Where are all the Mormons? And when will I ever need a pigs hoof?

So I arrived in Cochabamba last night after 5 different flights, an 8-hour layover in Lima, and a total of 26 hours of traveling. However, I did get some important things accomplished: I read the entire guide book so I know exactly where I want to travel while I'm here, I bought a book I have really wanted to read (Three Cups of Tea), and I got a little bit of sleep in sprawled across four chairs in the Lima airport.

I was driven to a local hostel that is used for groups, but the rest of the interns were out at dinner since I arrived later than the rest of them. I showered and got in my pajamas, and they came back to the hostel right after, so I got back into normal clothes and we went out for a beer to get to know each other a little better.

This morning we woke up for breakfast and travelled to the top of the mountain to see the Christo. We got some history about Cochabamba and the contradictions of the city: north vs. south, poor vs. rich, tradition vs. modern, etc. When the Bolivian government shut down every single mine in the 1980s, about 45,000 Bolivians were out of work and many moved to Cochabamba where they lived in shanty-towns. These towns and people are STILL not recognized by the Cochabambino government, and, therefore, can't access basic public services like sanitation and water. The Christo is the largest one in all of South America (4 meters taller than the one in Rio)... also, Cochabamba has the largest Mormon temple in all of South America, but there is a very tiny Mormon population... hmmm... I was confused too.

We also visited the local market which is the largest market in all of Bolivia and is 3 miles by 5 miles. It has everything you could ever possibly need: furniture, pets, pig hooves, cars, etc. Following the market was lunch, then calling my mother to let her know I was safe, and then we saw the local Cochabamba soccer team, La Aurora, which won 2-0 against El Oriente. YAY!!! Then dinner, then a long search for wireless internet which failed miserably, and ended in me needing to use my flash drive that I fortunately bought right before coming.