Mysterious Bolivia

2010-06-02T00:16:00.004-03:00

We've Moved! New URL

In case you haven't noticed, Bolivia Stores has a new URL address. We are now 'located' at www.MysteriousBolivian.com , It's a small change, but it solves an important problem:
" Slow Checkout ".

The web page is the same used for the last six years, all items remains in the same categories and a new 25% coupon has been isued:
"MEMORIAL2" *

Reyes Avila, LLC

* Valid only at Google Checkout

MEMORIAL2 COUPON EXPIRED AS JUNE 3rd, 2010

More coupons at

http://www.facebook.com/search/?post_form_id=96617b3e3b799a95c46e39c780b1d49a&q=&init=quick&ref=search_loaded#!/pages/Charlotte-NC/Bolivia-Stores-Reyes-Avilallc/123206581495?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=14

2009-08-21T14:30:00.001-03:00

Bolivia Stores - Reyes Avila,llc on Facebook

2009-07-28T00:49:00.003-03:00

Help Us Give Water

Charity Water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of your donation will support programming. Any amount will help, in fact, $20 will provide fresh water for one person for 20 years - that's a cost of only $1 per year! Reyes Avila, LLC will give a $10 dollar one time coupon rebate that can be used for any purchase in 2009 at our webstores for a donation $10 or higher to Charity Water between July 27th and August 2nd , just email us your Paypal transaction number and email address to verify the donation and we will email you back your rebate.

Lye Lee, HR Manager
Reyes Avila, LLC
Lye@Reyes-avila.com

* the donations must be placed to the picture's link or at the following link http://www.charitywater.org/pages/brainybunch/

2009-05-21T10:16:00.003-03:00

May - June Coupons

http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/

" Coupons only valid when you use Google Checkout "
MAY'S FREE SHIPPING OFFERS
" USA ONLY"
( An Additional $12 will be charged and billed to any order outside US )

2009-03-31T23:58:00.004-03:00

April Coupons

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

Sorry, all March coupons are already down! enjoy our April discounts. All coupons "Only" valid when you use Google Checkout .Our Amazon Store will reopen this week with new products.
Happy Easter
Bolivia Stores

2009-03-11T13:32:00.002-03:00

Leaves of Wrath Led

US to Blackmail WHO
Final Episode in the Tug-of-War Between the US, the UN and Bolivia’s Coca Leaf?
by Nadia Hausfather / March 11th, 2009

Bolivian President Evo Morales is on his way to Vienna, but he can’t bring coca leaves to chew for comfort on the plane — not even a bit of coca shampoo to shower with at the hotel. He might have his last chance to change that, once he sets foot at the 52nd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Austria’s capital city this March 11th. The CND is the policy-making body at the United Nations that deals with illicit drugs — and the medicinal coca leaf, native to Bolivia, is considered to be one of them.
According to the UN website, ministers and top anti-drug officials from the CND Member States will be meeting to discuss issues ranging from preventing drug abuse to adopting a plan of action to “counter the world drug problem.” But for former coca farmer Morales and other coca leaf activists, the problem lies with the UN’s decisions — particularly the one that put the coca leaf on the UN’s list of the most strongly controlled illicit substances.
For years, activists have been trying to to remove coca from the top UN list of illegal substances and change the international perception of coca as being synonymous with cocaine. President Morales himself sent an official letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon exactly one year ago, announcing he would try to take the coca leaf off the UN’s list.
But the list of controlled substances can only be changed by the 53 governments of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, “taking into account the recommendation made by the World Health Organization, based on a scientific review of a substance,” says Beate Hammond, Drug Control Officer of the Secretariat of the International Narcotics Control Board.
Hammond claims that in 1993, the WHO Expert Committee confirmed that the coca leaf belongs in the top list because “cocaine is readily extractable from the leaf.” She adds, “We are not aware of any facts that have come to light to justify a reversal of the scheduling status of coca leaf.”
But some are saying the reason those facts have not come to light has little to do with facts, and a lot to do with faulty studies — and a bit of blackmailing.
Yanking the Problem by the UN’s Roots
The roots of this thorny issue go back to 1961, when governments signed the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs to establish a single apparatus for international drug control. Another goal of the 1961 Convention was to “phase out the traditional consumption of drugs” like coca throughout the next 25 years, says a source from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“Everyone who signed and ratified it is bound by it,” affirms the UNODC source. According to Article 3 of that convention, controlled substances are not only those substances that can be abused, but also the substances that can be converted into a drug, explains Hammond.
While Hammond says the original 1961 Convention included the coca leaf on the list based on “the views on this matter expressed by the World Health Organization,” Sdenka Silva, co-founder of the Coca Museum in La Paz, says the original WHO study that is the basis was merely “based on observations.”
The most recent WHO study was legitimate, but it was ignored, says Dr. Jorge Hurtado, director of the Bolivian branch of the International Coca Research Institute. He says that in the 90s, studies by the WHO denied the addictive nature of the leaf and reaffirmed the coca leaf’s healthy attributes, including the leaf’s ability to allow the absorption of oxygen into the brain.
But this time the UN didn’t care about what the WHO had to say, because the US didn’t like it. Minutes from the 48th World Health Assembly in May 1995 cite the US government’s disapproval of the WHO study’s most recent findings about the coca leaf. The report cites US government representative Mr. Boyer warning that “if WHO activities relating to drugs failed to reinforce proven drug control approaches, funds for the relevant programs should be curtailed.” He then “asked for an assurance that WHO would dissociate itself from the conclusions of the study.”
Mario Argandoña, a Bolivian psychiatrist from the WHO Programme on Substance Abuse, participated in the study and wrote a report describing the study’s positive findings about the coca leaf. He says a few days after the 48th World Health Assembly meeting, the US embassy representative for the WHO, Dr. Ken Bernard, visited him in his Geneva office “to tell me that his government was investigating to see whether the WHO study had received financial support from Bolivian drug traffickers.” Dr. Bernard added that US scientists had proof that the traditional use of the coca leaf had led to brain atrophy in 14,000 Indigenous Andeans. “My answer was that the funding for the study came from Italy and the USA,” recalls Argandoña. “Regarding the scientific study about brain atrophy, I told him that the ethical thing to do would be to publish such a study.” Their meeting ended there.
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Dr. Jorge Hurtado tries to dispel ideas that coca is bad for the brain and any other part of the body. He affirms that as early as the 70s, research from Harvard University showed that the Bolivian coca leaf contains more vitamin A than any fruit and has more calcium than milk.
But most Bolivians know this just from experience. Bolivian miners survive hunger and sleep deprivation for long hours in the depth of the mines by chewing on coca leaves.
Coca is not only sacred for miners — but for Bolivians of all ages and walks of life. From the age of 11, Canedo amassed coca leaves into a protruding ball in one cheek to suck their juices out — an activity called ‘acullicar.’ Both his parents’ families are ‘acullicadoras.’ When Canedo visits his piece of land in the tropical Yungas region, he cultivates coca along with his family and neighbors. Back in La Paz, he often buys a bag of coca leaves at the market to share with his family. He chews on coca leaves at local bars and pubs and especially when he’s up late studying for exams or volunteering at the annual Coca and Sovereignty Fair, where everything from coca creams to coca pancakes is sold.
“Coca is part of us, it’s part of our identity, of our ideas, of our history,” says Jeannette Rojas, director of Comunidad Sagrada Coca, a local women’s music collective that seeks to honour Bolivia’s Indigenous heritage. “That’s why we call ourselves Sacred Coca Community,” she says.
“Coca is a symbol that has resisted and persisted for centuries. It’s the only thing that we’ve managed to preserve from European and Spanish destruction.”
Coca is present “in all the celebrations you can imagine: baptisms, marriages, village festivals, fertility, thanksgiving rituals” and important meetings, adds Silva.
Bolivians aren’t the only ones who know this. “Bolivia has produced coca leaf for traditional uses for centuries,” affirms a March 2007 International Narcotic Strategy Report released by US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
“Bolivians actually chew on the coca leaf for medicinal purposes,” acknowledges US Drug Enforcement Administration spokesperson Michael Sanders. He recalls arriving at the El Alto airport, at more than 12,000 feet above the ground. “Because of altitude, a lot of people, including us, would get altitude sickness. They found one of the things that would curb the nausea and the altitude sickness was coca tea,” he says. “It wouldn’t get you high or anything like that, it would just assist with the symptoms of altitude sickness.”
Dr. Hurtado adds that the leaf contains two molecules that prevent addiction. And not only can the leaf prevent addiction, it can cure it, he says. Since 1984, he says he has been treating cocaine addiction with the coca leaf.
Cutting Supply Isn’t Enough
Whether curative or nutritional, what’s crystal clear is that coca leaves are not synonymous with cocaine. “Coca does not contain cocaine in its natural state,” explains Dr. Hurtado. Cocaine can only be derived from it through a specific chemical extraction process, he says, and a lengthy process is needed to transform the green leaves into the white powder.
Dionisio Nuñez, a Bolivian deputy and co-founder of the Coca and Sovereignty campaign thinks the cocaine problem in Bolivia is the direct consequence of cocaine consumption in the US and its inability to eradicate that problem domestically.
Even the DEA spokesperson agrees. “Do you like chocolate?” Sanders asked. “What if you said I’m not going to eat chocolate anymore? If everyone in the country said okay, I’m not going to eat chocolate, then there would be no such thing as Swiss chocolate because nobody would be buying it,” said Sanders.
“It’s the same thing with illegal drugs. Until the demand is gone, you’re always going to have that supply.”
Dr. Hurtado also blames the US for protecting the monopoly of multinational companies to access coca, referring to a special deal that the soft drink company had with the DEA to export coca. Article 27 of the 1961 UN convention clearly provides a loophole for Coca Cola to take advantage of, says Dr. Hurtado, adding that the UN protects the Coca Cola monopoly because “the UN is controlled by the US.”
Yet Hammond laughs about the idea of Coca Cola being allowed preferential treatment by the UN. “The 1961 Convention may permit the use and export of coca leaves for the preparation of a flavouring agent, which does not contain any (cocaine) alkaloids,” explained Hammond. “It is only under these limited conditions that these leaves may be exported,” but the alkaloids do not have to be removed prior to export.
Meanwhile, the Bolivian government struggles to find legal markets to export the coca leaf — to ensure less coca goes to drug trafficking and more goes to eating, soothing, washing and curing. If travelers like Morales want to bring coca teas, creams or candies as souvenirs to promote their local economy and heritage when they go on trips abroad, the coca leaf will need to be taken off the UN’s list by the CND.
Bolivian President Evo Morales will make his speech during the opening session of the CND March 11th. It starts at 10am at the Vienna International Centre and is open to the media.

Retrived from:http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2009/03/leaves-of-wrath-led-us-to-blackmail-who/

2009-02-25T04:02:00.008-03:00

March Coupons at
Bolivia Stores

All February coupons will expire on February 28th. One time use per customer, "only" valid at Google Checkout.

2009-02-23T16:22:00.002-03:00

2009-02-09T23:47:00.008-03:00

Tea makes sailor test positive for 'coke'

Navy air traffic controller: 'Now I'm in the fight of my life'
Posted: February 09, 20099:00 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Coca plant
A U.S. Navy air traffic controller has been convicted of wrongful use of cocaine and may be thrown out of the military soon – and he claims it's all because he drank a cup of tea.
In July 2008, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Javier Trevino, an air traffic controller stationed at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Fla., drank a tea his friends said they bought in Mexico. They said it would help relieve stress the sailor was under after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Trevino told WND his friends in San Antonio, Texas, gave him 20 to 30 tea bags in a plastic bag, and he took them back to Florida. He said he never suspected anything unusual about the tea. "It was wrapped like all the tea bags I have ever bought, brewed like normal tea, tasted like tea, quenched my thirst like all the other teas had done before," he said. "I didn't feel any effects out of the normal."
Trevino, a father of three boys, then shared the tea with his 11-year-old son, Nicholas. He offered some to his neighbor before she drove her children home.
He even drank the tea with his best friend, co-worker Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Lee.
To his shock, Trevino tested positive for illegal use of cocaine.
He contacted Lee, who didn't believe the news – until authorities arrested him.
Ground coca leaves "I couldn't believe it," Lee told WND. "I kept saying, 'It's not possible.' Then I called a lawyer. We figured it had to be the tea because it was the only thing outside of my normal regimen that I had put in my body. It's the only thing that was different in my diet."
Subject to the military's zero tolerance drug policy, both men were court-martialed and faced separate trials by military jury. Even with identical cases, Trevino was found guilty and Lee was not. Lee said he still suffers from nightmares after his six-month legal battle.
"I wanted to stay in the Navy and become an officer, and I thought about it after my trial," he said. "But I got to see the ugly side of the military, and I don't know if I want to be a part of it anymore."
Trevino now has a federal conviction for cocaine use and may lose his Navy career and any chance at being hired for a position as an air traffic controller in the civilian sector.
"I will never control another aircraft again," Trevino said. "I will be branded with a felony drug conviction for the rest of my life. It will be hard to support my wife and children. I will always have to compete with my peers in the civilian job market at a disadvantage. I will always have to explain myself at every job interview." He said, "Now I'm in the fight of my life."
The Navy air traffic controllers claim to have ingested Windsor Mate de Coca
Without seeing the original packaging, the men say they never knew that what they drank was Windsor Mate de Coca or "tea of cocaine." The beverage is made from leaves of the cocaine plant. It is legal in the U.S. if sold in de-cocainized form, as listed on Amazon.com and from Reyes Avila, LLC, a trade company headquartered in North Carolina. A representative of Reyes Avila identifying herself as Miss Lylee** told WND the company received calls from JAG lawyers about the cases, and that Trevino's friends could not say where they bought the tea. "He said in Mexico, and I can guarantee you that the tea is not sold in any store in Mexico," she said. "We personally investigated that."
Lylee said U.S. drug tests do not test for cocaine. "They test for benzoyne only, and one of the 14 alkaloids in coca tea is benzoyne," Lylee said. "That's why the 'false positive.'"
Cocaine's major metabolite benzoylecgonine, or BZE, can be detected in urine drug testing. The presence of BZE does not always indicate the subject has used cocaine. Some people may test positive if they have been given certain topical anesthetics by physicians or if they ingest some coca leaf teas. Although imported tea is supposed to be de-cocainized, some of it still contains small amounts of cocaine.
Due to a lack of evidence proving Trevino knowingly ingested the tea with intentions to get high, a judge in Trevino's case urged his commander to overturn the ruling.
"The innocent ingestion evidence that was put forward by the defense was extremely credible, quite believable and in and of itself worth of a not guilty finding," the judge said. He stated on the record that he had "sincere doubts" about whether the government proved essential elements of its case.
Trevino filed a clemency request, urging his commander to overturn the ruling. The document states that Trevino boiled water to prepare the tea.
"This is important because … boiling water will cause cocaine to break down more rapidly into its metabolite BZE," it said. "BZE is a completely inert substance and has no effect on the body."
Numerous supervisors and character witnesses, including Trevino's division officer and leading chief, testified on his behalf. They called him an "excellent sailor with outstanding military character." JAG attorney, Deborah Loomis, noted that Trevino and Lee had identical cases. "If Petty Officer Lee is acquitted while Petty Officer Trevino is saddled with a federal drug conviction for precisely the same conduct, this will be a miscarriage of justice," she wrote. Nonetheless, his commanding officer, Capt. Aaron Bowman, has stood by the jury's decision.
When WND contacted Bowman for comment, public affairs spokesman Bill Austin responded on his behalf. "It would not be appropriate for Captain Bowman to comment at this time," he said. "This case is still ongoing."
Lee said he trusts Bowman and believes he will do the right thing since Lee was found not guilty. "I have faith in the captain," he said. "I think he's going to overturn it. I just have faith and pray that he does."
In his request for clemency, Trevino said he didn't knowingly ingest any form of drug and that he deeply regrets drinking the tea without knowing whether it contained cocaine.
"Before joining the Navy, I spent a year doing missionary work in the inner city neighborhoods of San Antonio," he wrote. "There I worked with drug addicts daily and preached the Gospel to them in an effort to save them from themselves. I saw first-hand how drugs can devastate people's lives, and I would never knowingly have consumed a drug."
Now Trevino said he wants to warn other Americans about how one simple beverage can destroy a career. "It's a hard price for a cup of tea," he said.
Concerned individuals may e-mail Capt. Aaron Bowman.

Retrived from: http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88456

** by the way... it is Miss LyeLee !! not Miss Lylee
Read our F.A.Q regarding coca tea and false negative testing

2009-01-30T16:50:00.006-03:00

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

February Coupons

2008-12-29T03:09:00.008-03:00

New for 2009

NovoAndina*

Organic Coca Tea

Coca Leaves are important part of "The Novoandina cuisine" which arises like a proposal that declares the revolution of the table for the astonishment of palates. This is a culinary style that conciliates the modern technologies of elaboration and presentation of the high cuisine with the raw material. We are pleased to offer to our customers our new, unique and exquisite Coca Leaf Tea Collection for your enjoyment. Our passion is to bring the elegance of the past, the tradition of the Andes to your present day Coca Tea experience with the latest food technology available in the world. Whether you are new to Coca Tea or a well traveled connoisseur, you will find everything you need to enjoy the perfect coca tea experience; all NovoAndina Coca Teas are produced, packed, supervised and distributed by Reyes Avila, LLC a proud American Company.

Caranavi Private Reserve: An ecological friendly product. Bleach free coca tea bags, separated in convenient Bio-Packs (Israeli biotechnology) Natural, Non Toxic and Insect Repellent that prolongs storage time increasing both manufacturer and customer satisfaction, seal assures consumers that the food inside is safe from any kind contamination or infestation and it is easy to carry around. Large flakes carefully crushed and dehydrated. The Bio - Packs are sealed in a convenient Double Coated Saran Polyester Resealable Barrier Pouch. Presentations: Coca Tea Bags Air-Tight Resealable double Saran Coated Pouches 25ct , 50ct, 100ct and 300ct Jug. Also Available as Powdered Coca Tea or Coca Flour in 12 0z, 1 pound Air - Tight Bags and 5 Pounds Jug**
Yungas Gold Label: New, natural, sophisticated and eco-friendly coca tea. Specifically, we have obtained the finest selection of organic coca leaves ( three different varieties of coca leaf ) which are free of pesticides and chemicals and arranged for them to be tested in US laboratories. Thus we have pioneered a top-notch process encompassing all steps in the processing of raw coca leaf to the final tea bag. The coca leaves go through a slow dehydration process similar to that of slow roasting coffee beans to get a humidity free product to prevent bacteria or fungus from developing and then we crush them into large flakes instead of the powdery-like content used for most brands. Our filter paper is bleach free and recognizable by its beige-like color instead of the traditional bright white. We opted for the golden Air Tight bag (Double Saran Coated Polyester) to guarantee the absolute freshness of the product and discarded all paper wraps that can interfere with the coca tea flavor or over dry the delicate tea bags. Our Air Tight bags do not “breathe”. The technology used is similar to that used to pack electronic components. They have a zip lock system and can be recycled or reused. Presentations: Coca Tea Bags Air-Tight Resealable double Saran Coated Pouches 25ct , 50ct, 100ct. Coca Tea Candy 12ct , 18ct and 50ct. Also Available as Powdered Coca Tea / Coca Flour in 5 0z, 10 oz, 6.5 Sealed Tin Can and 1 pound Air - Tight Bags
Oruro Highland Coca: Uncured coca tea, fast-dried to preserve natural benefits. Contains only young coca tea leaves, bright color and unique smooth - fresh aroma. This variety is produced with coca leaves that are picked and harvested before the leaves are fully mature. The flavour is described as light, and sweet. Bleach free tea bags, no paper-tags to preserve the integrity of this sophisticated coca tea. Presentations: Coca Tea Bags Air-Tight Resealable double Saran Coated Pouches 20ct , 50ct, 100ct. Not available as Powdered Coca Tea because this variety is scarcer than our other coca teas.

Reyes Avila, LLC

* Brand will be available the first week of 2009
** (Only under request and for pre-aproved customers)

2008-12-18T02:46:00.007-03:00

Last Minute

Christmas Shopping Coupon

$0.01 off Coupon code....... but what can ONE CENT OFF do?? It automatically upgrades your package from Standard or Expedited to Express Mail

Save ONE CENT and get your package upgraded to EXPRESS MAIL on each participating item when you spend $70.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code EXPRESS at Google Checkout, USA "ONLY"

Happy Holidays!

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-12-12T12:18:00.004-03:00

Important Christmas

Shipping INFO

Starting Saturday 12th, we’ll start shipping every day until December, 23th 2008. Any order over $55 in USA will be automatically upgraded to Priority Mail at no extra charge.

Expedited cutoff for Christmas arrival ( Dec 24th) is Saturday December 20th at noon for West coast ( CA- WA – AR- OR – NV – ID – AK – HI – MT - WY ) and Sunday December 22nd at 8 PM for the rest of the country.

Express Upgrade is available at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/
at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/servlet/the-86/Express-Mail-Upgrade/Detail For $10 extra that will upgrade any package regarding size to express mail. Cut off for Major Cities in the US is December 23th at 4 Pm and other cities December 22th at 4 Pm

Second Day and Overnight are available as checkout options at http://www.boliviastores.com/ and Bolivia Stores At Amazon.com , same cut off times apply but remember that Amazon does not send the orders to us immediately they take some extra time to complete security checking , email us with to Lye@reyes-avila.com or mysteriousbolivia@gmail.com with your order ID number and we’ll try to expedite it. In the Christmas spirit, we have lowered to the minimum Overnight and Second Day delivery charge at our Amazon store in order to make it affordable to our customers; prices will go up again in 2009

Happy Holidays’ shopping!
Miss Lyelee
Bolivia Stores

2008-12-11T03:45:00.004-03:00

“Coca Si, Cocaina No”
The struggle to legitmize

the coca leaf

by Daniel Aldana Cohen
Published in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue.

