Villa Allende

Hello readers.

I find myself in Villa Allende, a town 45 minutes from the trusty Ascochinga. I am here to visit the Australian ladies who are volunteering here at the orphanage. Howeves, they are not here.
I suppose something went wrong in the communication somewhere...but they have been away and haven´t returned yet. They did tell me that they were returning last night. But this was not the case! I´m not sure whether to worry or be annoyed. I chose to visit so that I could spend some time catching up with them, get some girly gossip happening which I am well and truely deprived of living in a house with 25 men. And the fact that it can´t just come spilling out of me, or their stories spilling out to me, leaves me a little worn. Like I need to burst except I´m getting sewn up again just as I´m starting to crack.

However, today has given me ample internet time. I have been able to write a few emails, take my time. And write this blog.

It´s interesting suddenly finding myself alone in this country. Hell, it´s not even alone, really. But by myself for a few hours. The world seems a lot bigger! I had some lunch at a pizzeria, reading and writing throughout to maximise time spent.
I know that when I head back to the orphanage for the day there will be no leaving so I´m not sure whether to suck it up and just head back or whether to enjoy this solo free time without the kiddies scrambling all over me.

Things in general have been going well. It´s just ticked into the second half of the four months here, which is difficult to believe. I have eight weeks left here, which seems like a while, although when only the weekends are free, it´s a considerably short span of time. In these next eight weeks I endeavour to: visit Rosario for the jazz festival (and Uruguay on the same trip to renew my visa), visit Mendoza- wine capital of the lands- go paragliding in La Cumbre - capital of paragliding in the lands- , and visit more of the towns around the Sierra Cordobas. I think this is all possible.

It has become time to think creatively about the work we can do at the placement. The idea of a puppet play is well and truely beginning to take place, with the purchase of paints and cardboard and the creation of bamboo puppet figures. Reuben has written a few scripts, taking the Chicos on different adventures each episode. I think they will enjoy it. I hope they do! If not it´s a great occupier for us for the next couple of months anyways!

This coming weekend we are headed to Cordoba, for a few different reasons.
Barbara, the Lattitude coordinator woman is in town, and wants to chat with us about our placements. She is going to take us out for dinner which is exciting! It will be great to debrief with her about our time here.
Also, we met an old couple one day at a waterfall at Ascochinga who offered to show us a true Cordobese asado. How could we resist? We´ve been communicating through dodgy emails about the time and day of the feast, hopefully we can sort this out before it is too late.
And thirdly, it is Iona´s (one of the girls staying at Villa Allende) birthday on Sunday and we´re out to celebrate. A jam-packed weekend if ever I seen one.

On Sunday it was El día de las madres. Mothers´day. This meant yet another chanco was killed and we ate it for lunch. Reuben and I cooked his mothers´chocolate torte which was incredibly well-received. It was a bit shloppy serving it out, as there were no plates left. The three blind people present may have enjoyed it more, not judging it on presentation. I had a lovely relaxing day lying in the sun and reading A Fraction of the Whole. Powered through it really.

I suppose that´s about it for the meantime...I think my head will be more organised once these peeps show up. I will write soon!
Love G