Hedwig and the angry inch - Origin of love

A nouveau en belgique

Eh oui, de retour dans la petite Belgique, pour retrouver, famille, Thomas et amis... Jusqu'au 16 juin, quand nous allons passer 3 jours a Paris avant de nous envoler pour Cape Town.

at almost 29, look at my 50 countries visited over the world!!

Santiago de Chile

Despues de un viaje de 28 horas, desde Peru, llego acqui en Santiago de Chile, ciudade bastante desarrollado. Acqui me quedo en la casa de mi amiga, Angela, la novia de Guillaume. Solamente va ser para dos dias, que lunes ya me voy para Belgica....
Mas fotos dentro de este blog despues, vale?
Pero ya contento que todos estes viajes en buses se terminaron, y que acqui en Santiago me estaba esperando una cara conocida y simpatica!
Beso,

Bruno

Lago Titicaca

Here, on the border between Bolivia and Peru, and after Buenos Aires, Iguacu Waterfalls and La Paz, is my fourd tourist pitstop/trap: Titi-Caca. It is the highest navigable lake in the world, with an area of 8.300 km2 situated 3.800 m over sea level.

Titicaca (which always brings a smile to my face), according to Wikipedia takes its name from the island called Intikjarka, which now is known as Sun’s island. The Intikjarka name comes from two aymara language words: “inti”, ‘sun’ and “kjarka”, ‘crag’. So “intikjarka” means ‘Sun’s crag’, and today is known as "Sun's Island". It was a secred place for the Colla nation (or Qulla in aymara language) who lived and live around the lake and far south.
- but a local guide tells of a legend "dead pumas lake"; According to legend, once upon a time, there was no lake; on the valley lived some people that disappointed the gods, so they sent a hard rain. Men left the valley and sheltered in the mountains; they killed the pumas and took their caves. When the rain stopped, the men found a lake where it used to be a valley, and dead pumas on the surface.
- and let's not forget to mention that Peruvians tend to say the titi is for peru, and the caca is for Bolivia. So much for good neighbours...


Sun Island

Sun Island is the place where Incas Empire creators, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, appeared; they were children of the Sun (Inti). This is the largest island in the lake; there is a sacred water fountain and a cultural complex, with several local activities and imitations of typical totora rafts.

La Isla del Sol es el lugar en donde aparecieron los fundadores del Imperio Incaico, Manco Capac y Mama Ocllo; eran los hijos del Sol (Inti). Es la isla más grande del lago; hay en ella una fuente de agua sagrada y un complejo cultural, en donde se pueden observar diversas costumbres locales e imitaciones de las típicas embarcaciones de totora.

Finally, return ticket found... - two odd Bolivian things

With the necessary help from the home front, finally found my ticket back home from Santiago de Chili leaving 21st to Madrid, getting in Madrid at 7am on 22nd of May, then Brussels Airlines to Brussels (Zaventem) arriving at 14h45...
No red carpets please this time....

Just a couple of bizzar things that struck me as noteworthy here in Bolivia:
-
loads of Bolivian women wear the bowler, or English derby hats, yep, the ruond hats gentlemen used to wear, in fashion in the 1930 (I think). Not really conveniently one would think, since they aren t that stable, don t protect that much from either cold or heat but hey, random things ahhpen. Apprently some salesmen in the 1940 got them here and didn t know what to do with them, so sold them as ladies hat, and a fashion was born. An Italian firm then leapt on it and started massively importing these hats into Bolivia...
Note that non-verbal communication takes many forms. The women of Bolivia, so anthropologists surmise, wear what we know as hat because it emulates the headgear of the conquistadores. The height, angle, and decoration of the hat denotes subtle meaning, e.g. status, rank, family group, etc. A single hat can cost as much as a months wages...

- Shoepolishers: after my desastrous busride in which we got stuck and all had to push the bus through the river, well, the state of my shoes left to desire... Surprised they even let me enter the hostel. So, next day I am walking looking around for a shoe polisher (never underage, since I don t want to keep them out of school). Sitting quietly at the marketsquare, suddenly a man with a hood over his head and a ski mask over his face (no kidding) approaches me and waves some sort of weapon at me. Already willing to hand over my wallet and personal belongings (yet again), I stop to think a sec and check out his weapon, which turns out to be... a shoe brush! Shoepolishers found. He said he wears the mask for protection against the fumes and smell of the products he uses, but after chatting with some more Bolivians, it could have more to do with social stigmatisme and they don t want to be recognised, as students paying their way through school or helping the family....


