Regalos

I just bought some gifts for my host family.  It was a little hard to pick them bc I was not sure what they would like. I settled on a stuffed elephant for Sofia, lotions and soaps for Zulema and Alejandra, and a book of Boston with new and old pictures in it for Rodolfo and Zulema.  I was also told that bringing maple syrup is a nice treat so I will bring that along with some pancake mix.  good stuff.

Shots… not the good kind

I had the rest of my shots today. I already got my typhoid, hep A, and renewed my tetanus for Colombia so I only needed the big YF. Yellow Fever hurt! Not sure whether it was the med student’s needlework or the shot itself that made me cringe.

Nicole, the PA, whom I saw in the travel clinic at HVMA has family in Bolivia said she thought I could do w/o the rabbies vac. “4 americans a year die from the deadly disease known as rabies” according to Michael Scott. Oh well, I will just have to be extra careful and carry rocks in my pocket as Nicole suggested to ward off the stray dogs that roam the streets of Bolivia in packs. However, the dogs with the green collars are already vaccinated so I guess I can spare them my Beckett arm!

The last big decision to make was about Malaria pills. Since I plan on doing some camping trips while in Bolivia, the PA suggested I get Malaria pills. I had three very appealing choices:

Pill #1: cant remember the name. side effects: %.005 can end up with psychosis that can be permanent.

Pill #2: side effects can cause sun burn and yeast infections. No fun to deal with when you are camping in Bolivia

Pill #3: Malarone: (The pill I opted to take) has only been on the market 7 yrs so it is a baby drug. No side effects reported but that is not nearly enough time to tell. Oh well, if my head falls off in 5 years at least I went to Bolivia!

Click here to read more about shots for Bolivia

Ticket. Check!

I bought my ticket last night. No turning back now! I leave sat nov 3rd. ahhhhhhhh. I fly out of Logan at 6:55, then arrive in Miami around 10am, depart at 1 and arrive in La Paz, Bolivia at 7:30pm. From there Amerispan is gonna pick me up, put me up in a hotel, and fly me to Sucre. I bought a round trip instead of a one way so that immigration wouldn’t think I was a total sketchball (I will change the return date later).

As for a visa? Turns out the Bolivian consulate in Boston does not beleive in answering the phone and the Embassy in DC refers you back to Boston no matter how much you try and explain that no one picks up the phones. After calling for a week straight I decided to go another route. A coworker, who is married to a Bolivian, suggested I take care of it at the airport. I go as a tourist and ask for the 90 day visa. Then I can either renew while in Bolivia, or I leave the country for 48 hrs and get another 90 day visa. Definitely going to take a little weekend trip in Jan. Machu Picchu perhaps?