Obsessed is such a strong word... I've become... enchanted by the South American condors. Andean condors to be exact. These birds and their meaning to the people of the Andes, keeps popping up. You know about the California condor, right? Their plight for survival? The drive to protect and help them reestablish an existence? My dad and I, on our rafting trip, saw the California condor flying through the Grand Canyon. This critically endangered bird can live up to 50 years! Amazing. HUGE birds with 10 foot wingspans, floating through the atmosphere. Those beady little eyes on the look out for some rotting flesh to tear apart. And what a cool evolutionary adaptation - to not grow feathers on your head so you won't get them all bloody and gross when you plunge your face into the slimy carcass that is now your dinner.

In addition to all that coolness, the condor represents more. While we were on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca an local woman told us that the condor represents travel. A messenger for the sun. Strength, freedom, power, longevity, health. All sounds pretty good, heh. So I'm thinking that something about the condor has to be incorporated into my Bolivia tattoo. You may think I'm running out of space, well at least my mom wishes I was, but in fact, I have plenty of space to work with and I want my Bolivia tattoo to represent more than just one aspect of life here. I know when some people think of Bolivia, they go, HUH? Where? Is that in Europe? Others, however can conjure up some interesting images. Llama for example. Have you seen how cute their faces are? So I'm on the hunt for designs... Here's one I would like to incorporate... The condor, after all, is the national bird of Bolivia.