mail call!

Lots of people have wondered about the mail down here...if it comes by llama, etc. I have to say first, the US post office is definitely amazing! Here in La Paz, a huge city of probably more than 1 million people, there are only two post offices that we know of. The main post office is downtown and there is another on the southside (Zona Sur) that is only for dropping off. There is no junk mail, of course. I do miss all those miscellaneous catalogs to look through for things I don't really need. We get our mail sent to the hotel because it is better known, and hopefully it wouldn't get lost. Although Juan Pablo tells me mail could be delivered to the house and comes about 3 times a week.
Packages have to be picked up at the main post office. You get a notice that one has arrived and very excitedly run to pick it up! You always have to pay at least 10.50 bolivianos to pick it up, even though you in the United States have paid shipping! Then you have to carry it to the customs officer and if the package is worth over $100 US, you would have to pay heavy taxes. I made that mistake the first time I came here, and had to pay a lot of money for mailing my own personal belongings!! It's always best to underestimate the value of items on the customs sheet.
A lot of people here have a cousin or uncle or friend that lives in the US and will send them things that you cannot get over here. I've already had requests from people to bring things back, if and when I go. The suitcase remains the best way to get things. We think two of the boxes we sent to ourselves are missing, but without the tracking number (which we misplaced) no one can do anything...so we keep waiting and hoping. We only remember one thing that was in them, the kids' step stool, so maybe we don't really need that stuff!
We did get our first care package from our friend, Liz, and acted like kids at Christmas! It took about two or three weeks to get here, even though they told her less. We, or me especially, would really love magazines, books, paper or craft items, and snack foods. I know those can get heavy, so even one or two would be appreciated! And letters are always wonderful! It is pretty expensive here to mail a letter. Eight bolivianos, and considering you can eat a huge meal for 5 to 8 bolivianos, people prefer to eat. But I will definitely try to be better about mailing real letters in the future!