Nate-in-Bolivia!

Nate came to visit me!  So happy to have gotten the chance to show him around and hear his Espanish improve.  We spent 4 days around Amazonian Santa Cruz (he admitted, it’s not the greatest tourist city but we’ve carved ourselves a pretty darn good life here) and then 5 days in the Andean city, La Paz.  I convinced him to pitch a story on the coca leaf from the perspective here- part of the ancient culture turned terrible drug by Westerners.

This isn't an exercise in the artistic use of diminishing size;
Nate just towers over everyone here
(wait to see him try and fit into a Bolivian kayak...!)

Didn’t realize how much I missed him and home until he just left a few hours ago.  Upset and alone riding back from the Santa Cruz airport, I saw a man walking and weaving through the cars selling 3 dustpans (not the brushes, just the pan) for $3.  Just as I am wondering who would ever buy a dustpan off the street, the taxi next to us looks happily surprised and takes one!  Guess it's a successful business model here?  I have a lot more to learn and a lot more to go, and Jackie is waiting for me at the hospital to help with the patients!