June 13, 2017 - Montero

Montero

It is lunch time and I find myself sitting in a pretty little plaza in Montero, Bolivia.  I’m surprised there are no pigeons here.  Instead there are lots of pretty green birds and sparrows; also, a gorgeous bird with a yellow and black belly.  They won’t get close enough for a picture and I am regretting leaving the camera, a gift from Renee, in Bristol.

Yesterday I went on a search for trufis to Montero, so this morning it was easy finding them.  I was first in the trufi, so took the front passenger seat.  The driver said it was meant for two.  A problem with being an American is that I’m too fat to squeeze into a place in the back with two or three others.  A good thing about being an American is I can afford to pay for two seats.  That was just $2.40!  

Within five minutes the trufi was full and on its way.  Usually trufis and taxis have music blaring.  This morning was different.  Everyone in the trufi had phone calls.  I discovered the driver was Quechua or at least in part.  His conversation was an interesting mix of Spanish and Quechua.  I spent most of the journey texting mom and worrying that it was starting to rain.

In an hour we were in Montero, and one by one the passengers got out.  The driver asked if I wanted out early too, but I needed to know where the trufis leave from, so I stayed the whole trip.  It was just a block from the plaza.

I arrived in the plaza to rain.  The church was open, so I stopped there.  According to a plaque outside, it was built in 1917, so they are celebrating its centenary.  It is a beautiful little church with a distinct style, I have never seen before.  Inside are a dozen images of saints behind glass windows, each with a card beside it telling the faithful how to pray to him or her.  In the middle of them was an image of Christ, as if he were nothing more than one of the saints.

The First and Second Commandments are very clear.  You are to have no other gods, but the Lord God, and you are to bow to no one, but God.  When believers encountered angels, the angels specifically ordered them not to bow to them.  I have friends who are Catholic and good people, but once you kneel to one of these saints, you reject the power of what Christ did on the Cross and depend on someone who cannot help you.  I am not unaware of the lives these people lived.  Many of them were martyred for their faith in Christ, but that changes nothing.  They are dead and cannot help you.  I know, if they could speak to you and me, they would be appalled that people worship them.

Enough said – back to Montero.

The rain continued, so I looked for a place to have a coffee and write.  There is a nice little restaurant that served a hot café con leche.  I wrote part of a chapter in my new novel and this blog up to this point. 

Finally, the rain stopped and the sun was coming out.  So, I had the chance to walk around the plaza.  I discovered the town is named after one of the Revolutionary War heroes, Colonel Montero.  He got a town named after him.  I guess a city now, because Montero has more than 100,000 people.  There was a cute statue of a Camba girl carrying a water pitcher on her head and some murals of Camba culture.  Cambas are those who are from the lowlands of Santa Cruz.  After about 20 minutes, there was not a lot to see.

So, I went exploring.  Surely this was not all there was to see in Montero.  My phone was working well today.  For the past month, it didn’t work outside of the house, except for photos.  Today everything was working, including my map app.  I clicked on and searched.  Ten blocks away was a second plaza, so off I went.

The second plaza was more personal.  I’m not sure how to explain it.  This seemed like a park where families hang out in the evenings, rather than the more formal plaza found in every Bolivian city.  Mostly it is pretty trees, lots of benches, and some slides and swings for the kids.  But there is a statue exactly like the one on La Coronilla in Cochabamba honoring the women who defended Cochabamba against the Spanish army.  Kinda cool!

I finished off my day in Montero with lunch at the same place I had coffee.  By lunchtime it was full, but service was quick and the meal was delicious.  I will go back there soon, I hope.

Again, I had the front seat of the trufi and I paid for two!  Almost home the driver started talking to me.  They always want to know what it is like in America.  I know some people are saying that Trump has made people hate America.  That is not true.  Here the people love America and want to live there if possible.  Not one has ever acted differently to me.  

All in all, I’d say it was a good day.