REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Greetings from La Paz, Bolivia!  The airport is located in an area of the city called “El Alto” (or “The Highest”) – and it’s called that for a reason.  The elevation is about 13,500 feet.  Larger international flights have to land in the wee hours of the night when the air is slightly more dense.  That’s how we found ourselves making our way to our new home around 2:30am, slightly bleary eyed, but excited to see what the light of day would bring.

La Paz Airport, 2:30am.

The view from our new home - a 3-story condo.  At over 10,000' elevation, some could consider walking up to the 3rd floor bedroom a form of hazing.  Don't worry.  The guest bedroom is only up one flight.  Come visit!

There's a lawn area in front of our building that turns into a dog park in the afternoons.  Perfect!!!

Our house is located in another neighborhood called “Zona Sur” (South Zone).  It is lower here – about 10,400 feet – but that’s still plenty high enough to make us catch our breath.  The first week or so we were here, I would get winded just talking.  Walking on any incline necessitates occasional pauses.
  

The embassy supplied us with a bottle of oxygen for the first few weeks.  That's a first.

The street trees are trimmed to Bolivian height - not grande Australian/American height.  Watch your head!

My office is located back up the hill at about 11,000 feet and about 5 miles from our house.  That means a short commute is needed of either about 20-30 minutes by car, or slightly longer… by gondola.  I am opting for that latter option for several reasons – it’s quiet (no honking), it’s smooth (no zig zag turns and braking), and it’s like a Disneyland ride every day!  Bonus: it’s less than $1 roundtrip every day.  To suss out my new commute – and get a birds-eye view of our new city – we spent part of our first weekend making a circuit of the city’s teleferico system.

Gondolas definitely make quick work of scaling cliffs like these.

It's amazing how many houses and buildings here are built within feet of sheer cliffs.  No gracias.

What a view!  The buildings below aren't bad either.  :)

There are 10 lines in the city's teleferico system.  Most of them are criss-crossing cliffs and canyons.  This one goes right down the middle of a main road.

The view from the top of the yellow line.  Actually, it's the view from a fast-food chicken place at the top of the yellow line.  A million dollar view to accompany your $2 fried chicken.  Not bad.

I pictured La Paz being kind of brown and drab before I came here since it's so high and desert-like - but the colorful houses - and plenty of trees! - make for some lovely vistas.

A date night trip to the top of the yellow line - which besides the fast food chicken place also has a little coffee shop.  We stopped in for a cafecito and a view of the Harvest Supermoon rising over Mount Illimani earlier this month.

We’ve only been in our new city in the sky for a bit over a month, but we’ve taken full advantage of the weekends so far – visiting local markets, sightseeing at a local nature park, doing our share of eating (this city has AMAZING food!), taking in some musical shows at a little theater nearby, and celebrating a birthday.  We’ve wasted no time seeing all that La Paz has to offer.

Wandering through the streets of the "Witches Market," which despite its name (and a few taxidermied llamas used in good luck rituals), has a bunch of lovely shops and handmade wares.

The entry to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) nature park about 10 minutes outside La Paz, complete with llama statue - of course.

The formations in Valle de la Luna reminded us of Bryce Canyon.

There was a series of trails and bridges through the park that made for a lovely stroll.

View across the Valle de la Luna - and look at that blue sky!

This balancing boulder on top of a sandstone spire was called Madre Luna (Mother Moon).

Time to eat!  A local Spanish restaurant put on a paella feast in honor of Spain's national day.

Soup's (or paella's) on!

Not to be outdone, the local German Club put on an Oktoberfest celebration.

And now for dessert.  Birthday cake and a gathering with new friends at our place for my bday.

And now for some evening entertainment.  A little theater about a 15-minute (very slow) walk from our house puts on live music and theater productions.  This was The Greatest Showman - or El Gran Showman because the production was en espanol - complete with circus acts and a live band.

And this was the Bolivian Tony Starlight (Portland people, you know what I'm talking about) covering Frank Sinatra standards, in english, with a 15-piece big band.

Bolivia will be our home for the next two years.  That sounds like plenty of time… but given how much we’ve found to do here – and that we haven’t even made it out of La Paz yet! – I dunno.  We’re starting to make plans to explore farther afield – likely in December.  In the meantime, Bolivia elected a new president last weekend, and it looks like the country is in for a historic shift after 20+ years of socialism under former president Evo Morales.  There is an excitement among the people here in La Paz – and a frenzy within the U.S. government – so my work has been decidedly busier than I’d thought it would be a year ago.  I’m trying to take deep, cleansing breaths… but at these heights, that’s easier said than done.

HOME AGAIN

Four months have come and gone since our last update.  When last we saw the Vibrant Migrants, we’d just arrived in Washington DC after wrapping up our tour in Jakarta.  And this current update is coming to you from our new post in La Paz, Bolivia.  But in between, we had some time for “home leave” – that glorious pause between posts when we get to reconnect with friends and family and have a bit of a breather before jumping back into the fray.  This home leave included time in Washington DC, Portland, California’s Central Coast, and road-tripping to Colorado.  After three years in Jakarta’s smog, the goal for this home leave was to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  Mission accomplished.

