Aucapata Week 3 (March 19 to March 25th)

Hi All:
To my surprise, when we got to the school in Aucapata, the Father´s Day celebrations were under way. Yes, this year I get 2 Father´s Days! The Bolivian one was very special as Fathers were invited to school and were entertained by dances and poetry performances. All the Fathers, including yours truly, were seated up front in the school yard. I was especially touched by little Anhi´s dance with 2 other little girls. She was so serious and dancing her heart out in her special gold dancing skirt................but, with the same broken sandals that she wears everyday. The Fathers were also part of the entertainment as reluctant volunteers first took part in an eating competition, then musical chairs and then potato peeling. I finally volunteered for the later and finished a dignified (and 10 fingered) last. Winners of the competitions got a big bottle of pop and were sprinkled with confetti. Joy did 2 classes on Monday and had the school principal and two teachers for the late afternoon class.
Tuesday we had an early thunderstorm, the first of our stay and the road in front of the house flowed like a river. But, as is usual here, the walk to Cosnipata was virtually rain-free. Dr. Amparo and the Director of the IMIF, Yumey, both arrived on the ¨Rojo¨bus at 5:30 and Yumey brought all sorts of goodies for the wrap up parties.
On Wednesday, our last official day at Aucapata school, Joy did a demonstration for the older kids while we set up the room that we had been using. By 12pm we had everything hung and the parents and teachers came to see what the kids had done and for cookies, Quinohua bars and yogurt. The school had a civic ceremony, at which, we were able to say a few words of thanks and present the students with some art supplies. Turn-out of parents was very good.
Thursday had us back in Charaj in a 4X4 driven by one of the miners. We had to leave at 6:30am and he drove a little fast for my liking. You must realize that on these roads, if you go off the one-lane road on the down-hill side, you can go a long way (at least 500metres) down before you stop! Our great plans of providing everyone with sandwiches still didn´t dissuade the women of Charaj from feeding us a hot meal, this time including Joy´s favourite................Guinea Pig! She loves those little faces with the teeth looking up from her plate! So if anyone back home wants to be a hit with Joy. Joy was still teaching when we heard the horn of Juan Carlos´bus up the hill. We had to pack and leave in a big hurry and sprint(??) up the hill. Fortunately Yumey was able to get in contact and Juan Carlos slowed down for us.
Friday was our last visit to Cosnipata.At least 4 parents stayed for the day, and we decorated the rooms with the kids art and then there were speaches and food. It was altogether a successful end to our time in Cosnipata and everyone appeared happy. Ernesto arrived with the truck that distributes breakfast food to 25 schools every month and a half. The rest of the day was spent making improvements to the house: ie a lock and window in the bathroom and replacing the refridgerator box in the kitchen with real working surfaces.
Saterday the miners (¨mineros¨) had a big meeting so there were 4X4s all over town. Unfortunately we couldn´t get one to take breakfast food down to Rosario. Joy had some students in the early afternoon and then, with the house decorated with a Nova Scotia flag and balloons, we had the last formal function, an open house. The place was filled for 3 hours with kids and adults. Joys 15 paintings were hung on the wall along with the work of her evening classes. After, when we were relaxing two of the kids, Jose and his sister Anhellica, came to the door to let us know that someone was selling avocados. After a number of purchases, they stayed for a sandwich. In a very touching moment, Joy gave Anhellica one of Danica´s necklaces, at which point, Jose jumped up at mid-bite, and raced away. He came back with a hand-carved wooden sling-shot which he gave to Joy. It was obviously prized!
Sunday we left in a 4X4 thanks to Don Manuel for La Paz. As we left at 2pm, we got to see the marvelous high country between Aucapata and the shores of Lake Titicaca. Unfortunately there was a dispute about whether or not the driver would go down into La Paz or just drop us in El Alto. That started a drama which ended with him possibly running out of gas in El Alto at about 1am. El Alto is not aplace that you want to be at night, but we were rescued by cel phones and Paz the best driver in La Paz.
Jim