Feels like ages since I last wrote something here so apologies, but seeing as we're now out the aldea for the whole weekend (!) might as well start here.
Last Friday we went on an outing with some of the kids as part of an organised events week to Quistacocha-like a laguna which just casually happens to have like a jungley style zoo as well. We got taken on a tour around, seeing loads of monkeys, a jaguar, loads of beautfully coloured parrots and something that looked like a dolphin that was definitely my favourite. It was so nice being outside the aldea with the kids and seeing them have fun in somewhere other then within the aldea walls. They were all desperate to go swimming in the laguna, which did look super inviting so we're both determined to take them sometime. We also had a Diwali celebration with the kids on Friday night. With some little homemade diva lanterns and all the pictures that we had been working on with the kids up, the inevitable sweeties and the story of Rama and Sita to tell them a bit about Diwali. I think, HOPE it went alright, after some sweety bribing they all seemed to enjoy our storytelling session-from what they could understand anyway. Minor mishap where a misplaced diva set some of the pictures on the wall on fire, but Alex whipped out her emergency fire bucket so it went out pretty quickly! haha, but apart from that it was nice to show them something new-it makes me feel like we've really put our stamp on this year!
Saturday was another group of kids on another trip, when we went to reserve ran by the I.I.A.P (instituto de investigaciones a la amazonia peruana) and did like a tour round a bit of the jungle. Seriously hot and sticky and full of mosquitos but really interesting, even if we could only half understand what the guide was saying. We even got given a proper jungley lunch with juanes (rice and chicken wrapped in banana leaves) in a jungle hut. After all that activity Sunday was quite a quiet, relaxed day but definitely needed.
Think we've both come into this week full of energy, which was just as well as all the kids were off school both monday and tuesday for 2 bank holidays in a row-who knows why, that's just how Peru works but it made it an elongated weekend!
Monday-Halloween we improvised the pumpkin by using a watermelon instead which Alex made look just as good as a pumpkin, maybe better because all the kids loved eating every last possible bit out of it they could. We watched a few indian films with the kids in our apartment which they loved, it felt like we were having a giant sleepover, with loads of mattresses all over the front room and kids over every possible inch of the floor!
In other news, two girls escaped again on Wednesday night by climbing over the walls at 2 in the morning, they've previously tried it but were found on the street outside! This time the police didn't find them until the next afternoon, which caused quite a stir in the aldea, they then stayed somewhere else until one of the girls came back today. We also had one of the older girls try and leave from school with some boy, which all the tías got quite worked up about, after an eventul reunion at school where one of her teachers rescued her she was brought back to the Aldea sae and sound. Don't think she'll be going back to school until after Christmas now...
I went with one of the tías to take two of the kids to therapy on Thursday, I've been before but only really soon after we arrived and I can really notice the different in my spanish! Fingers crossed that means I am actually improving, we managed to hold a conversation the whole time! Alex also made friends with the watermelon lady from the market, she's agreed to do some english lessons with her son, which should be interesting. AND we got a free watermelon out of it because the lady was so grateful haha :)
We found a cool little square across the road from the aldea on Thursday where we spent the evening watching a little dancing club in the square, their only music was from 2 drums! It was really cool, amazing how quickly they all can move, we've decided Peruvians definitely have a diferent way of dancing that English people just don't have. They all seem so free and when they start dancing, literally every part of their bodies seem to move-they never stay still. I really really want to learn but as the kids keep telling me, gringas can't dance!
We left all our niños today for our weekend away, I'm super excited just to feel like a bit of tourist, doing all the touristy things but at the same time it will be strange. We've been here for 10 weeks today and have spent every single night in the aldea, so it's going to be a completly different experience. The thought of going away, and the look on one of the little girls face when she thought we were leaving to go back to England, really brought home how close I feel to the kids now and as one of the tías told me-they have become my second family. I already can't imagine having to leave them, I feel so responsible for them!
Anyways, I'm sure you'll hear more from me after our eventful weekend outside the aldea!
Todo mi amor xxx
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