During the 17 epic days I spent in Bolivia, I met a lot of people. Sometimes, comparing our lives helps understanding how privileged we are to live in Canada.

Here is the story of Hugo, my guide. He was born in the village of San Pablo de Lipez, Bolivia, in 1976. His village was so high in altitude that they couldn’t grow any crop. At the age of six, he and his dad had to go each month in Argentina or Chile for a two week trip to get fruits and vegetables, and sell their dried llama meat. They had to walk for a whole week, resting for two or three days before coming back with all their supplies. These trip days started very early, at 3 am and ended at 11 pm. The conditions were tough and painful due to the cold, the rain, the small amount of food they had and all the hills they had to climb. Luckily, they had a donkey to carry their goods.

At the age of 12, Hugo’s family decided to move to Tupiza, a city lower in altitude than their native village. He and his family were very poor so he had to start working at a young age. His first job was truck driver. He was driving to Cochabamba, Bolivia, and to Chile. Later, he became a miner along with his five brothers. He was doing drill and blast, the most dangerous job in the mine. The place was so dusty that he had to take breaks every 45 minutes. He founded a family with his wife but they broke up not much longer after.

Older, he decided to become a touristic guide. He met Dionicia, his wife, at his job. He was paired with her, a cook and by pure chance, they fell in love. He’s been working at Alexandro Adventure Travel for eight years and have been married to his wife for five years.

What Hugo likes the most about Bolivia is his job and all the volcanoes he has climbed (around 30-35).