Dear Mom and Dad,

Hi! How are you? I’m fine. I’m here in Bolivia right now in La Paz. I’m having a great time. La Paz is the capital of Bolivia. I found some interesting places to visit. Like the Red Sea (the water is really red!). There are so many animals to look at. Like water hogs, Vicunas, maned wolf, and tapirs.

You need a visa to come to Bolivia. Now I’ll you about the diseases to look out for. The most serious health problem is malnutrition. Foods high in protein, like meat and milk, are expensive and many families do without it. There are a lot of poor people in Bolivia. And boy am I getting a tan! Smallpox has been eradicated. There is no cure yet for a serious disease called chagas, which is transmitted by insect’s droppings. Be careful of any insects you see. Don’t worry mom, I haven’t gotten a disease yet I’m fine.

You can be a doctor here because as I have told you, there are a lot of diseases here in Bolivia! You can also become a miner, a farmer, or a fisherman.

Dad, there aren’t a lot of Americans here. In fact there aren't any Americans here. It can be a little boring sometimes. There is about 1,785,000 people living here. There is about 8,000,000 people living in NY alone.

Love,
Dana