Tayrona Park, chaos, and bracelets.

Well, it's been a week since I've written about my experiences. I definitely get caught up in going out to the corner store and hanging out with the other volunteers. The last week has been filled with challenges, but it has also been filled with a lot of good times with great people. The last week was still a struggle, especially because the kids stopped going to school because the teachers are no officially on strike. They haven't been paid for six months, so it's honestly no wonder. So we didn't get to go to the school that we wanted, so instead we sat around a lot at the library and tried to figure out what we needed to do. This weekend was so fun though, so it was worth it. 15 of us, including all of my roommates, went to Tayrona National Park. It was a four hour bus ride, and we left at 7 a.m. Once we got there, we hired a tour guide, which ended up being the worst decision ever. He spoke no English, and he walked so fast that half of the group got lost because one of the girls was carrying a heavy bag and couldn't keep up. There was also just a lot of miscommunication about where we were staying to camp, so by the time everyone met up, people were a little testy. However, we were within a five minute walk to a beautiful beach, and 20 minutes to an even nicer beach. Once we all cooled down and had a few beers, things got so much better. We star gazed for hours, and the stars were amazing. We eventually wandered to bed which was hammocks with mosquito nets. I slept awful because it was so hot and I felt suffocated in my net. But we woke up around 7, ate some breakfast, went to the beach until 12:30, and began the hike back. Overall, the hike only took an hour, but it was so hot and it was a lot of climbing up and down stairs and rocks. We were so hot and exhausted by the time we got in the van. We finally got home around 8, then we went and got pizza. By the time we got back, I showered and passed out. This week has also been chaotic. Monday was almost a dramatic day as our director scolded us for preparing an activity in the morning instead of sitting with the children. However, we had already given the kids an activity, and we were multitasking walking around the room. Our activity that afternoon went fabulous though, as we made bracelets out of strings. We had already cut out the strings and tied them and taped them to the table, so when the kids came they were ready to go! We made the color scheme yellow, blue, and red, the colors of the Colombian flag, because it was independence day! That night, we went to the corner store at like 7 and started drinking Colombian rum. We almost got in trouble, because apparently all of the girls were so loud that night when we got back to the house. Who would have thought?! Yesterday we had a discussion with our director because we were put in a school we had never visited before, and expected to teach a two hour English class. There is nothing worse than being unprepared for the situations we are put in, and it happens at least once every day. We were all a little moody, so during the lunch break we talked to the director and explained to her we need notice of what we do, we also would like to not go into schools with older kids. We also talked about how none of us signed up to teach English, and that's all we do. Although I am definitely glad I came on this trip and met so many fantastic people, there are times that I just want to go home and sleep in air conditioning with my dog. I want ice tea, dr.pepper, cell phone service and my family and friends. But it's crazy how I only have two weeks left after we complete this week. And this weekend is going to be amazing. My roomates and I and the guys of the apartment are going to fly to Medellin, Colombia. We are staying in a party hostel, and we are going to do tours and drink coffee and sleep in and not have a curfew. It's exactly the mini vacation we need so we don't snap!

 

 

 

As you can see, these are pictures of paradise. Tayrona Park should definitely be added on places to see. It's incredible. I really shouldn't complain so much when im living in a land full of beautiful people and places.