Friday, 27 April 2012
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Sleepovers, Lake Titicaka and a Birthday...
Time is flying so fast, I can´t believe I´ve nearly been here a month already!
I think I actually have a Bolivian routine now... my mornings at the orphanage have become a little more structured as I´ve found the guardaria and ´tareas´room... homework! There are a few I have to carry there to actually do their work but others are really enthusiastic! Yesterday I was cristened ´tia mathmatica´! No-one else likes maths so from now on I think its my job!
Last week I spent my first night there. Some of the ´casitas´don´t have a tia in their little house at night and so we can go and sleepover when we want to. It was actually really fun and a great way to bond with the kids a bit more, although not with much sleep! Tomorrow is sleepover time again as there are 8 casitas and its imposible to choose which one to stay in first! I´ve promised my girls in casita 7 their time tomorrow, although was dragged in 2 directions yesterday to choose whose bedroom... man alive, another decision!!
Ive also found the time for some more travelling too. A night bus, 4 hour minibus trip and 3 hours in a boat later we made it to Isla Del Sol at Lake Titicaca this weekend. So worth it though as the lake was really beautiful and ´very chilled out. On the way back I spent a few hours in La Paz too, roaming around the witches market, observing Llama feotuses and the likes, nice! It is a really cool city though so I can´t wait to get back for another weekend soon to explore a bit more, and maybe brave a cycle down the worlds most dangerous road!
Yesterday was my host sisters birthday 10th which was a really great chance for me and the other volunteer I´m staying with to get to know our family better. We played hopscotch in the sun for ages and made eachother bracelets, aw!
I´ve also re-started my ritual of early morning runs, but after being chased by nasty looking snarling dogs three times now I´m not sure I want to carry on!
I hope everyone is well back home,
besitos, x
Friday, 13 April 2012
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Work, Learn, Travel... EAT!
and EaT is certainly what Cochabambinos love to do! Rice, Pasta, Potatos all on one place is not an uncommon thing either... with some bread at the side!! This and the mass of dogs everywhere is the first thing you´ll notice about Cochabamba! But I´m starting to love it.
My first real week here was a bit crazy, after 2 days of work and an induction to the city I decided to leave the country! A bit mad I know but the Semana Santa (Easter) holidays were too good an oportunity to pass up so off we went to Chile... to the beach. It was amazing, even the 12 hour bus journey was well worth it. Despite the altitude breathlessness - its nearly 5000m in points - the travel views were so great, with the Andes all around, some desert dry and others covered in snow. The villages we passed, and Bolivians we saw, were more like I had imagined the country to be. Some hearding Llamas and others farming in the little plains of flat they have cultivated in the hill sides, pretty cool!
Arica, were we ended up in Chile, is the dryest city in the world apparently! And full of skaters and surfers... a little lesson was definitely a must, I still have the bruises to show for it. Although I only managed to stand for about 4 seconds max it was so worth it, I loved it!
But now I am actually really happy to be back in Bolivia. I feel I can really get properly stuck into my work now after a ´holiday´weekend of beaches and sunsets.
The orphanage I am working in has some of the loveliest kids ever. I can see how easy it is to get really attached to working there. There are staff who look after them and feed them etc. but what they really need are more people to give them the attention they would love, just to play with them, or help with their homework... so this is me for the next few months! Already I´ve had to brush up on my maths - I never thought I would ever use all those x and a equations again - and dictate the Bible in Spanish!
And my surprise basketball skills have been a hit with the boys, although when they squeal in Spanish I think they might be making fun of me just a little!
Today there is another of the many strikes in Bolivia so it has not been safe for us to take the journey to work. But tomorrow is Dias de Ninos, Children´s day, (they have Day of Mothers, Fathers, God-mother, God-father... everything here!) so we are hoping to arrange a big party at the orphanage for all the kids with lots of candy and a big cake!
This weekend I hope to become more of a local, not just by travelling in the Truffis and screaming ´Esquina por favor when I want to jump off! but by properly exploring Cochabamba, its market for shopping and maybe a little night life too.
But for now its back to children filled mornings and Spanish learning afternoons...
Lots of Bolivian love xx
My first real week here was a bit crazy, after 2 days of work and an induction to the city I decided to leave the country! A bit mad I know but the Semana Santa (Easter) holidays were too good an oportunity to pass up so off we went to Chile... to the beach. It was amazing, even the 12 hour bus journey was well worth it. Despite the altitude breathlessness - its nearly 5000m in points - the travel views were so great, with the Andes all around, some desert dry and others covered in snow. The villages we passed, and Bolivians we saw, were more like I had imagined the country to be. Some hearding Llamas and others farming in the little plains of flat they have cultivated in the hill sides, pretty cool!
Arica, were we ended up in Chile, is the dryest city in the world apparently! And full of skaters and surfers... a little lesson was definitely a must, I still have the bruises to show for it. Although I only managed to stand for about 4 seconds max it was so worth it, I loved it!
