Photos emerge of Malia Obama on secret trip through South America

[Judi Lynn]

Photos emerge of Malia Obama on secret trip through South America
WITW STAFF 01.22.17




(TWITTER)
Malia Obama, the eldest daughter of former U.S. President Barack Obama, went on a secret three-month trip through South America last fall, where even her guides were left unaware of her identity. After deferring her acceptance to Harvard for a year, Malia embarked on the trip through the Colorado-based Where There Be Dragons organization in order to “examine current political trends, social movements and environmental conservation efforts” in Peru and Bolivia. Pictures of the trip emerged on Thursday, showing Malia alongside others in her group while in Bolivia’s Cordillera Real mountain region.

Eduardo Mamani, one of Malia’s mountain guides during the trip, described Malia as “helpful and friendly,” noting that “she had no problems speaking Spanish.” Mamani added that he had no idea of Malia’s identity at the time, although he had noticed additional security during the mountain excursion.

“There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one,” said Mamani.

More:
http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2017/01/22/photos-emerge-of-malia-obama-on-secret-trip-through-south-america/

LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141674426

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Malia Obama Went On a Secret Trip to Bolivia and Peru

What a way to start her gap year.

BY KATE STOREY
JAN 20, 2017
1.4k

Malia Obama has already been making good use of her "gap year" before she attends Harvard in the fall. In November, the 18-year-old went on a five-day trek through Bolivia and Peru—and not even the trip guides knew they had a First Daughter in their group. In fact, news of her trip only appeared in Bolivian news outlets this week, reports The New York Times.

When the guides were told by the American Embassy that they would be hosting an American dignitary who would require security, they assumed it was a different teenager in the group. "There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one," Gregorio Mamani, one of the guides, told The Times.

The guide said Malia was treated the same as the rest of the group during the rigorous hike through Bolivia's Cordillera Real mountain range. She took part in chores and cooking while she stayed with a family in Tiquipaya, a tiny town in central Bolivia, Bolivian news agencies reported.

"She was very humble, chatty, spoke Spanish very well," Mamani said. "She was mesmerized by the Bolivian landscape."

More:
http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/news/a42313/malia-obama-secret-trip-bolivia-peru/

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Malia Obama went on secret three-month tour of Latin America 'after dad Barack gave Bolivian president a call'

The former president's oldest daughter took a three-month trip with an educational company called Where There Be Dragons

BY SAM RKAINA
13:55, 20 JAN 2017UPDATED13:56, 20 JAN 2017



Malia Obama (L-8), the eldest daughter of outgoing US President Barack Obama, posing for a group photo during a tour with tourism agency 'Bolivian Mountain Guides' (Photo: BOLIVIAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES / HANDO)


. . .

President Obama reportedly spoke with Bolivian President Evo Morales to ensure co-operation between the two governments for security and discretion of her trip.

The White House would not comment on the conversation to the New York Times.

Kathryn Ledebur, a Bolivia expert, called Malia's trip "an important precedent".

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/malia-obama-went-secret-three-9658026

[forgotmylogin]

1. The is so cool. Her parents gave her such a gift.

It wasn't like they hid their daughters, but they kept Sasha and Malia's privacy sufficient to keep them not instantly-recognizable so she gets to blend in with normal people outside her high-profile family if she chooses and do cool stuff like this.

[tblue37]

2. But I am frustrated by the automatic assumption that the blonde girl must be "the important one." nt

[HassleCat]

3. They would think of a rich kid, probably.

[tblue37]

4. I wonder if Malia traveled under a pseudonym. nt

[HoneyBadger]

8. You probably do not go on a trip like that if you cannot swing $40k+ for it

I assume that would be the absolute minimum for a guided 3 month eco tourism trip. Still find it remarkable that she was not recognized by others in that group. What do you talk about for 3 months that excludes who you are?

[lostnfound]

9. You listen, talk about ideas of politics,or friends or movies you've seen... nt

[HoneyBadger]

10. Where do you live?

DC.

Cool, my dad is a lawyer and goes there for work, do your parents work for the government?

Rut roh.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I picked up on that right away... I lolllllled!

[monmouth4]

6. Took the words right off my keyboard. Really annoying..n/t

[HoneyBadger]

7. No secret service?

Because an old guy with guns and communication gear would have stood out in that crowd a lot.

[tblue37]

11. There was security "for a dignitary," but everyone thought the BLONDE girl must be the important

one, which is what I complained about in my post above.

[Ellen Forradalom]

12. Annoying as can be, yet great cover for her

Glad it worked out for her.

[IronLionZion]

13. There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one,