...and finally it began

On October 15, it finally began: the 40-hour journey with the nearly on-time ICE to Frankfurt Airport and 4 hours later with Air Europa to Madrid. What was supposed to be a 90-minute layover there turned into 3 1/2 hours. Boarding was announced but not carried out... Information? Why bother? Then we flew for about 11 hours over the Atlantic and the Brazilian rainforest. At 3 AM, there was dinner on board. Considering the 6-hour time difference between Germany and Bolivia, it was only 9 PM there. Because it was still night, we couldn't see anything, but there were frequent announcements to fasten seat belts due to harmless turbulence, and I had nice conversations with my Bolivian seatmates after dozing off. At 7 AM local time, we landed at the Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

At Fabian's father's place, where he lives with his family, I was allowed to shower while he prepared a delicious breakfast with scrambled eggs for me. Just 3 hours later, we took a taxi to the airport for the domestic flight to Cochabamba. There, I was warmly welcomed by Isabel. I also got to know her two workplaces as a psychologist at the German school Federico Fröbel and as a lecturer in psychology at the Catholic University of Cochabamba. Isabel is the mother of my Bolivian friend Noelia, who lives in Hildesheim. With her warm hospitality, I was able to settle into the familiar yet unfamiliar Bolivia in her house during the first days. This made the transition very easy for me. 

The following photos are to capture the first days of experiencing beautiful spots in Cochabamba, dealing with jetlag, and regular coffee visits for relaxation, along with the wonderful excursion to the Christo de la Concordia on a hill in the middle of Cochabamba. 

On Wednesday evening, I will fly to Tarija, the city where I lived and worked from 1991 to 1998, where my two children were born, and where several friends from 'back then' are looking forward to seeing me again. The last time I was there was briefly in April 2017. My friend Carmen is especially excited. This time, we will have more time to chat, as I will be staying with her.

To be continued.