Tarija

I came to Tarija at 8 am. I boarded the bus at 3 pm yesterday. We had three ours' delay because we got a flat tire and then had a collision with a jeep just after the sunrise. The road to Tarija is not paved - it's a dirt road - and it's so narrow and winding that it seems almost impossible for a bus as big as the bus cama to be on such road. Nothing happened to anyone - the jeep had a dented side. We were just all a little scarred...

I went to look for the vinyards on the outskirts of the city and on my way saw a tragic car accident. I saw every second of it because I saw a granny standing on the edge of the sidewalk and I was admiring her traditional dress and how beautifully she looked in it... and I saw her step out to the street and at the same time a minivan aproaching her who started to honk his horn. She stepped out in front of it without looking... The car went into a skid, hit her and landed on its side. I saw many car accidents and every time I want to run and help but I just stand completely frozen. I knew the woman was dead on the spot - no one could have survived such impact - but the driver was inside the wracked car. I stood for a long time, watched the people who stopped their cars help the driver get out of the car (nothing happened to him), the arrival of the police and ambulance. I heared them speculating how it all happened. The measurment of the skid would give them the idea but since I was the only witness I felt it was my moral obligation to report what I saw and that it was not the driver's fault. I went with the police to the police station and if they will need me still, I will stay here one more day.

I saw life end tragically and abruptly. One minute a person, another a lifeless body. It can happen like this. So, people, enjoy every minute of your life while there's time...