Monday 20 August 2012

Back to civilization

So that's it for the puma park. Had my last working day yesterday and said my goodbyes to all the volunteers, the family that run the park and Lishu (my puma). I can honestly say that I'm really going to miss the park, mainly for the people there and the cats. There were things that drove me nuts, mainly the mosquitoes, sand flies and bed bugs and one volunteer who would not stop moaning and complaining the entire time. On the subject of bed bugs, you don't really know true and absolute irritation until your junk has been hammered by the little bastards. And I'm sorry to get graffic here, but I mean the whole meat and two veg covered with about 20 bites. But that's all the ranting I'm going to do because it was an incredible experience and I want to focus on the positives :-)

My last couple of weeks I was on full days with Lishu with a scouser guy called Alan. It was kind of sad to be parted from Dave as I got on with him really well but Alan was a brilliant replacement. Really funny guy, nice and chilled and a beird the size of forrest gumps when he runs across america (see my FB photos for evidence!). Lishu was a bit of a brat on full days, when I took him out just in the afternoons he was focused on just doing his walk and getting back for his meat but on full days he was always trying to turn around on the trail, go outside his parimiter and not go back to his cage for lunch. And each time he didn't get his way he'd throw massive bitch fit and try to pull on the leesh with his teeth until he eventually realised he wasn't getting anywhere. Then he'd grumble and growl for the rest of the day because he'd worked himself up. Then   as soon as he was back in his cage he'd be purring and licking my hand again. He was like jeckel and hyde, in the cage he was a loveable cute cat, then as soon as he got outside he put his game face on and hated the world!

Oh, so the park is situated between two towns, Santa Ann and San Bueno. Now the two towns are argueing over a new road which will (one town believes) diminish the amount of through traffic meaning they'll lose trade where as the other town will benifit from the new road. So while one town was protesting about this at the other towns plaza, they decided to put 3 protesting women in stocks (as in the medieval stocks) and kick the crap out of them. This is all whilst the police look on and do nothing to stop it. I didn't actually wittness this but I was told about it by one of the towns doctors. So if you thought bolivia was developed and civilized, think again!

So special mention has to go to Molly and Dave, my favorite people at the camp. If anyone is thinking of doing volunteer work in boilivia I would definatly recomend Inti Wari Yassi (http://www.intiwarayassi.org/) as a brilliant organisation and a great experience. Gotta catch a flight to La Paz soon then I'm off to Cuzco in Peru. Really looking forward to going home now but I'm going to try and focus on enjoying the final few weeks of travelling, especially Machu Pitchu which I'm pretty sure will be the balls.

Peace out.

x

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