Lorien Johnson

Flamingos!, originally uploaded by lorien.

Laguna Hedionda.

Volcano, originally uploaded by lorien.

Early in the second day of the tour of the Uyuni region, this volcano was visible for much of the trip.

Taken 23 July, 2009.

Salar de Uyuni, originally uploaded by lorien.

The ground on the salt flats of the Uyuni in Bolivia is just a comparatively thin layer of earth crust over water. Gas emissions break through the salty crust and create these shapes which stretch out far into the horizon.

In no particular order…

• Final Exam and Research paper for Church History I
• Tested Positive for Typhoid and Paratyphoid
• Completed paperwork and deliveries to a) get a new passport and b) not go to jail
• Staton’s Quince
• Katherine Returned to the States
• Discovered that not only is my backup drive fried, but I also seem to not have my data (read: school papers) on my laptop drive, either (read: panic).

I woke up today thinking that Staton had been 15 and Katherine had been in the States for at least two weeks. But no, just a few days.

Note for future reference: research papers on historical subjects, like, say, medieval scholasticism, are murder when one has no access to a physical library. JSTOR is lovely and all, but, man. I miss books.

Almost certainly not going to jail. Immigration officer realizes that I am a victim.

Rita was waiting at the office. We drove to Immigration. Her contact was most decidedly not available. They have lost my passport entirely.

Essentially, I have no passport but I am in a foreign country.

Immigration is indicating that they understand that I legally hired someone to do my paperwork and that that person did not do said paperwork. Everyone is in a quandary: I have no passport and no visa, Rita has to pay approx. $2000+ out of her pocket to recoup losses, and the immigration office cannot verify when I entered the country of Bolivia in order to properly fine Rita. Score.

We are going back tomorrow morning and will be accompanied by the regional American Consul who will attempt to buy me more time while the U.S. provides me with a new passport.

But no jail. Theoretically.