Friday, Sept. 12, 2003 - 8:51 p.m.
On Friday morning, Helene got up early to catch her bus crossing back into Peru, to Arequipa, about a 12 hr bus ride. Soon we hugged goodbye. Maybe someday I'll visit her in Sweden (I'd love to go there and also do some geneology, since my great-grandma is from there). Maybe someday Helene will visit me in Seattle. I think we'll keep in touch, we've gotten along really well.
Since it was early in the AM when Helene left, I returned to bed and fell back asleep. Later about mid-day I got up. It's hard to get motivated to do anything when you're nervous about traveling alone. I talked to Helene about that, who traveled alone in Asia and now S.America. She said there was nothing to be nervous about. When you travel along, you do the same things you would do if you were traveling with others, only you do them by yourself. There's some truth to that.
I decided to walk around, see the city a little bit. I started exploring nearby streets. La Paz is situated like a bowl. The airport is on one end (on the lip of the bowl), the main bus station is on the other side. So, it's inevitable while walking around town you have to walk up hill (and it's inevitable you get winded). I'm finally walking about the same pace as the locals!
Following my guide book, I walked past the "witches market", which I'd passed before and seen the baby & fetus llama corpses. It's considered good luck, before building a house, to bury a baby or llama fetus on the foundation. They also have other good luck charms, figures, objects and elixers you can buy. The witches market quickly gave way to artisan crafts targeted for tourists. I walked along the cobblestone street looking at all the colorful textiles, sweaters, bags, hats, wall hangings, musical instruments, postcards, etc. Then I decided to go to the Museum of Coca.
This was a small museum dedicated to educating the public about the importance of coca and it's history and significance to the indigenous people as well as to address the problem with the drug trade and how it affects the economy.
It's ironic that a country so rich in producing the coca leaf, something of high value and playes such an important role in the lives of the local people and also can be produced into such an expensive drug (cocaine) is so incredibly poor.
The history of the coca leaf goes back to 2500-1800BC when traces of the leves were found with mummies in Northern Peru. Later (1200-1475), the Incas used the oil of the plant for cerbral treparations. 1551 had the church condemn the leaf as "diabolical" and an obstacle of the church, but later they recanted when it was discovered chewing coca leaves energized the mining slaves and increased their work production and the church made their consumption obligatory. Albert Neiman presented his dissertion about coca alkaloids (cocain) and it's anesthetic affect in 1860. Twenty years later cocaine was listed with pharmacuetical drugs in N. America. In 1884 Sigmund Freud published "About Coca" and is the 1st cocaine consumer in history. That same year, Dr. Karl Kollar and a few other doctors 1st used cocaine as an anaesthetic in surgery. 1886, Coca-Cola soft drink was 1st produced by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist. In 1914 the US passed a law prohibiting legal use of cocaine. 1950 U.Nations decided to erradicate coca based on a study that stated coca is the cause of poverty in S.America. A 1976 Harvard U. study reported coca to have great nutritious vale. 1983 Dr. Hurtado proposed industrialization of coca (liquor, candy, toothpast and medicine produced). 1988, law-governing industrialiazation of coca passed in Bolivia.
Coca is one of the oldest domesticated plants. When chewed, it is a stimulus for the body and gives a mild relief from pain, stimulates respitory centers, increases tolerance for work, regulates metabolism of glucose, doesn't inhibit daily consumption of nutrients and inhibits the buildup of platelets.
One thing I found really interesting is that research shows that people born at high altitudes have a larger lung capacity than those born at sea level (like me!). Coca helps the lungs absorb more oxygen, which is why it's great to have, like say, on the Inca Trail, or if your suffering from altitude sickness. About 92% of indigenous males and 82% females use coca leaves. It is considered a sacred plant and a god and is used in all magical and religious ceremonies. It is considered a symbol of all ceremonial offerings, in appreciation of good harvest,health and prosperity. During the Spanish conquest, indigenous people were forced to work 48 hrs at a time in the mines with no breaks or food, only coca leaves to chew. The conquistadores took control of coca, making it difficult for local people to obtain. Control of coca has remained in the hands of foreigners ever since. From the Spanish to large corporations, like Coca-Cola, pharmaceutical companies and the multi-billion dollar illegal cocaine industry. Bolivia is blamed for the western world's drug addiction problem because it is a major supply of coca (although coca does grow in a few other countries too). The USA represents 5% of the world's population, but it consumes 50% of the cocaine.
Cocaine was originally used as an anaesthetic, before that doctors used prehistoric methods like hitting patients over the head or having the patient drink alcohol until the person passed out. It was considered one of the greatest medicinal discoveries. It was used to make a French wine and the soft drink Coca-Cola (which was popular during prohibition!). Cocaine was removed from the recipe in 1912, but it does use the coca leaf today as flavor. (check out the museum's website: www.coca-museummagicplace.com).
Today the US War on Drugs has put a lot of pressure on the Bolivian government to erradicate coca fields and giving local farmers little alternative on other crops to grow, putting a strain on the economy and way of life for many. Illegal coca labs, making the plant into a raw cocaine plant exists in the Bolivian jungle. Workers can make up to 5 times the average local wage, 12 hr days. 36 countries currently can produce cocaine legally, presumably for medicinal purposes (US, Britain, Germany, France, etc). Bolivia and Peru do not have this right.
A legend about coca, orally passed down from generation to generation says...
"Guard your leaves with love and when you feel pain in your heart, hunger in your body or darkness in your mind, bring the leaves to your mouth..."
The curse of the legend says...
"When the white conqueror touched the coca leaf, all he found was venom for his body and madness for his mind, and when coca tried to appease his heart it only served to break it, like ice crystals destoy mountains."
I really enjoyed visiting this informative museum (obviously I took a lot of notes) and learned a lot. I first tried coca in coca tea when I went to the Colca canyon near Arequipa. I like the tea and have had it many times since. I think it's unfortunate that I can't bring coca leaves with me when I return home (I can't bring it into any other country other than Peru and Bolivia) and I don't think I can have coca tea when I'm back in the states.
