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Published: November 26th 2005
Hola amigos!
First things first. I´m still alive mum!
As the title suggests i´ve made it to the jungle. I´ve just finished the first two weeks teaching the kids in the jungle. However its not quite the proper jungle as you can get to places by car and bus. But all being well and if we can get enough people we´ll be off to the deep jungle in the middle of December.
To bring you guys up to date. I finished spanish school a couple of weeks ago. Came straight to Baños after to meet up with Marcelo aka Jesus, the guy whos running the fundation in the jungle. He is a cool guy and showed me on the first day a waterfall. After that day it was straight to work. The grounds are amazing wth all different fuits and flowers. Fresh lemonade every day and i must have seen every variety of butterfly.
The first day was spent doing work with the guys round the grounds. They´ve just fnished building an entrance to the lodgings. I helped out by shaving the supports with a machete! Just call me Ray Mears.
The first two days there
as no school one day no teachers and the second got rained off. Finally made it on Wednesday. I´ve got to teach at 4 different schools. The journey to the furthest school is about half an hour by bike. The road makes graham water cycle track look like a motoray. There are massive holes everywhere and a few areas where the roads caved in or been washed away by the rain. Then all the communities are the otherside of the river so you have to cross the bridges which are dodgy at best. Never had so much fun trying to get to school.
All the kids are really cool and actually are giving a good attempt at English except that nobody can pronounce a V. Clases are going pretty well but you have to be quite patient with the kids. Slowly but surely they´re getting there and with a few games and songs they´re starting to remember. Though i´ve still not quite got used to wearing wellies in the heat but its a must to protect yourself from the snakes.
Usually we all come back to Baños for the weekends but the first weekend there was a massive
Jungle man
Marcelo with the lips flowerparty at the centre. They had bought a bull for eating at the party. So on saturday i watched the bull being kiulled, proper Hamer style (you would have enjoyed it sam machetes and all!) So of course once the bull was killed you had to have a shot of whiskey (this was about 10 or 11 in the morning). All the community cdame down to help out but i think mainly to drink. It took all day preparing the food. The party got started about 4 or 5 which was about 3 or 4 glasses of whiskey later!
The dancing started as the night went on and the 2 crates of whiskey began to get empty. They put the english to shame with their drinking. Half the men couldnt stand up, the women didnt look too impressed (just like home) with the worst two people being the president of the communities and the local policemen.
Yesterday got a lift with the Doc up to the viewpoint. Its spectactular looking down on the jungle. Then got a lift with the doc to Baños for the weekend and here i am writing the entry. Sorry if its not that
good but i´m stupidly hungover.
Catch up with you guys soon and hopefully everyone has fun at the new years eve party, have fun at carters place and keep the tradition going.
See ya
Dave aka Voluntario!
P.s
Send me any games or songs for the kids, be much appreciated!
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anon...(S....M)
non-member comment
mmmm....
very good big yatesy