My first stop this morning was the law courts to pick up my criminal record check. I was there a bit early. They open at 8 am but that means that the employees show up at 8 am and then turn on the computers etc Eventually I got the certificate. I also got a photo of the photocopy bus but it wasn’t yet open for business.

I then set out to find the FELCC office – third time lucky! It was in the offices around the corner from BiblioWorks and they had a helpful list of the necessary documents for the certificate I needed (as well as a variety of others) posted on the door. I was missing a photocopy of my passport and a photo. I went home and picked up a photo and had a photocopy of my passport made on the way back. The secretary took my bank receipt and handed me the blank certificate and I took a seat to wait for the officer. The office was tiny and there were only three chairs so there was soon a line out the door. The officer took my passport, the certificate, the photo and one photocopy of the bank receipt and filled out the form on the spot. He then gave me the certificate (but kept my passport) and asked for a photocopy of it. When I brought him the photocopy, he gave me back my passport.

I continued on to BiblioWorks and accomplished a bit of work in the office. I left for lunch a bit early so I could go to the Colegio de Medicos to purchase a medical certificate. On my way there I passed the dentistry school and there were students dancing in the street, a band playing and confetti being shot into the air.

Once I had the certificate, I stopped by the hospital closest to where I live to see if I could get it filled out there. I was able to make a doctor’s appointment for 2 pm.

I treated myself to lunch at vegetarian restaurant that I hadn’t been to yet, El German. A typical Bolivian lunch consists of three courses (soup, main and dessert) and most restaurants do a set lunch menu that changes each day. I sat at a table for six where I was joined first by a very quiet older man whose granddaughter and wife showed up a bit later and then we were joined by another older couple who were much more chatty. They had lived in Belgium for 4 years at some point.

Then I went back to the hospital for my appointment. There was a waiting room but I was told to go down the hall and stand outside the consultation room. I waited about 5 minutes and then asked the people waiting beside me if I should knock. The man said to so I did and it turned out the doctor was already in with another patient. The doctor said to wait a few minutes. It is a teaching hospital and a few minutes later a student (intern?) showed up, and then another and then another. We all went into together around 2:20 pm. The doctor filled out some paperwork, asked a few questions (none health related), gave me a form for blood work and another for a chest x-ray and told me to come back in the morning at 7 am for the lab work (before breakfast). I went and checked at the lab to see if I had an appointment at 7 am but as expected, that is the time to show up to get in line. I was able to get the chest x-ray right away (well after I paid and waited for my turn and then waited for the film to be developed) and left with it.

Back at BiblioWorks, Maritza printed out my six months worth of bank statements and a letter about what I am doing at BiblioWorks so I can visit a notary tomorrow (post blood work and breakfast) to get an “Acta de Declaración Jurada” saying that I can support myself during my time in Bolivia. (I will also need to go to the market because I am told everything will be closed Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.)

The BiblioWorks office is closed all day tomorrow because tomorrow afternoon is a holiday for the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe and we worked Tuesday morning which was also a holiday for the actual day of the Virgin of Guadalupe so we are taking tomorrow morning instead.

I suspect that with the half day holiday tomorrow, I will have to pick up my blood work results and see the doctor on Monday to get my certificate completed.