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Week Five

This week was probably one of the best weeks we’ve had here. On Monday we went to work as per usual and it’s amazing to think how far we’ve come on the kitchen. This week we finished completely leveling the floors and started putting up the brick walls. It’s weird to think that there used to be a completely different structure where we’ve built. Of course we could not have come as far as we have in this short amount of time without the help of the community members. They have all been so patient with us as we learn and taught us how meticulous this kind of work is, especially when you have limited resources. I’m not sure we will have time to finish the whole project, but luckily there will be another group coming shorty after us to pick up where we left off.

On Tuesday we continued lessons in the primary school. I think this was by far the best day we have had with the kids so far. In my group’s class we started by reviewing old exercises such as, English colors, numbers and phrases. We definitely see the kids starting to progress and I think they are starting to have fun with the material just because they know it that much better than when we began. After completing review we brought out some animal coloring books. On the top of each page we wrote the animals represented in English. We gave them all crayons and they tore through page after page as we hung them on the board according to animal. We went over all the names of the animals in both English and Spanish once the kids were all done. For the rest of class we got to kind of mess around and have fun with the kids. They would all jump on top of us, spin around on our arms, tickle us, and braid our hair (which was all basically in a knot by the end of class). These days with the kids are what will make it the hardest to leave this place.

On Saturday we had one of the best days we have had as a group. After breakfast we headed down to the river house. Cassie and I took the normal path down with Ricarme and we met up with Waldir’s kids, whom we also see every day in Santa Cruz. We went in the kayaks for a bit however when Cassie tried to get out she slipped in the mud and fell right into the river. Of course this sent me into a fit of laughter so she flipped me! So that is how we both got into the Amazon River for the first time. The kids and Ricarme found this absolutely hilarious as well. We then met up with everyone who came down the other path, with our clothes soaked. Everyone who had taken the other path showed us photos of them on a vine they had come across. Hopefully Cassie and I will get to go down that path another day and see it as well. For the rest of the day we hung out at the house and played card games. While we sat in the Yucandero (the boat we take to work every day) on the water, it started to pour. We’d hoped for sunny weather, but since that didn’t happen we just embraced it. So right there in the pouring rain we climbed out of the boat and got into the river. This may sound cheesy, but I don’t think I have ever felt more alive in my entire life. It was truly one of those days you know you will always remember.

  • Alex Loeb

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