Coroico, la paz — To reach Bolivia’s traditional coca-growing area, the beautiful Yungas valleys, I take a road that literally pierces the clouds, descending 2,000 metres in under six hours. From charcoal grey stone sprouting tufts of grass, the mountainsides grow greener and lusher, moss spreading over the rocks before giving way to wildflowers and leafy trees. When I arrive in one of the coca fields that checker the valleys surrounding the regional capital of Coroico, I meet Aurora, a sixty-five-year-old cocalera (coca grower). She harvests as we speak, her arms darting, her fingers grabbing pairs and triplets of leaves and severing them above the buds with her fingernails. “When I get the bud, too,” she explains, “the branch dries and there’s no more coca. “Coca is my daily bread,” she continues. “I cannot survive without it. The earth here can’t produce coffee, it can’t produce rice; it only makes coca.”Bolivians can only chew so many leaves and drink so much coca tea, however. “When we have too much coca,” one grower confided to me, “we sell the excess on the black market, and we don’t know where it goes.” He does know. Usually, it leaves the country to be processed in sophisticated labs into cocaine.Since 2006, though, Bolivia’s government, led by former cocalero Evo Morales, has been pursuing a “coca sí, cocaína no” policy aimed at ending two decades of US-funded eradication campaigns, which have militarized swaths of the country and criminalized a traditional way of life. One of the plan’s main goals is to industrialize the coca leaf on a large scale, diverting coca into new markets at home and abroad.Heidi Quisbert should be at the policy’s core. She’s one of a number of traditional medicine practitioners and cooks developing a range of coca products — from syrups and pomades to chocolates and energy bars to shampoos and toothpastes — sold in local markets. Rotund and friendly, she guides me through her cluttered kitchen in a modest La Paz neighbourhood. “See that new oven?” she asks. “I won it last year in Cochabamba at the coca festival — first prize for coca foodstuffs. It’s really good at keeping the temperature constant.”For the next hour, she will be baking a cake made with green coca flour. Once finished, it will offer that distinctive coca buzz: the clarifying exhilaration of coffee crossed with the mellow endurance of green tea. Proponents of the plant point out that unless processed, it has no addictive properties or psychotic effects and is rich in minerals and vitamins. Its medicinal uses include alleviating various stomach problems and serving as a topical anaesthetic.Quisbert’s forearms glisten as she stirs meringue into the dry ingredients — “It has to be silky, no lumps” — before pouring the gooey batter into a baking pan and sliding it into the oven. While we wait, she tells me about struggling to keep up her business. “Everyone talks; no one helps us,” she says quietly.A hodgepodge of vice-ministries and government departments share responsibility for coca strategy, but leadership is lacking. Bureaucrats tend to laud the gumption of small-scale producers like Quisbert, then argue that no one will take Bolivia seriously if its products don’t reach a certain scale and standard. Critics respond that the government’s vision is so ambitious, it’s ignoring the expertise of those already industrializing the leaf. “The lefties in government think industrialization is a big factory with assembly lines and smokestacks,” says Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, a prominent sociologist and coca expert. “They don’t realize it can be a little grinder in your home.”Quisbert’s smile returns as she lays out the green chocolates, quinoa, and energy bars she sells at markets. “It’s all about getting people used to eating coca sweets bit by bit,” she says. Most Bolivians with the money to buy such products aren’t used to consuming coca, except as a tea.For now, none of Quisbert’s wares can be exported, either. International law treats the coca leaf itself as a narcotic, though exceptions have been made for Coca Cola and pharmaceuticals. Thanks to a loophole, tiny amounts of coca tea and flour can now be purchased in North America at a steep price through a distributor called Reyes Avila, but only online, so every purchase can be tracked. “We’ve had many offers to sell the tea in stores, but we’re not allowed,” a woman working at Reyes Avila’s distribution plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, told me. The best hope for Bolivian producers is the European Union, whose parliament passed a resolution last April that moved it closer to opening its market to coca products. A Bolivian diplomat told me he has received ample encouragement on the issue there. Quisbert pulls the cake from the oven, its crust golden and crisp. But we’re late for a meeting of local producers, and her mother, who has just arrived, won’t let me have a slice. Seeing the desperate look on my face, she softens her voice. “It needs to cool,” she says. I’ll just have to wait.

Retrived from:

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2009.01-coke-binge-coca-si-cocaina-no/

Well, the one that found the loophole was Miss Reyes Avila , president of our company and you can be sure that we do know where our products go and we responsibly control every single transaction and purchase by Amazon Account, Google Checkout Account, Paypal, household, address, customer name, zip code, area, city , State and Country. Several times, by order of Miss Reyes Avila, we refunded orders that have exceeded a reasonable " For Personal Consume Only" mark. Our teas and powdered coca tea are sold as a gourmet item, not to be abused instead we offer all our customers a healthy , natural and organic product.

Miss Lyelee

Bolivia Stores

2008-11-30T21:36:00.006-03:00

Coca Flour Status

Due to overwhelming demand, we may need to start rationing the coca flour orders. Additionally, we have officially run out of McMate "Private Reserve Caranavi" Flour for the remainder of the year and Delisse from Peru is no longer imported. We have limited quantities of McMate Powdered Coca Tea.

Currently we have a waiting list and we will start sending the delayed customer orders first, starting with the expedited shipments and followed by the standard shipments.

Subsequent to the delayed orders, we will proceed with shipping for new orders. We are hoping that by next year all the products will be available again. All coca tea Air-Tight bags and boxes are fully available.

We are so very sorry and thank you very much for your growing patronage and gracious patience!

Reyes Avila, LLC

UPDATE 12/04/08

McMate Powdered Coca Tea Silver cans 6.5 oz and 5 oz Air-Tight Bag are available at all sites. All delayed orders, Express, Priority and Expedited, with this item are being shipped today.

Miss Lyelee

UPDATE 12/05/08

McMate Powdered Coca Tea 10 oz and Caranavi 12 oz Air-Tight Bag are available at all sites. No more Caranavi Pounders until February of 2009. All delayed orders, Express, Priority and Expedited, with this item are being shipped today and Saturday 6th. All ponders will be available on Tuesday and all delayed orders with pound Air-Tight bags will be completed on Tuesday. We have a limited Supply for the year or " MacMate Gold Matcha Style Andean Green Tea" also known as McMate Coca Flour Gold and by order or Miss Reyes Avila, we are going to limit to a maximum of two pounders per customer, NO EXCEPTIONS !! Let's give everyone a chance to enjoy this wonderful product, we just cannot ship large amounts to any customers.

Miss Lyelee

2008-11-30T02:21:00.002-03:00

Amazon.com - Bolivia Stores

Holiday Coupons

Save 5.0% on each participating item when you spend $35.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code MONDAY44 at checkout.
Save 20.0% on each participating item when you spend $244.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code ONEWAY67 at checkout.
Save 11.0% each on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores when you purchase 5 or more. Enter code BOLIVIA4 at checkout.
Save 10.0% on each participating item when you spend $111.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SATURDAY at checkout.
Save 7.0% on each participating item when you spend $77.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code FRIDAY44 at checkout.
Get second day free shipping in the US and Standard to Canada when you spend $300 or more at Bolivia Stores. Enter code SUNDAY99 at checkout, one time use per customer, expires on 2010
Save 20.0% on each participating item when you spend $244.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code MONDAY62 at checkout.
Save 15.0% on each participating item when you spend $151.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SUNDAY44 at checkout.
Get free shipping on this item when you spend $156.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code TUESDAY4 at checkout.

2008-11-30T00:02:00.008-03:00

Holiday Shipping Information

Christmas 2008

All Packages shipped from North Carolina and/or South Carolina. We'll ship overnight orders and Second Day on Saturday 22nd but we do not guarantee arrival for Monday, depends where in the US you are located and if USPS has overnight service to your town for orders shipped from the Carolinas.
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-11-24T22:59:00.003-03:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Coupon Codes

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

11/24 - 12/1

Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $99.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code Turkey at Google Checkout.
Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $66.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code Turkey2 at Google Checkout.

One time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!!

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-11-13T19:21:00.010-03:00

COCA FLOUR

DELAY

Mr. Evo Morales decided to suspend any DEA operations indefinitely in Bolivia last week what delayed the import - export paperwork for coca flour in the U.S. from Bolivia ( basically affected all imports from Bolivia into the United States ) for what we couldn't process orders that included coca flour or powdered coca tea for the last 10 days. All orders received since November 1st. were delayed because of this incident. We apologize for this delay but in a situation as extreme as this one, there is practically nothing we can do.
Nevertheless, by order of Miss Reyes Avila last week, all Bolivian coca flour production was transported from our factories in Cochabamba - Bolivia to our offices in Peru from where we mailed and exported them later last week. The good news are that we received today a pair of lots of coca flour to cover all delayed orders, and we hope to get more next week for this weekend order.
We have now started processing those delayed orders. Some already shipped this afternoon and the rest should ship at the end of the week. We should be done catching up on this delay in processing by Saturday.
The demand for Bolivian coca flour is very high, no other natural drink has all the benefits of coca, the quality of our final products is excellent, and we can offer to all our customers just the best coca products in the market in two different house varieties: "Caranavi Private Reserve" our green - brownish flour and " McMate gold" the bright green powdered coca tea.
Enjoy our products and thank you for your patience and patronage.

Miss Lyelee
Bolivia Stores
http://www.periodico26.cu/english/news_world/november2008/evo110308.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/01/bolivia.dea/?iref=hpmostpop

All delayed orders will get a 20% discount coupon, please email us at BoliviaStores@gmail.com if your order was delayed to get your code.

2008-11-03T20:17:00.023-03:00

New Coca Tea

McMate Premium Organic 100 Ct

Gold Air Tight Bag &

Private Reserve Caranavi

McMate deserves an obvious five stars rating, not only because it is our house brand but because this is a new, natural, sophisticated and eco-friendly coca tea. Most boxed coca teas, Bolivian or Peruvian, are more or less the same as the techniques used for production are very similar with the same contents and weight per tea bag.
I have been drinking coca tea for 32 years and have tried them all and liked most. But with McMate Air Tight Bag, we tried to create an exquisite gourmet tea which is produced differently versus the traditional techniques used for 100 years in Bolivia (Windsor celebrates its 100 anniversary this year). Specifically, we have obtained the finest selection of organic coca leaves ( three different varieties of coca leaf ) which are free of pesticides and chemicals and arranged for them to be tested in US laboratories. Thus we have pioneered a top-notch process encompassing all steps in the processing of raw coca leaf to the final tea bag. The coca leaves go through a slow dehydration process similar to that of slow roasting coffee beans to get a humidity free product to prevent bacteria or fungus from developing and then we crush them into large flakes instead of the powdery-like content used for most brands. Our filter paper is bleach free and recognizable by its beige-like color instead of the traditional bright white. We opted for the golden Air Tight bag (Double Saran Coated Polyester) to guarantee the absolute freshness of the product and discarded all paper wraps that can interfere with the coca tea flavor or over dry the delicate tea bags. Our Air Tight bags do not “breathe”. The technology used is similar to that used to pack electronic components. They have a zip lock system and can be recycled or reused.
The best thing about McMate is it freshness. The tea is only produced one time per week in Bolivia and only for the American market and as soon as it leaves the factory it is packed and sent by air cargo with a three to seven day transit time. After that it is mailed from Charlotte, NC to all of our customers worldwide.
Also try our new limited - time McMate "Private Reserve Caranavi" Silver pouches separated in ten convenient 10ct Bio-Packs (Israeli biotechnology) Natural, Non Toxic and Insect Repellent material that prolongs storage time increasing both manufacturer and customer satisfaction, seal assures consumers that the food inside is safe from any kind contamination or infestation and it is easy to carry around. The latest food technology provides to our customers with the top Coca Products in the World.

Enjoy McMate Air Tight Bag Coca Tea and Powdered Coca Tea McMate!

Sincerely,

Carol Blenda Reyes Avila &
The employees of the Reyes-Avila Corporation
http://www.reyes-avila.com/

Amapedia

2008-10-10T23:39:00.002-03:00

What's Up With Bolivia?
by Abie Flaxhammer

Have you heard much about Bolivia? It's been in the news, but the news page has been crowded lately. Bolivia expelled the US ambassador on Sept. 11, 2008, so we heard a little bit about that. Bolivian President Evo Morales explained this action: "The ambassador of the United States is conspiring against democracy and wants Bolivia to break apart." Let's dig a little deeper.
Evo Morales was elected president of Bolivia in 2005. He is an Aymara Indian, the first indigenous person ever to be president in Bolivia. He came out of the organized labor movement, and his political party, which is called the Movement Towards Socialism, has always seemed a little, well, socialist. Oh, did I mention the union he belongs to is a confederation of coca growers? (The coca leaf has been an important plant in Andean indigenous traditions for thousands of years. It is also used in the production of cocaine and for this reason is a controlled substance in many countries.) This is why the US media views the Bolivian president as an indigenous coca-growing socialist. In South America, he is more often viewed as a democratically elected president, with wide support from Bolivians and from South American nations.
When we hear about Evo or Bolivia here, it is always about resource redistribution (or occasionally about coca eradication). Most recently, the news has focused on conflict between the central government, led by Morales, and the "autonomist" regions, resource-rich eastern states that oppose land reforms and other nationalization projects. This disagreement got hot on Sept. 11, just before the US ambassador was kicked out, when the Pando province militia attacked a rally of about 1000 pro-Morales peasants. At least 30 of the peasants were killed in the attack. National troops then arrested the Pando governor for his suspected involvement, and the attorney general accused him of genocide. The US ambassador was, in part, expelled for meeting with opposition governors on the eve of the massacre. But Jim Shultz, Executive Director of the Democracy Center in Cochabamba, Bolivia, says our ambassador was so incompetent that he might not have known his actions would seem seditious. Jim told Democracy Now!, "He is beyond clueless in terms of how this appears in Bolivia and the rest of Latin America."
But, this is just the latest manifestation of a larger struggle, which thoughtful observers have compared to the civil rights movement or anti-apartheid. Tanya Kerssen from the Center for the Study of the Americas says, "There are deep class and race divisions in this country that are the legacy of colonialism and neocolonialism. I think 'Bolivia on the Brink' has become a bit of a cliché. From the point of view of the social movements, Bolivia is on the brink of historic change that will finally bring equity and justice to the indigenous majority. They are ready to fight and die to bring this change about. And, to be clear, from what I hear from people, the social movements see themselves as supporting the democratic process in the face of corruption. This is the part, I think, that's missing from discussions about what's happening in Bolivia. The social movements see themselves as defending their democratically elected [Morales] government that has just received a 67 percent vote of approval, including support in the eastern regions."
Kathryn Ledebeur, Director of the Andean Information Network spoke in Washington, D.C. recently on "The Bolivia Crisis for Beginners." She says that a common misconception is that Morales is a puppet of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Actually, there are many groups with many interests who pressure the government to make change. Tanya Kerssen agrees, "This is not like the US, where we vote our choice for president and then sit back and trust that she or he will represent us. The social movements know that Morales will represent them as long as they have his back, so to speak. They protest to make their voices heard to the president, as well as to his opposition."
Resource wars are also at the heart of this struggle. Who will benefit from the oil, gas, and land of Bolivia? There are some great victories in Bolivia's resource wars of the recent past, like the "Water War" at the beginning of this decade, when massive strikes stopped Bechtel and other corporations from privatizing the water supply. And there is one cash crop that brings Bolivia into the news here enough to be worth special mention, that traditional plant/cocaine ingredient/flavoring agent, coca. Since coca is a key ingredient in manufacturing cocaine, it is considered illegal by the United Nations, but it actually is legal in the US. This might seem a little confusing, especially since George Bush says we should suspend trade benefits for Bolivia because they won't work towards coca eradication. Evo prefers a policy that is tough on drug traffickers but does not force farmers to abandon the crop on which their livelihoods depend.
I find the way social movements in Bolivia make their voices heard inspiring, and if you do too, you might be wondering how you can get in on it. The most fun would probably be to catch a fast train down and be there to see it unfold. But what's most fun for me is not necessarily what's best for the movement. It's actually the unglamorous letter-writing and office visits that we in the belly of the beast can provide (you can also order some Bolivian coca tea online). As we enter the homestretch of our electoral theater, take this as a lesson of what can be won in the streets and with the ballot box, and how the powerful will fight to keep what they've got if the people vote to take it away.

Retrieved from:
http://eatthestate.org/13-03/WhatsUpWith.htm

2008-10-04T04:45:00.003-03:00

Don't miss out on the 2008 elections. Fill out the voter registration form at http://www.rockthevote.org/
We live in a democracy and we are blessed with rights that Democracy give us and that means that we all get a say in who runs our country, and by way of this privilege we also get a say about how our country is run. It is very easy to be blase about our right to vote and take a "whatever, who cares" kind of attitude about it but you shouldn't brush this great honor off so quickly. Sure registering can be a bit of a chore, and yes, you have to head down to a polling station on voting day to pull your lever which takes some time out of your day and may cost you a few bucks in gas or a trip in a headious bus, train, etc.... But whether you know it or not these are very small prices to pay for the right to vote. In some countries people are literally dying to be able to cast a ballot and make a difference.
Vote! ... It is your Right !
Carol Blenda Reyes Avila.
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-09-26T23:29:00.002-03:00

Happy Fall !
Autun Coupon Code
www.MysteriousBolivia.com
09/26 - 11/26

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $44.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code happyfall at Google Checkout. One time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.
Happy Fall Everybody!!!
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-09-26T23:14:00.003-03:00

Coupons 9/26 - 11/26
www.BoliviaStores.com
Amazon.com

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $34.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 5OFFOCTO at checkout.

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $44.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code IOOFFNOV at checkout.

Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $111.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code I5OFFOCT at checkout.

Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $201.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 2OOFFOCT at checkout.

Get free Expedited Shipping on each participating when you spend $144.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SHIPPOCT at checkout. USA Only

2008-09-12T14:22:00.005-03:00

Coca Chewing

(From the book: Cocaine the Legend by Jorge Hurtado)

Chewing coca leaves Coca was and continues to be chewed by the Aymaras and Quechuas of Bolivia, Peru and other Andean countries.The leaves are not chewed but sucked. The term chewing is not an appropriated one, but as its commonly used, we will use this term throughout this article. This is a technique developed over centuries. It consists in taking a mouthful of coca leaves without swallowing them. These are previously stripped of the veins to avoid traumatic action by these hard parts of the leaf on the mouth lining. Chewing is done softly, trying not to crush them totally, only enough to break the cell membranes and then let them dissolve slowly in the saliva.
The bolus thus formed (about 8-10 grams), is left to repose in the gums and the mouth lining, just below the outlet of the excreting duct of the parotid salivary gland. When the half crushed leaves are sufficiently dampened (10-15 minutes), the chewer adds the llijta or any other alkaline agent (such as sodium bicarbonate). The llijta is a preparation made of several types of vegetal ashes, such as quinoa and plantain. Its purpose is to provide an alkaline medium to maximize the action of the alkaloids of the leaf.
A few minutes later, there is an intense anesthetic effect on the mucosa next to the bolus and also in the cheeks, throat and tongue. It is certain that the ingestion of the juice exerts an anesthetic effect on the lower intestinal tract and at the systemic level. This would explain the custom in Andean countries to chew coca leaves or take coca infusion to alleviate pain over a wide range: headaches, toothaches, intestinal cramps, etc. Its use is frequent as a dressing topically applied on the painful areas, for instance in the area of a broken bone or arthritis.
The absorption of alkaloids is rapid and the elimination of fatigue, a feeling of euphoria or antidepressant action is felt within 15 to 20 minutes, with the appearance of an increase of psychomotor action, a state of tension typical of alertness, there is an increase in activity or the desire to do something. Sensorial functions become more intense. The higher intellectual activities are faster, there is a slight feeling of consciousness expansion (which could explain its use during religious rituals). In the emotional area, the effect is stimulating, the individual feels euphoric, happy, optimistic, and willing to undertake action. Corporal needs, such as hunger, sleepiness, and restful are postponed by the energetic impulse of the time. The capacity and yield during work improve noticeably , although the study conducted by IBBA only reports that it increases work endurance.
The effect of chewing is strong at the start but it disappears progressively and it is necessary to increase the intake slowly to maintain the effect. According to Carter and Mamani, intensive users of coca, such as miners and farmers, chew the leaf two or three times a day, sometimes even four, when work is hard. It amounts to thirteen ounces a week (390 grams).
When the habitual chewer does not undertake any activity, generally he/she does not consume coca or very little of it. Consumption can be easily abandoned indefinitely without any undesirable effects. Even, when the user is chewing coca and is offered a nutritious and appetizing meal, he will stop chewing to eat. In general, the desire to chew coca can be abandoned indefinitely, without suffering physical or psychological effects, or the appearance of compulsive behavior to alleviate the desire.
" I have seen many habitual coca consumers, who for reason beyond their control, such as an incapacitating accident, have been forced to remain several months in a hospital without possibilities to continue their habit, which had to be interrupted suddenly, show no signs of withdrawal symptoms. " (J.Hurtado)
"...until now, we have not been able to detect withdrawal symptoms when the dispensation of cocaine has been interrupted. Animals feel pleasure when injected with cocaine and show appetite for the drug in every possible form, but if the substance is suspended no ill effects are observed in animal physiology. Therefore, cocaine depends on other substances to produce the so called habit.In animals, these are evident only when injected parentally. It is then the pharmacology of cocaine that has caused and continues to cause the adverse reaction against coca leaves. This is a risky and, to a large extent, artificial association between the chemically pure alkaloid, and injected directly in the veins at large doses, and the coca leaves, whose effects may be the same but of different intensity and undoubtedly at a much smaller risk than some would like to attribute to coca." (Fernando Cabiesis)

Retrieved from:

http://www.cocamuseum.com/htm/chewing.htm

2008-08-15T15:37:00.005-03:00

Reyes Avila, LLC
New Shipping Policy

All orders for in-stock merchandise ship within 2-3 business days following receipt of an order. Amazon.com may hold orders pending credit card approval, so there can be a delay from when you place your order to when receive it. Reyes Avila, LLC only ships on Tuesdays and Fridays with a few exceptions. We do not ship to US protectorates and APO/FPO

UNITED STATES ORDERS

STANDARD ORDERS will ship by USPS First Class Mail, and will arrive in 5-7 business days. (Weekends and Holidays do not count as business days) We do not ship standard to P.O. Boxes
EXPEDITED orders arrive in 3-5 days after the first Tuesday or Friday that the customer(s) places an order. Only Second Day and Next Day orders are shipped the same day or within 24 hours.Orders to Alaska, Hawaii, and West Coast addresses may take longer; we ship all our products from South Carolina and/or North Carolina. We have experienced delays in orders to Oregon, California and Washington; Our Company entirely depends on USPS speed and efficiency for packages delivery.
Because we use Electronic Labels for most of our parcels, generally, tracking activity “only” updates after the package is delivered.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Canada
Starting August 15th, 2008; Standard Orders to Canada at Bolivia Stores and Amazon.com are shipped by International Priority Mail plus tracking number, Expedited are shipped by Express mail or EMS service.
Even when these services are a faster way to ship orders to this country, Canada's Customs is still very difficult and they like to take their time inspecting parcels. Priority shipping from Charlotte - NC to anywhere in Canada generally takes 7 – 10 business days. And Express 3-6 business Days. No overnight or second day available to anywhere outside the USA.
Australia
Standard Orders to Australia are shipped by International Priority Mail plus tracking number, Expedited are shipped by Express mail or EMS service and require a signature confirmation. Due quarantine regulations we advice to order only Airtight Bag Products, this accelerates considerably custom's inspection. Standard Orders anywhere in Australia generally takes 10 – 15 business days. And Express 6-10 Business Days.
Europe and rest of the world
Orders to Europe, Asia, Central and South America are shipped by International Priority Mail plus tracking number, Expedited are shipped by Express mail or EMS service. European postal services are generally very efficient and delivery speed depends on each country’s customs policy.

