January 19, 2017 - My Noisy Neighborhood

January 19, 2017

My Noisy Neighborhood

On the map of Santa Cruz, my neighborhood (barrio) is called Militar.  It makes sense because the military airport is just south of my neighborhood.  I once lived on a street called Ejercito Nacional (National Army) when I first came to Bolivia, just a few blocks away.  So this is the military district.  To me, the three most important places in my neighborhood are the Plaza Blacutt, a pretty little park a block from house; the Estadio Tahuichi Aguilera, the soccer stadium, three blocks from my house; and Avenida las Americas, a tree-lined avenue with a park down the middle of the road.  I guess you could also include the cinema, a dozen nice restaurants (there are 2 Subways, a Papa John’s, and Starbucks within a 5-minute walk!), a very good hospital, and two awesome super markets.

That makes for a noisy neighborhood!  There are some other things that add to the noise.

First is the airport, El Trompillo.  This is not the airport you will come to when you arrive in Bolivia; that is Viru-Viru, miles north of town.  El Trompillo is the military airport, though a few national flights go out of here and private planes.  During daylight hours, you can hear planes taking off and landing all day long!  Mostly small planes, but occasionally a real jet-liner or military jet.

Second is my awesome super market right outside my window.  My living room window opens to Fidalga’s back door.  By 6:30 am that door is bustling with activity.  Trucks, vans, and cars making deliveries until noon or after.  There is also a guy blowing a whistle trying to get people to park in his lot across the street from the super market.  It costs 5 Bs., but why do that when it is free to park in front of the store?  Anyway, he blows a whistle every time a car passes by.

Third is the soccer Stadium, Tahuichi Aguilera.  About once a week is a game at the stadium.  That means a lot of loud cheering and even fireworks.  Many will park around my house and walk the four blocks to the stadium.  Usually when a game is being played there will be a band going down the street to the stadium.

Fourth is the Clinica Foianini, which I can see outside of my bedroom window.  It is a block away, though technically outside of my barrio.  It isn’t often, maybe two or three times a day, but I hear sirens of ambulances. I am glad that if I get sick, a good hospital is so close.

Last are the car alarms and car horns.  Bolivians seem to have a passion for car alarms.  I hear one every hour, at least.  One night one went off every five minutes for the entire night.  And there are the car horns.  In North America, many consider it rude to honk at another car.  Well, what are car horns for?  Here they use them all the time.  In a normal taxi ride, the driver will use his horn at least 5 times.  If not, he is asleep. 

What is my attitude about all this?  I love it!  I am living in a city.  There is something to do, a place to eat, a place to shop, or something to see just outside my door.  I can go for a nice walk every day.  I have yet to have a night that the noise kept me awake.  Instead I fall asleep to the rumble of a beautiful city.

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