- Welcome to the "Witches Market", one of the most fascinating (although a bit macabre for some) and not-to-be-missed sights in La Paz.

This uncovered market is a collection of stalls along a couple of streets; the vendors are mostly indigenous women known as "cholas" or "cholitas", dressed in traditional regalia, the majority of whom speak Spanish (although only just) and at least one (if not both) of the traditional languages, Aymara and Quechua. A cholo (masc.), chola (fem.) is a person of mixed parentage - although they have indigenous features and could well pass for pure Indians, they are in fact descendants from a mixture of mestizo (half-cast person, mixture of Spanish and Indian) and Indian parents. This term is used in all Andean countries, but whilst in Bolivia it has a friendly connotation and the women enjoy certain social status, in Peru and Chile for example the term is used negatively (mestizos were looked down upon by both the white and the pure indigenous population).

In these stalls you will find a fantastic array of weird and wonderful items, the most eye-catching of all possibly being the desiccated frogs, snakes and other animals, and the llama foetuses. Yep, you read that right… foetuses.

Many will believe that this is just a tourist trap, but they'd be wrong. Many Bolivians shop here regularly, not just the poor, uneducated people, who are the ones more commonly associated with this kind of “superstition” as we would call it, but also well educated, professional people, who come here in search of a bit of luck, a recipe to boost their own businesses, or even (why not?) the perfect love potion. Some say even politicians will pop round from time to time (perhaps when the next election is due?).

The cholas will listen to your requirements and put together a customised bundle to fit your particular needs. The bundle can include any number of items such as herbs, coca leaves, sweets, small amulets made of clay… it then needs to be burnt and the ashes spread on the ground in order to release the magic within. Not all the bundles serve a selfish purpose - many are burned as offerings to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, towards whom Andean people feel great reverence for.

From the highest capital in the world... Euh, not!

Yep, made it to La Paz, here in Bolivia, which most of you (me included thought was the capital, but non, that is Le Sucre - so next time you want to dazzle your friends with country-capital games, you got a good one, better then Australia - Canberra or South Africa - Pretoria). SO, yeah, fom a staggering 4000m above sea level, cold and I am sick as a dog. On the 30h bus ride (that of course got stuck), I got served some suspicious meat and knwoing better, I ate it all... Spent the rest of the trip wondering whether I had to puke or shit first. Anyway, got into Santa Cruz, in the east of Bolivia, where I met up with Doctor Guilherme, my good friend fom Haiti, who happened to be in santa cruz as well, saving me the 10h trip to the town where he is based, San Ignacio (supposedly having really nice Baroc music though, so we'll have to come back to check on that).

After a coffee in the local Irish pub, took the night bus to La Paz, another 18h (this time I took the most comfy one though, at a staggering price of 30Euro). So, here I am now, wondering how soon I'll be feeling better and what my next destination is going to be. Lake Titicaca with Copacabana seems the most obvious choice, and then either Santiago de Chili or Lima, according to whatever plane ticket I find. Never had soooooo many problems finding an online ticket, incredible. This one only does paper tickets, this takes only UK credit cards, the other ones are just way toooooo expensive... We'll keep looking, and hope to make it back soon anyway...

The importance of being YOU

Let me take a second to explain to you how I view and try to use this newsletter. More than a simple update, I noticed that traveling as much as I do, I needed to some feeling of belonging, of staying in touch with people that I know very well, as well as with the people that I got close to in different countries. If not, loneliness would get to me too much. I didn’t want to be a serial circle of friends type of guy, who makes friends in a place, has good times with them and shares memories, and then simply moves on to a next set of friends. No, I wanted to keep in touch, to know how people whose lives have touched me and who I hope touched as well, are going along in their lives. And more than just the where & what am I doing, I wanted to share stories, portraits of interesting people that I met, things that made me think. It has become rather massive I know, but if you think most people only understand one of the languages in it, it is still okay. Just didn’t want to deny the opportunity to the ones who are multilingual, so I include them all. Currently, I have about 400 people who receive this email, spread over 5 different languages. Some answer frequently, most don’t, and I have no idea how many really read through it. It has to do with my idea of networking though, and the theory of seven degrees. People used to analyze wealth in terms of material possessions, and power. I have hardly any earthly possessions in this life; I wouldn’t be able to take them with me anyway. So, while most of my friends have cars, and houses and furniture, I invest in human relations. Most people see power as to be high up in a hierarchy, being able to give orders and see them executed. I see it in a possibility to influence, to change, and stimulate. Isn’t real power to make things happen, to allow people to dream and help tem realize them. So, no, YOU are my true wealth, and I want to remain investing in you, not because I think it is going to bring me wealth and fortune, but because it open doors for, doors of a different nature. It has made me who I am, not what I have, and I just wanted to take a second to thank you all for that. Love to me is not limited, I don’t have just this quantity that I can spend, no, you can all fit into it, and there still seems to be place for more, because every new encounter adds to my richness, without having to leave people out.

