Jeffrey S. Jenkins

In Bolivia Jeffrey S. Jenkins

After teaching English in Chile, one man heads north with his backpack and a journal. With a flair of humor and a sock full of pesos follow him as he crosses the arid Andean Altiplano. Dali-esque rock formations defy geological precedent. Gasp for air as he travels to Potosi, arguably the highest in the world, and where conquistadors extracted the silver to fuel the Spanish Empire. Watch as he descends to the edge of the Amazon to find a farm. Two words guide him: Ginger's Paradise. He must protect his pockets from thieving spider monkeys and weave his way through parading troops at Dia de Independencia festivities. In La Paz, he witnesses the reelection speech of Bolivia's first indigenous President amid a crowded plaza of Aymara and Quechua support. Upon a visit the next day to a set of ruins; he confirms a little known hypothesis regarding the settlement of the Americas, which changes his perception on what it means to be indigenous, and may very well change how you see yourself in this world.