In the picturesque Coroico valley, in the town of Carmen Pampa we volunteers live in more luxurious fashion than the nearby rural Bolivians.
We live in the historic adobe hacienda of the former owner of this entire valley. Local people remember those days before land reform in 1952 when they were indentured servants.
Jose Tintia recalls his father emerging from this house bloody after being whipped.Here we volunteers live in relative comfort...
Instead of a wood-fired clay oven we use a gas stove.
Instead of an open fire on the ground we use a grill.
We boil all our drinking water
and strain the mud out
with a clay-filter pot.
The only hot water in the house is in the showers. This hot-water-on-demand electric 220 volt shower head is a real comfort.
We wash dishes indoors.....
....and clothes outdoors.
The volunteer's room
might look like this one.
And may have a sunrise view of the pueblo of San Juan de Miel across the valley and the homes and tiny farm plots of the Bolivian campesinos who struggle to make a better day for their children.