Comment les riches pourraient changer le monde... portrait

Comment les riches pourraient changer le monde: Daniel Mcintyre. Dan (comme on l'appelle) a des dents pourris, fume quasi non stop et porte des chemises criants avec des fleurs tropicales. Il a eu un accident moto l'annee passee et a toujours besoin de b'une cane pour marcher. Mais il est aussi tres tres riche. Il est un avocat americain d'une cinquantaine d'annees, et servait de "superviseur" pour moi a Porto Alegre, dans le sud du Bresil. Comme je disais, il est riche, peut etre une des personnes les plus riche que je connais. Pas Bill Gates riche, mais assez pour avoir style quelques maisons (ou villas) pres de Porto Alegre. Ce qui est interessant est comment il a eu cet argent, et comment il le depense actuellement. Comment il a obtenu cet argent: pendant une dizaine d'annees, il etait l'avocat pour un syndicat de travailleurs de la metallurgie aux Etats Unis qui defendait des employes licencies quelques annees ou mois avant la retraite. Ainsi, l'entreprise ne devait pas contribuer pour leur pension. L'affaire est reste pendant des annees devant les tribunaux mais finalement, ils ont obtenu gain de cause et une sacre indemnisation pour les plaignants. Etant donne que le systeme americain permet que des avocats travaillent sur base d'une commission, cad un pourcentage du montant alloue aux victimes (pratique interdit en Belgique), et qu'il s'agissait d'une somme enorme (le plus grand dedommagement paye dans ce genre de cas aux E-U d'apres des rumeurs), Dan est devenu riche. Ce que lui a permis d'arreter de travailler, mais c'est pas pour autant qu'il voulait rester assis sans rien faire. Ainsi nous arrivons a comment il depense cet argent: bien que n'ayant aucune formation du developpeñemt, il s'est lance dans les pays en voie de developpement pour soutenir des projets: d'abord en Haiti (Jeremy) mais le manque de courant l'a finalement chasse pour le sud du Bresil. Et ainsi que maintenant il a commence a soutenir un volontariatavec des personnes du Nord, principalement des Etats Unis, pour passer du temps dans une crèche a Porto Alegre. Ils travaillent avec les enfants pour les habituer a l'anglais et leur donner de l'affection, car venant de familles souvent trop occuppe ou qui ne s'en soucient pas. Je vous pase les details tristes. Au meme temps, ces gens du nord ont une experience dans le sud, apprennent un peu de la culture et de la societe bresilienne et rentrent change… A travers d'une annonce sur www.idealist.org je l'avais contacte, sans trop savoir ce que je pouvais apporter. Au Bresil, l'immense majorite des possibilites de volontariat etaient en effet payant...pour le volontaire bien entendu, et vachement cher. Donner mon temps et mon energie pour un projet, d'accord, mais en payant me semble van het goede een beetje te veel, comme on dit en Flandre. Mais l'offre de Dan contenait le logement et les frais de transport locaux, ainsi qu'avec mon budget reduit, je devais simplement payer la nourriture (et les frais de voyage, deja plus substantiel). Il a aussi finance l'acquisition du materiel necessaire, comme deux cameras et cinq appareils photographiques. Ainsi, il a rendu possible ces trois mois intense de cours, qui me laisse des souvenirs inoubliables. Dan est ainsi le premier vrai mecenat que j'ai renconte, quelqu'un qui devoue son temps, son argent et son energie pour aider, non en ecrivant un cheque chaque mois pour une donation distante, mais vraiment implique. Cette implication n'est pas toujours aussi evident, ainsi la responsable de l'institution ou je donnait mes cours, un institut d'art et d'education, ne voit pas toujours les choses de la meme maniere que lui. Certains tensions existent, et trop souvent je me sentait comme pris entre deux feux. Mais je trouve que tout cela etait quand meme inspirant, donc je me suis dit que j'allais devenir riche pour pouvoir faire le meme chose.
Ca ne devrait pas etre trop complique, hein ;-)

