a secret garden

The streets in Bolivia are lined with walls. Houses and business are enclosed and secured with barbed wire and broken glass. To keep out the bad guys.


So one of my favorite moments is when the door from the street is opened to reveal the beauty of the most amazing gardens.


Beautiful flowers...


...trees bearing fruit...


...manicured grass..(this is not cut with a gas-powered lawn mower!)


...and space to play.


Is he hula-hooping with a steering wheel cover?


A tub of water--the perfect toy.


Some yards also have outside games, like sapo...(you throw a pile of heavy coin-shaped pieces and try to land them in the various holes...the frog's mouth scores 5000...this is a highly addictive game!)


...and foosball, Diego's favorite.


This is a giant parakeet bird cage!


And some beautiful parrots, as well.


"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Luke 12:27


The threshold of a garden is quite an amazing place.


**While we were eating dinner, playing cards, and visiting with family for several hours, the van at the top of the post was robbed of its side mirror while parked along the street. Parking within the walls is always preferred, but there was no space that night. Juan Pablo's brother, Julio, said that once he returned to his car and his steering wheel had been stolen!