Well while it\u2019s all Christmas shopping and winter there in the UK.. here, it\u2019s mango season (sorry to go on about them, but they are wonderful here) and we\u2019re planning our Christmas end of the school year jaunt to the seaside. Pachacutec overlooks the sea \u2013 but no one goes there for leisure \u2013 as basically, there is no such thing. So, I thought we\u2019d do that. We\u2019re going to take a bus which will shuttle us to and fro (it\u2019s only 10mins on a bus) and transport the lunch too!! Most important that last detail \u2013 try and imagine us, 140 altogether, eating pollo con arroz on the beach! I\u2019ve got a long list of games and sandcastle competitions…..just need to find some buckets and spades now???!!
Meanwhile, I went to the airport yesterday to collect Carol Howard, our new volunteer teacher. What a brave soul she is; first time in Peru AND she\u2019s teaching in Pachacutec. She is staying in the Coprodeli hostal in Callao, which is free to volunteers \u2013 and will be going out to the school as of Tuesday this week. I took her there yesterday \u2013 a bit much on your first 24 hours \u2013 but she did very well. She can speak some Spanish and this is rather important for any prospective volunteers since there is little or no English spoken there (or really anywhere here in Peru!).
If you have some basic Spanish and would like to volunteer for a bit here, please write to me. Carol is staying 3 months (which can be extended to 6 by renewals at immigration) but we need a constant stream of you coming here. The children are very excited at the prospect of more English lessons and it is a crucial skill here, with such close links with the U.S.
As it happens, it was also \u201cDay of the Child\u201d \u2013 hence the \u201cmarch\u201d with placards. They say things like, the right to health; the right to education…that tells you a lot. In the background is Carol and yes, in the foreground, the teacher of the 4yr olds Kari will be having her baby next week! One week off and she will be back teaching…I\u2019m told?!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"