Waterfalls of Iguazu

Maybe not the biggest or the highest waterfall sin the world, Iguazu was still impressive enough to make Eleanor Roosevelt exclaim :"Poor Niagara falls!". Coming from the Rio Igua, the falls are in total 82 meters high, and single drop of 64 meters, 2.700 meters wide. 1,746 cubic meters of water pass through it each sec! For the moment, there is a lot of water, like 7x what they usually hav, which is way I finally decided to drop Santiago de Chili and come here instead. Nothing compared to their record, when they had 12,799 cubic meters / sec!

All that water flowing started me going as well, so i I decided to help out... This part of the waterfall is called the Devil's Throat... Wonder if he's mad ;-)



But even more enjoyable then the falls I thought, were the numerous and colourfull butteflies dashing around everywhere. They seem to have gradually disappeared since my childhood without me even noticing, and it was nice to see them again...


After this, going on through Paraguay to Bolivia, and then either to Lima or to Santiago de Chili, depending from where I can get the cheapest flight back.

Exposition "Esclaves au Paradas", Paris

http://www.esclavesauparadis.org/
Sur les Haitiens, coupeurs de canne a sucre en Republique Domicaine.

Buenos Aires 5-7 May 2007

Here in the Paris of the south, the city of lights of Latin America, the place that is more european than Europe, the place so many people told me about: Buenos Aires (BsAs)!

Together with another volunteer, Pamela, and one of my students, Guilherme, we spent four days, two in a hostel, and two staying with a couple, friends of mine. It really does feel like Europe a lot, and it is nice to have clean streets, and traffick lights and perfume shops... but not that nice if you know what I mean. It is just another big city, bright lights, and though I am glad to have seen it, I think my sadness about closing that Brasilian chapter of my life book was hanging like a dark cloud above it.

Anyway, continued my trip all by myself inlands, direction Santiago de Chili, to Cordoba, to meet up with an argentinian couple I met in Ilha do Mel (Brasil). The hazards of MSN told me that Laura, a good friend from Granada and now lifving in Brusselas is here in Argentina as well, and even more so, in Cordoba, just the same day I am! So, tonight going for drinks with her, then the birthday party of the girl, Andrea, of my friends, the couple.

Next plans are still not set: either heading towards Santiago de Chili and from there back up towards La Paz (Bolivia) and then to Lima (Perou) but after seeing that that meant only more big cities and bright lights for the next three weeks, I was thinking of changing my plans and leaving Chili out, to head to Foz de Iguacu (The Niagra falls of south america) and then on through Paraguay to Bolivia and Lima. Cheapest flights seem to leave from Lima but without either a UK or US visa card, I can't seem to get that booked. Still working on that one so... Wanted to be back in Belgium by the 19th of May, so a lot of ground to cover in little time.

Kisses!

leaving Porto Alegre

Another sad goodbye.

Some of my students receing their diplomas...


After almost three months, I had to kiss my students and the other volunteers goodbye. As always, last days are the most intense ones, all the things you still wanted to do before leaving, you try to pack into those last days, and all the people hearing that you leave are going: "wait, we have to go out, do something before you leave!". And Brasilians seem to have this heartbreaking habit of expressing their sadness with you leaving by insisting:"But why don't you stay??". As if it was my choice not wanting to be with them anymore. As if I am the responsable one for abandonning them. Usually they understand my answer of "Well, I was only volunteering, and a guy has to live as well on something...".

Me and some of the girls... God, you got the wrong gender!!

Bad news though was that my computer with all of my pictures and the final short movie that we made broke down, and no data could be retrieved... AAAAAAAAArrrrrrrgggghhh

The ride back from the final barbecue (Churrasco), with too many people so sitting in the trunk...

But hey, we'll always have the memories (at least until I go senile... or develop Alzheimer.