First up, Washington DC for about six weeks of training, which allowed time on evenings and weekends to take in the lovely spring and summer weather.  We got to do lots of walks and runs, revisit some of our favorite restaurants, and most of all, catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in years. 

We walked to vantage point to take in the Fourth of July fireworks over the national mall.  For as much time as we've spent in Washington over the past 10 years or so, this was a first for us.  

Next up, Portland.  Part of the challenge on our home leaves is where to stay.  We always have generous offers from friends and family to stay with them… but we arrive en masse with six suitcases.  So this year, we tried a new strategy – trustedhousesitters.com.  In between short stays with my parents at their house, we dog- and/or cat-sat at three different houses.  This was a win-win for everyone!  We had a place to stay without disrupting our hosts’ lives, and they got a responsible couple to take care of their houses and furry family members.  And I got a dog fix!  And we got to check out three different, cool neighborhoods in Portland.

Hanging out on the front porch with Kash - THE BEST dog!

Kash's house, and our temporary house for about two weeks, was in SE Portland, so we got to check out lots of coffee shops and restaurants in that neighborhood - and walk to Mt. Tabor, which is a huge park with great views of Portland.  Look at that blue sky!

Trees, and sun, and blue sky at Mt. Tabor!  Breathing in all the fresh air I can.

We spent about six weeks in Portland, so we had lots of time to enjoy the spectacular northwest summer, see lots of friends… and eat lots of great food at our favorite restaurants.  We also got out of town for a weekend on the coast in Manzanita Oregon.  The Oregon coast can be unbearably grey and drizzly even on the hottest day in Portland.  But the weather fairies pulled out all the stops to put on a great show for our weekend there.

"One glass of wine is never enough."  -My mom

Sunset on the Oregon Coast.

Hiking to take in the view from the top of Neahkahnie Mountain in Manzanita.

Back in Portland for a girls' day hike in Forest Park.

Paddling on the Willamette (wih-LAMB-eht) River.  Despite appearances in this photo, no one capsized.

I also took a short trip to California and made a loop through Prunedale, Monterey, and Santa Cruz to see friends in my old stomping grounds.  Once again, the weather was incredible, and my friends kindly obliged my request for outdoor activities to take advantage of it all.

Sea lions - EVERYWHERE - on a stroll along the Monterey Bay waterfront.

Hiking though the Santa Cruz redwoods with friends - since college! 

Paddling the Elkhorn Slough with my friends and Prunedale neighbors.

Our home leave wrapped up with a family roadtrip to Colorado.  We loaded up my parents’ car with my parents, us, a couple suitcases, lots of snacks – and a case of wine.  We spent a couple nights on the way there and back in Boise and Salt Lake City, and then we had about 10 days in Vail.  The home leave goals were again achieved as we caught up with more friends and spent more time outside doing some incredible hikes and scenic drives through the Rockies as the fall colors were just starting to appear.  The trip also allowed us a bit of time to start to acclimate to life at high altitude – our new home in the Andes is at just under 11,000 feet, so we thought giving our lungs a chance to adapt might help set us up for success.

Holiday Rooooooooaaaaaad.

Stopping to take in the views of Snake River and Shoshone Falls in Idaho.

Strolling through Vail.

View towards Vail Mountain from one of the many hikes we did during our stay.

Answering the age-old question about what bears do in the woods.

Another day, another hike.  We were serious about that high-altitude training!

We even had friends from Zimbabwe (who now live in North Carolina) join us for a few days in the Rockies.

Taking the gondola up Vail Mountain.  Also good training for my daily commute by gondola in La Paz.  (Stay tuned for more on that...)

All aboard the Leadville Railroad for a scenic ride at 10,000 feet.

We were a bit early for peak fall color, but the aspens still put on quite a show from aboard the train.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and so too did our Home Leave 2025.  We had one last weekend back in Portland for some last farewell-for-nows before we headed to Bolivia.  In keeping with the theme of trying to ease into the high-altitude life, we spent a couple nights in Bogota Colombia (8,000 feet) before arriving in La Paz. 

Greetings from the La Paz airport where we landed... at 3am.  

And now, here we are.  The altitude really is no joke.  It affects everything – breathing, sleeping, digestion.  The first week or so, we really noticed it – I would get winded just talking.  But three weeks in, we see improvements.  I’m not going to set any land-speed records walking at this elevation, but we are getting out and about to see what our new city has to offer.  And there is a lot!  Our first impressions are that this is going to be a great place to call “home” for the next couple years.  More to come…

THE END OF AN ERA

Our time in Indonesia has come to an end.  As the finish line approached, we had a few more boxes to check on the bucket list.

