Leg warmers, and salt flats

I have had an excessive amount of internet availability and time in the past week, and find it a little teasing to say the least, since although my activities are plenty, I honestly feel a bit overwhelmed and incapacitated to relay any real feelings towards you guys. But, I´ll try.

A certain someone mentioned `perfect` as far as site placement in the Altiplano...um, yes, the Altiplano is exactly what I pictured when getting Bolivia as a placement. But, honestly, its hard not to feel like I got short-sticked when talking to language facilitators, other volunteers, my host family, etc. They are like `you better buy some sweaters its SOOO cold´ and they give me a blank, freaked-out stare mixed with ´oh, you pobrecita´ and im like, well, heck the altiplano is the most unique inhabited place in the world, im lucky to be able to live there for 2 years (when in my head im thinking they must know something i dont, and im a bit scared at imagining myself, alone, wrapped in 50 layers of clothes, shivering in my bed and trying to keep motivated...at least for the first 3 months, which happen to be winter). They say it gets down to -5 or so celsius, but with no heat-source, thats cold. Maybe, and just maybe, ive heard rumors of a space-heater. Ok, all my aprehensions are a little excessive. I´ll just buy some alpaca wool leg-warmers and sweaters and knit some hats. I´ll be fine. And, honestly, I´m so excited to being going there. I´ve also heard to lake moderates the temperature especially at my site, therefore keeping it a bit warmer in the midst of winter.

And...there will be no malaria pills, no mosquito nets, no bug-spray, no bugs of that sort, and hopefully no sweaty clothes. So, I might be lucky on washing clothes less and for that matter bathing less as well, but dont worry I´ll keep healthily clean. And, it is only 7 hours from Cochabamba, making travel arrangements super easy, and no flying. We had to fly home the other day from our tech week and it reminded me how much I hate flying...those going down south again have to fly due to bad roads and/or always because it is more than 2 days travel.
There are also these supposedly amazing salt flats not too far from Oruro, and from what current volunteers have told me `the most astoundingly eerie (spelled wrong im sure) natural feature they´ve ever seen` SOOO, for all those interested, there will be more than llamas to see when you come visit me.