emotional night

So yesterday was set to be a day and night in after partying the night before - free drinks are given in pretty much all the bars so I didn´t spend a single sol on drinks all night. Obviously the stuff is like paint stripper so yesterday was a feeling a bit rough. We decided to have a night in and some of the other volunteers and I were playing cards and having a good laugh. The boys had just gone to bed and it was clearly at this moment that seeing the empty bed they realised that one of the boys had escaped. In the panic of looking for him in the orphanage some of the other boys came back form school (they go to school at night) and they causally told us that 2 of the boys hadn´t come back with them. I immediately began to panic because Alex, 10 years old, who had escaped is still new and apparently had a problem with drugs and I was concerned that he might take something. He´s one of the most fragile looking boys, one of those that really makes me want to take him back with me.

Davis, one of the older boys thats in charge called Jeremy to let him know. This is quite a common thing for the childen to escape and want to go back on the streets. Jeremy always goes looking for them and brings them back but if they continue to do it they can often be kicked out of the home. Davis went to Jeremy´s house to go to another boy´s dorm where they thought he might be, a few others had a walk round near the orphanage and me, Fred and her sister got in a taxi and went straight to the Plaza in the centre of town - a hot spot with kids who know they can get money out of tourists who feel sorry for the children or guilty for spending so much money on restaurants and going out. When we got there as we had just got up and left we weren´t wrapped up as much as usual and it was soooo cold. I just couldn´t believe that these kids would prefer to be out in the freezing cold than at home in their warm beds. It soon became apparent that we had no clue where to look for them, I mean how were we ever going to think like a street child and know where they would go? Luckily, I got a call to say that they had the three of them and they were coming to pick us up.

It turned out that the three of them had planned the whole thing. Two of them hadn´t bothered to go to school and Alex had gone and met them. They had gone to the dorm to get 3 soles "to eat" as they had told the guy there. Jeremy sat them down and the whole thing was talked about, reasons as to why they had left had included for one, bullying by other boys (who were then woken up and made to apoligize), another claimed it was because he was bored, and Juan Carlos had clearly just gone with it for the adventure.

It was quite emotional the whole thing. At one point Fred walked off because she was starting to get upset, I followed her and said I felt exactly the same, which then set me off crying, and then her sister started! Gosh it was emotional. We didn´t go back to the room so the kids wouldn´t see us crying but we stayed close to listen. The boys were then told to come and apologize to us and they came and gave us big hugs and they were cyring a little bit which set the three of us off crying again. It was quite obvious that we have no idea what these kids have been through or what goes through their minds. To think that 10year olds would rather spend a night on the street, begging or whatever they would have done broke my heart. Jeremey says that it´s what most of these kids know and the attraction of the money is too much for some who don´t like the rules of the orphanage and want their independence. Obviously the begging only really works till their 13/14 because people don´t give money to older looking boys and this is went the stealing begins. However, this isn´t a good messgae for the other childen that they can come and go as they please and as Anderson, the ring leader of the adventure has already run off a few times he is now on his last warning. Only time will tell if he will stay or not.....

Que rico el alpacaaaaaaa

Yesterday a few of us went out to a village called Chinchero about 30mins in taxi away from Cuzo. We got out the taxi and we were literally the only tourists in this place. It was pretty funny coz we stuck out like a sore thumb - I felt like we had turned up to a party that we hadn´t been invited to. It was some religious fiesta and everyone was in really traditional dress and sat round having a few drinks and
there was music etc. We then went to find the ruins that this village is quite famous for but it was really expensive to get in and some French people walked past and told us it wasn´t worth paying that much money. We started walking away and suddenly some Peruvian woman came up to us and said that if we wanted to go to the ruins she would take us the back way. We asked if it was free and she replied yes but quickly followed with "well, you can give me a tip". She started taking us up these hills and my god the altitude was a killer. I definitely feel I can relate to asmathtics a lot more now. Anyway I was convinced we were probably being conned as we seemed to be walking to the middle of nowhere and she had asked us halfway to pay her. We did eventually get there and we ended up paying 6 soles each (about 1 pound 50) instead of 170 soles each! It was amazing inside as it was clearly where the festival began and everyone was again in traditional dress and dancing and bands playing. This combined with the mountain scenery was amazing. We were snapping away at every1 there and suddenyl realised we were being snapped as well, a group of kids even asked for a photo with us. Hahaha. We stayed there a few hours and then headed back in taxi again. Health and saftey is clearly not a big issue and we squeezed 4 in the back, this teamed with the way people drive here makes me have to grip the seat everytime I get in these taxis!


