Cochabamba at Night
My first night in Cochabamba I
was very tired. But I didn’t want to go
to bed too early, afraid I might wake up at 4 am. So I went to the Plaza Colon, a block from my
hotel room.
I’m already accustomed to life on
a Bolivian plaza. They come alive after
dark. Vendors crowd the sidewalk selling food, candy, popcorn, toys, and watches. Families gather to stroll. Kids chase each other. Young couples meet to walk hand in hand, or
to smooch on a bench.
My second night was spent on the
Plaza 14 de Septiembre, which is about 6 blocks from my hotel. Same story as the night before, but in a
prettier setting. The fountain with the
three Graces has become one of my favorite spots in Cochabamba. Near the church was a man proclaiming he has
the power to curse your wife for cheating on
you or healing those who are sick. I had
a sick feeling in my stomach watching him do simple tricks. I started to pray that if his work was of the
devil that he would be stopped. It
started raining and the crowd around him broke up.
I started heading back to my
hotel. For a few blocks, there was cover
from the rain, but soon I had to hide in a store door. After a few minutes, it seemed to let up, so
I started walking again. I did not get
half a block until it was pouring. I
slipped into a parking garage and watched the water rise in the street. Soon it would be over the curb and washing me
away. I saw a taxi and managed to get
in, soaked to the skin. My night
adventure was over.
On my third night, I visited a
pizzeria a block from my hotel. It was a
funky little place, with delicious pizza.
You know the pizza is good when it takes 45 minutes for it to cook. The restaurant also had a young man from
Spain who played the guitar. This
quickly became my favorite restaurant in Cochabamba.
Several people had told me I
needed to see the Aguas Danzantes, the Dancing Waters. I was stuck in a taxi for almost 20 minutes
trying to get there, because the traffic was so bad. I later discovered I was just a few blocks
away and could have walked it in half the time.
The colorful fountains were beautiful, but unless you want to meet every
single family that lives in Cochabamba, I would not recommend it. There was not a place to stand that I wasn’t
bumped, often by wet children and teens.
I didn’t stay long.
On my way back to the hotel, I
stopped by the Convent of Santa Clara.
There was a lot of activity, but not as crowded as the Dancing
Waters. There were kids break
dancing. Another group was doing what
looked like a line dance. A small group
of six or seven was practicing a traditional dance of the Andes. They were very good.
My last night in Cochabamba,
started at the Pizzeria Tambo again. The
girl who was waiting on me did not look Bolivian. She had blonde hair and green eyes. So I decided to ask. She was from France, backpacking through
South America. She had already been here
for 4 months, but liked Cochabamba, so asked the hostel connected to the
pizzeria if she could have a job. How
cool is that?
I walked over to the Plaza Colon
after enjoying my pizza and discovered the place was packed. It looked like a carnival had come to
town. The sidewalks were filled with
tables and grills with delicious meat roasting. I watched some kids play on a bull
machine. Nobody could stay on for a
minute. There were carousels, trampolines,
and other fun things for the kids. If I
was five, my mom would have pulled me screaming from that place.
Each night in Cochabamba was
different, but left me feeling connected to this place. I loved it.
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