An interesting week

Another interesting week. Thursday 29th May.

Hi every one, sorry this blog is very late, but computer troubles prevented it from being published last week. We have spent 4 days travelling to Lake Titicaca and have just returned so will write soon about that adventure.

Hi everyone, this week has been filled with fun and laughter as well as being little a sad. The team which arrived one month ago is beginning to split as those who have finished here prepare to leave. Renae, from Sydney, a kindergarten teacher who Andrea has work with, left a few minutes ago to travel back to Australia This afternoon, Stuart and daughter Pip, Gerry and Liz all from Sydney and Amanda from Perth  leave for various destinations – Sydney, Buenos Aires. Tomorrow, Lisa leaves for Rio de Janeiro. The remaining members,  including us are off to Lake Titicaca tomorrow

So to this week, shopping for food and planning on Saturday and Sunday. We went to the Black market, el Molino, to buy some items for Ernistina and the chn – a soft toy,  for her 18 month old girl, a bright colourful bed cover and a toy car for her little boy We looked for a camera but did not buy. Wednesday to Pumamarca teaching, working in the garden, and a Spanish lesson. Andrea and I taught English with a group of ninos grande – big children – teenagers some are really keen to learn and come even though after the lesson they have to go home and help in the fields, get animals in and help at home. There is one girl, 15 yrs old,  who is so keen that I decided to but a English- Spanish dictionary. I met her yesterday while visiting the home of some boys who live on their own. She was trudging up a steep hill with a load of feed for the animals on her back. I said, Elena, tu ingles es muy bien, tengo libro English Spanish.- sorry no quotations – Elena, your English is very good would you like a Eng-Spanish book. Her eyes just shone – si si gracios. I think this just made her day. Of course I need to find an appropriate shop or give her one from here and replace it later. It is amazing how much a little thing like that can make such a difference. Elena is a very bright girl and wants to go to Uni.

The 3 boys I mentioned live alone in a one roomed house, mother not around, father gone – don’t know any more. All boys go to school – aged about 12, 10 and 6. They get to school every day, live on little or nothing and the kitchen, only if you call a few mud bricks for a fire place, several old saucepans and some knives and forks a kitchen, was a lean to at the side of the house. No toilet. But they now have a sponsor, Liz from Sydney has agreed to sponsor them, with a food parcel each week and other things they need. Not much to us but so much to them.

Water- not a problem in Adelaide even with restrictions, but here we don’t drink any tap water, only bottled water. Cook all our food in bottled water, clean our teeth in it as well. This in itself is nuisance but both of us are still well. We use alcohol based hand wash all the time, especially after touching things like door handles, seats in Batman, and of course, the children who love to hug, hold hands and give Hi Fives.

Last night, being the last evening for those travelling meant a farewell dinner. So all 16 of us, dressed in our best glad rags,  piled into Batman, as we filled it we got express to Plaza de Armas, and then to Witches Garden.