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Published: November 13th 2005
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Signpost at the zoo
It says something like "the aim is to maintain conservation in a natural environment". Not sure that I fully agree that they´re meeting their objectives!! Saturday 11 November
Hello all,
It´s 11am Saturday morning here. Have just enjoyed a nice long lie after our farewell night out for Sile. Vicki assures me Sile made it up at 6am this morning to catch her flight - needless to say I was out for the count having said my cheerios last night.
Sile was working on voluntary programmes for the last three months, although was only in Ayacucho for two weeks. She said last night that she was ready for home after that length of time. I don´t feel like that yet, but I´m sure I´ll get there.
Got up this morning full of good intentions re having a shower, but the water was freezing. Think I´ll wait and try again later. Did my washing (which is now hung out on the roof) and read my book up there whilst waiting for the machine to finish. Was nice and relaxing. After that I headed into town to post some letters and cards (mum - hope yours arrives before you leave for America!!) and now at the internet cafe updating my blog. Hope that travelblog have resolved their server problems and you now all have
The Condor
He was unable to spread his wings int he cage let alone fly!! Would much prefer to see one in the wild! access!!
After lunch we (Wendy, Vicki, Katherine and myself) decided to take a trip to the zoo. I know that you´re amazed that I went to the zoo as I don´t like to see animls in captivity, but it was supposed to be dedicated to conservation of the species as the large sign (photo attached) clearly states.
It was so funny trying to get there. We reckoned that zoo in Spanish was the same as in English. Apparently not!! We discovered this after unsuccessfully hailing two moto taxis - neither of which had a clue when we tried to describe our destination!! We had to go back to the house and check the Spanish for zoo with Roberto - it´s zoologico!! Were more successful next time around and managed to hail a proper cab (well, as good as they get here) to take us there. We did have some concerns about the steering as it all appeared a little ´loose´ but we made it there all in one piece!!
I guess the zoo could have been a lot worse! The hardest things to see were the birds of prey which were in cages so small they could
Budgies!!
Albertz (mum´s budgie) has a Peruvian cousin!! Mum - sure you´ll find a suitable name for him. (it´s the blue and white one by the way!!) barely spread their wings let alone fly, and the monkeys who were tethered to trees via chains attached around their middles with belts. Guess the other thing you have to bear in mind is that the majority of the kids here will probably never have the opportunity to travel and see any of these animals in the wild, and the zoo is the closest they will ever get. In its favour, the cages were clean, it was evident that most of the animals had just been fed, and they all had some shade in their enclosures to escape the sun. Have taken some photos to let you see them. The zoo was nice - lots of greenery and fairly well maintained. Ended up with a couple of interesting bites on my arm, but as they´re not bothering me, I´ll leave them well alone.
After the zoo, we headed into town and enjoyed a delicious ice cream sundae in one of the cafes on the plaza, did some shopping in the prison market and headed back to base.
The teenagers were playing cards on the roof, and the noise levels were incredible!! So much for my plan of a
A Parrot
Gourgeous colours, but nor very talkative! few hours of time to myself with maybe some reading!! It went completely out of the window!!
The noise levels at dinner were also incredible, so much so that we could hardly hear ourselves talking at our table. I suggested enough was enough and we headed into town after dinnner. There was Eileen, Wendy, Vicki and myself. We met up with Sue (the girl who volunteered here and eventually came out to live) and went for a pisco sour in the gringo plaza, followed by chocolate caliente con Baileys (purely medicinal and to help me sleep of course!). We then headed home and then to bed.
Hard to believe that I´m just about to start my 5th week here and my last week at Wawa Wasi. Have mixed feelings about leaving WW - will miss the kids, but feel it´s now time to move on to something new. One of the things I guess you have to learn in life (and especially in volunteer work) is when it´s time to move on.
Hope you don´t find the photos of the zoo too distressing. It really wasn´t too bad!!
Mum - they had some budgies at the
Monkey magic!
This guy was restricted in terms of how far up and along the tree he coul climb! Pretty sad!! zoo. I snapped a photo of one who looks just like Albertz - you´ll need to tell him he has a Peruvian cousin!!
Hi to Vicki´s husband Mark and thanks for the comment! Hope you enjoy seeing Vicki appear in the blog now and then.
Take care all and keep in touch!
Ciao for now
Lesley x
Oh - had my shwer just before dinner - lukewarm this time, so it´s improving gradually!!
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Esther
non-member comment
animals
hi lesley these animals seem to be better cared than the bears in bern - you remember?