Tracking
All our packages include a delivery confirmation or tracking number that generally is provided at your order status at Amazon.com (Bolivia Stores & Amazon orders) or Google Checkout (Mysterious Bolivia Orders). Email us at BoliviaStores@gmail.com if you need further information regarding tracking. Signature confirmation is optional and free of charge, please contact us if you need this service, we have experienced in the past stolen parcels from the customer’s boxes and residences.
Feedback
Please leave a feedback, this is a easy way for us to confirm that your order has arrived safely and you are satisfied with our products, if your order does not arrive within 7 to 10 business days, please contact us and we will track your order, if we do not have a positive answer of the whereabouts of your package in 24 hours, we will immediately re-ship free of charge by priority mail or overnight mail.
Delays
Most of our Products are shipped weekly from Bolivia and Peru to our warehouses in the Carolinas and occasionally we may have small delays due the political and social activity of these conflictive countries, if that is the case, you can find updated information at our blog http://www.mysteriousbolivia.blogspot.com/ . In the case of delays, your products will be shipped the same day that they arrive to our warehouses.
Returns.
Our Company offers a 100% Returns only if the products are un-open, due the nature of our products we cannot accept returns of open products because they have to be automatically discarded. We will not refund the shipping and handling charges. We do not charge restocking fee. You can find more information about our products, interesting articles and recipes at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.blogspot.com/ where updated information is posted regularly.
Thanks and enjoy your products!

Reyes Avila, LLC
Charlotte - NC
August 15th 2008

2008-08-11T21:11:00.018-03:00

Monday's Requested Recipe... VI
Strawberry – Lime Ice Coca Tea
( Brian V. )

Ingredients
6 spoons powdered coca tea ( coffee measurement)
7-10 Strawberries
2 Limes or Lemons without seeds
4 Smallbags of Splenda
1 Jar with Spigot
Ice & cold water.

Preparation

Wash the strawberries under cool running water. Remove caps, slice and set aside to drain.
Slice the limes and remove all seeds
Fill half of the jar with ice
Poor 4 spoons of coca flour, all strawberries and half the slices of lime or lemon
Fill the rest of the jar with ice leaving space for the remaining coca flour and lime.
Poor the Splenda, 2 spoons of powdered coca tea and the lime slices.
Fill the whole jar with water.
Let it sit inside inside your refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Enjoy your coca tea!!

The ice will melt slowly and the remaining coca flour will sit in the bottom of the jar same as the strawberries.The strawberries give a fruity, smooth taste that perfectly balances the grassy flavor of coca creating a velvety texture. The limes or lemons help realize the coca alkaloids but, "Do Not" leave the limes inside the jar more than 6 hours or the tea will turn bitter. After the jar is empty discard the strawberries!
Americans love their iced tea. And, yes, like all southerners, here in Charlotte – NC we drink it year round. At Bolivia Stores, we've been thinking of writing about Iced Coca Tea for some time, but have been putting it off for one reason or another, specially trying to find the right potion! Bear in mind that these instructions are not the result of any exhaustive study performed in corporate test kitchens. Rather, they result from my 30-plus years of making coca tea in my own kitchen, practically every day. Somehow I mastered the tea bag and whole leaves brewing long time ago but when we introduced the coca flour to our inventory late last year, a new challenge emerged: How to brew a good coca tea with powder?? We experimented with the Aeropress and we got the CocaPress that it is very good and strong. Generally, we advice to our customers to brew the Powdered Coca Tea the same way they brew coffee but, I just do not like to go through the whole cleaning around and decided to find alternatives to make it easy, fast and ready when I want it!

Carol Blenda Reyes Avila

http://www.reyes-avila.com/

* The Jar is 5 1/2" Diameter x 10 1/2" H (excluding handle), this recipe brews ane gallon of coca tea http://boliviastores.com/Ball-Sunflowers-Jar-with-Spigot/A/B0000CFB4W.htm

2008-08-10T15:06:00.002-03:00

Coupons 08/10 - 09/10
www.BoliviaStores.com
Amazon.com

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $32.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 5PERAGOS at checkout.

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $66.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code IOPERAGO at checkout.

Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $101.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code I5PERAGO at checkout

Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $155.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 2OPERAGO at checkout.

Get free shipping on this item when you spend $144.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 89ISHIPP at checkout (US Only)

2008-08-06T22:07:00.007-03:00

Happy Birthday Bolivia!

6deagosto Coupon Code

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

08/06 - 08/21

Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $31.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code 6deagosto at Google Checkout. 15 Days only, one time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.
Happy Birthday Bolivia!!!
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-07-23T11:25:00.006-03:00

Coca Flour McMate Realesed

Yesterday our last MacMate coca flour shipment from Bolivia was finally realised by US Customs - Miami and other governmental agencies after completing all inspections and paperwork and today they are being mailed to us from Florida. We should be able to get the boxes by Friday when all delayed orders that include Powdered Coca Tea will be completed. Coca flour Delisse is scheduled for arrival on August First.

Unfortunately it is very hard to import coca flour and takes longer than regular coca tea due laboratory inspections that the US government needs to do, it is powdery, we import large quantities and comes from Bolivia or Peru? .... extra paperwork and labs!

Miss Lyelee
Bolivia Stores

2008-07-01T23:50:00.008-03:00

Annual Coca Tea Club Plan

All for only $300 plus S&H*, You'll get 12 Boxes of the type or brand of coca tea 100ct you have chosen ( Box or Air Tight Bags), or 5 X 500 grams of Powdered Coca Tea ( MAcMAte or Delisse)
You may change the quantities and types of coca tea you receive at any time, as well as the frequency of your shipments.
Enjoy the finest coca teas delivered direct to your door when you need it.
Customize every shipment so it's exactly what you want and when you want.
Enjoy discounts, free samples, and other offers.

*(Standard Shipping US only $42 - International Standard/ US expedited $60)

2008-07-01T23:03:00.006-03:00

The Real Thing: Coca
Andean entrepreneurs are pushing coca beyond cola, in new teas, toothpaste, shampoo, liquor and more.
Jimmy Langman
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 4:30 PM ET Oct 15, 2007

Bolivian president Evo Morales implored the United Nations last week to give the coca leaf a new life. A former coca farmer himself, Morales asked the General Assembly to focus on coca's possible future as the raw material for a lucrative consumer-goods industry--not its nefarious present, as the source of the international cocaine trade. "This is the coca leaf, it is green, and not white like cocaine," Morales lectured, waving one limp little leaf at the hall of surprised dignitaries. Why, he demanded, is it "legal for Coca-Cola" but not other consumer or medicinal uses?
Morales is campaigning to roll back a 45-year-old U.N. ban on trade in coca products. Under pressure from the United States, which has spent billions to eradicate coca as part of its war on drugs, Morales has reluctantly destroyed more acres of coca than his predecessors. While the Bush administration says he's still not doing enough, Morales wants to double to 24,000 hectares the amount of land that Bolivia set aside long ago to grow coca for legal uses. Armed with scientific studies, Bolivian officials are attacking the perception that coca itself is harmful to health. They argue that legal products could be a viable alternative to growing the plant for use in cocaine, and far more effective than trying to wipe out the "hoja sagrada," or sacred leaf that has been a staple of Andean daily life and religious rituals since ancient times.
Meantime, in the coca-producing countries of Bolivia, Peru and Colombia, dozens of businesses are developing new coca-based products, from toothpaste to wine. In Bolivia, industrial production of coca tea began in the 1980s, and since 2000, small companies have put out some 30 different products--coca bread and pastas, toothpaste and shampoo, ointments, candies, liquors. The Morales government recently set aside $1 million to further develop legal coca products. One company now has a soft drink called "Evo Cola" in the works.
In Peru, the state coca company, Enaco, has been turning out local teas for years and is now expanding. Earlier this year Enaco closed a deal to export 153,000 packets of coca tea to South Africa (which never signed the U.N. convention). Enaco also sells coca leaves to private Peruvian companies, including a coca-cookie maker and an energy-drink company. Abroad, it supplies coca for use as an anesthetic in Japan and Belgium, and as a flavoring to Coca-Cola. (An exception to the U.N. ban, believed to have been negotiated for Coca-Cola, allows exports of coca from which certain active ingredients have been extracted.) In Colombia, the Nasa Indians recently introduced a soft drink called "Coca-Sek", already a national best seller.
The economics of legal coca make sense for farmers, says Ricardo Hegedus, general manager of Windsor, one of Bolivia's largest companies. Windsor buys 13 metric tons of coca leaf annually for use in tea, and is introducing a coca iced-tea mix this year. Hegedus says it pays about $6 a kilo to coca growers, more than the $5 paid by cocaine traffickers. Some Bolivian coca companies are now "growing a lot and using new technologies," says Hegedus, adding that coca tea in particular is likely to do well on the world market "if we can gain the freedom to export."
Recently, the U.N. has shown some willingness to reconsider the health questions. A 1975 Harvard study found that coca is rich in iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin. A 1995 World Health Organization study found no health problems related to the coca leaf, and recommended study of its potential health benefits. Roger Carvajal, Bolivia's vice-minister of Science and Technology, says coca has been found to ease stress and aid circulation and breathing.
The United States has not responded officially to the legalization campaign, but is unlikely to support it, after spending so much to destory coca. Bolivian officials say controls could be put in place to make sure coca plants are not diverted to the cocaine trade, and that a legal coca industry would reduce the supply available to traffickers. Roberto Laserna, a Bolivian social scientist, says that since eradication has failed to cut the cocaine supply, the United States ought to consider a new approach. Over a harmless cup of tea, perhaps.

URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/44773

2008-06-25T13:48:00.005-03:00

Independence Day Coupon
06/25 - 07/9

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $31.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code Independence at Google Checkout. 15 Days only, one time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.
Happy Father's Day!!!
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-06-25T13:27:00.002-03:00

Coupons 06/25 - 07/26

www.BoliviaStores.com

Amazon.com

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $30.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code JUNIOO5P at checkout. One time use per customer

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $44.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code JUNIOIOP at checkout. One time use per customer

Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $101.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code JUNIOI5P at checkout. One time use per customer

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $144.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code JUNIOI7P at checkout. One time use per customer

Get free shipping on this item when you spend $155.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code FREEJUNI at checkout. US only, multiple uses code.

To receive free shipping:

Buy required threshold of products from the merchant offering the discount. When you are finished shopping, click the "Proceed to checkout" button.
Ship these items to a single address.
Select Standard Shipping.
If a claim code is required, after selecting a payment method, enter the claim code in the area "Have any gift certificates or promotional claim codes?", and click "Enter another."
Enjoy free shipping on items shipped to that address.

2008-06-13T12:00:00.005-03:00

Signature Confirmation

In the last month we have had seven reported packages that were stolen from our customer's mail boxes. The delivery confirmation shows that they were delivered but the customer did not get his / her package. We have decided that it is safer to include a signature confirmation to all our parcels starting on Monday, June 16th. If you have any problem with this new policy, please email us at mysteriousbolivia@gmail.com and we will remove the signature confirmation from your shipping label upon request ONLY!

Miss Lyelee

Bolivia Stores

2008-06-03T22:11:00.002-03:00

Mysterious Bolivia Stores
Father's Day Coupon

06/03 - 06/14

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $31.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code FATHER at Google Checkout. 11 Days only, one time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-05-25T17:52:00.002-03:00

Coupons 05/25 - 06/26
www.BoliviaStores.com
Amazon.com

Save 7% on each participating item when you spend $33.10 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 7PERMAYO at checkout.

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $45.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code IOPEMAYO at checkout.

Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $111.10 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code I5PEMAYO at checkout.

Get free shipping on this item when you spend $123.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SHIPMAYO at checkout. US only

Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $144.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 2OPEMAYO at checkout.

2008-05-21T10:20:00.009-03:00

Delayed Orders

As today, Wednesday 21st of May, 2008 there no more delayed orders, all packages where shipped on Monday and Tuesday. The supply of MacMate Air Tight Bags was limited and in order to complete all orders that include this item, we sent MacMate 103 Boxes plus a new - empty air tight bag for tea storage, it is the same tea, same production, same quality only with additional paper-wraps.
We will get a new lot of MacMate Air Tight Bag next week, otherwise, all products are available and Windsor Air Tight Bag is back after 2 months out of stock. Please read our shipping policy, we do get a few delays every year, unfortunately inevitable with Compañero Evo Morales as head of the country. Be sure that we work really hard to get this great products available to the US market and we really appreciate all our customer's support.

If your order was delayed, please contact us at mysteriousbolivia@gmail.com , you are entitled to a 30% one time use coupon

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-05-08T13:11:00.004-03:00

Amazon.com

Coca Tea Reviews

An experience worth having., April 14, 2008
By
Anthony Y. Weaver "East West Hybrid" (Escondido, CA United States) - This tea has a smoothe earthy flavor. It definitely fits into the catagory of organic health foods for its purported nutritional content as well. The energy I personally felt was very subtle, not much like so many dietary supplements and drinks out there that gets one juiced up to the point of jitters. If taken for the first time, a slight numbing sensation can be felt in the mouth and throat areas. The sensitivity to the numbing sensation appears to fade a bit with ongoing consumption. As far as an appetite suppressant for me, it works to a slight degree, probably depending on the amount. According to one coca tea blogspot website, the coca leaf contains 14 alkaloids: Atropine, Inuline, Benzoyne, Reserpine, Cocamine, Conine, Quinoline, Pyridine, Globuline, Hygrine, Papaine, Pectin, Egnonin, and Cocaine--one gram of crushed leaves contains 5.3mg of which only 4.42mg of it is released during a 3 minute steep in 180ml of hot water. Of the listed alkaloids, Cocamine is becoming popular in dietary supplement blends that are geared towards those needing energy for workouts and such. From my personal experience ALRI's Venom Hyperdrive is a good synergistic blend of vitamin b-12, cocamine,hoodia gordinii, etc. that have worked well for me in getting appetite supression and high energy for workouts. By the way, the natives supposedly use a minute amount of an alkalinic additive to enhance the potency (by improving extraction) of the coca leaf's alkaloids. They are little ash/lime balls called Llipita(available online) and they can be pulverized and sprinkled upon your beverage like pinches of salt. Oh, and what a conversation piece--a definite novel-tea!

Great!, September 11, 2007
By
Marcus0263 (Seattle) - See all my reviewsI spent a few weeks in Peru and loved the Coca Tea. I brought some back with me and was bummed that I was almost out. But then I found Amazon has it and life is good again. Coffee gives you the jitters and caffeine actually strips you body of vitamins, none of this with Coca Tea. In truth the Coca Leaf has proteins, vitamins and minerals essential to your body. Ingesting the leaf is NOT addictive and is in fact very healthy. It is a bit expensive but ones health is worth it. Besides the Tea tastes wonderful without side effects like upset stomach, jitters, etc. of caffeine!

Great Coffee/tea substitue!, December 22, 2006
By
William D. Howe "Gator_aide" (El Paso, Texas) - See all my reviews A couple years back I developed an intolerance to caffeine that sent me to the emergency room. I have been seaching for a substitute but nearly every similar product contains varying amounts of caffeine. Even decaf coffees and teas still contan a small amount of the drug. Two months back I ordered two 100 bag boxes of Windsor and it has been a great substitue for my morning coffee. I still miss that kick I got from my morning cup of coffee but that is one experience I do not wish to repeat. Coca tea has a very delicate taste but the taste is enhanced with a small amount of sugar is added. Honey has such a distinctive flavor of its own that it would totally mask the flavor of the coca tea. I spent over two years in Bolivia with the Peace Corps and the tea brings back fond memories of my days in that country. Would I purchase the product again? Yes! In fact, I have already ordered two more boxes.

Mysterious Bolivia service is fast & efficient, July 16, 2007
By
Marc Lamarre "Coca guy" (Montréal, Québec, CANADA) - See all my reviews Product came within 5 working days to Montréal. Solid packaging, fresh & delicious coca tea. Most potent 100% natural, non addictive anorectic agent ever created by Mother Nature... Forget Weig. Watc. Atkins & all other methods or/and chemical produces... Coca tea is the only thing to help you skip a meal from time to time.... Too bad the canadian government is too dumb to allow this safe product legally into the country!

So Much Better than Coffee, February 13, 2007
By
Arqueologia (United States) - See all my reviewsI fell in love with coca tea while doing research in highland Peru, and I love that it's available in the US. The other reviewer is right, it really does have a distinctive, delicate taste and I also prefer it piping hot with a little sugar, although my husband wants to try it iced. This is a must-have for tea drinkers, and it's quite lovely in that it gives a nice pick-me-up with no aftereffects like caffeine.

Mate de Coca, September 5, 2007
By
Ashley Rush "ashleythedevil" - See all my reviews Great smoky flavor. Seems quite fresh. Packaging is high quality - bags never fall apart. I also like the energy pick me up in the morning. It keeps me awake if I drink it at night. It does, in fact, seem to aid digestion, especially at high altitudes. Overall, it's what I was expecting. A good substitute for the fresh leaves I had in Peru!

Excellent tea., March 8, 2007
By
Macao (San Francisco) - See all my reviewsExcellent Tea, fairly fine grind, good flavor, quick steeping. Also, very prompt delivery.

Windsor , mate De Coca, September 11, 2007
By
Mo Bevmo (central California) - See all my reviewsMuch has already be said about this fine product and it would be hard to add to all the existing great reviews. I find this excellent product to be complementary to Yerba Mate as well. I combine the two mates by making strong yerba mate sun tea and then steeping the coca tea bags in the first sun tea ( once again in the sun ) making Cocayerb Mate. For my tastes the two work well in concert, I find that the properties of both mates combine nicely. I add a small amount of sugar to my cocayerb mate because I drink it as a dark tea. Cocayerb might be a little intense for those people that don't like coffee due to it's stimulating effects. The speed and efficiency of the Amazon ordering and delivery process is very commendable as well.

better than coffee!, April 5, 2008
By
Brian Fello - See all my reviews this is my first time having coca tea and let me tell you it is 10x better than coffee. no jitters and it keeps me alert! thank you for the great product!!!!!!!

Great for reducing coffee intake!, April 30, 2008
By
Albert Swearingen "Al" (Sturgis, South Dakota) - See all my reviewsI tried this product hoping to find something to reduce my coffee intake. People need to realize that this is in no way anything like what some may think. It's too bad that products like this have a negative reputation just because of what it has been turned into in the past. There are so many health benefits to drinking this tea including vitamins and minerals that it is packed full of. Take a look at how much a cup of this tea contains, it is staggering. It's like taking a multi-vitamin in every cup that you can acually absorb, unlike a pill. Plus, I would have not been able to get off of coffee without it. I was having heart issues when I was still drinking coffee. Now that I've switched to this tea, I don't have any issues anymore. I don't know if this will work for everyone but it has worked for me and others that I have introduced it to. Imagine getting the wake up component of coffee without getting any anxiety or gitters, not to mention the headaches from not having a cup of "Joe" every morning. That is the best way to describe it. Plus, It just makes you feel better, like taking something like St. John's Wort. I have gone days, weeks and months without this tea after drinking it everyday and have never felt even close to a craving for it, unlike our "harmless" everyday cup of coffee. Not to mention, Bolivia Stores has always provided great service and superior products for a very reasonable price.

Great alternative to coffee, May 30, 2007
By
Samurai "Samurai" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviewsThis tea is a nice alternative to coffee. I do not like the jitters that coffee gives; Windsor Tea however, is a nice pick me up without the nervousness. Don't worry! It's completely legal. Very prompt service-- great professionalism.

excellent product, March 31, 2008
By
e.t. "hardcore internet shopper" (Broke Down Town USA) - See all my reviewsWOW!! Great taste, good alternative to caffine tea, does not get bitter when you leave the bag in the hot water for a long time like regular tea. Nothing negative to say about this product!! Works for me.

