego zakazu zwolnione są oczywiście karetki pogotowia, niektóre taksówki oraz samoloty komercyjne, o ile zawczasu załatwią sobie specjalne pozwolenie.

Ley saca is not the only prohibition during the elections. Other law states that all Bolivians have to vote and desertion from this obligation means fines, the problems in the bank, or even difficulty in traveling, which also is prohibited on election day. From the latter law, of course, are exempt all ambulances, some taxis and commercial aircrafts , if they get in advance a special permission.

Ten ostatni zakaz całkiem nam się podoba, miasta bowiem zamieniają się w tym dniu w mekkę rowerzystów i spacerowiczów! Dziś tak nam się przyjemnie pedałowało, ze Freddiemu pękła opona, i to z hukiem! Podoba nam się również to, ze przez cale trzy dni nie można urządzać jakiegokolwiek rodzaju zgrupowan, w tym zabaw i przyjęć, dzięki czemu w ten weekend moglismy się wreszcie wyspać. Choć prawdę mówiąc nie do końca, bo tak się składa, ze Percy, który chyba po raz czwarty wygrał wybory, w niedzielę urządził sobie imprezę niedaleko naszego bloku. Nielegalnie.

We actually like this ban, because it turns the Bolivian cities into mecca for cyclists and pedestrians! Today, we cycled so much that Freddy’s tire burst with a bang! We also don’t mind another law that prohibits any gatherings, including parties, therefore this weekend we could finally get some sleep. Although on Sunday night, Percy, who won the elction for the fourth time had his party near our flat. Illegally.

Więcej o wyborach w Boliwii/ More about elections in Bolivia —> klik.