Friday, July 3, 2009

Pig Flu

The Bolivians are swine flu crazy, at least down in Sta. Cruz. Can't
buy a bloody ice cream cone without having to deal with some surly
teenager in a facemask. Fortunately, things are a little more
reasonable out here in the boondocks. Haven't seen a single mask since
leaving the Sta. Cruz bus terminal.

_La Razon_, the Bolivian newspaper I read online (the only one with a
dependable RSS feed, albeit one that feeds me 300 articles a day)
reports that the pig flu has gotten to Potosí. Probably a good time for
flu in Potosí, as the weather up there now is freezing at night, and all
the good people of that fine city have to huddle together for warmth
when it gets cold, since there is nary a heater nor wood stove to be
found (it's above treeline anyways, so there's no wood for burning, or
not much, anyways).

On the other hand, down in Sta. Cruz it never gets very cold, and yet
people pretty much seem to be freaking out, or at least freaking out as
much as Bolivians do (they're a pretty resilient bunch, as they're used
to roadblocks that last for months and obstruct food supplies, as well
as mobs assaulting the national bank, as well as invasions by
privatizing US imperialists and Chileans. And guys with moustaches.)

I find it amusing that the beauty queen of the Chiquitanía region, where
I am currently located, is "Señorita Litoral," "Miss Coastline."
Speaking of resilient Bolivians and Chilean invasions. I also ride to
and from the La Paz in the "Coastline" cab company cabs, and I take a
"Coastline" bus from La Paz to Cochabamba. I'm looking forward to
getting to ride on Argentinian and/or Chilean buses that are named
non-socially obsessive things like "Arrow Bus" and "Chile Bus."

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