High grade coca, April 30, 2008
By
ChrisC "ChrisC" (California) - See all my reviewsThis brand of coca has a unique organic flavor and very high quality, unlike the other S American brands I have tried which were good, but the difference in quality with MacMate is obvious. This is claimed to be organic and pesticide free and the flavor is richer and more pungent. Hopefully this review wont get to Carol Blenda's head to the point where she becomes more stuck up than she already is.

Healthy Herbal Alternative, May 3, 2008
By
Petrarch "Lifeguard Guy" (Idaho) - See all my reviewsProduct is great, received it last week not knowing what to think. I enjoy herbal teas, esp. chamomile, and thought I'd give this tea a try. However, almost anything that is said to energize I won't touch as I would rather feel sluggish than feel jittery however I had also read good reviews about this tea as far as it lacking of some of caffeine's less pleasant effects. Opening the package it has a distinctive earthy, herbal scent which seems closest to catnip to me (don't be too turned off by that, catnip is in the mint family and is found in many herbal sleep/nighttime teas). When brewed as a light tea it takes on some cues of peppermint, while become deeper and more earthy out of an espresso machine both in color and taste(in fact coming out you probably would have no idea it wasn't espresso it is so rich and dark, and even slightly creamy, until you notice the greenish tinge.) Tea was excellent, none of the jitters of coffee and yet I was definitely more energized in a mental sort of way, with none of the physical side effects I associate with "energizing" stimulants, although I understand it can be useful for stamina as well. Also my chronic back pain didn't bother me the rest of the evening which if continues would be enough reason to drink everyday. Later on I had no problem going to sleep. Lastly, the herb is apparently very healthful, w/ studies showing it full of vitamins and nutrients and its potential as a supplement to one's diet. The coca flour is also good for baked goods such as pasta, breads, and even puddings I understand. Seems this tea would taste esp. great with a chamomile/mint/coca infusion or something citrus. Again, great product and unexpected.

everything and more!, November 29, 2007
By
Transman "TMAN" (AZ) - See all my reviewsall qualities of the leaves are felt. wife said her heart raced after consuming 1/2 a cup, but i added lime to activate the properties. awesome product. (used 2 bags) would buy again, and will... but i want to try the other brands first! ;-)

Coca Tea Delisse, January 21, 2008
By
Michael Winn "Jackie (Mike's better half)" (USA) - See all my reviews I would recommend this tea to all. It had a wonderful full-bodied taste that I was not expecting. It also gave me some much needed energy. It has replaced coffee most of the time as the effect is a little different and does not make me nearly as nervous as coffee. Great stuff!!

coca de mate tea, delicious!, April 22, 2008
By
scribble "vurt seeker" (campbell, ca) - See all my reviewsi, probably like most people reading this page about this product, thought there was no way it would provide the benefits the package says. relief from headaches, appetite suppressant, wakefulness, feeling of wellbeing are all said to come about by drinking the tea. i brewed up tea in near boiling water with 2 teabags, and let it steep for over and hour to cool down. i then poured the tea in a glass with ice, so in effect it was ice tea. a pleasant taste not unlike green tea, and i'll be darned if my mouth felt numb! i was thirsty so i drank it rather quick, and pretty soon, my daily afternoon caffeine crash was lifted with my headache and just felt like it was a very nice day. went to my cubicle and got to work and time seemed to fly. it was like a very strong espresso but without the jittery effects of the caffiene. my friend made some with 4 teabags, with a larger amount of water so he could make 2 cups. he wound up drining it himself over the course of the afternoon and he was, in his words 'feeling great, able to concentrate, focus, and it made normally bad parts of work just fly by'... i hear you can chew the leaves too for a stronger effect but you have to use baking soda to release the alkaloids. however, there is very little, to such a small amount of cocaine (less than .08%). not sure were the energy seems to come from. but i would take this over a 64oz MT.dew, or a double/triple espresso anyday. no sugar crash, no headaches, and it doesn't make you stay up all nite, or kill your apatite. this is a great tasting tea that is definitely something people should try if they are allergic or otherwise avoid caffeine.

Great product., May 6, 2008
By
R. Wells "AZPHATMAN" (MESA, AZ United States) - See all my reviews All I can say is that I love this stuff. I use two bags along with one bag of Green Tea in the morning with breakfast and it provides me with loads of energy. Warning, If I drink it after 1:00 PM it keeps me awake most of the night so use care if you want to get any sleep and use it at breakfast.

Delicious + Effective, February 18, 2008
By
Cailan Su "-lh" - See all my reviews Great shipping -- 3 days earlier than expected! Careful packaging too! The product -- it tasted great and fresh. The aroma was fragrant, and when I drank the tea, I did feel invigorated with a loss of appetite. Works like a charm for those horrible 3am problem sets!

This stuff is a gift from God, November 11, 2007
By
Kenneth Magerman "Ken Magerman" (Kalamazoo MI) - See all my reviews I don't know how I functioned before I found this magical stuff....it's like being up 4 to nothing in the second inning......everyday.....sometimes I still loose the game....but up 4 nothing in the second inning...i like my odds :)

Aloe - Coca works!, November 8, 2007
By
D. Cole (NC - USA) - See all my reviews 20 tea bags dropped in one gallon of 100% Pure Aloe Vera Natural Juice with every meal, snacks also ( do not cheat! tastes bitter but works) helps with those hard to lose extra pounds, I saw results after two weeks.

The best tasting coca teas available, August 26, 2007
By
Marc Lamarre "Coca guy" (Montréal, Québec, CANADA) - See all my reviews Of all the brands available, Macmate tastes really fresher than others. The color in the cup is light green, a good sign of freshness. The smell is also profund, fruty and crip. If you order directly from south american avoid Delisse brand coming mainly from Ecuador: horrible stuff! Marc Lamarre,Montréal, CANADA

Wow, December 11, 2007
By
Chastity Arnold - See all my reviews I have never tried coca tea before, but I have many severe bouts of depression. I can't take any medications for it. I drink this twice a day brewing for 10 minutes each, and I can't believe I have not had one bout of depression. This stuff is amazing! It tastes great alone, or what I do is put some raw sugar in it. Anyone suffering from depression should definitely try this!! Also I have chronic bloating from IBS; my stomach hasn't felt this good in ages. Thank you for this wonderful product!

Thank the gods for this tea, October 17, 2007
By
Kenneth Magerman "Ken Magerman" (Kalamazoo MI) - See all my reviews Drinking this tea in the morning before you go to work is like being up 4 to nothing in the 2nd inning.....yes sometimes I still lose the game....but being up 4 nil every morning I win far more then i lose.

Macmate is it!, September 29, 2007
By
starlight - See all my reviewsAs far as coca tea goes, this is it. Macmate has a subtle green color, an aromatic grassy scent and a refreshing herby flavor. I found it really has many of the attributes it is credited with, and the new resealable packaging helps to keep it fresher for longer than individual paper wraps. I have just received my second delivery, and I will order again, and again, and again...

Rich and wonderfully fragrant, October 15, 2007
By
D. Cole (NC - USA) - See all my reviews I have read a lot of good reviews about coca teas and Bolivia Stores, and finally got the chance to try one of their teas. I have to say that I'm not disappointed. This is a very good tea! When I opened the air-tight bag, a strong aroma of Andes rushed out. This is one of the more complex teas I have had the pleasure to taste and this deep and rich tea is one I would certainly recommend.

Good Stuff, January 8, 2008
By
Kelly C. Pierce (Stephenville, Texas) - See all my reviews I originaly ordered this by mistake, but I decided to try it, and loved it, even the sample packs they sent with it were great, which I may order next time for tast, dont take me the wrong way this tasts good too. I just personaly liked the ciminon and lime and limon tast better. Personaly after trying this I would like to travel to boliva and try the real stuff instead of the export quaility stuff for the usa. dont get me wrong the export quality is good tea, its just if this tea is this good I wounder what the better tea is like that dosent have U.S.A. restrictions on it.

Non of this reviews were edited, you can go to Amazon.com and check the original reviews under our products and coca teas, we just wanted to put them all together to help our customers. That way they have the chance to get an imput away from what we publish at this blog. We encourage our customers to write a review and share their thought to other customers.
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-05-05T11:56:00.004-03:00

MacMate Coca Tea out of stock!

All Macmate coca tea, 50ct, 100ct and Premium gold is sold out! we already removed all MacMate Coca Teas from Amazon's inventory. The high demand of MacMate products the last two weeks was bigger than expected and we did not get more this month and we do not know when we'll be able to import more. The rest of Bolivian products are still available for now but we are not sure for how long. We are completing delayed orders from last week, please be patient.

There is a lot of political activity in Bolivia right now due the autonomy of the states, riots and referendums and nothing is getting in or out this country. Last month postal service and communications strike delayed all April's lots of Bolivian Products and right now the situation is very unstable and unpredictable.

A man opposed to the referendum on autonomy that the Santa Cruz provincial government and civic groups are holding, is escorted to a hospital by supporters of the referendum, after being beaten up by them when he tried to impede the voting.PHOTO: ANDRES STAPFF
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/article2407344.ece

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hTzqGgKQeIpUCjBAJDxmRpgjQyRgD90F79680

2008-05-04T12:59:00.004-03:00

Mysterious Bolivia Stores

Mother's Day Coupon

05/04 - 05/15

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $31.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code MOTHER at Google Checkout. 10 Days only, one time use per customer, only valid at Google Checkout.

Happy Mother's Day!!!
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-04-22T13:06:00.003-03:00

Coupons

www.BoliviaStores.com

Bolivia Stores at Amazon.com

4/22/08 - 5/23/08

Get free shipping on this item when you spend $111.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code FREEABRI at checkout US Standard only!

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code IOABRIL8 at checkout

Save 7% on each participating item when you spend $35.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 7ABRILO8 at checkout.

Receive 1 New Coca Tea MacMate Premium Organic 100 Ct Gold Air Tight Bag free when you purchase $165.00 or more of Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code MACMATEI at checkout

2008-04-21T22:05:00.006-03:00

New Customer Service Phone Number

(866) 944 4480

We have always been committed to providing the best customer service and support to all our customers, our success in America is the result of our deep knowledge regarding all our products, our prompt service, and our dedication to our customers, and they have rewarded us with their business and keep coming back. We want to maintain our high level of customer service and recently set up a new Customer Service Phone Number (866) 944-4480 Ext. 4 for all order's status, shipping and product's information.

If your calls are redirected to voicemail , please leave us your order number, email and best time to reach you; we will call you back or send you an email as soon as possible.

Please do feel free to communicate with us if you have any questions, concerns, issues, problems, feedback and any other matters. We are always looking forward to assist you and improve our services. We welcome all comments as well.

Thank you.
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-04-21T21:48:00.006-03:00

Coca Tea MacMate

"DELAY"

There was an strike in Bolivia at the postal service and EMS the first two weeks of April that resulted on a delay of MacMate products to the US.
All other items and brands are currently available with the exception of: "New Coca Tea MacMate Premium Organic 100 Ct Gold Air Tight Bag" and "MacMate 50 ct. Boxes" . Due the high demand of MacMate products during the last week we do not have them on stock and there will be a delay in all orders that include these items.
The first lot arrived today and it will cover only a small percent of last week's delayed orders, we are expecting a large shipment for Thursday and all pending orders will be completed and mailed by Friday.
We apologize for the inconvenience, sometimes we have to deal with the social and political instability of Bolivia and Peru.
Thank you for your patronage
Bolivia Stores

2008-03-26T00:09:00.005-03:00

Whey protein and CocaPress

What you need:

3/4 cup of freshly brewed CocaPress ( see recipe in previous post)*
1 Measure of Whey Protein, same used for the CocaPress, Elite at your GMC store works great ( We use Vanilla or Berries, stay away from Chocolate, it overpowers the taste)
1 Glass half filled with ice

How to prepare it

Add the Whey Protein measure to the hot CocaPress, stir for a few seconds.
Poor the mix slowly over the ice, stir a bit.
Enjoy!

The results

A Latte color drink, smooth, easy to drink and powerful! Whey protein and CocaPress is an extreme pre-workout supplement that produces immediate results in energy, strength, performance, mental focus, and training intensity. This is a great stimulating pre-workout drink. You do not need to add any sugar with the Elite Whey Protein Shake but other brands may need some , please do not use regular sugar, it neutralizes some of the coca leaves properties, instead use Stevia or a bit of Splenda
* Never , ever boil coca tea or coca flour!! it destroy most of it's qualities. It is ok to brew coca flour with hot water but brewing with ice or cold brewing is always the best technique to get the most of coca's properties.

Next: Coca Flour Ice and cold brewing

2008-03-20T23:42:00.005-03:00

Need a prayer? .... VI

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Que hoy reine la paz .

Que confíes en Dios en que estás exactamente donde tienes que estar.

Que no olvides las infinitas posibilidades que nacen de la fe.

Que utilices aquellos dones que has recibido, y que compartas el amor que te ha sido dado.

Que estés contento de saber que eres un hijo de Dios.

Deja que esta presencia se asiente en tus huesos y le permita a tu alma la libertad de cantar, bailar, orar y amar.

Existe aquí para todos y cada uno de nosotros.

Saint Theresa is known as the Saint of the Little Ways, meaning she believed in doing the little things in life well and with great love. She is represented by roses. May everyone who receives this message be blessed

Madre Teresa es conocida como la santa de de los pequeños caminos, lo que significa que ella creía en hacer las pequeñas cosas de la vida bien y con gran amor. A ella la representan las rosas. Que todo quien reciba este mensaje sea bendecido.

My sister Katherin sent me this prayer today in one of her chain - forward emails, I do not like to get them nor send them but I thought it was a beautiful prayer to share around. Katherin loves to pray and always offers herself to pray for you; she lights candles at church, at home and everywhere she can, belives in saints, the holy Virgen Mary, Jesus and God as a trilogy. She recently went back to Bolivia after a year in Italy where her faith became stronger. She may be coming to the US by the middle of April to help with our operations at Reyes Avila LLC.

CBRA

2008-03-18T23:46:00.008-03:00

Brewing Powdered Coca tea

CocaPress

What you need:
Aeropress
2 Paper filters for Aeropress
1 Aeropress measure full of powdered coca tea also known as coca flour
9-10 oz of hot water. Filtered water is best.
2 Mugs, One strong mug for pressing , one for serving

How to prepare it

Assemble the device

Instead of only one paper filter use two

Dump coca flour into the tube
Fill the tube with hot water (between 3 - 4 mark)

Stir for 15-20 seconds

You need to wet the rubber plunger BEFORE pressing the Powdered Coca Tea. If the rubber plunger is dry, makes it harder for water to press through.

Press!

The results

A dark, coffee color like, concentrated coca tea we call CocaPress

1 cup of this brew can make up to 6 cups of regular coca tea or iced tea, just add hot water or ice and cold water. You can add sugar to taste, 1/2 lime or lemon, split in 4 equal portions and you have 4 coca espresso shots, the shots are strong and it is better when you drink them slowly. Ideal for diets, to suppress appetite, depression problems or to get the energy you need to start or continue a productive day.

The remaining at the Aeropress can be used to make pastries, pasta or bread, they are full of Calcium, Vitamins and Protein, you can also re-use it to brew a milder coca tea but keep in mind that most of the alkaloids will be gone at the first brew.

Next: Whey protein and CocaPress ( Pre workout energy drink )

2008-03-18T16:24:00.010-03:00

Priority International Shipping

International shipping is back at Amazon.com and BoliviaStores.com But ... only Priority International Mail or Expedited, we are not going to offer regular or standard shipping to any country outside the United States at those sites never again! We had enough headaches during the Holiday Seasons with lost and damaged packages to the point that we completely stopped international orders.

We figured out that an effective way we have to ship to our customers overseas is offering a Priority mail service "only" . Tracking numbers will be posted within 48 hours of shipping and you can use the "track my order" link at your Amazon account. This service is more expensive than standard mail but worth the extra dollars.

Canada Customers

Even when this is a faster way to ship your orders, Canada's customs is still difficult, priority shipping from Charlotte - NC to anywhere in Canada generally takes 7 business days. Please try to order Airtight bags only or products packed in Airtight bags. We will custom package all coca flour inside the saran coated bags for your convenience. Check the product's description and choose the Air Tight bags, this accelerates considerably custom's inspection.

Australia Customers

Due quarantine regulations we advice to only order Airtight bag products, EMS service is available at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ only upon request. Priority mail can take 10 days due the distance and country's regulations.

Europe Customers

You still have the chance to order directly at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ for the standard shipping, generally Europe postal service is fast and does not require a priority mailing but it is your choice.

As always , all our order have a 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed! If your order cannot be tracked, we offer a reshipment or a complete refund no questions asked. If you do not get your package, you shouldn't pay and that is part of our policy in the US or anywhere.

Any further questions, please email us at MysteriousBolivia@gmail.com or BoliviaStores@gmail.com

C.B.R.A, President

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-03-18T14:29:00.013-03:00

http://www.greentracks.com/ MACHU PICCHU

"In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it. Not only has it great snow peaks looming above the clouds more than two miles overhead, gigantic precipices of many-colored granite rising sheer for thousands of feet above the foaming, glistening, roaring rapids; it has also, in striking contrast, orchids and tree ferns, the delectable beauty of luxurious vegetation, and the mysterious witchery of the jungle." - Hiram Bingham, "gringo" discoverer of Machu Picchu in Lost City of the Incas.
This is an area of mystery and incredible sights. Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire is now a modern small city that has retained much of its colonial charm. Our tour of the city will include visits to the Cathedral of Cuzco, the Inca Temple of the Sun, the nearby ruins at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress and the Inca Bath at Tambomachay. Cuzco is an excellent place to purchase wonderful arts and crafts. Plan on picking up some of the local Alpaca wool sweaters.
From Cuzco, the trip down to Machu Picchu will be by small tour bus and train. You will have a full day at the ruins, with a tour and lodging overnight at a first class local hotel.
GREENTRACKS offers several options for experiencing Cuzco and Machu Picchu: tour the area for either five or seven days lodging in picturesque hotels, hike the Inca trail for two to five days. You can even tack one of these trips onto one of our Amazon tours for an incredible expereince of the diverse nature and cultures of Peru.

Right now we have in stock great Peruvian products, all export quality produced for ENACO Peru , Coca tea Delisse is widely used in Peru for altitud sickness and offered to tourist. Powdered coca tea Delisse, also known as "Coca Flour" besides being a great antidepressant, can brew it the same way you brew coffee or in a espresso machine for a strong organic energy shot before workout for a superior performance and to enhance your energy naturally without withdraw symptoms, no shakiness, no jitters!, Recipes and direction about powdered coca tea will be published shortly.

2008-03-05T05:27:00.005-03:00

March Of Dimes
March For Babies

The March of Dimes has changed the name of its biggest event to March for Babies. It's a great change because it makes it very clear exactly who I am walking for -- all babies. I am very excited to be a part of the “first” March for Babies; please support my participation. Although the name of this signature event changed, the mission did not. The March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation. The money we raise for March for Babies will support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start.Please help by donating today!
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Well, I decided to walk with my friends and join their group "South Charlotte Moms Group " And we need sponsors to complete our goal of $300 and I have also set a $500 personal goal, I think that both amounts are fairly reasonable and I hope some people reading this blog can donate to my page http://www.marchforbabies.org/LitaReyes .

All donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

Carol Blenda Reyes Avila
Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-03-03T16:07:00.003-03:00

Coupons 03/03 - 04/04

www.BoliviaStores.com

Amazon.com

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $31.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code 5MARZOO8 at checkout.

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $44.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code IOMARZO8 at checkout.

Get free shipping on this item when you spend $111.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code FSMARZO8 at checkout.

Receive 1 Free 12ct Sampler free for every 3 Qualifying Items you purchase offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SAMPLER8 at checkout

One time use per code per customer or Amazon Account
To receive free shipping:Buy required threshold of products from the merchant offering the discount. When you are finished shopping, click the "Proceed to checkout" button.Ship these items to a single address.Select Standard Shipping.If a claim code is required, after selecting a payment method, enter the claim code in the area "Have any gift certificates or promotional claim codes?", and click "Enter another."Enjoy free shipping on items shipped to that address.Offer Details:Applies to eligible items purchased from specified merchant.Items added to the Shopping Cart when free shipping is in effect, but not purchased until after the promotion ends, will not receive free shipping.Shipping fees, giftwrap charges, and taxes are not included in calculating purchase amount if offer has a threshold.Canceling items may affect eligibility for this free shipping offer.Applies to Standard Shipping only.Applies only to orders shipping to a single address.Cash value of offer is zero .Offer is not for resale and is not redeemable for cash.If you return items purchased using this offer, and your order drops below the threshold, then you may be charged a shipping fee. Offers are available for a limited time and may end without notice.Free shipping "ONLY" aplies to:Standard Delivery - Continental US Street AddressStandard Delivery - Continental US PO BoxStandard Delivery - Alaska/Hawaii Street AddressStandard Delivery - Alaska/Hawaii

2008-02-22T19:34:00.004-03:00

BBB

Do you really know where your coca tea is coming from?

Reyes Avila, LLC is an American Company based in Charlotte- NC with several years of experience in Imports, Exports, International Markets and Quality & Industrial control. We are a BBB certified company. The Better Business Bureau enjoys a 98% favorable name recognition rating as reported in a survey from the Gallup Organization. With this level of positive public awareness, it's clear that membership in your local BBB lets customers and potential customers know that your business is worthy of their trust.

When you place your orders with us, you can be sure that we are committed to offer you a 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed and it is part of our policies and responsibilities to offer you, our customers, a personalized attention and care from the moment you place your order until you receive it.
We distribute over hundred different products to the American Market; all our products are legally imported in the U.S. we complete all customs paperwork in origin and in US territory. We do not hide under misleading shipping policies that say “Your package is subject to customers inspections at your port of entry and we ‘XXX’ can not be held responsabile for boxes open or seizures by your local officials” as most foreign companies do it .

