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