updates on the not so normal (and, by the way, I almost died)

So I`m going to update you on my trip to Toro Toro this weekend, but first, some updates on day to day stuff.

Volunteering: I`m still working with the orphans at Millenium. And I`m in love. I think I might bring a couple back. My favorite is John Brian. He`s 2 and something and reminds me either of a little samuri or monk, depending on what he`s wearing at the time. But he`s the smallest of the older kids, and he`s got this raspy voice that is so unlike any two year old I`ve ever heard before. And he`s one tough cookie. And he always smiles back at me when I smile at him, and, let me tell you, it`s a smile that will melt your heart quicker than an 18 wheeler will run a redlight here (which is really fast).

happiness is pushing a bundle of pure joy in a red swing.

Last week on we had an exciting trip with the kids to Globos, which is a great ice cream wonderland for children (and people like me as well). Some of the co-founders of Millenium who now live in the US paid for us to take all the kids out for Salchipapa (fries and sausages) and ice cream. It was quite an adventure. We piled 14 people into a SUV (remember, most of them were half sized) and off we went. Once we arrived, we created quite a scene, walking into the restaurant with 9 screaming children between the age of 2 and 6. We then took them to the play section of the restaurant. It was better than any McDonald´s I ever got to play in as a kid. I had to resist the urge to jump in and join them. It was really strange to see the orphans mixing in with kids whose parents were watching their move, were at the bottom of every slide. But it was so encouraging to see how ¨normal¨ they were nontheless, how happy they are with life. Maybe if there was something equivalent to a ball pit for adults the world would be a happier place. After the play place and almost losing John Brian 3 times, we sat down to eat. Everyone (including me and Matt) recieved ice cream... yum! John Brian had to sit in my lap because there we couldn`t fit enough large chairs for little people around the table. I think he got more ice cream on me than in his mouth, (partly because he insisted upon me eating the gummy bears in his oso cremoso) but everyone left there in the jolliest mood.

Last week was my first week of working at Ceoli. I go there on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Ceoli is a school and center for physically and mentally disabled children and persons from the ages of 5 to 28 or so. It was very interesting to tour the facility the first day. There is a classroom for high functioning children where they learn about colors and practice walking in a straight line or practice writing their numbers. I work here, and so far I`ve made giant drawings of avocados and grapes and things like that for flashcards. There is also a room for those who are lower functioning where they learn to make a bed and other day to day things like that. There`s a class for learning how to deal with agressive emotions. There`s an aqua therapy room, and the most impressive to me, there`s a physical therapy room which is very nice. In fact, in the afternoon after most of the children are gone, community members pay to come here for treatment. And, my favorite place, is the art room, where mostly older persons create crafts. It was really surprising to see the beautiful necklaces and bracelets that a man made, when he couldn`t even tell me his name was Leo. It`s so interesting to see the creativity present in the mind which is hindered in so many ways by his disability. In the art room there`s this teacher who looks like a pirate/biker/gang member who has a cane and a limp. And is the one of the nicest people ever. I hope to get to know him somewhat.

Now, for my trip to Toro Toro.

This is a small community in what looks like Jurassic Park. For real, it looks like the mountains there just sprang up last week, they lie at all kinds of crazy angles. And there are dinosaur footprints conserved marvelously.

Here I am pretending I`m a brontasaurus. But I think it ended up looking like I was falling into a very shallow pond. Maybe if I had a longer neck...

Our first day there we went on a hike to waterfalls. But this wasn`t your everyday hike. We hiked for a while through fields with dino footprints in them following our super cool guide Mario. Then we descended 850 stairs into a canyon 1/8 the size of the Grand Canyon. From there, we jumped from rock to rock, crossed rivers, and scaled walls with the help of a rope and Mario until we arrived at a waterfall, in which we ravished in the cool waters.

When I say ravished, I mean, I jumped in and it was all I could do to keep my head above water and breathe, it was so cold. Almost shock cold. It was quite glorious.

Here I am jumping into the cool waters. Please note my awesome outfit of bathing suit and tennis shoes. And Zareen`s cheering warrior pose in the background. :)

The hike ended up being 6 intense hours. We arrived to lunch at 4:30, famished. This is one of the few times in my life I can say I have truly been exhausted. Almost too tired to sit upright in a chair or eat.

The next day we awoke at 5 to go to cave number one of the day. We were supposed to do this cave the night before (after the hike!), but through an act of God, it rained and it was too wet to enter that night. So, after trying to get to sleep through the drunken serenades of the hotel owner´s birthday party, we arose not so bright and early at 5 Sunday and were on our way. Caving has always been pretty interesting, to me, mainly because of the lack of life yet the prescence of very interesting formations and such in them. In this cave, we did a lot of walking, rock jumping, and one scootch through a small space. We returned for lunch and then were off on an hour hike to our second cave. I was a little worried about this one because the level of intensity was supposed to be quite a bit higher, and a girl from last year`s group ended up crying. Gee. Well, the beginning of it was a bit difficult as I had to scoot through a space that my head almost got stuck in and then had to shimmy 8 meters down a rope (almost died #1). Throughout the cave, I barely had time to think as I was just trying to follow Mario`s every move as we twisted our way and contorted our bodies through all kinds of tight spaces. Some of the most fun parts were seeing Mario`s personal ¨treasure den¨with some very interestingly shaped stalagtites and mites. Apparently, less than 100 human eyes have seen these. I feel honored.

This, one of mario`s treasures, kind of looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.. or some Roman structure combined with Salvador Dali`s touch. haha. Another very interesting part of the cave was what I like to call ¨Dr. Suess`s Hell¨. It was very smooth black rocks in all kinds of funny structures in which we had to try our darndest not to fall through to either water or more rocks (almost died #2 and 3). But the most rewarding part of all was the exit of the cave. We came out through a waterfall, (almost died #4) no lie. :) What victory.

We returned home by bumpy jeep ride, and as soon as I hit the bed, I was out. Never have I ever slept a better 11 hours in my life. Never mind the fact I couldn`t move for soreness Monday morning. :)

Bolivia: Life a mile (or kilometer) a minute.