With us, your purchase is guaranteed, all our packages are shipped from Charlotte – North Carolina , Unites States of America and not overseas; your orders do not have to go through 20 – 30 days transit under unknown climate environments, humidity , bacteria exposure, mishandling, etc. That surely damage the quality , taste, flavor and it is a real health hazard for people in the US.

Reyes Avila, LLC clears customs every week with every lot we receive, we have all the paperwork, licenses and we distribute every product we import in a responsible manner to America thought Amazon and all its associated web pages that offer our products and our web pages http://www.boliviastores.com/ & http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ . All our packages are transported by air cargo with a minimum transit time between South America and US and we keep all our products in climate controlled facilities at all time besides periodical random laboratory tests to incoming lots to assure the best quality.

Being Amazon.com our biggest customer, our company works very hard to keep the standards that they give us and encourage us to follow and we offer just the best and freshest products available in Peru and Bolivia not from the street’s market or black markets but directly from the factories that produce then and our factories, always under strict supervision of our engineers in South America and US.

Carol Blenda Reyes Avila, President

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-02-22T15:16:00.007-03:00

Good Bye MacMate 103

As part of the introduction of the “New MacMate Premium Organic, Gold Air-Tight Bag”, an ecological friendly product; we have to discontinue the 103ct Boxes. MacMate is our house brand, we worked for several months to develop the best coca tea for the American Market, a truly gourmet coca tea under the highest international standards for quality and industrial control.
Large flakes carefully crushed and dehydrated bleach- free tea bags and the first pick and selection of organic coca leafs from only legal fields and coca plantations at Yungas- Bolivia.
We are discarding the paper wraps and cardboard boxes in order to give to our coca tea and ecological friendly image and value.
All Double Saran Coated Air Tight Bags we use are resalable and can be reused, they are great to store any organic food, nuts, rice, sugar, flour and even jewelry and electronic parts. They protect their contents against moister, dust, corrosion and pollutant agents, please consider recycle or re-use them in order to keep a better environment for future generations.
WE ARE GOING TO DISCONTINUE MACMATE 103, SO….ALL BOXES MUST GO!!! We have reduced the MacMate 103 box to the lowest price ever at Amazon.com , Bolivia Stores & Mysterious Bolivia, buy your MacMate 103 while it lasts!

C.B.R.A.

Reyes Avila, LLC

2008-02-14T20:26:00.004-03:00

Pasta, Bolivian Style

Chef Marco Schiaparoli Uses Bolivian Ingredients to Make Unusual Italian Dishes
By JEFFREY KOFMAN and ROXANNA SHERWOOD
Jan. 30, 2008 —
There are a lot of Italian restaurants in the world, but in La Paz, Bolivia, on a cobblestone street, is one that serves something you won't find anywhere else in the world. Just follow your nose past the woman in a bowler hat, seated next to fruit for sale, and you'll wind up outside a distinctly indistinct entrance.
The green and red sign says, simply, "Pastas." The restaurant is called Beatrice's Fresh Pastas, named after the chef's daughter. The menu offers 13 kinds of pasta with 13 different sauces all fresh.
The chef, Marco Schiaparoli, is an Italian who came to La Paz as a tourist, 19 years ago, and stayed to offer Bolivians a taste of Italy. Schiaparoli makes his varieties of pasta from scratch, using different flours. One kind will raise a few eyebrows in the U.S., but the special dish is Schiaparoli's gift to his adopted country.
"I have made this with 5 percent coca flour," Schiaparoli says, of the pasta piled in a red basket. That's right he's cooking pasta made from coca, the leaf cocaine is made from. As an unprocessed leaf, it is a stimulant, like strong coffee. It's legal in Bolivia, and is part of the traditional culture usually chewed like tobacco, brewed in tea, or baked in bread. Bolivians will tell you the green coca leaves are rich in vitamins, and help combat the altitude sickness you get high up in the mountains.
On the menu the night we dined with Schiaparoli was spaghetti made with coca flour, and a Bolognese sauce of llama meat. Yes, llamas those endearingly odd-looking animals, found only in the Andes Mountains.
Schiaparoli boiled up two kinds of coca pasta one with 3 percent coca flour, the other with 5 percent. "This one tastes stronger," Schiaparoli says of the latter.
After the pasta is set to boil, Schiaparoli begins to make an Arrabbiata sauce, with tomatoes, ham and olives. (That's for the 3 percent coca pasta.) The aroma is intoxicating, and Schiaparoli lives with these delicious smells every day in this hot box of a kitchen.
As sweat beads on his brow, he jokes that he can eat two plates of pasta a day without gaining weight, because his kitchen is like a sauna. But beneath his ironic humor lurks the soul of a passionate cook. His 30-seat restaurant is always full. He's proud that he doesn't need to advertise. The pasta speaks for itself. Schiaparoli's loyal customers have become his friends.
He pours the Bolognese sauce with ground llama into a hot pan. "It's a dish for Bolivia," Schiaparoli announces, as he stirs the sauce, which also features clove, rosemary and bay leaves.
But what about that coca ,Is it a drug?
"No," Schiapaaroli tells us. "It has 30 grams of unprocessed coca leaf in it." As Bolivians will tell you, it doesn't become a drug until you add a lot of chemicals. When ABC NEWS sat down for an interview with Bolivia's president, Evo Morales (a former coca farmer, himself), he noted, "The coca leaf, in its natural state, is medicinal, nutritional. The coca leaf mixed with chemical agents, the coca leaf turned into cocaine, is totally different." It's worth noting that the president served us coca tea.
Schiaparoli finishes preparing our dish, and we sit down to eat. To make it a truly Bolivian meal, he opens a bottle of wine not one that you would find in your local liquor store in the states, but Bolivian wine.
Schiaparoli's pasta, it turns out, is much better than the wine.
The man runs his restaurant with a passionate Italian flare, just as he speaks Spanish heavily accented. It took this immigrant to Bolivia to invent a truly modern Bolivian dish. Schiaparoli tells us that many of the most famous Italian dishes in the world were made outside of Italy like spaghetti Alfredo.
And the kicker here at Beatrice's: the price. A plate of pasta is just $2.50, and that includes the coca pasta.
So, how was the pasta? As good as you'll find in the best Italian restaurants anywhere, but with flavor found nowhere else.

Retrived from:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/print?id=4218522
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

2008-02-14T20:12:00.007-03:00

A Taste of Italy in Bolivia
Bolognesa de Llama

over Coca Pasta

Italian-born chef Marco Schiaparoli visited La Paz, Bolivia, 19 years ago as a tourist and stayed to offer Bolivians a taste of Italy. This dish, Bolognesa de Llama over Coca Pasta, mixes his Italian heritage with traditional Bolivian ingredients such as the lean meat from llamas and coca the leaf that is used to make cocaine.

BOLOGNESA DE LLAMA
Recipe courtesy of Marco Schiaparoli

For one kilo (35 ounces) of sauce
Ingredients:
Half kilo (17.5 ounces) of ground llama meat 3 kilos of tomato (105 ounces), chopped small 1 onion, chopped small 1 stalk celery, chopped small A pinch of clove A pinch of cinnamon A bay leaf Half stick of unsalted butter Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Melt butter in pan and add onion, celery and all of the spices. Cook for a few minutes and then add the llama meat. Cook until the meat is browned. Add the tomatoes and cook over a low heat for two hours. Add salt to taste.

COCA PASTA
Recipe courtesy Marco Schiaparoli

Ingredients:
1 kilo of regular flour 10 eggs 30 grams flour of the coca leaf Pinch of salt Preparation: Follow any standard instructions for homemade pasta.

This recipe was published at http://www.abcnews.go.com/ , we include the link for easy access. Well, we cannot get llama meat in the US, ground veal or italian sausagge work just great, we introduced the coca flour for the holidays and it is a hit, it is healthy and good for everything! you can buy it at any of our sites or Amazon.com at the Gourmet food section.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4192058
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

2008-02-11T20:24:00.000-03:00

Canada and

International Shipping

We will no longer ship to Canada due to delays and customs problems from our store at Amazon.com and http://www.BoliviaStores.com/ We had enough headaches with Canada and we do not like negative feedbacks at all. We may get by next week the Expedited shipping available to Europe and Australia only by EMS, the price is high but we do not have any other choice that gives us the capability to track your packages.

Right now, customers from these countries can place their orders at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ and remember that Canada orders can take 15 to 20 business same as Australia while Central Europe takes 7-10 days and Eastern Europe 10-15

business days. Please be patient, we try our best to get your orders out as fast as we can.

Your feedback is very important for us, please go to www.Amazon.com/feedbackand and leave a feedback for your transaction. You can also check details at your account history at Amazon.com

When it comes to feedback satisfied customers tend to forget about feedback on Amazon, unfortunately the dissatisfied ones do remember.

Buyers can leave feedback by locating the transaction in "Your Account". Click the Your Account link at the top of any Amazon page or go to www.amazon.com/feedback Locate the transaction, click through to View Order, and then click the Rate Your Seller link

Thank you for your order and I hope you enjoyed our products.

Miss Lyelee

Bolivia Stores

2008-02-11T20:01:00.000-03:00

Madness III

Amazon
www.BoliviaStores.com

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

2/11/08 - 2/29/08

Save 17% on each participating item when you spend $65.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code MADNESS3 at checkout (restrictions apply).

This is our customer's favorite promotion! February only, valid at Bolivia Stores at Amazon.com , http://www.boliviastores.com/ & http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ , One time use per customer, 17 % off on all items sold at our stores when you spend $65 or more.
Use the code at Amazon checkout or Google Checkout.

2008-02-08T19:44:00.000-03:00

We are back in Business!

After a week of suspended activities at Amazon.com and Bolivia Stores , we are back in business!! This week we have re-evaluated our activities and operations, updated inventories, controlled missed orders, re-shipped lost Holiday's season orders and restructured our shipping, tracking and packaging system.

We'll be able to send you a confirmation email with your tracking label within 24 hours after USPS picks your package up. Unfortunately, we have suspended international mailing of our products; we are going to analyze the shipment option using EMS, the only international service that guarantees delivery, the price is higher than regular First Class International mail but the service this company offers to their customers is excellent. We should be able to get this service installed by February 15th.

We have new Bolivian and Peruvian organic products ready to be introduced to the American Market; new teas, mates, soups, native textiles, candies and spices, all under our company's guarantees. Every time a new product is published at our stores we take care of the Quality and Industrial control, Laboratory testing in Origin and in the US, Fare Trading Certificates from our providers, etc to guarantee a satisfactory experience to our customers. We are working on our Fall- Winter collection 2008-2009 for Alpaca clothing, our first collection introduced the last year had a great success, all our garments were designed in America and carefully crafted in Bolivia by experienced artisans using the best baby alpaca wool selection.

Reyes Avila LLC is a legal established company in the US, incorporated in May of 2007 , we currently have 8 part time and 2 full time workers taking care of inventories, customers service, packaging, invoicing, Import and Export Records, Customs Paperwork, Laboratory testing, Industrial, Health and quality control in the United States alone.

We are an equal opportunity company but our Christian - Catholic spirit, inspire us to help unemployed Latin or minorities people from our church community or area to create an income working for us packing and mailing your orders, they receive a fair basic salary plus a bonus per mailed package, the flexibility of schedule and basic training in security, regulations and norms.

Most of our customers that wrote us an email or called us had the change to interact with Miss Lye -Lee Yung from Hong Kong, a very hardworking young lady taking care of customer's service, inventory and supervision of activities, she is not only a tea expert with several years of experience in Tea factories in China, she is also a clothing designer and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.

Our company owns two climate control warehouses, one in Charlotte- NC and one in Myrtle Beach – SC, with a large storage surface, packing and shipping area and modern offices. Reyes Avila LLC is part of Reyes Avila, Srl. in Bolivia, an Import- Export company with 23 years experience in trading of Bolivian goods worldwide with exports of jewelry, textiles, alpaca clothing, organic food, leather and imports of mining equipment, tools, industrial equipment, electrical generators, etc. Reyes Avila Srl. (Bolivia) Employs over hundred native workers in Oruro - Bolivia, from artisans, leather experts, Jewelry crafters, Industrial Engineers, labor people and technicians.

Today, Reyes Avila LLC (USA) and Reyes Avila Srl. (Bolivia) successfully sell their products to over 30 countries around the world and distributes them to several online stores, gourmet shops and high scale boutiques in Europe and America. We are a “Better Business Bureau” Accredited Business in Charlotte – NC with a satisfactory record and “zero complains” in the last 12 months. We sell part of our inventory at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ , http://www.boliviastores.com/ and Amazon.com , which distributes them on several of its associated stores and merchants.

As always, we offer a 100% Customer satisfaction and we are grateful for all your support.

Carol Blenda Reyes Avila, President
Reyes Avila LLC

2008-01-31T14:08:00.000-03:00

COUPONS

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

01/31/08 - 12/31/08

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $29.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code 5bolivia at Google Checkout only.
Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $44.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code 10bolivia at Google Checkout only.
Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $77.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Mysterious Bolivia Stores. Enter code 15bolivia at Google Checkout only.

We finally figured out the way to offer discount coupons at Mysterious Bolivia through Google Checkout. These coupons will be active from today 01/31/08 to 12/31/08 All coupons published at this post are one time use only, use them wisely.

Occasionally we will publish some extra limited-time discount codes. Recurrent customer (5 orders or more placed in a 12 month period) can get a permanent, multi-use 15% code. If you qualify, just email us at MysteriousBolivia@gmail.com with your request and we will send you a code.

Thank you for all your orders and support.

C.B.R.A

2008-01-24T15:23:00.000-03:00

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

Google Checkout

Starting today, January 24th 2008, we no longer use Paypal at Mysterious Bolivia.com , in order to improve our check out and facilitate to our customers a safe transaction, we have opted to use Google Checkout, a new service that makes online shopping faster, safer and more convenient.
Google Checkout also offers fraud protection, as well a unified page for tracking purchases and their status
Google Checkout is focused on enabling one-time payments to be made from a purchaser to a merchant. Unlike Paypal, Google Checkout does not require the purchaser to create an account, does not permit the use of stored funds, nor allows payments from person to person.

Checkout instructions

We still accept Western Union, Checks and Money Order , just press the icon:

To use any major credit card through Google checkout press the google icon ( shipping charges will be calculated on the next page and they are the same as Money order or checks )

If you really want to pay using paypal, just email us and we will send you an easy to pay invoice.

Thank you for choosing our products and stores, we will publish the yearly coupons for MysteriousBolivia.com on Monday.

Reyes Avila LLC.

2008-01-17T22:59:00.000-03:00

Bolivian Drinks & Sweets V

Coca Tea Pudding

Ingredients

1 can of sweetened, condensed milk (leche condensada)
1 bar of low fat cream cheese
3 Tablespoon of brown sugar
3 Teaspoons of powder coca tea ( coca flour)
4 eggs, beaten
Optional 2 Oz of Grand Marnier or Agwa

Preparation

Mix the coca tea and cream cheese in the food processor until you have a soft mixture
Beat the eggs on a food processor and slowly add the condensed milk
To the mixture of condensed milk and eggs, slowly incorporate the coca-cream cheese and Optional Liquor; let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the caramel
In a saucepan dissolve the sugar in 4 tablespoon of water and heat carefully until it becomes syrupy and slightly tan
Pour the caramel in a pudding baking dish, let it cool for 1 minute or so
Over the caramel slowly pour the pudding mixture on top
Take a slightly larger dish and fill halfway with hot water
Place the dish with the pudding mixture inside the larger dish, cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes then cover with foil and let if cook until the custard is completely cooked , generally another 45 minutes.
Serve slightly chilled topped with wiped cream

(pictures tomorrow)

2008-01-03T00:25:00.000-03:00

Coupons

Amazon.com

www.BoliviaStores.com
01/03/ - 03/03

Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $33.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code ENERO5PE at checkout. (restrictions apply).
Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $41.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code ENEROIOP at checkout. (restrictions apply).
Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $101.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code ENEROI5P at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Get free shipping on this item when you spend $111.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code ENEROSHI at checkout US only .(restrictions apply).

Free shipping only applies to:

Standard Delivery - Continental US Street Address

Standard Delivery - Continental US PO Box

Standard Delivery - Alaska/Hawaii Street Addres

Standard Delivery - Alaska/Hawaii PO Box

Standard Delivery - APO/FPO Street Address

Standard Delivery - APO/FPO PO Box

Standard Delivery - US Protectorate Street Address

Standard Delivery - US Protectorate PO Box

Important News.

We have lost a few orders during the holidays shipping at the post office, if by any reason your order did not arrive yet, please contact us , we will issue a refund or re-shipment.

Thank you

Miss Lyelee

Bolivia Store

2007-12-16T22:55:00.000-03:00

HOLIDAY'S UPDATES.

Standard orders.-
All standard orders are mailed by first class mail, after tomorrow, Monday December 17th, we do not guarantee that your order will arrive on time for Christmas, it just depends where you are located, we mail from Charlotte - NC and or/ Myrtle Beach - SC , West Coast orders will not make it, think about expedited shipping before you place your order. As an extra holiday spirit , we will immediately upgrade all standard orders of 2 boxes 100ct or up to priority mail.

Expedited orders.-
Wednesday is the last day we guarantee that your order will make it on time for Christmas, after that , please contact us and we may be able to arrange a express shipping or over night shipping.

Canada Orders.-
We are very sorry with all our Canada customers but there are huge delays to this particular country, all orders leave on time but they can be stopped at custom from 5 - 20 days and that is just out of our control, so expect delays. We were seriously considering stop mailing to Canada because it takes too long for the packages to arrive, something illogical because we mail from US. We never lost one package to Canada but we have experience 3 weeks delay before the order is delivered to the customer by the Canadian Postal Service.

Same problem to Europe! December is a black month for shipping due the heavy parcel traffic worldwide. Your order is 100% guaranteed and we will re-ship or refund the total amount of your order if you do not get your package 30 days later, no exception, no excuses, you don't get it... you should not pay for it!

Happy Everything!
C.B.R.A.

2007-12-12T00:28:00.000-03:00

RELIGION DOESNT MATTER...
PEOPLE DO
THE LAST CHRISTMAS
by Michael Segal

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace and joy on earth -- a time of giving and of "warmth." Many celebrate the day, the birth of Jesus, at church, followed by a sumptuous meal and then by opening gifts that are under the Christmas tree. Still others celebrate the day by volunteering, helping those who are less fortunate, at various food banks, shelters, or hospitals. I will never forget one specific Christmas. I work at Memorial Hermann Hospital, primarily in the Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Being Jewish, I also worked at other locations of the hospital that day so that my Christian coworkers could spend time with their families at home on Christmas. Walking through the large hospital I saw many sad families in the many waiting rooms that day. I could imagine them all screaming, " What kind of Christmas is this? Spending it at the hospital?" However, as I knocked on Room 623 on the oncology floor, I met Mrs. Hunter and I soon learned that everything is relative. "Hi, my name is Mike Segal from Case Management. Is there anything I can do to help you? May I come in?" I asked those questions to an 87 year old cancer victim who, according to the chart, would soon be transferred to a Hospice so that she might live out the remaining weeks of her life more peacefully. Mary, her daughter, said, "Please come in." As I entered the room, Mrs. Hunter uttered in a soft hoarse voice, "I still need a straw." Mary quickly explained, "They delivered this Ensure (a very high caloric and vitamin drink) for mom but they didn't bring a straw. We asked the nurse for a straw a few minutes ago, but this is Christmas and I don't know when the nurse will bring it." I excused myself and rushed down to the cafeteria where I grabbed a handful of straws. Knocking on the door again, I was greeted by Mary's huge smile as she saw what was in my hand. "Thank you so much. It seems so small, but for mom the straw is such an important thing," Mary said as she put the straw into the Ensure that her mother quickly began drinking. Mary then wished me a Merry Christmas. "May y'all have a very peaceful Christmas too," I said as I started to leave. "Before I go, is there anything else I can do?" With those words, the 87 year old Mrs. Hunter quickly asked in a soft voice, "Can we sing some Christmas carols?" The question startled me. Besides, I wasn't sure if I knew the words to any carols. However, I quickly replied, "Of course, I'd love to." Mrs. Hunter automatically started singing, "Jingle Bells, Jingle BellsS" and I quickly joined in, followed by her daughter Mary. Mrs. Hunter then started, with Mary and myself, singing two other Christmas songs. Some Jewish people might be asking, "How can I, as a Jew, sing Christian songs?" However, for me the answer was crystal clear. Judaism believes in the sanctity of life. If I could do anything to help Mrs. Hunter enjoy her last Christmas, I was going to do it. The preservation of life takes precedence over everything else in Judaism and "preservation of life" may be interpreted in many different ways. That day I interpreted it as bringing a smile to the face of a dying woman. As we concluded our songs, Mary, with tears in her eyes, said, "Thank you so much. God bless you and Merry Christmas." "Merry Chris tmas to you and your family as well," I replied, feeling the true spirit of the holiday's season.

