The first Sunday in September, a marvelous thing happens in Cochabamba. For one day, all motorized vehicles are banned from the streets.
The air is clear; the rumble of thousands of motors has been silenced. Families come out to stroll through the now liberated streets. Teenagers ride bicycles and children play on the empty avenues.
It is a wondrous thing, not only for the environment but also for the people. In a poor country, like Bolivia, the government is prevented from offering the services available in richer countries. But, by the simple act of banning cars and trucks for one day, it improves the lives of its citizens tremendously. At zero cost, the people have a fiesta.
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