Iquitos!

So just a warning, I cannot find the apostrophe button so just using the one in its place! We arrived in Iquitos today after a half 3 start this morning, our flight left Lima at about 7 and we arrived in Iquitos arund 10. We had to get a taxi to the Aldea and found out when we arrived that they had ripped us off, should have been about 15 sol and he charged us 40 sol!!! Well at least now we know.

I think the first thing that hit us was the heat, by the time we had walked from the taxi to our apartment we were already sweating and it was a 5 minute walk if that! Our apartment is very very basic, with just a sink and cupboards in the kitchen, no shower curtain just a tiled square for a shower and a tiny tiny mirror! Definitely not what we were expecting when the girls told us last year that we had a fridge. However there are 2 spanish girls who will be living with us at the weekends and duing the week they teach at a local school further into the jungle. They took us out to lunch in Iquitos today and I think it will definitely be nice to have some older company around, although they"ve got the best bedroom by far. But they are only here for 2 months so then we can take it back!

All the kids look really really cute and some of them are absolutly tiny, all so far have been reall friendly and so have the tias (sort of like the matrons)  Not sure what we will be up to tomorrow, maybe just getting used to everything and getting to know some of the kids. The Aldea is absolutly huge, there are lots of little "casas" with around 12 children and one tia in, there is also a football field, like astro turf and some playing equipment around as well. It looks like there is plenty for them to do! Right now we are off back to the Aldea to finish unpacking and maybe find some cleaning things because our room and the bathroom is pretty dusty!!
The 2 spanish girls have told us, it took them around 3 days to get used to the heat but they"re from Granada so I"m thinking we will probably take around a week, and until then it"going to be unbelieveably hot...with no fan or any kind in our apartment!

Missing you all loads, definitely hit home now we are in our apartment because it is SO basic and contrasting to Lima, but I"m sure we will get used to it.
Lots and lots of love xxxxxxxx

Lima-26/08

So, this is the first time i`v ever done a blog so apologies! Well we have just arrived at our hostel in Lima where we´ll be staying until Sunday (it´s now friday night) we have all been awake for 24 hours and spent pretty much all of it on planes. Had a nightmare at Miami airport waiting for one of the 12 girls who had to go through as an American Citizen and only just made it to the plane! But we´ve all made it safe and sound, we were met at the airport by our desk rep who got us into our hostel safe and sound. Off to the Embassy tomorrow morning to sort out our papers, but no idea how I´m going to understand anything they say, so far I´ve just been nodding and smiling at everything because they speak so fast it doesn´t even sound like spanish! Me and Alex are off to Iquitos on Sunday morning, back to the airport again but this time 5 in the morning! Will try and get some pictures up when I´ve located my camera in the rucksack somewhere!
Hasta Luego :)