2007-12-08T18:34:00.000-03:00

Herbal Teas And Pregnancy

www.BabyCenter.com

Is it safe to drink herbal teas while I'm pregnant? Many pregnant women carefully avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and unnecessary medications but think nothing of drinking cup after cup of herbal tea. If this sounds like you, take heed: Herbal teas can be harmful, especially if you drink too much of them. Most of the ingredients in herbal teas are safe, but many are not. Herbs are drugs and thus can be as potent as some medications. What's more, only a few of the herbs used for teas have been studied in pregnant women.
How can I tell which herbal teas are safe to drink during pregnancy? Although no U.S. regulations specifically address herbal teas, most of the herbs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers safe for food use are presumed safe for teas as well. For example, teas made from ginger, lime blossom, peppermint, roasted barley, rose hips, and thyme are probably safe to drink occasionally in small amounts while you're pregnant or nursing. However, drinking excessive amounts of any teas can cause health problems for you and your developing baby.
Which teas are not safe? Many of the herbs used for teas, when taken in large or medicinal amounts, can potentially stimulate the uterus and induce miscarriage. These include anise, catnip, chamomile, comfrey, ephedra (called ma huang in traditional Chinese medicine), European mistletoe, hibiscus, horehound, Labrador, lemongrass, licorice root, mugwort, pennyroyal, raspberry leaf, rosemary, sage, sassafras, stinging nettle leaf, vetiver, and yarrow.Although some midwives use raspberry leaf (also known as red raspberry leaf) to aid delivery, its effectiveness hasn't been proven. In any case, it should be used only near term and under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Avoid the rest of the herbs in this list during pregnancy and lactation.Note: You can still eat food that contains herbs like rosemary and sage, because the amounts used in food are generally much smaller than those used in tea — and not as potent (the brewing process for making tea concentrates the chemicals of the herbs).Among other reasons to avoid certain herbs used in teas:
• Coca (also known as mate de coca) contains small amounts of cocaine.
• Comfrey, kava root, skullcap, valerian, and woodruff may damage your liver.
• Lobelia contains nicotine.
• Mate (or yerba mate) can contain as much caffeine as coffee.None of these herbs should be
taken while you're pregnant or nursing.
What about the herbal teas that are marketed for pregnant women? The same cautions apply to teas touted for pregnant women, which are sold in supermarkets and health food stores. While the makers of pregnancy teas promote their products as healthy for expectant moms, no clinical studies support these claims and the safety of the ingredients are not regulated.Pregnancy teas usually include ingredients such as alfalfa, fennel seed, lemongrass leaf, lemon verbena, nettle leaf, rosehips, and strawberry leaf. Not all of these are safe to take during pregnancy. For example, nettle leaf (also known as stinging nettle leaf), which stimulates the uterus and can cause miscarriage, and fennel (including the fruit, seed, and oil) should not be used in tea during pregnancy and lactation due to its potential estrogen-like effects.
How can I choose a safe herbal tea? If you enjoy herbal teas, check the packaging labels and steer clear of unsafe or unfamiliar ingredients. Or consider making your own concoction. Add honey, fruit juices, lemon rinds, cinnamon, or cloves to boiled water or decaffeinated black or green tea. Never make a tea from any plant unless you're 100 percent sure what it is and that you can safely take it while you're pregnant.

All contents copyright © BabyCenter LLC. 1997-2007 All rights reserved.This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

Pictures by Lisa Warninger

http://lisawarninger.wordpress.com/

2007-12-07T01:57:00.000-03:00

Need a prayer? ... V

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

2007-12-04T21:13:00.000-03:00

Madness2

Amazon.com
www.BoliviaStores.com

12/4/ - 12/24

As part of the Holidays deals, we offer to all our customers a 20 days sale, save 17% on all our inventory when you spend $40.00 or more on items offered by Bolivia Stores at Amazon.com and http://www.boliviastores.com/ Enter code MADNESS2 at checkout. (restrictions apply).

2007-11-22T23:21:00.000-03:00

Madnesss
Amazon.com

www.BoliviaStores.com

As part of the Black Friday deals, we offer to all our customers a 3 days sale, Friday through Sunday save 17% on all our inventory when you spend $31.00 or more on items offered by Bolivia Stores at Amazon.com and http://www.boliviastores.com/ Enter code MADNESSS at checkout. (restrictions apply).

2007-11-20T12:13:00.000-03:00

Mysterious Bolivia

Bolivia Stores

2007-11-09T10:34:00.000-03:00

Cocaine,Cocaine Use From Chewing Coca Leaves To Crack

Chewing Coca Leaves. Coca consumption was originally the prerogative of the Inca elite. Today, most of the natives indulge as well. Coca is also consumed as the highly esteemed coca de mate.
Drinking coca tea tends to soothe the stomach, so it's good for digestive problems. Coca de mate is less likely to induce jitteriness than coffee. It is a rather more effective mood brightener too.
Cocaine Sulfate - pasta, basuco, basa, pitillo, paste. This is the low grade stuff that reaches the urban slums of South America. The sulfate is the intermediate stage between the coca leaf and the finished cocaine hydrochloride crystal.
Coca leaves are stripped from the plant. They are put in plastic pit with a solution of water and sulfuric acid. A bare footed man will climb in the pit, step on the mess and move it around with his hands.
Cocaine Hydrochloride - an odorless, white crystalline powder. It has a bitter, numbing taste. This is the type of cocaine available in most cities.
Making cocaine hydrochloride is quite complicated. The pasta is first washed in kerosene. It is then chilled. The kerosene is removed. Gas crystals of crude cocaine are left at the bottom of the tank.
Typically, the crystals are dissolved in methyl alcohol. They are then re-crystallized and dissolved once more in sulfuric acid. Further washing, oxidation and separation procedures involve potassium permanganate, benzole, and sodium carbonate.
Freebase And Crack Cocaine. Freebase and crack cocaine are derived from cocaine hydrochloride which has been chemically treated to free the potent base material from the salt.
Freebase was originally produced by a dangerous four or five step process in which the hydrochloride salt was heated with water and a volatile liquid such as ether.
Base cocaine in the form of crack is safer to produce but it is no less addictive. Crack and freebase are indissoluble in water, so they can't be injected or sniffed easily.
Instead, base is usually smoked from pipes, burnt on a piece of tin foil, or mixed with tobacco and marijuana in a smokable joint.
The euphoric rush comes within a few seconds (even faster than from injecting cocaine hydrochloride). Initially, the user may experience a profound sense of power, mastery, cleverness and uninhibited desire. But the exhilaration usually starts to fade within a few minutes.
Cocaine Use
Physical constraints ensure that even the most ardent coquero can get only a modest amount of cocaine into his bloodstream. Coca induced heart-attacks and strokes are thus extremely rare among traditional users.
In recent decades, however, there have been changes in cocaine's route of administration, patterns of use, the technology of cocaine production, and typical dosages.
Crack is actually a less pure sort of freebase cocaine. Unlike old fashioned freebase, however, its production doesn't involve any flammable solvents.
Crack is usually made by mixing two parts of cocaine hydrochloride with one part baking soda in some water. The solution is then heated gently until white precipitates form. Crack is then cut or broken into small rocks weighing a few tenths of a gram.
The traditional method of taking cocaine in the west involved snorting the hydrochloride salt. But absorption through the nasalmucousa is relatively modest.
This is because their surface-area is small and cocaine is vasoconstrictive. Freebase, on the other hand, is smoked and inhaled directly into the lungs. Therefore much higher doses are possible. Inhalation is followed by an intense euphoric rush.
Chronic cocaine use causes a decrease in the production of enkephalin, one of the brain's natural opioids. This in turn causes a compensatory increase in the number of mu-receptors. The number of unoccupied mu-receptors may be associated with the craving and abstinence syndrome.
After chronic exposure to cocaine, the number of post-synaptic dopamine receptors in the CNS is reduced. The amount of dopamine transporter protein is increased.
Tolerance to cocaine's effects does exist over prolonged use; but the extent of this physiological adaptation is relatively modest. The cocaine user still gets high; but in the absence of cocaine, his pre-synaptic neurons sequester dopamine in the synaptic cleft with greater efficiency.
This may induce depression, sometimes severe.

References:

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/coc10.htm

2007-11-09T10:30:00.000-03:00

Identification and quantitation

of alkaloids in coca tea

Amanda J. Jenkins , Teobaldo Llosa , Ivan Montoya and Edward J. Cone Addiction Research Center, NIDA/NIH, P.O. Box 5180, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

The consumption of coca tea is a common occurrence in many South American countries. The tea is often packaged in individual servings as tea bags which contain approximately 1 g of plant material. The consumption of coca tea leads to ingestion of cocaine and other alkaloids: however, there is little information available regarding the pharmacological or toxicological effects that result from consumption of coca tea. We performed a series of studies with coca tea bags from two South American countries, Peru and Bolivia. The alkaloidal content of the ‘coca leaf’ in coca tea bags was determined by two different extraction methods: Soxhlet extraction with methanol (exhaustive extraction), and mechanical agitation with methanol. Extracts were purified by solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrornetry (GC/MS). Coca tea prepared from Peruvian and Bolivian coca tea bags was also analyzed by SPE-GC/MS assay. In addition, urine specimens were analyzed from an individual who consumed one cup of Peruvian coca tea and one cup of Bolivian coca tea on separate occasions. Urine samples were analyzed by immunoassay (TDx®) and SPE-GC/MS. Analysis of coca tea bags and coca tea indicated that cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester and trans-cinnamoylcocaine were present in varying quantities. With exhaustive extraction, an average of 5.11 mg, and 4.86 mg of cocaine per tea bag were found in coca leaf from Peru and Bolivia, respectively. The average amounts of benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester in Peruvian coca leaf were 0.11 and 1.15 mg, and in Bolivian coca leaf were 0.12 and 2.93 mg per tea bag, respectively. trans-Cinnamoylcocaine was found in trace amounts in Peruvian tea bags and 0.16 mg/tea bag of Bolivian tea. When tea was prepared, an average of 4.14 mg of cocaine was present in a cup of Peruvian coca tea and 4.29 mg of cocaine was present in Bolivian tea. Following the consumption of a cup of Peruvian tea by one individual, a peak urine benzoylecgonine concentration of 3940 ng/ml occurred 10 h after ingestion. Consumption of Bolivian coca tea resulted in a peak benzoylecgonine concentration of 4979 ng/ml at 3.5 h. The cumulative urinary excretion of benzoylecgonine after approximately 48 h, determined by GC/MS, was 3.11 mg and 2.69 mg after consumption of Peruvian and Bolivian coca tea, respectively. This study demonstrated that coca tea bags and coca tea contain a significant amount of cocaine and cocaine-related alkaloids and the consumption of a single cup of Peruvian or Bolivian coca tea produces positive drug test results for cocaine metabolites.

References:
Author Keywords: Author Keywords: Coca tea bags; Cocaine; Benzoylecgonine
Corresponding author.
Forensic Science International Volume 77, Issue 3, 9 February 1996, Pages 179-189

2007-11-06T10:49:00.000-03:00

Osteoporosis Free:

with Peruvian Coca Leaf..?

We found today a very interesting article about coca tea and Osteoporosis, unfortunately , we could not contact the author to ask permission to be able to post it at our blog, we tried to send a message and post a comment without any luck, unfortunately, we do not know who wrote it and we only have the link where it came from, so... we have decided to include it in our blog anyway, respecting the authors rights and including the link where the original is located.

We introduced this week coca tea Delisse from Peru and we will have the coca powder available in two weeks as soon as we finish all the testing to guarantee the optimal quality.
Enjoy it!
C.B.R.A.

Filed Under (Uncategorized) by admin on 06-11-2007
The dramatic story of Pierre Gean, a Peruvian boy of 5 years, immobilized, left for science and the condition in the terminal disease Pertes and fully recovered within a few months, only enrich their foods with 30 grams daily of the land coca leaves, which opens Possibility. The fact miraculous treatment in a hospital in Peru for the nutritionist Maritza Vera, was encouraged by past successes with other patients heal themselves from various chronic diseases, such as anemia, depression, osteoporosis and even leukemia, only adding & quot; the flour coca "(roasted and ground coca leaf) to their food. The coca contains "reserpine" that regulates pressure and osteoblasts form, so acting in patients with osteoporosis, said Maritza Vera.Today Gean Pierre runs willingly plays football and bicycle rides and free of the disease . Maritza said that the coca plant is a wonderful, every 3 months for the cure of some diseases. She has been remarkably successful treatment of various diseases It is not by chance that the plant has acquired a wide and diverse range of applications in the traditional medicine of the indigenous population. Its unique qualities have been proven over time and across its vast territory. The coca leaf has been established as the traditional remedy for the treatment of physiological and psychological illnesses, and by virtue of its membership is a powerful restorer of energy to cure stomach ailments and digestive disorders alleviate the larynx and vocal cords, prevention of vertigo, which regulates blood pressure and metabolism of carbohydrates, and even improve sex. In his diary of 1794, Hip lito Unanue writes "coqueros, 80 years and older, yet capable of such a feat as young men in the prime of their life to be proud of." Peruvian investigators say the low incidence of cardiovascular disease in the "chacchadores" natives of coca leaves. Also, the infrequency of osteoporosis and dental lapses is well known. A very important study conducted by Harvard University found that the coca leaf has a large amount of nutrients, rather than other foods known as very strong. Every 100 grams of coca leaf contain: Calcium 1749 (mg), Phosphor 637 (mg) Vitamin A 10000 (IU) In Peru using flour coca is the expansion for the treatment of various diseases, especially osteoporosis, arthritis, gastritis, etc. ENACO (National Coca Company) sell flour coca "freely, to meet the growing domestic demand. YES coca leaf, cocaine NOT Coca leaves have been used for centuries as a stimulant. Pre-Inca Indians used the leaves to alleviate altitude sickness (hypoxia), hunger and fatigue. Confusion between coca and drugs First, it is necessary to highlight and distinguish the fundamental difference between chewing coca in the Andean establishment and the illegal use of cocaine in Western countries. In a speech in 1992 at the Annual Assembly of the World Health Organization, the President of the Republic of Bolivia, Mr. Paz Zamora referred to these confusing and conflicting interpretations and noted that "coca is an Andean tradition while the cocaine is a Western habit " The innocuous nature of traditional use of coca leaves and benefits to human health is proved with scientific rigor by the largest study ever done of coca. This research was conducted between 1991 and 1995 by the World Health Organization (WHO) The concentration of cocaine alkaloid in the road is very low and therefore not naturally ingested in severe toxicity or creates dependency. It acts as a stimulant weight, it improves care and coordination of ideas; It sounds like a coffee concentrate The Andean culture and the coca plant have thrived for centuries. It is ironic that the same plant that is used as a cure in their homeland is the source of so much misunderstanding and abuse elsewhere. After years of management, ENACO (Empresa Nacional de Coca in Peru) has succeeded in giving a new impetus to the industrialization and export of coca leaves. First, the sale of mate de coca (coca tea) to South Africa and the United States and Switzerland; And also with the production of coca leaf extract to be used as a flavor in the United States. The DEA own guaranteed sales to the United States The Peruvian government must initiate large trial, local and international levels to demonstrate scientifically the curatives properties of the coca leaf, which in fact are already accepted by a growing Peruvian population. In Conclusion: Cocaine can be a curse to mankind … But the coca leaf can be a blessing for our health.

http://lsrtq.freehyperspace.com/2007/11/06/osteoporosis-free-with-peruvian-coca-leaf/index.html

2007-11-02T22:01:00.000-03:00

Coca Tea Delisse

After two years carrying Bolivian products only, we have opened our doors to our neighbor country Peru and their products. The new Peruvian items included in our inventory are Coca Tea Delisse 100ct and Coca Tea Delisse 50ct Holidays Edition; by the middle of November, our company will introduce all the Peruvian coca tea brands and additional products from Peru and Bolivia right on time for the Holiday Season.
Delisse is a coca tea produced by ENACO S.A. and the Peruvian Government.

Some of the properties of coca tea include:

It has a beneficial effect for the digestive system, controls flatulence.
It has an effective antiseptic and analgesic action.
Effective relieve in cases of gastritis.
An effective substitute for back pain medication
Great for Migraines and severe headaches.
It helps with diarrhea and its symptoms.
Regulates blood pressure.
It stimulates a proper respiratory function, prevents altitude sickness.
It prevents vertigo and vomit.
Helps to recover physical strength and vital energy.
It regulates the metabolism against lipids and carbohydrates.
Great for diets and workout.
Controls vocal cords fatigue.
Helps with hangovers and alcohol poisoning.
It is a Great source of energy.
A healthy alternative to coffee, caffeinated and energy drinks
Helps with depression and also to assimilate better prescription drugs for depresion.
Great for PMS and Menopause symptoms
A great healthy tea that can be drunk hot or cold after or before every meal.

Enjoy your coca tea!

Miss Lyelee G.M.

Reyes Avila, LLC

FDA DisclaimerThe statements made on our websites have not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration). Our products are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. If a condition persists, please contact your physician. The information provided by this blog, all our websites or this company is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as individual medical advice.

2007-10-30T08:53:00.000-03:00

Alkaloids

in Coca Leaf

We received an email regarding volatile and involitile alkaloids and there is a lot of margin in the subject to create confusion , so, we are going to make it as simple as possible:

An alkaloid is, strictly speaking, a naturally occurring amine produced by a plant, but amines produced by animals and fungi are also called alkaloids. Many alkaloids have pharmacological effects on humans and other animals. The name derives from the word alkaline; originally, the term was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base.
Certain alkaloids like Nicotine found in coca leaf , Cocaine, Ecgonine, etc are volatile alkaloids, Volatile Alkaloids means that they can be extracted from plants by extraction with organic solvent. For example seeds which are rich in oils can be extracted with petroleum ether. Methanol is also used to extract the alkaloids and after filtration and evaporation the extract is diluted with water acidified and steam distilled to remove the last traces of methanol. After several days at 0 - 5oC the aqueous residue usually clears and it is then possible to separate the organic layer. The organic material is extracted with ether or chloroform, the extracts evaporated and steam distilled again. Volatile alkaloids are separated. The aqueous residue is made alkaline and extracted yet again. The extracts are evaporated and then begin the task of trying to separate the constituents in crystalline form either as the free base or if not as acid salts.
There is a wide variety of structural types of alkaloid e.g. monocyclic, dicyclic, tricyclic, tetracyclic etc. as well as cage structures.
So… cocaine is a volatile alkaloid, you can extract cocaine from coca leaf using different compounds and solvents. Pure cocaine remains legal (though uncommon and highly regulated) for medical use as a local anaesthetic, even in children, in many jurisdictions, used particularly for dental, throat, and nasal surgery

A different example is the coca cola syrup, they discard the cocaine alkaloid but they extract other volatile alkaloids used as part of their "secret recipe" which alkaloids?? .... there is the secret!

Involatile compounds, include organics, organometallics, peptides, proteins and other polymers. Besides cocaine, coca leaf contains a number of other alkaloids, including methylecgonine cinnamate, benzoylecgonine, truxilline, hydroxytropacocaine, tropacocaine, Ecgonine, cuscohygrine, dihydrocuscohygrine, nicotine and hygrine; some volatile and some involitile which are used for different reasons, that's why coca leaf is so complex, not only because it contains the alkaloid cocaine but also contains other alkaloids, proteins, vitamins & mineral.
And no coca tea is not addictive, it contains translamilcocacine and sinamilcocacine (molecules that are lost in cocaine), that prevent addiction. http://mysteriousbolivia.blogspot.com/search?q=interview+oruro

C.B.R.A.
references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/sciences/chemistry/tebby/alkaloids.html

2007-10-27T17:48:00.000-03:00

Coca Tea - Saffron Rice

Servings = 2 large or 4 side dish
Serving size =1/2 cup rice
This recipe can be multiplied by 2 or 4.

Ingredients.
1 cup hot water

1/2 cup of chicken or veal stock
5 coca tea bags
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
20 - 25 threads of saffron
½ tablespoon of chopped oregano
2 tablespoon of finely chopped onion
¼ tablespoon of chopped basil

1/2 tablespoon of chopped sage
1/2 cup jasmine rice or any long grain rice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

chopped parsley

Preparation

Brew 4 coca tea bags in the hot water 5-10 minute, remove the coca tea bags and discard them
Heat a pan or skillet on high until the oil is very hot but not smoking.
Add the onions all at once and reduce the heat to medium high.
Using a spatula, turn (toss) the onions so that all the pieces get some oil on them
Add the herbs, basil, oregano and sage and the content of one coca tea bag to the onions
Toss for a minute until all the flavors are mixed, add the rice to the mixture, let it fry for 2 - 3 minutes, stir constantly for a even roast.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, heat the coca tea brew, chicken stock, saffron, salt and pepper
Add the fried rice, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 15 minutes.
Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice.
When a very small amount of liquid remains, remove the pan from the burner, sprinkle the chopped parsley and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

To Plate

This is a great vegetarian – vegan dish by itself , you can top it with boiled eggs, tomatoes and fresh herbs or baked black beans and ratatouille for a vegan version.
Ideal as a side dish for steaks, fish or chicken recipe.
This rice is particularly rich in calcium, vitamins and minerals and easy to digest.
Add some sea food, chicken and sausage for a Bolivian - Spanish paella.

This is one of my favorite recipes and for a long time I have kept it secret to all my friends because I use it as signature dish for thanksgiving, parties and dinners. It is very healthy, it has a great flavor and my kids love it, so... it has passed a rigorous finicky kid's test. My original recipe included one clove of garlic finely chopped mixed with the onions, but my twins can detect the most insignificant trace of garlic in any dish making it automatically uneatable for their palates.

C.B.R.A.

