Oh! My aching head!

I’ve arrived in La Paz. One of the things this city can brag about is being the highest capital city in the world.  Located in the Andes Mountains, La Paz is over 4000 meters high. That can make for some great views but if you’re not acclimated, it can bring on some unpleasant effects. For me it’s a splitting headache. 

I arrived at my hotel around 4am and was ready to get some sleep. I’ve rested now but my head is still pounding. I’m ready to venture out now and my first stop will be somewhere I can get a bottle of water to take some aspirin. 

DART is the Start

On my way to DFW. I usually take DART rail to the airport. It’s just $3 and I don’t need to worry about parking. 

Bon Voyage

Well, the time has finally arrived.  My bags are packed and I will be heading to DFW late tonight.  I must say, the flights are the worse part of traveling.  Sometimes you get lucky and your seat is not too small, there's plenty of leg-room, no crying babies and you can just relax and read a book.  That's what I'm hoping for but, I don't usually get it.  I always look for the cheapest flights.  That mean's I often have long layovers and, of course, I'm flying in the economy section.  But, eventually, I get there and the adventure begins.  It will be about 3am when I arrive in La Paz so, I will just go straight to my hotel and try to sleep for a couple of hours.  But, I know I'll be excited and ready to start exploring. 
What kind of weather do you think I will find?  Will it be hot or cold?  To earn more house points, go on line to find out what kind of weather I might encounter.  Post your findings and don't forget to tell me what house your are in.
This looks like a nice sunny day in La Paz.  I hope that's what it will be like when I arrive.

Bolivia’s National Colors

Bolivia’s national colors are red, yellow, and green.  Supposedly, the red stands for the bravery of Bolivia’s soldiers. Yellow stands for the county’s rich mining, green stands for verdant environment. To earn house points, describe two different ecosystems found in Bolivia. 

Paying the Bills

Traveling all around the world is not cheap.  I've been very lucky to have received several fellowships in the past that have covered all the costs for my research trips.  They usually require me to do a lot of work but, it's the kind of thing that I enjoy doing so, I don't mind.  In fact, those fellowships really raise the bar for the quality of my research and overall experience.

When I haven't received a fellowship, I've had to cover these expenses myself and/or find grants to help me pay for some of my expenses.  That is the case for this year's trip to Bolivia.  But, I've applied for a couple of grants to cover some of the costs and I just heard back from one of them.  I just learned I got an IREX grant.  Yahoooooooo!  It won't cover all my costs but, it will help.  So, thank you to the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

A Bit of Fun

All work and no play makes Mr. Adkins a dull teacher.  My trips aren't all research.  I like to have some fun and fun is what I will have in La Paz when I take a mountain bike down Death Road.
I'll start high up in the clouds and it will be all downhill from there.  The trick is to keep control of your bike as your speed increases on the very rough road down the mountain.  Check out this video.

History of Spanish in Bolivia

Mr. Mielgo's Spanish class has some interesting facts about the history of Spanish in Bolivia.
Watch their video and then answer the question for house points.

Question:
How large is the population in La Paz?  The first Middle School Student, Upper School Student and Staff to reply with the correct answer will earn 100 house points.

Don't forget to indicate your house in your replay!