Fresh air, or was it? A car(e)-free day of hot debate.

Yesterday was voting day. There was the selections of the 5 representatives in each department (there are nine)to sit on the Constituent Assembly, there was the selection of the ... hmm.. someone else in each department - can't remember - and there was the big referendum question (all Australians know how important those are, don't you? The questions that can completely change the direction of a country - Aboriginal voting rights, choosing the National Anthem, the Republic issue. They're extremely controversial and changes hardly ever happen - only 8 of 44 since Federation (see what you know when you pay attention in class!)). The question on whether Bolivia should be a united country governed solely from La Paz or whether the different departments should have autonomy has literally divided the country at this stage - the East preferring automony and the West going with Morales' option, critics accusing them of blindly swallowing the propaganda.

What was exciting for me yesterday was a law that seemed to me as foreign as the no grog before an election law (which given where I am, the term "foreign" should not be a surprising concept). On election day it is illegal to drive. Yes, I kid you not - car-free days actually exists here! I say "days" because I have been told that it happens a number of times a year! Now this was music to my ears and nerves (not having to dodge and swerve the dodging and swerving cars here) as we walked to Lake Alalay to take in the sights and smells; the lake is permanently afflicted by an green algae that fills the lake to make it a pretty green colour, but the numerous fisherpeople on the banks must have estómagos of steel to handle any living thing that they catch. Maybe it's just for sport. Either way, it was a pleasant walk, watching the model aeroplanes flying about at the aeromodelo club, the several soccer games being played in the dust by enthusiastic lads and taking in an egg and salad roll for 17c. along the way. Five of us went, three of us towering above 190cms, so therefore entertaining the cyclists and families that were enjoying the car-free atmosphere.

The vote has come in so far as a NO vote, favouring Marales, whose critics suggest will now create a new iron-fist Cuba, but we will have to wait for about a week until all the votes from the country come in before we get a difinitive answer.

For now, I'm going to spend my time dreaming of the next car-free day, giving the revolution an Aussie accent, and buying some patches for the ever holy nature of my pants.

Photo: This road is usually hell to cross, especially in peak hour. Today? Empty except for bikes and the occasionally allowed car (for the elderly, disabled, etc or for the excitingly present European Election Observers vehicles). The freeway in the rear is also emply, the footsteps on the road playing a usually unheard melody.

Love to you all,

Your FNBC.