Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Now that I have some spare time I'm going to try and keep more up to date with my blog because last time took too long!
After leaving the internet cafe, I walked back across the park to the hostel, and on my way over there I saw a man coaching kids football. I watched for a while and then decided to go over and chat to him. I tried to explain what I was doing here in Santa Cruz in my basic Spanish and how I wanted to do more football coaching before he told me he spoke English,which made things easier. I chattedto him for a while and watched some of his drills before he told me to come back on Thursday for another session. I was kind of hoping he might ask me if Iwantedto get involved but he didn't seem to need any help. Anyway then me, Allon and two others went out for dinner, firstly searching for a Japanese place out of Allon's Lonely Planet, but then not finding it so ending up at some expensive (well, expensive for Bolivia) place on the Plaza. Went back and watched a film.
The next day we took our time getting up and then headed rounded up a load of others, on my recommendation, to the GO-KARTING! But we got there slightly too early, well, 3 hours early, because the hostel told us it opened earlier than it did. We waited around, got some lunch, waited around some more and eventually it opened. We had a race, which, might I add, I won, then 2 of us had to leave so we had to wait even longer to make up the required minimum 5 people. The person who eventually was this fifth person was a TV presenter for the Bolivian TV channel, ATB! We were filmed racing, and interviewed before and after the race and will be on TV at 11am either Saturday or Sunday. I'll be at Luz del Mundo tomorrow, but Tal, who was also there will watch that, and I'll watch it on Sunday. I'll try and record it with my camera if i can. We were also told there would be a link on You Tube! Anyway, after that we headed back to the hostel and did nothing much before me and Allon went out for dinner with this guy Ian, (from very near West Kirby mum!) and then headed on to a bar and then a pretty bad club. We headed home not very late at all.
The next day I got up after too little sleepand went to Luz del Mundo. This time, the French coupleI'd been told about were there, and a lot of the people who had been there the first time weren't. I was much more involved and had a much better time this time round. Julian, the male half of the couple, and I took a sports class for the boys. It was much better because he speaks perfect Spanish and has been there a while so has the respect and control over the kids. They listen to him much more than they do me. Anyway, he took a judo warm up and then Itook a football lesson. Idid an unbelievably basic passing and then dribbling drill and then we put that nto practice in a match and it was incredible the difference that we saw. Julian said they were playing better than ever which made me feel really good about it. However my team lost the match we played and a lot of the kids weren't happy about that so I think I need to find a way of getting them back on side! Afterwards we went and ate in a nearby market very cheaplybut it was such a nice meal, and then went back to the hostel where I had a Spanish lesson. It went well but there's only so much you can do in an hour so maybe next time will be better. I went to another market later onand bought things to cook for dinner, which cost less than 50p and ended up lasting me 2 dinners! It was only a vegetable stir fry but still, so cheap I can't complain. Watched CityofGod - really good film - and then went to bed.
Then on Thursday, I went with some of the volunteers and Ian to a nearby river called Rio Pirai, where we had some lunch and then wondered around a while. We walked in the river, which in places was only an inch or so deep, but then we walked across and where it got to around a foot deep, sometimes our feet would sink right up to our knees in the sand/clay bed of the river. There was one point on the way back where I was stuck for a minute before someone believed me and came to help! Quite funny atpoints but also a bit scary when suddenlyyouwere up to your knees in what felt like quicksand! Then after relaxing at the hostel a while and eating the other half of my meal from the night before, me, Ian and these 3 gap yearers from Manchester went to "Cosmic Bowling". It was far from cosmic, more just bowling, but a nice relaxing way to spend to the evening.
Then today, we had Luz Del Mundo again, which was good, got involved in drawing and doing maths with some of the kids which I realised today I found just as rewarding as the football and will attempt to do more of in the future. We have it again tomorrow morning, but another volunteer, Tony, today told me that Gabriella, the woman whose house it is, isn't in the best financial situation and every Saturday she cooks lunch for all the kids, completely out of her own pocket. tony paid this week but we thought it would be nice to do some collecting around the hostel and then make a donation ourselves. It's obviously a worthwhile cause and so I am keen to contribute in this way as well. I have also emailed a couple of other 'homes' in Santa Cruz where I hope to get involved and hopefully will get involved a bit more with these guiys who coach football in the local park. I forgot to mention they are both ex-pros. I guess that means I shall be sticking round in Santa Cruz a while longer. I have had a lot of responses from volunteer places I have emailed in Peru but Idon't think I have the time to go to Peru if I want to meet up with Allon, Mesh and Joel in La Paz around the 20th. Unless something really good comes along I'll be staying here.
So tomorrow is more Luz Del Mundo, then a day in front of the start of the European Championships, and hopefully a good night out. I shall post the link, if there is one, for me go karting on Bolivian TV.
- comments