First, one more trip to Australia.  Jakarta was the closest we’ve been to Australia in our 20 years together.  We were a 7-hour direct flight away from Melbourne, which meant Andrew was able to get home regularly to reconnect with family and friends.  In January, I tagged along to get another fill of clean air and blue sky.  We strung together a couple stops that included dog-sitting for Andrew’s friends in Melbourne and Coffs Harbor, as well as a side trip to Tasmania for a few days.

In Coffs Harbor, we visited a museum that featured a Holden car collection and political cartoons.  Not sure how those two things are related, but it had some cool exhibits.

Andrew shows proper form at the Coffs Harbor lawn bowling club.

And our lucky streak continues!  We may not have set any lawn bowling records, but we did win their meat tray raffle.

A hike in the rainforest in Dorrigo National Park east of Coffs Harbor...

...followed by a thorough leech check.  The leeches were out IN FORCE, which we didn't realize until about halfway through the hike.  Ewwww...

And a less leachy hike at the Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve in Coffs Harbor.  Muttonbirds (or shearwaters) are seabirds that nest underground.  It was nesting season, but they were hunkered underground during the daytime so we didn't see any.  And thankfully, we didn't see any leaches either.

Obligatory kookaburra photo.  This one was hanging out along the Yarra River in Melbourne.

The Yarra River and downtown Melbourne.  

On a ferry to Bruny Island - a day trip our of Hobart Tasmania.

We encountered the "Vomit" truck several times on our Hobart travels, including on the ferry.

Walking the beach on Bruny Island.

Andrew making friends at a wildlife sanctuary outside Hobart.

The Cascade Brewery, built in 1824, made for a frequent destination for happy hour and trivia night.

A particularly proud-of-himself rooster hung out with us during our Cascade happy hour.

Then, one more regional trip – this time to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  We wanted to fit in one more short trip in southeast Asia, and KL fit the bill.  A direct flight meant we could sneak in a visit over a long weekend, and we made the most of it.  And KL gave us a lot of things we were missing in Jakarta - green spaces, clean(er) air, and sights to see!  We loved it.

Exploring a night market in Kuala Lumpur.

We joined a walking tour of downtown KL.  Jets of mist along the Klang River have been installed as part of a tourism redevelopment effort that also includes a nighttime light show.

Cool murals on historic buildings in the city center.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple - KL's oldest Hindu temple.

A nighttime bus tour took us past several KL landmarks, including Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower), which is the tallest telecommunication tower in SE Asia and seventh tallest in the world - and which is illuminated with revolving colors at night.

The Petronas Towers - arguably KL's most identifiable image.  The way they are lit at night makes them shimmer - it's really spectacular.

The towers also have a Bellagio-esque fountain show at night.  

Andrew making more friends - this time at KL's Bird Park.

A rhinoceros hornbill at the Bird Park.  The park is a huge free-flight aviary, so of course, I had to see it.

Past meets future when we found this llama outside a KL restaurant.

Next, a return to one of our favorite places we visited in Indonesia - Labuan Bajo.  The first time we went, we did a day trip to some of the the nearby islands and stayed at a small island resort.  (I posted about it here.)  This time we stayed on the mainland and went out on the water for a snorkel trip one day.  It is some of the best snorkeling we've ever seen - manta rays, huge schools of fish, colorful coral.  The trip just reinforced that it was one of our favorite parts of Indonesia.

An early morning hike to see the sunrise.

And happy hour cocktails to watch the sunset.

The Labuan Bajo harbor is a bustling hub of small boats and "liveaboards" that provide on-the-water accommodations.  I imagine Bali was like this 50 years ago before it got over-loved by tourists.  Judging by the number of huge new resorts under construction, I fear Labuan Bajo will be following in Bali's footsteps.

And finally, making the most of our remaining time with the amazing friends we made in Jakarta.  As has been the case for all of our posts, one of the best things about serving overseas has been the incredible people we’ve met and worked with.  Jakarta was no exception.  The job was crazy and the city was chaotic, which made Jakarta a hard place to love.  But the friends we made here made it worthwhile. 

The "Pakubuwono Pickleball Association" started weekly-ish matches to blow off mid-week steam.  "Pakubuwono" was the name of our apartment building, and the "association" was our core friend group from the embassy.  Happy hours, dinners, holiday celebrations... pickleball - you name it, we did it with these awesome friends.

Packing up and shipping out. 

And there goes our stuff.  We'll see it again in La Paz... insh'allah.

We knew we could rely on our friends to help clean out our alcohol cabinet during a final happy hour.

Almost half of my time in the foreign service has been spent preparing for and serving in Indonesia.  After a year studying Bahasa (Indonesia’s language) and then three years working in Jakarta, I’m now back in Washington DC.  I’ll be here for several weeks of training to prepare for my next job in Bolivia, and then on to Portland for “home leave.”  New friends, experiences, and adventures await, but for now, it’s the end of an era.