2007-10-26T00:03:00.000-03:00

My favorite Song
(Adios Nonino: Astor Piazzolla)

The same song with a "Romantic European" twist

Music and Math are the universal language of the world, You don't need to speak Spanish to get the message of this song but like any strong feeling or feeling motivator, we all can ilustrate the meaning in our own way and give it our own interpretation.
Music is an "easy to read code" because it triggers our minds from our ears and touches our souls without major training or learning process, but still keeps its mystic protocol.
The same happens with Math, it is a language shared by human beings regardless your culture, color, political tendency or gender, No matter what unit of exchange we use or were in the world we live, we are likely to get the math result the same way. There is a connections between mathematics and music, The first person to make the connection was Pythagoras, when he said that "Math is everywhere" even in the rhythmic bit of our hearts that generate our daily music of life.
This song remind me to my dad, when young, he went to college to Argentina to become an Electrical Engineer; but he not only acquire the high math concepts, rules, enunciate, postulate, thesis and anti-thesis that math and engineering give you, he also adopted the Argentinian way or life; its music, food, traditions and even the attraction to glamorous Argentinian females. My dad's first wife and mother of my brother Sergio Antonio (he is older than my mom, being mom the forth and last wife) is from Argentina same as Sergio and some of my other brothers and sisters.
When my dad came back to Bolivia, from Argentina, after college and later after exile, he brought with him not only the music he deeply loves but also the rules of respect and appreciation to other cultures.
When I was a kid. I remember our lunch time, when every member of the family was sitting around the same long table and everything was quiet and relaxing... the smooth notes of a Tango or the accords of "Los Panchos" , "Los Chalchaleros" and so many other Argentinian singers or groups as part of my dearest childhood memories.
The allegory of this song is deep, it represents pain, grief, memories, happiness and the love you profess to your father or whatever that motivates your heart, even if Math is what you truly love.
C.B.R.A.
More about this song at: http://www.todotango.com/english/biblioteca/cronicas/adios_nonino.html

2007-10-19T17:05:00.000-03:00

www.GreenTracks.com

Lake Titicaca, Peru and Bolivia

Tucked away high in the Andes between snow-covered peaks, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake on the planet. The high altitude and crystal-clear air combine for stunning panoramas during the day and at night the sky is jam-packed with stars horizon to horizon.
Sitting in this turquoise lake are islands inhabited by peoples with disparate cultures that today combine their pre-Inca heritage with Inca and Spanish influences. Fishermen living on islands made of reeds, farmers carving terraces in rock-covered hillsides and shepards herding flocks of llamas and alpacas - all consider the lake sacred and the source of life. Around the lake one can find signs of the past, from pre-Inca burial tombs to Spanish built cathedrals.
The flora and fauna is no less unique than the cultures found here. The tortora reed, a cat-tail type rush is used to build islands, buildings and boats. Llamas, alpacas and vicuñas are raised as food, beasts of burden and most importantly, for their fine wool used in textile weavings. One of the most unusual animals found here is the Lake Titicaca frog which is endemic to this seemingly hostile low temperature, high ultraviolet light environment. Its' skin looks several sizes too large, thereby giving it a large enough surface area for the frog to take enough oxygen from the water to allow to stay submerged and protected. All of this makes for a unique travel destination.
LAKE TITICACA
Lake Titicaca straddles the border between Peru and Bolivia at 12,580 feet above sea level. The average depth is 328 feet (100 meters) and the deepest point is over 900 feet (281 meters.) The Andean people refer to it as “The Sacred Lake” and believe the first Inca rose from deep within the lake to found the Inca Empire. The people of the lake still make offerings to ensure sufficient totora reeds for building boats, for successful fishing, for safe passage on its waters and for a mild climate.
The lake contains numerous islands, some heavily populated.
Uros Islands is a group of man-made islands constructed from totora reeds. The Uros people, who pre-date the Incas, also make boats from these reeds. These are the type boats used by Thor Heyerdahl in his epic journey from Peru to Polynesia.
Taquile Island is known for its fine handwoven textile products, among the highest quality in Peru.
Amantani Island harbors villages where Quechua is still spoken. There are two sacred peaks containing ancient ruins.
Suasi Island is a private island that has a hotel with lake-view rooms. The hotel is surrounded by flowered terraces. It has a restaurant and bar, and offers hiking trails and canoeing.

Ready to visit Bolivia?... We recommend : The best tours of South AmericanRainforest & Archaeology www.Greentracks.com

Lyeleejoe G.M.

Reyes Avila, LLC

2007-10-11T13:46:00.000-03:00

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2007-10-04T13:13:00.000-03:00

Reading the Coca Leaves

By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: September 23, 2006

New York Times

The most enlightening speech at the United Nations this week, I’m sorry to say, was the one by Evo Morales of Bolivia.
I don’t mean it was a good or even a coherent speech. That would be too much to expect from the world leaders’ annual gasathon. The rhetorical bar is extremely low. Morales, like his friend Hugo Chávez, spent much of his time ranting about a new world order based on the economic policies that have worked such wonders in Cuba.
But Morales at least brought a visual aid — and thank God, it wasn’t a book by Noam Chomsky. Unlike Chávez, he didn’t assign reading homework to the U.N. Instead, he held up a small green coca leaf, and when he talked about international drug policies, he made more sense than anyone in the United States government.
We’ve sacrificed soldiers’ lives and spent billions of dollars trying to stop peasants from growing coca in the Andes and opium in Afghanistan and other countries. But the crops have kept flourishing, and in America the street price of cocaine and heroin has plummeted in the past two decades.
Meanwhile, we’ve been helping terrorists and other enemies abroad. The Senate has voted to send Afghanistan more money for programs to harass opium growers, whose discontent is already being exploited by the resurgent Taliban. In the Andes, American drug policies made Bolivians so mad that they elected Morales, a former leader of the coca growers, who campaigned for president on the kind of anti-American rhetoric he spouted this week.
At the U.N., he denounced “the colonization of the Andean peoples” by imperialists intent on criminalizing coca. “It has been demonstrated that the coca leaf does no harm to human health," he said, a statement that’s much closer to the truth than Washington’s take on these leaves. The white powder sold on the streets of America is dangerous because it’s such a concentrated form of cocaine, but just about any substance can be perilous at a high enough dose.
South Americans routinely drink coca tea and chew coca leaves. The tiny amount of cocaine in the leaves is a mild stimulant and appetite suppressant that isn’t more frightening than coffee or colas — in fact, it might be less addictive than caffeine, and on balance it might even be good for you. When the World Health Organization asked scientists to investigate coca in the 1990’s, they said it didn’t seem to cause health problems and might yield health benefits.
But American officials fought against the publication of the report and against the loosening of restrictions on coca products, just as they’ve resisted proposals to let Afghan farmers sell opium to pharmaceutical companies instead of to narco-traffickers allied with the Taliban. The American policy is to keep attacking the crops, even if that impoverishes peasants — or, more typically, turns them into criminals.
Drug prohibition in Bolivia and Afghanistan has done exactly what alcohol prohibition did in America: it has financed organized crime.
The only workable solution is to repeal prohibition. Give Afghan poppy growers a chance to sell opium for legal painkilling medicines; give Andean peasants a legal international market for their crops in products like gum, lozenges, tea and other drinks. As Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance proposes, “Put the coca back in Coca-Cola.”
That’s what Morales wants, too, and he’s right to complain about American imperialists criminalizing a substance that has been used for centuries in the Andes. If gringos are abusing a product made from coca leaves, that’s a problem for America to deal with at home. The most cost-effective way is through drug treatment programs, not through futile efforts to cut off the supply.
America makes plenty of things that are bad for foreigners’ health — fatty Big Macs, sugary Cokes, deadly Marlboros — but we’d never let foreigners tell us what to make and not make. The Saudis can fight alcoholism by forbidding the sale of Jack Daniels, but we’d think they were crazy if they ordered us to eradicate fields of barley in Tennessee.
They’d be even crazier if they tried to wipe out every field of barley in the world, but that’s what our drug policy has come to. We think we can solve our cocaine problem by getting rid of coca leaves, but all we’re doing is empowering demagogues like Evo Morales. Our drug warriors put him in power. Now he gets to perform show and tell for the world.

http://select.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/opinion/23tierney.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1191514357-G6ccDgSngTNJZtfQ8eE6Xg&pagewanted=print

2007-10-03T14:49:00.000-03:00

Altitude sickness and Coca Tea

For centuries, indigenous cultures of the Altiplano in Bolivia and other high altitude cities in Peru, such as the Aymara, Quechua and Incas, have used coca leaves to treat and prevent mild altitude sickness. Drinking plenty of water will also help in acclimatization to replace the fluids lost through heavier breathing in the thin, dry air found at altitude, although consuming excessive quantities ("over-hydration") has no benefits.

The folk remedy for altitude sickness in Peru and Bolivia is a tea made from the coca plant: “Mate de coca” or “Coca tea” both countries produce coca tea, small tea bags that contain one gram of dried crushed coca tea. Coca Tea is offered to tourists and foreigners at hotels, restaurants, offices, etc. Coca is an alkaloid plant (like tea, coffee, poppy or tobacco). It contains a number of alkaloids, including cocaine (present in coca leaves in minimal amounts, between 0.25 and 1%), which, through mastication and the effect of saliva, reacts with other alkaline substances, is broken down and transformed into Ecgonine.

Ecgonine is a metabolite*, it is several times weaker than Cocaine (in the Anesthetic – Stimulant field) it does not has euphoric effect on the nervous system and increases the tolerance to physical work; Ecgonine, in the natural intended use of Coca tea and coca leaves. This substance helps metabolize fat accumulated in the liver, yielding glucose and, consequently, energy. Although they did not know the details of these chemical processes, the Incas, and the Aymara before them (Evo Morales, president of Bolivia is Aymara from Oruro), knew that chewing coca leaves gave a sense of well-being and strength.

Our company has sent coca tea and coca tea candy to resorts areas and hotels in Switzerland, Namibia, Italy, Canada, Nepal, USA and also to customers worldwide engaged in mountain, rock and ice climbing and high altitude hiking that purchase the tea for altitude sickness. It is very hard to find credible information regarding coca tea, it's benefits and use. Well, we do have a large amount of information that we collect from research groups , colleges and laboratories worldwide that buy our products and in several cases we donate the tea for farther studies. All the information we have, it is shared with all our customers; the amount of data accumulated in the last two years is considerable and we generally post articles periodically or under request.

C.B.R.A.

* Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in the normal growth, development, and reproduction

Altitude sickness

Based on:Author: Thomas E. Dietz Reviewed & Approved by the ISMM Publications Committee (pending)

High altitude is defined as

High Altitude: 1500 - 3500 m (5000 - 11500 ft)
Very High Altitude: 3500 - 5500 m (11500 - 18000 ft)
Extreme Altitude: above 5500 m

Practically speaking, however, we generally don't worry much about elevations below about 2500 m (8000 ft) since altitude illness rarely occurs lower than this. Certain normal physiologic changes occur in every person who goes to altitude:

Hyperventilation (breathing faster, deeper, or both)
Shortness of breath during exertion
Changed breathing pattern at night
Awakening frequently at night
Increased urination

As one ascends through the atmosphere, barometric pressure decreases (though the air still contains 21% oxygen) and thus every breath contains fewer and fewer molecules of oxygen. One must work harder to obtain oxygen, by breathing faster and deeper. Persistent increased breathing results in reduction of carbon dioxide in the blood, a metabolic waste product that is removed by the lungs. The build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood is the key signal to the brain that it is time to breathe, so if it is low, the drive to breathe is blunted (the lack of oxygen is a much weaker signal, and acts as an ultimate safety valve). Dramatic changes take place in the body's chemistry and fluid balance during acclimatization. The osmotic center, which detects the "concentration" of the blood, gets reset so that the blood is more concentrated. This results in an altitude dieresis as the kidneys excrete more fluid. The reason for this reset is not understood, though it has the effect of increasing the hematocrit (concentration of red blood cells) and perhaps improving the blood's oxygen-carrying ability somewhat; it also counteracts the tendency for edema formation. It is normal at altitude to be urinating more than usual. If you are not, you may be dehydrated, or you may not be acclimatizing well.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a constellation of symptoms that represents your body not being acclimatized to its current altitude. As you ascend, your body acclimatizes to the decreasing oxygen (hypoxia). At any moment, there is an "ideal" altitude where your body is in balance; most likely this is the last elevation at which you slept The exact mechanisms of AMS are not completely understood, but the symptoms are thought to be due to mild swelling of brain tissue in response to the hypoxic stress. If this swelling progresses far enough, significant brain dysfunction occurs.

Anyone who goes to altitude can get AMS. It is primarily related to individual physiology (genetics) and the rate of ascent; there is no significant effect of age, gender, physical fitness, or previous altitude experience. Some people acclimatize quickly, and can ascend rapidly; others acclimatize slowly and have trouble staying well even on a slow ascent. There are factors that we don't understand; the same person may get AMS on one trip and not another despite an identical ascent itinerary. Unfortunately, no way has been found to predict who is likely to get sick at altitude. It is remarkable how many people mistakenly believe that a headache at altitude is "normal"; it is not. Denial is also common - be willing to admit that you have altitude illness, that's the first step to staying out of trouble. It is OK to get altitude illness, it can happen to anyone. It is not OK to die from it. With the information in this tutorial, you should be able to avoid the severe, life-threatening forms of altitude illness.

2007-09-28T12:21:00.000-03:00

Aloe – Coca Juice

At long last, I have come upon a natural course of treatment through my diet that seems to be working better than anything that I have tried thus far.
In addition to sticking to a high-fiber diet and steady intake of coca tea, I am drinking a half-cup of pure , undiluted aloe juice infused with coca tea bags (20 tea bags dropped in the jug overnight in one gallon of 100% Pure Aloe Vera Natural ) with every meal (snacks also). A few tea bags may open the second day but I can live with that! The aloe – coca juice is a bit bitter at first but soon becomes tolerable. It has the triple affect of soothing the digestive system, softening the stool and energizing your body.
I buy the Aloe Vera juice in a large gallon jug of "Fruit of the Earth Pure Aloe Vera Juice" at Wal-Mart for about $7.00. I have been using "Lupi" coca tea which is ground more finely than the other brands. I also use MacMate coca tea, which is darker and I can get it at a discounted price.
I don't want to become complacent but I finally think I have hit upon a combination of factors that are enhancing my diet and helping with those hard to lose extra pounds I accumulated over several years due to my poor diet. For those of you who are looking for a healthy diet I highly recommend the above-mentioned program.
I wish you all freedom from extra-pounds!
A. Steinberg
Albuquerque -NM

Disclaimer: "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease"

We recommend to infuse the Aloe Vera at least one week with the coca tea bags before start drinking for better results!

Miss Lyelee

2007-09-20T22:28:00.000-03:00

www.MysteriousBolivia.com

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09/20- 01/08

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Use the codes when you checkout at http://www.mysteriousbolivia.com/ only, in the promotion code box. One time use per customer per code. The price of our products will not increase during 2008. Weekly promotions will be available, so comeback often!
Offer is not for resale and is not redeemable for cash. If you return items purchased using this offer, and your order drops below the threshold, then you may be charged a shipping fee.

Amazon.com and BoliviaStores.com coupons for holiday season will be posted on October 6th. Happy Everything to everybody!

Lyeleejoe G.M
Reyes Avila, LLC

2007-09-20T11:46:00.001-03:00

Coca Tea and Alkaloid's Testing

Coca Tea Consumption Causes Positive Urine Cocaine Assay

Mazor SS, Wills BK, Brace LD, Gussow LM, Erickson TB. University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Toxikon Consortium, Chicago, IL.

Background: Coca tea, or mate de coca MacMate, is commonly consumed in South America and is thought to contain cocaine plant material.
Methods: Institutional IRB approval was obtained. Coca tea was prepared using commercial mate de coca tea bags from Bolivia. One gallon of water was boiled and 12 tea bags steeped in the water for 20 min. Five healthy volunteers ingested between one and five 8-ounce cups of coca tea over 15 min. None of the volunteers reported sympathomimetic symptoms after consuming the tea. Urine samples were collected from each of the subjects preingestion (control) and 2, 12, 24, and 36 h postingestion. Urine toxicology assays for benzoylecgonine were performed by fluorescence polarization immunoassay using Abbott AxSymTM system. Results: The NIDA recommended cutoff for urine benzoylecgonine level is 300 ng/mL. Most reference laboratories use this cutoff when reporting positive urine cocaine screening. Each subject’s urine cocaine assay was positive (level exceeding 300 ng/mL) by 2 h postingestion, and three out of five remained positive at 36 h. Mean benzoylecgonine urine concentrations in all postconsumption samples were 1,777 ng/mL (95% CI:1,060–2,495). In two subjects, 12 h levels exceeded 5,000 ng/mL.
Conclusion: Coca tea ingestion causes a positive urine assay for cocaine. Health care professionals should consider a history of coca tea ingestion when interpreting urine toxicology results.

New Etiology of Cocaine True Positive Drug Screen: Does South American Coca Tea Really Contain Cocaine?

Perrone J, Solari S, Milone M, Miller S, Nanji, A, Shaw LM. Departments of Emergency Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Background: Mate de coca tea is a popular South American drink brewed from leaves of the coca (Erythroxolon coca) plant. Andean natives recommend the tea to visitors for decreasing symptoms of altitude illness, especially in Peru and Bolivia. It is also now available in the United States via the Internet as an anorexiant. Although alleged to contain cocaine, the medical literature does not describe this phenomenon well.
Case Report: A 30-yr-old woman contacted our hospital toxicology laboratory requesting analysis of a ‘‘Bolivian weight-loss tea’’ that she has been drinking. She recently had a urine drug test by her employer that revealed a+benzoylecgonine implying recent cocaine use. The patient adamantly denied cocaine use, but suggested that her Windsor Mate Coca Tea purchased over the Internet might be the cause of her urine drug screen testing positive for cocaine metabolites. Intact samples of Windsor Mate Coca Tea were obtained. A tea was prepared and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy for cocaine and metabolites. A significant peak for cocaine was seen. Further quantification revealed 6.4 mgs cocaine/gram of tea, 0.02 mgs benzoylecgonine/gram of tea and traces of ecgonine methyl ester.
Conclusion: South American coca tea may contain measurable quantities of cocaine and may be sufficient in vivo to cause a positive urine drug screen. Given the perceived sensitivity and specificity of forensic cocaine testing, this new finding may complicate interpretation of positive cocaine tests in the future.

Cinnamoylecgonine in the Urine of Cocaine Users

Wiener SW, Ravikumar PR, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. NYC Poison Control Center, NY, NY.

Background: Ingestion of Mate de coca (coca leaf tea) as a source of clinical false-positive urine cocaine screening has recently been raised as a concern. Analysis of alkaloids present in coca tea revealed cinnamoylmethylecgonine (CME) (also known as cinnamoylcocaine) as a significant component; a CME derivative is also detectable in the urine of coca tea drinkers. Although small amounts of CME were found when samples of cocaine seizures were analyzed, it is unclear whether there would be sufficient quantities to enable detection in the urine of cocaine users. It has been suggested that the presence of this alkaloid might help distinguish between true cocaine users and drinkers of coca tea because the preparation of cocaine for illicit commercial sale may preferentially decrease the amount of contaminants such as CME.
We demonstrate the presence of cinnamoylecgonine (CE), a hydrolysis product of CME, in the urine of cocaine users.
Methods: Ten waste urine samples that had tested positive for benzoylecgonine on EMIT screening were obtained. A total of 2 mL aliquots were mixed with an ammoniacal buffer at pH 9.5, and alkaloids were extracted with methylene chloride and isopropanol (9:1). CE and BE were derivatized with pentafluoropropanol and pentafluoropropionic anhydride (1:2), heated to 90_C for 30 min, cooled and evaporated off at 45_C. Samples were dissolved in 40 mL ethyl acetate, and 2 mL of each were injected into the GC/MS. Spectra were analyzed for the BE and CE derivatives, pentafluoropropylbenzoylecgonine and pentafluoropropylcinnamoylecgonine.

Results: Eight of 10 samples tested positive by GC/MS for the presence of CE. The presence of BE was also confirmed by GC/MS in all samples. Quantitative analysis of CE was not possible because a standard was not available.
Conclusion: CE is detectable in the urine of cocaine users. It would not be useful in distinguishing cocaine users from drinkers of Mate de coca.

C.B.R.A.