Well things at the orphanage are still going well but I continue to see problems with the way they run things there...or more...don´t run things! The boys are left to their own devices most of the day and I often catch them playing with matches, burning paper and even playing with knifes they have taken from the kitchen. If none of the volunteers are up in the morning to accompany the girls to school then they just go on there own. This involves two choices...1. Walking across a bridge which is having work done which means it is a high bridge with NO railings either side, so it´s prtty much a case of if you fall you will probably die or 2. they cross the really busy road. I mean some of the little ones are as young as 6 and they just run across the road all the time and judging by the fact that the drivers here are even worse than Spanish drivers it´s just really unsafe.

Tried Alpaca the other night and it was so tasty I had it again last night. Delicious. Fred wants us all to try Guinea Pig, another local dish...not so sure myself. Food is very cheap and most mornings we go to the local markets for breakfast which costs about 1pound for an egg sandiwch and a jug of juice. The juices are amazing here as well. Anyway better get going because I´m off to find the supermarket with Christine, the new American girl. She is absolutely hilarious. She studied Spanish as a minor for 3 years but doesn´t know a thing, she literally invents every word and the kids don´t have a clue what she is on about. She makes us all laugh so much. She will often say a whole line in English and then say one word in Spanish and wonder why Fred and her sister haven´t managed to understand. Daddy Yankee was on yesterday and she was like "oh I know this song...it´s from the Middle East."!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made it!

Well where, to start?!? So after a longggg day travelling I finally made it to my first destination of Cuzco, Peru. As predicited I wasn´t met at the airport but it´s nothing that a quick phone call didn´t sort out. Jeremy, who runs the orphanage picked me up and gave me a quick tour in his car of Cuzco centre. It is beautiful and I wanted to get out there and then and explore. However, we went to the orphanage so I could meet everyone. I dumped my bags and went to meet the owner Nilda who is Jeremy´s Mum. We introduced ourselves and then I was told to grab a chair and sit with the kids. I was chatting away for a while but it soon became obvious that if I wanted any information about the orphanage it was up to me to ask beause it was clearly not going to be offered. I went and asked her about their routine and what kind of things she would like me to do with the kids, what was expected of me etc. but this was met with a very relaxed attitude about how I can do what I want, when I want. This wasn´t really the answer I was expecting so went to find the other volunteers who pretty much confirmed this - you can come and go as you please and spend time with the kids as you wish. This was totally unexpected to be honest.

The kids are absolutely lovely and so affectionate, they greet you in the morning with a buenos dias and a kiss and at night they all come and give you a kiss before they go to bed. It´s heartbreaking sometimes though. The orphanage is ok but needs a good clean and a lick of paint. Hygiene is not high on the list and I don´t really get who cleans the bathrooms etc. because the boys one absolutely stinks and no one seems to be doing anything about it. To add to it, this is in the small courtyard where they have lunch and it´s horrible sometimes. I think my lowest point so far (on my second day!) was watching a 6 yr old hand wash his own clothes in a bowl of freezing cold water. I started to help him and there were solied underpants in there and was making the water dirty and mixing with the clothes he´d already cleaned.

The girls go to school in the morning and the boys in the afternoon but there is no where near enough structure to there day. I came down this morning to find the boys just all sat there on their own left to their own devices. There are no proper adults there either and as volunteers as we have not actually been offered much advice or information it´s hard for us to know what time to send them to bed or whether they shoudl be doing their homework or not. Some get on with their work themselves but get so distracted as there is no proper study space and there are only two small desks anyway. There is one adult who stays over night called Esther but she goes up with the girls and sleeps in their room. There are also 2/3 older boys who are about 20-21 who were brought up in the orphanage and live there - maybe they are in charge?? One positive thing is their solidarity and you can see how they are like one big family. Yesterday I saw how generous some of the kids are when me and Fred took some of them for a juice in the local market, which they love. They could have had all of the juice but instead some of them decided to save it and take home what was left for others back at the orphanage.

Yesterday I went to the centre of Cuzco for a bit, es muy linda. We went and got some food and then walked around a bit and went for a cocktail in a cool bar with beanbags. After a while though I started to feel guilty because it was so easy to forget about the orpanage and thinking about me having a drink whilst they were all back there just felt selfish. I think it´s going to be hard to get used to that.

Nearly time...

Well it's nearly time for me to leave. I'm not too nervous about going - I suppose I am used to leaving now! Hopefully I will fill this thing in as I go along, although I will probably start off well and then.....
I know the Sheffield girls will be particually looking forward to my blogs - they love my attention to detail. haha.
I can't wait to see what South America has to offer (especially the food! haha). Not looking forward to packing in the slightest, I mean let's face it, I struggle with a suitcase never mind a rucksack!