128 CultureShock! Bolivia
(white corn). Certain spices, some tropical fruits such as
papaya and chuño (dried potato) seem to be the greatest
culinary encumbrances.
Other potential adjustment diffi culties might be social,
getting used to the kissing, embracing and handshake
routines (“It’s horrible having my face painted by the ladies’
lipstick,” said one American child) and folk dancing (more
of a problem for boys than girls).
Each year our son had to perform a different Bolivian folk
dance, for example La Morenada, for a school festival. He
emerged unscathed from the experience.
In the end, culture shock Bolivia is much less shocking for
children than it is for adults, though the teenage years can be
diffi cult anywhere in the world. One of the best mechanisms
for a young person’s integration is the sport of football.
There are few if any travel bargains for children who occupy
a seat when travelling, but for lodging you can negotiate a
reduced cost for kids at most family-run hotels.
Let’s not forget the great advantage from travelling with
children. As foreigners, you are seen to be more like the locals
when you are a family, and our own experience validates
the observation of Bolivian expert Alan Murphy that ‘even
thieves and pickpockets seem to have the traditional respect
for families’.DOGS IN THE ’HOOD
With a child, the issue of household pets may arise. Of the
150,000 dogs in La Paz, 15,000 roam the streets without an
owner. A signifi cant number of family dogs are left in the
street during the day to join the strays.
One would expect that the pavements would be littered
with dog poop, but this is not the case. With less formal
education, Bolivian dogs are more respectful than their
pampered French counterparts, who go out on a leash and
do their duty right on the pavement. On any given morning
in most residential neighbourhoods in Bolivian cities, dogs
are released from the captivity of their homes for their daily
reunion. One morning, I counted 16 dogs on a corner lot as
I walked my son to the school bus. (That must have been an