2007-09-15T17:18:00.000-03:00

History of the Coca Plant
From the book: Cocaine the Legend by Jorge Hurtado, Bolivia

Coca is a plant whose historic significance dates back to before the conquest of the Incas, in Andean prehistoric times:"... amidst small groups of nomad tribes which inhabited the Andes during the immediate post-glacial period".1the coca leaf was used (and still is) by the Incas, Quechuas and many other Andean cultures. The earliest coca leaves were discovered in the Huaca Prieta settlement c. 2500 - 1800 BC in the northern coast of Peru, positive proof that the natives of South America were using coca for a series of purposes for more than our thousand, five hundred years
All pre-Columbian cultures in the Andes have left evidence of usage of these leaves. Similarly, there is ample evidence that coca was one of the oldest domestic use plants in the New World. Its use extends over an area which includes Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The first mention found on the leaf, was one made by Father Tomas Ortiz, and later on many more chroniclers will mention the leaf starting with the cartographer and explorer Americo Vespucci. Cieza de Leon also devoted extensive paragraphs of his writings to the Coca plant. In 1558, Acosta asserted in this respect: "To speak truthfully, I cannot be convinced that this is all a figment of the imagination. I am rather inclined to believe that there is, in fact, another force and spirit in the natives because there are no effects that can be attributed to imagination, which is how, with the help of a handful of coca leaves, they can walk for days without food, at times other such things and other similar works.” Further ahead in his work, the chronicler adds: "The Lords used coca as a royal object and a gift, and during their sacrifices, it was the one thing they most often offered, burning it in honor of their idols." This same author notes that the leaf was used by the fortune teller (yatiri), by the magician (paco) and the native doctor (callawaya). The chroniclers also busied themselves in recording the powers and uses attributed to coca by the natives: to forecast coming events, to cure several ailments and its function as a mediator with the Andean Pantheon through offerings. Such offerings were carried out during disasters, (drought, flooding, frost, and hail), or during the cycles of regular life, particularly related to Mother Earth (Pacha Mama), and fertility. It is because of this that the coca was considered (and still is), a sacred plant endowed with magical powers, representing the intermediary to make contact with supernatural forces through especial rituals. The economic transformation generated during the Colonial period changed the value of coca leaves as a barter value. Many researchers indicate that at a given time during the Colony, the price of coca leaves was such that they were used instead of gold and silver. Poma de Ayala maintains that the Spanish conquerors changed it into a form of payment. During this period, the usage of coca leaves by the natives is somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, the Catholic Church perceives the use of coca as a major obstacle in penetrating and capturing the indigenous soul and culture, to such an extent that the Church Council of 1569 decreed the eradication of coca plantings because they believed that the plant had satanic powers. This marked the start of the Narco-Inquisition. In spite of this, the chronicles indicate that the coca crops increased considerably given the social importance the plant had, and still has, for the native population. It was used by the Spaniards for exploitation. They are the ones who distributed the leaf, and in exchange the Indians had to serve, work more, etc., thereby increasing the economic importance of the plant, particularly in silver mining of Greater Potosi. Subsequently, King Philip II of Spain declared coca a product for the welfare of the Andean natives. The Church lifted its prohibition and established a ten per cent tax on coca. During the Colony, the importance and commerce of coca"...supplied a regional market, centered in Potosi, which ranged from Northern Peru, Bolivia, part of Chile, and the north of Argentina, a market which survived until the beginning of this century, due to coca..."
It should be noted that Potosi, at the middle of the XVI century, had a population comparable to that of the large cities of Europe. The value of coca leaves consumed annually in this city was equivalent to the price of 450 kilograms of gold, at the rate then in effect.
During the Republican period, the coca plantings did not lose their importance. Based on this crop, the powerful association of land owners of Yungas was created, which starting in 1830, acquired a strong influence in national and departmental politics, their members becoming prominent individuals in the national elite.
Historians have emphasized the importance of coca for the mining industry, maintaining that the natives refused to work in the mines without their coca ration. The relation of mining to coca was so close that even the prices of the former depended on the prices of ores.
Nicanor Fernandez stated at the beginning of the century with respect to the coca / mining relation:
"The unanimous acceptance of the working population of the mines, whose work has stopped recently due to the considerable reduction of the tin prices, has also depressed the prices of coca, causing a veritable crisis in production centers."
. Through the Decree of August 4, 1940, coca was declared a basic article, and its sale was mandatory in mining and railroad companies. The trajectory of coca is an example of historical tenacity. We are certainly not dealing with a mere weed. Looking at it from any perspective, coca appears as a powerful articulator of social, political, cultural and economic realities of this nation. "While coca was primarily consumed by the indigenous population, it is linked through the various commercial levels all social strata, ruling classes, half breeds, merchants, lower class laborers, Indians."
It is like Matienzo said in his time: "To do away with coca is like denying the existence of Peru." Apparently coca had not lost the significance it had at the time of the Conquest. Currently, the traditional use of coca is quite extensive in Bolivia, Peru and Northern Argentina and part of Colombia, particularly among the Aymara and Quechua natives who work in farming, mining, or live in the cities. There search conducted by Carter and Mamani in the rural high plateau regions of Bolivia, shows that 92% of the male population and 89% of the female population were coca users, and that 82% and 68% respectively are habitual chewers. Faced with these figures, by no means negligible, it is important to take into account that the use of coca is in open defiance to an outside world that discriminates against the coca chewer because for a long time, coca has been synonymous with native.
Its use is a powerful symbol of group identity and solidarity which clearly separates those who are with the native and those who oppose them. One could say that the coca leaf is the backbone of the cultural structure of the Andean region. To achieve a better understanding of the latter, we will distinguish three relationships of the Andean inhabitant with coca:
Economic. - The coca leaf operates in farming communities almost as currency for the exchange of products (barter system). It is marketed to obtain currency and be able to respond to new urban consumer demands.
Social. - Coca plays a key role in reciprocating manners. In the Andean culture all social interaction is conceived in terms of reciprocation or interchange. There is no reciprocal interchange in which coca is not offered, for instance: If a man or woman asks for ayni (an Aymara custom of reciprocal help), he/she will offer a handful of coca. A man would show his acceptance of the charge receiving the coca from the offer. Petitions submitted to community leaders may be accompanied with coca and alcohol. Similarly, the coca it is very important when a leader assumes a community position, or when those who lead a group of native dancers are named. The petition of a woman in marriage is led by the relatives of the groom by offering a handful of coca. The success of the petition would be indicated by the acceptance or rejection of the gift. To organize more complex tasks, such as feasts, construction or even battle against the enemy, groups or the entire community will gather the whole night. There, coca is distributed and is chewed during the meeting. Its use is extended in special occasions such as festivities both in the country and the suburban areas. In the Bolivian Yungas, an area which produced coca since the Incas, the coca field accompanies the vital cycle of the family.
When a couple is joined in matrimony they have to build a house and plant a coca field. The planting is born with the family, grows and thrives with it. When their children grow and bring a wife to help with the chores, the coca field and the home will have reached the pinnacle of production and their modest wealth. In time, their offspring will leave home; their parents will grow old alone, like their coca field which yields little, but enough for the reduced family.
Thus coca is key to enter into social relationships in Andean cultures; it promotes trust and is like a visiting card. Sergio Quijada explains this very aptly when he asserts " Coca, when chewed in small quantities (chakchar or acullico), is an efficient bond and link to knit the fabric of fraternization and amiability among fellow countrymen."
Socially, coca is offered and handed out to extend and strengthen the kinship and reciprocation relationship, so dearly needed in the Andean world to achieve labor, prestige, power and social integration.
At work. - Before starting work on the farm, together with their relatives, friends and community members who will work with the owner (who will reciprocate their cooperation in the future), coca, drinks and cigarettes will be passed around. They all give thanks for the gift; choose three leaves blowing into the direction of a mountain which will protect them and the community, and pray to the spirits. Then, slowly, they begin to chew the leaves. The owner will pay homage to the ancestors and to Mother Earth, burying some coca, cigarettes and candy in the ground, invoking their ancestors (Peru).In the Andes, the work day is divided in three or four shifts, with a break between shifts when coca is chewed after their meals. The same is done when performing community work, where their authorities will hand out the coca leaves.
In the Bolivian Yungas, thanks to the leaf, the ayni or reciprocation institution has been extended considerably because coca is a permanent crop which requires good care for the future. Under the ayni, the work performed for others is done with the same care as for their own property. The harvest under the reciprocation system is done by the women and this is the social event per excellence, they don their best clothing, blue skirts in contrast with the green coca fields and reddish brown earth. The young men of the community look for a suitable partner, the women flirt about, and there is laughter, tales, and gossip. The harvest is the major workshop for social control by the community. In farming communities, the practice of reciprocation for work shows that labor is a community resource, shared by all members as if they all belonged to a single domestic unit and it is work which will establish the rank of the community member.
Magical Practices.-
In the Andean area, all ritual and religious ceremonies subsist and are quite common, with slight variations. The purpose of the use of coca, in a magical sense, is to protect the individual against witchcraft, curses, change bad luck and predict the future. Without coca, it would be impossible for the fortune teller to forecast the future, or to indicate what the ailment of his patients is and how to cure it. He would be able to understand the punishment inflicted by Mother Earth, the guardian spirits and other god protectors. Without coca they cannot protect the future and avert curses, for this practice coca is chewed and then burned. It is given to their animals when celebrating fertility rites. It is very important for there to be an abundance of coca, alcohol and food in these occasions because these are symbols of abundance in the future of the believers. Otherwise, the ceremony is useless.
In a religious sense, coca is used humbly to give thanks for blessings or to make offerings to the gods. All traditional Andean rituals are celebrated around the coca leaves. All present must chew the leaves under the direction of the fortune teller (yatiri). Likewise, coca is indispensable in preparing the offerings, services for the ancestors, to Mother Earth (Pacha Mama) as an act of thanks giving for good harvests, health or thriving of their livestock
."The gods, the Incas, and the ancestors in ancient and sacred times, dictated the rules for social and individual use of coca. The use of this plant as dictated by custom, in agricultural feasts, at work or during the ceremonies of their vital cycle, is to enter and experience the mythical and primeval space-time continuum of the gods, cultural heroes and their ancestors."
Coca will always be present in all important moments of their life because it is not only a product, but heritage as well. It is not only their most important element of their survival, but it also represents what is sacred to them, their culture, traditions and their endurance against abuse and exploitation. "Like people, it must never be killed, uprooted, nor should the leaves be cast away... I interpret your sickness and all other ill fortune as a punishment from Pacha Mama for having eradicated the coca -it is sacred- is it not true?"

* Chapter extracted from the thesis of Sdenka Silva. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz - Bolivia. Sociology.
International Coca Research Institute ICORI
Direccion ICORI Bolivia Dr. Jorge Hurtado G.
Direccion International Holanda Dr. Tomas Rios T.
Linares St. # 906 La Paz, Bolivia.
Open from 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Saturday.
Tel. 591 2 2311998 La Paz Bolivia

2007-09-13T10:01:00.000-03:00

Cocayerb Mate

Much has already be said about this fine product (coca tea) and it would be hard to add to all the existing great reviews. I find this excellent product to be complementary to Yerba Mate as well. I combine the two mates by making strong yerba mate sun tea and then steeping the coca tea bags in the first sun tea ( once again in the sun ) making Cocayerb Mate. For my tastes the two work well in concert, I find that the properties of both mates combine nicely. I add a small amount of sugar to my cocayerb mate because I drink it as a dark tea. Cocayerb might be a little intense for those people that don't like coffee due to it's stimulating effects. The speed and efficiency of the Amazon ordering and delivery process is very commendable as well.
By
Mo Bevmo (Central California)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B000HAAAKI/sr=8-1/qid=1189688599/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful/002-4841580-2700047?ie=UTF8&n=3370831&qid=1189688599&sr=8-1#customerReviews

This was a review we recently got for coca tea Windsor at Amazon.com and as curious as we are around here, we decided to try it... I personally love Yerba Mate, my aunt Anita Reyes de Chavez is from the Chaco region in Bolivia near Argentina and one of my brothers and 2 of my sisters live in Yacuiba. Aunt Anita drinks yerba mate 3 or 4 times at day and she used to share her yerba mate with us, she lived at my mom's house for a long time while her daughter went to live China as wife of the Bolivian Ambassador in the 90's.

Unfortunately I like my Yerba mate with tons of sugar and lately sugar has been banned from my diet. Anyway, Splenda is always a good substitute and the "CocaYerb Mate" we prepared was delicious and strong, we used MacMate instead of Windsor, the flakes are bigger and the coca tea stronger; this mix contains natural caffeine from the yerba mate and combined with the alkaloids of the coca tea.... hey... I'll leave it to you to find out the results.

I'll let Lyelee (our tea expert ) get crazy with several mixes and recipes to get a perfect "COCAYERB MATE" ( I even like the name) that we'll post next week, unfortunately it is raining and cloudy in Charlotte and we are not going to get any sunny days this weekend to continue our experiments.

If you have a recipe that you would like to share with us, please email it at: mysteriousbolivia@gmail.com , we'll be glad to post it.
C.B.R.A.

2007-09-10T16:22:00.000-03:00

Espresso - Coca Tea - Shot
Coca tea pods for Senseo machine

I took this idea from http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/coffeepods/ where you can see the whole procedure, pictures included (I just changed the coffee for the coca tea) I have at home a small Walmart - cheap espresso machine that brews 2 cups only and uses regular espresso coffee and does not need pods because it has a colander built-in, but ... some of our customers mentioned the Senseo machine and for me, Senseo pads sound like expensive, no-reason waste of money and maybe that's why I never got one. I generally open 3 or 4 coca tea bags ( sometimes more, when I am working over night or have tons of stuff to do) just fill the espresso machine with water and let it run, the flavor is strong and I get a coca- shot with a similar strength to the double espresso I love.... but without the stomach cramps and jitters; after the machine cools down, I can refill with no need to change the coca tea to get a second milder shot.
C.B.R.A.

So.... Let's make our coca tea pods!

Do you really like your pod coffee maker, but wish you could use your favorite coca tea in -- just because it is shaped like a pod? Why not make your own?

What You'll Need

Most of what you'll need is probably already in your kitchen. Look for a stainless steel measuring scoop that fits into the pod holder on your maker. For a Senseo brand maker and a 1/3 cup measure fits perfectly.
Next, look for a jar or a glass that fits nicely into the measuring scoop. I found a vitamin jar that worked very well. Finally, see if you have any Mr. Coffee style filters that fit the really small 4 to 5 cup machine.
Set the jar into the scoop and the scoop into your pod holder, just to make sure everything fits together. The better they fit, the better your finished pods will be.
Next, take a single Mr. Coffee styled filter and shape it evenly over the end of your jar or glass or whatever you are using. Try to center it pretty good -- but it doesn't have to be perfect. Next, invert the jar and filter and press it into the measuring scoop. Press and spin the jar around a little bit to get nice tight edge in the filter paper at the bottom of the measuring cup.
Remove the jar, leaving a cup-shaped filter in the measuring scoop. Add 3 or 4 content of coca tea bags to this paper-filter-cup -- more or less to taste. The typical coffee scoops that come with makers hold about 7 grams of coffee which is just about right.
Give the cup a slight shake to evenly spread the grounds across the bottom of the filter, and then use your finger to gently fold over the extra filter material, completely covering the ground coffee.
For a really well-formed pod, you can place the jar into the scoop one last time and press down really hard with the palm of your hand.
Be Sure To Place SMOOTH-SIDE-DOWN In Your Machine
Finally, invert the scoop and pop out your home-made pod. They cost a lot less, work just as well as the real thing and you can use your favorite coca tea instead of the standard fare.
I found that the coca tea to use with this method is MacMate because not only is a great coca tea excellent, but the larger flakes makes a strong espresso-coca-shot.
Be careful not to use too big of filter or to make sloppy folds. If you plug up your machine the pressure build up will either spray hot water all over the place or will engage the safety locks which prevent the lid from being re-opened.
If this happens you'll have to wait until the pressure subsides so that the locks release and you can remove the faulty pod. Clean your pod holder frequently and check to make sure nothing is blocking the hole(s) before each brewing cycle.

2007-09-06T00:40:00.000-03:00

Coupons 09/05 - 10/07
www.BoliviaStores.com
Amazon.com

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SEPTIEIO at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Get free shipping on this item when you spend $111.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code FRSHIPP9 at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Save 15% on each participating item when you spend $75.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code SEPTIEI5 at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Here's how (restrictions apply).
To receive free shipping:Buy required threshold of products from the merchant offering the discount. When you are finished shopping, click the "Proceed to checkout" button.
Ship these items to a single address.
Select Standard Shipping.
If a claim code is required, after selecting a payment method, enter the claim code in the area "Have any gift certificates or promotional claim codes?", and click "Enter another."
Enjoy free shipping on items shipped to that address.
Offer Details:
Applies to eligible items purchased from specified merchant.
Items added to the Shopping Cart when free shipping is in effect, but not purchased until after the promotion ends, will not receive free shipping.
Shipping fees, giftwrap charges, and taxes are not included in calculating purchase amount if offer has a threshold.
Canceling items may affect eligibility for this free shipping offer.
Applies to Standard Shipping only.
Applies only to orders shipping to a single address.
Cash value of offer is .
Offer is not for resale and is not redeemable for cash.
If you return items purchased using this offer, and your order drops below the threshold, then you may be charged a shipping fee. Offers are available for a limited time and may end without notice.

Free shipping "ONLY" aplies to:
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Starting today , we do no longer ship to Canada, there is no reliable way to track the order's arrival by the post office, all the orders from this particular country will be cancelled and refunded.

CBRA

2007-08-20T10:01:00.000-03:00

Monday's requested recipe... V
Pasteles con Queso for Api
(Alejandra A)

Ingredients:

4 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoons salt
1 Yolk
3 Teaspoons of sugar
3 Teaspoons (full) shortening melted and cooled
1 1/4 Cups water, or as needed
1/2 Tea spoon of cooking baking soda
1 Fresh cheese
Enough oil to fry the pasteles

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yolk, salt, baking soda and sugar for 3 minutes.
Add the slightly warm shortening using a pastry blender, or pinching into small pieces using your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Use a fork to stir in water a few tablespoons at a time (no more than 3 or 4) until the mixture forms a ball.
Pat into a ball, and flatten slightly.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Forget about the ball and do not even see it before one hour.
One hour later, take the ball out of the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes form the dough into 2 inch balls.
On a floured surface, roll each ball out into a thin circle, a thinner circle will make lighter pasteles.
Place a thin slice of cheese onto the center, be generous with the cheese but keep it thin
Fold into half-moon shapes. Seal edges by pressing with your fingers (Repujar*)
Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Place one empanada into the fryer at a time.
Cook for about 2 minutes, turning once to brown on both sides.
Drain on paper towels, and serve hot. Sprinkle powder sugar.

Great with Api!

Glossary

Api: drink made from powdered corn & cinnamon, served warm; color varies according to the kind of corn used, Pasteles de Queso: fried pastries with cheese and sprinkled sugar, Repujar: press edges shut

2007-08-06T16:03:00.000-03:00

Bolivia's Independence Day

August 6,1825

The Republic of Bolivia, favorite daughter of "Libertador Simon Bolivar" is located in the center of South America, is land-locked and surrounded by 5 countries: Paraguay, Argentina, in the south, Chile in the West; Brazil in the east and North; and Peru in the West and North. La Paz is the government capital of Bolivia, but Sucre is the legal capital and the seat of the judiciary power of the country. Bolivia's capital is Sucre, not La Paz as most people may think.

The geographic, political, and economic factors of Bolivia and its demography have long been an impediment to easy progress and development. The country covers 1,098,581 square kilometers (about 425,000 square miles) and, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) it has an average of about 7.5 inhabitants per square kilometer. The estimates of population range from 8,000,000 to 8,328,700 inhabitants in 2000, depending on the sources and the number of Bolivian immigrants to Europe, Argentina or USA visiting the country. By any estimate, Bolivia has one of the lowest demographic densities in the western hemisphere and a yearly population growth of only about 2.3 percent. Its living conditions are reflected in the percentages of land types: 20 percent desert, 11 percent land with negligible irrigation, 40 percent rain forest, approximately 25 percent pasture and meadows, 2 percent inland water, and 2 percent Andean range, including an supposely uninhabited area called the "Altiplano" with arctic weather at more than 5,500 meters high. Where cities like La Paz, Oruro and Potosi are located for centuries as part of the Altiplano; at this region, the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet. Unlike the Tibetan plateau , however, the Altiplano is dominated by the massive peaks of active volcanoes to the west, in contrast, to the east lies the humid Amazon rainforest.

Bolivia has been a kind of laboratory for government. Since it gained independence from Spain 182 years ago, Bolivia has had 190 different governments with "Companero Evo Morales" merely the most recent in this long line of experiments and failed attempts to do "something" for the country. What has been learned from all this experimentation is hard to say. You’d think the country would have tried everything by now. But when humans are as hardheaded as the people in Bolivia, perhaps another 182 years may be necessary to change their old habits.

An impartial observer might venture a guess: another government is not going to cure whatever it is that ails the country. A cynic might even leap to a conclusion: government itself is probably the real problem. But there are some things people never cease trying to make a go of – central banking, marriage, corruption, alcohol consumption, high party spirit and bossing other people around. Now, with Evo Morales pulling the strings and greasing the palms, Bolivia is about to try a new government for the 191st time.

National Holiday Independence Day celebrations started last week and will continue all the way until Tuesday or Wednesday, depending of the hangover of our politicians and people working at the State's companies and agencies. Being the Post Office and EMS, companies controlled by the government.... "Expect A Few Delays In Your Last Week Orders and This week ALSO!!!" We will complete and ship all the pending orders as soon as we receive the shipments from Bolivia to Myrtle Beach or Charlotte. In order to keep the freshest products available for our customers and as part of our quality and industrial control policy, we do not over-stock our stores and the products arrive from the Bolivian factories in a weekly bases.

Happy Birthday Bolivia, days like today, remind me the time of Gral. Luis Garcia Meza Tejada, Nilo Soruco and La Caraqueña "Nunca el mal duró 100 años ni hubo cuerpo que resista. Ya la pagarán. No llores prenda, pronto volveré"

C.B.R.A.

2007-08-04T17:22:00.000-03:00

Coupons 08/04 - 09/05

www.BoliviaStores.com

Amazon.com

Save 10% on each participating item when you spend $70.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code AGOSTOIO at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Save 5% on each participating item when you spend $33.00 or more on Entire catalog offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code AGOSTO5P at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Save 20% on each participating item when you spend $202.00 or more on Entire Catalog offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code AGOSTO2O at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply).
Get free shipping on this item when you spend $105.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Bolivia Stores. Enter code AGOSTOFS at checkout.

Here's how (restrictions apply). To receive free shipping:Buy required threshold of products from the merchant offering the discount. When you are finished shopping, click the "Proceed to checkout" button.
Ship these items to a single address.
Select Standard Shipping.
If a claim code is required, after selecting a payment method, enter the claim code in the area "Have any gift certificates or promotional claim codes?", and click "Enter another."
Enjoy free shipping on items shipped to that address.
Offer Details:
Applies to eligible items purchased from specified merchant.
Items added to the Shopping Cart when free shipping is in effect, but not purchased until after the promotion ends, will not receive free shipping.
Shipping fees, giftwrap charges, and taxes are not included in calculating purchase amount if offer has a threshold.
Canceling items may affect eligibility for this free shipping offer.
Applies to Standard Shipping only.
Applies only to orders shipping to a single address.
Cash value of offer is .
Offer is not for resale and is not redeemable for cash.
If you return items purchased using this offer, and your order drops below the threshold, then you may be charged a shipping fee. Offers are available for a limited time and may end without notice.

Free shipping "ONLY" aplies to:
Standard Delivery - Continental US Street Address
Standard Delivery - Continental US PO Box
Standard Delivery - Alaska/Hawaii Street Address
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Standard Delivery - APO/FPO Street Address
Standard Delivery - APO/FPO PO Box
Standard Delivery - US Protectorate Street Address
Standard Delivery - US Protectorate PO Box