Part Three: Cochabamba, Bolivia

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The evening class at Santa Rita Hotel was a grand success. Thirty well-to-do local ladies attended, including the daughter of the British Ambassador to Bolivia (pictured far right), herself a staunch vegetarian for many years, and the wife of the Hotel Manager. We prepared:


Pakoras de Coliflor (Cauliflower pakoras)

Chutney de Tomate picante y Dulce (Hot and spicy Tomato Chutney)

Aroz con Limon, Nueces y coco (Lemon Rice with Coconut)

Tomate, Arvejas y Queso hecho en casa
(Fresh cheese with tomatoes and peas - matar panir)

Te Caliente con Especias ( Spicy Masala Tea - Chai)

Masitas de Anis en Yogurt de Frutilla
(Strawberry Doughnuts in Yogurt - Malpoura)

The manager joined us for dinner, and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves eating heartily of the fare.

Day Twelve

My whirlwind Bolivia sojourn was almost over. I packed and departed Teresa’s place very early in the morning. On the way to the airport, we stopped at Teresa’s workplace at Calle Sagarnaga. Teresa runs a very successful Alpaca weaving and export company called WARI. In the little time that remained before my onward flight, Teresa briefly showed me around her small factory and storeroom, and explained a little about her business.

Her textiles, she explained, were made from 100% pure superfine Alpaca wool. She purchases the raw wool from local indiginous Alpaca herdsmen, and transforms the fibre into beautiful mantillas (shawls), mantas (small blankets) and  bufandas (scarves), using a wide range of designs and colours.
I was impressed with the wonderful soft shawls, and the impressive range of styles.

She employs indiginous craftsmen and women who hand loom the garments on site. Teresa encourages them to preserve and display their traditional weaving skills, which have been handed down from their Inca ancestors. Teresa introduced me to the weaver, his wife and young children who were more than happy to pose for a photograph.The whole family live peacefully under the care of Teresa, who is passionate about preserving and perpetuating the fine skills of these weavers and their beautiful handicrafts.

Our flight departed Cochabamba for La Paz as the sun rose through puffy, pink-hued clouds. At La Paz, I checked in for my Varig Airlines flight that would take me from La Paz to Santa Cruz, and on to Sao Paulo Brazil. In the departure lounge I unexpectedly met up with my old friend Hanumat Presaka Swami, who was heading to Cochabamba, and we merrily passed our transit time together. Flight RG 8881 left for Brazil at 2.30 pm.

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