Billy Blaze goes to Bolivia

The final countdown begins as the last few days slowly slip by before I head out for the Bolivian adventure.   My mood is a mixture of anxiousness and grateful nervousness.  Excited to get on with the big adventure, exploring a South American country I never dreamed I would ever visit when I was a younger man growing up.  Grateful that I have a good job and fine hobbies that affords me time to take off to help those less fortunate then ourselves.  Grateful to all my blog watchers, Facebook readers and family who helped with some cash and supplies for the Bolivian children whom I will try and make an impression in their lives in regards to drinking and using clean water.  Over the years I have asked people for many many donations in regards to the fire department or Search and Rescue but never for myself personally.  I was amazed at the people  I didn't even know who came out of the woodwork and sent donations of crayons to my door step.

The nervousness comes from not knowing what they may try and feed me while I'm down there.  I do have a solid backup plan though.  I have five pounds of Taylor's jerky hidden in the bottom of my personal pack to help sustain me if they try and feed me Yak testicles or something as bizarre.

I wanted to send a special thank you to my Dr. Kathy for hooking me up with the medicine I would need if I end up passing a another kidney stone south of the equator.  They are hard enough the squeeze one out knowing you have medical backup here in the states but down where we're going to be on our own.  She also gave me some drugs for altitude sickness since we will be landing at 13,500 ft and going higher from there. Apparently they are some off shoot of Viagra.  She said I would feel like I was nineteen again?


I have packed my medical gear bag three times already and weighed it, we are only allowed 50 pounds of medical / teaching supplies, then tore it apart again to change the contents distribution.  My mom sent me some cash that I used to buy 500 red silicon wrist bands for the children.  They simply state "I washed my hands today" in Spanish of coarse.  I am looking forward to teaching the kids about drinking water safety much like I do here in the local grade schools.  It will be interesting to see if I can get my message across to the Bolivian children using a Spanish speaking interrupter.


Thanks again everybody for helping me make this humanitarian mission come true.  I'm sure I will have many stories and pictures to share with you when I arrive back home at the end of March.  Thanks too for my brother Larry for watching after my dog Stryker while I'm out exploring one of the remote corners of the world.