But now I am actually really happy to be back in Bolivia. I feel I can really get properly stuck into my work now after a ´holiday´weekend of beaches and sunsets.
The orphanage I am working in has some of the loveliest kids ever. I can see how easy it is to get really attached to working there. There are staff who look after them and feed them etc. but what they really need are more people to give them the attention they would love, just to play with them, or help with their homework... so this is me for the next few months! Already I´ve had to brush up on my maths - I never thought I would ever use all those x and a equations again - and dictate the Bible in Spanish!
And my surprise basketball skills have been a hit with the boys, although when they squeal in Spanish I think they might be making fun of me just a little!
Today there is another of the many strikes in Bolivia so it has not been safe for us to take the journey to work. But tomorrow is Dias de Ninos, Children´s day, (they have Day of Mothers, Fathers, God-mother, God-father... everything here!) so we are hoping to arrange a big party at the orphanage for all the kids with lots of candy and a big cake!
This weekend I hope to become more of a local, not just by travelling in the Truffis and screaming ´Esquina por favor when I want to jump off! but by properly exploring Cochabamba, its market for shopping and maybe a little night life too.
But for now its back to children filled mornings and Spanish learning afternoons...
Lots of Bolivian love xx
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Cochabamba... I made it!
Hola...
1 chipped tooth, 2 nights before I leave the country, X hundred pounds in emergency dental treatment (yip, still hurting... the purse strings that is!) and 4 flights later... I am now in Bolivia! Phew!
Man alive, could only happen to me, as if I´m not enough of a worrier already!
But never mind, I made it. Although there were definitely a few moments when I wondered whether that would happen.
The night in El Alto, beside La Paz airport was certainly interesting, yip, good word.
Definitely not a touristy area, when tring to find food I was ´helpfully´ warned by a local boy not to go anywhere alone as it was really not safe, good stuff! Then, after a pretty sleepless night (Bolivians love their car horns!) the following day held an 8 hour wait in the airport again for my continuously delayed flight to Cochabamba, to say I was tired would be an understatement... I could barely function!
But so far it has definitely been worth it.
La Paz has ´snow-topped Andes´all around it, literally. And my new home of Cochabamba is dwarfed by huge green hills - a national park aparently - can´t wait to explore. Today is a ´special´day for the city as no-one is allowed to use cars, buses, or any transport at all except their feet or bike to raise awareness for the environment. It is so peaceful! And was pretty cool to see so many people out and about in the streets. I think I´ve been very lucky with my Bolivian family, they are lovely. But my Spanish will definitely have to improve!
As I have not been able to have my induction to the city or my new work until Monday this weekend has been a strange one. Not really knowing my way around Cochabamba, or being able to communicate that well with anyone I´ve had heeps of time to contemplate my life... na just joking, I´m not that deep really!
But I have braved a walk alone today and thought I´d say a little hello to this new blog thing and anyone who fancied reading it.
Hopefully the next few months of my life will be action packed and full of new experiences. Maybe I might even be able to raise a few smiles with my Bolivian children, if nothing more I´m sure my attempts at the language will give them plenty to laugh about!
Hasta Luego... better get back to the Spanish dictionary! x
1 chipped tooth, 2 nights before I leave the country, X hundred pounds in emergency dental treatment (yip, still hurting... the purse strings that is!) and 4 flights later... I am now in Bolivia! Phew!
Man alive, could only happen to me, as if I´m not enough of a worrier already!
But never mind, I made it. Although there were definitely a few moments when I wondered whether that would happen.
The night in El Alto, beside La Paz airport was certainly interesting, yip, good word.
Definitely not a touristy area, when tring to find food I was ´helpfully´ warned by a local boy not to go anywhere alone as it was really not safe, good stuff! Then, after a pretty sleepless night (Bolivians love their car horns!) the following day held an 8 hour wait in the airport again for my continuously delayed flight to Cochabamba, to say I was tired would be an understatement... I could barely function!
But so far it has definitely been worth it.
La Paz has ´snow-topped Andes´all around it, literally. And my new home of Cochabamba is dwarfed by huge green hills - a national park aparently - can´t wait to explore. Today is a ´special´day for the city as no-one is allowed to use cars, buses, or any transport at all except their feet or bike to raise awareness for the environment. It is so peaceful! And was pretty cool to see so many people out and about in the streets. I think I´ve been very lucky with my Bolivian family, they are lovely. But my Spanish will definitely have to improve!
As I have not been able to have my induction to the city or my new work until Monday this weekend has been a strange one. Not really knowing my way around Cochabamba, or being able to communicate that well with anyone I´ve had heeps of time to contemplate my life... na just joking, I´m not that deep really!
But I have braved a walk alone today and thought I´d say a little hello to this new blog thing and anyone who fancied reading it.
Hopefully the next few months of my life will be action packed and full of new experiences. Maybe I might even be able to raise a few smiles with my Bolivian children, if nothing more I´m sure my attempts at the language will give them plenty to laugh about!
Hasta Luego... better get back to the Spanish dictionary! x
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