Flying straight into Cochabamba isn't an option. You have to fly to La Paz or Santa Cruz and then you have to get a separate flight to Cocha. We ended up flying through La Paz because it was cheaper but the first time I was in La Paz I was extremely altitude sick. The second time everyone was warning us about how dangerous it is for Americans. I have never felt unsafe outside the US but honestly we had been warned by so many people I felt a little uneasy about wandering around the city. The church doesn't allow anyone beside natives to serve in La Paz because it's so dangerous. We ended up having the best time. We found a wonderful Thai restaurant wandering the market and going to this road, which is technically haunted after dark, but I have this thing for rainbow roads! We flew out the next morning and everything went great and we were safe :) American Airlines lied to us yet again and after paying for a non stop straight to Miami they had us stop in Santa Cruz and have a layover so you can imagine how thrilled we were about that. Then they had me throw away all of my toiletries and makeup so leaving Santa Cruz was no easy task :) 

Tarija Bolivia

Well we left Tupiza to head to our final city before making out journey home, Tarija Bolivia. Well here is the thing to get from Tupiza to Tarija the ONLY and when I say only it is literally the ONLY way, you have to take a bus on the most dangerous road in the world. Well lets just say I was incredibly sick this day and the buses are so packed full the aisles and jam packed with all of the citizens of Bolivia. It smells and the bus ride is like eight hours long. The bus drivers cruise around these winding dirt roads and the wheels on the bus go slightly over the cliff and dirt is falling from beneath you as you peel around the corner looking out the window straight down a cliff praying for you life. This literally goes on 90% of the eight hours. I am here to tell the tale and I can't complain because Scott took this ride more times than he can count and he took the red eye bus. This is when I just couldn't handle food poising, being starving and people pooing on the side of the road anymore I just really wanted to get back to the good old US of A but guess what I made it alive and now it's quite the story to tell! 

Once we got to Tupiza we rested in out hotel, the nicest hotel of the trip, tender mercy. Then William came and got us from our hotel. We stopped by the church building and we went to William and Maria Christina's old home, this is where they were Scotts penchanista and he saved their marriage. Then we went to their new home where Scott was reunited with them. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen! Their family is so wonderful Nieves was getting baptized that day so we headed to the church and made about 300 cupcakes. They went so above and beyond for the baptism. I am so glad I got to be a part of it. It was very special! What an amazing family. I am so grateful for them and the experiences we had with that family!

Tupiza Bolivia

We took a sleeper train from Uyuni to Tupiza. I use the term sleeper train very loosely because you best believe I didn't sleep one minute on that incredibly slow and rickety steam train. Honestly I felt like I was in the Wild West. I actually think I could have ran to Tupiza faster than the train got us there :) Once we arrived at 3:45 in the morning we got into our hotel and slept. Tupiza ended up being my favorite city we visited in Bolivia, ironically, it was also the hardest place to get to in Bolivia. Well worth it and the most humbling experience of my life. We ate sopapillas with this sweet family we walked the streets that Scotty once walked and I saw poverty first hand like I never have before. I have seen people live in dirt shacks with no running water and no food but I have never been with the people inside those homes growing close to them. Marcelinos family was the most amazing family I've ever met. I played with Milady and Lyssie on the dirt floors of their home with their old dolls. We used styrofoam as there beds. It was the most humbling day of my life. Even though we had a language barrier I have never felt such an immense love. You could feel how much love the Lord has for this sweet family. We ran and ran all night long around the church building as the little girls yelled "Corre corre corre"! These little girls changed my life!