Well, here I am at the airport in Santa Marta, swatting Mosquitos and waiting for check in to open. The taxi is about the only punctual service that I have experienced here hence I am early, too early to check in! 35 minutes to go. A good time to start writing the final episode of my sage in Colombia! But who knows what the trip is going to be like, anything could happen in the next 12 hours!
The airport is about a 25 minute drive from Centro and a grand charge of $10 for the fare. The position of the airport is outstanding. Behind where I am sitting and about 20 metres away is a lovely sandy beach set in a very pretty little bay. On the other side is the mountains which have very interesting vegetation. In the midst of the shrubbery is cacti, tall and spindly, but attractive to look at and very green!
As usual I slept poorly last night and feel like I need an early siesta. I actually feel a bit out of sorts this morning. Instead of waiting until after I had brekkie I took the anti malarial antibiotics early and now I feel really nauseous and am praying I will be OK flying. With all the missiles here I am actually pleased that I remembered to take the tablets everyday! Now I have to remember to take them for the next 4 weeks, recommended post trip.
One of the volunteers has been very sick with what they thought was a migraine but she has also had a fever and is being tested for dengue. The incubation period for testing is around 6 days and she has been sick now for 5 and not getting much better. Her partner took her to hospital and was shocked at the facilities. He said it was filthy, no paper or soap in bathrooms, old blood evident on the end of the bed. This is not a backwards town, there is business here and people with money so this is unexpected. There are also very poor people here but the population is on the whole educated ( as far as I can make out).
This week has had me teaching and being at the project solo. The American boy who was going to do everything didn't reappear and 3 days later apologized. He found it all a bit confronting when he realized that you can't just waltz into a class of adults and play games. There is a lot of thought and preparation that goes into each lesson and when teaching, there are also extra teaching moments that appear. There is always some grammar that pops up and even though we all know the grammar as we use it all the time it is confusing to students when the teacher switches from this is to these are!! That simple concept can take 20 minutes to explain, then to get the students to practice and reinforce!
Anyway, I want to know why it is that the last week is often unexpectedly the best? Perhaps because I finally had some responsibility and was doing what I came here to do!!!!
I had only planned to have Spanish lessons 3 times a week but have had them every week day morning, they have kept me sane and given me something to do. I have the lessons from 8 am to 10 am, then usually go for a walk to buy some food for dinner , usually water as I drink so much here and sometimes go to the little bakery across Carrera 4 and have a coffee. Then I return to the apartment and study for a couple of hours, write up my lesson plan and prepare my activities for the class then have a little siesta! Then off to the bus to school, returning around 6.30 to 7pm.
the weather report says that it has only been 32 to 34 degrees here but that is nonsense. It really has felt like 40 every day and the locals report that it is certainly hotter than usual for this time of the year. The heat is exhausting! Night time is not much better as there isnt usually a sea breeze, the breeze come from the mountains but doesn't see to be reaching Centro!!! The nights have been reportedly around 25 but certainly feel hotter. I wake up during the night on multiple occasions and it is because I am so hot and damp even with 2 fans on me! The side the fan doesn't hit gets wet!
I feel very disappointed to be leaving the students now as they have told one of the morning teachers who told the coordinator, how much they enjoy my classes and like being taught in English. There is now NO teacher for them and classes have been suspended. The rest of the volunteers, who I hardly see and have only spoken to 3 or 4 of them, work with the kids as it is a lot more fun and they all get to work together. If one of them have a hangover or don't want to work that day it is OK as there are others who attend. They are mainly short term backpackers and understandably don't want the responsibility of too much teaching pressure, they mainly want to feel good and have fun!!!!
The whole adventure has been an eye opener and really reinforces just what an incredible organization Bridget and Alan are running! This organization is just not on the same level even though it has been going for much longer. I wanted to leave a donation but I am just not comfortable doing so I am am not confident as to what would happen to the money.
So I have taught and had some fun with the students this week, yesterday I. Taught them hangman with the prize of a lollipop for a correct letter and they were hilarious! Yelling out the letters, getting them right, wanting their prize!!! Just like kids, it was so funny. I bought mini packets of biscuits as prizes also, the older adults put them in their bags, I would say to take home to share with the family.
Amparo, the lady who lives behind the school house told me yesterday that they only have one meal a day at lunch, almuerzo it is called here. I asked if it was a big meal and she said, no just normal, we can't afford to eat any more. She has an 18 year old boy whoo I liked very much and a 10 year old who doesn't attend school as he has bone cancer , diagnosed 2 years ago. It is dangerous for him to be with other kids as in the rough and tumble he will fracture easily. He is very sweet and everyday there is a welcome hug from him and a very warm, buenos Dias señora, como estas???
I actually feel sad leaving them as I am sure that I could have done a lot to help their English. Plus I really liked the students even though their time keeping was tardy!
Last night I went out for dinner with Sven and Elsa, my landlords! We had a lovely time and Sven told me that like so many places, to be able to learn English here is out of the reach of so many but also so important for the future in business and trade. There is paid work here if I were to consider that! They would have to pay me a kings ransom!!! Return is a very unlikely scenario!
What was so pleasing at the dinner was that I spoke and understood a lot of Spanish! Elsa doesn't speak English, Sven is from Sweden and does speak English. His 1st language now is Spanish. There were a couple of occasions where he had to translate as he would get carried away!
So the adventure finishes! I eventually enjoyed the teaching, have enjoyed my visits to Tayrona, the beaches and in particular to Cartagena and have been happy with my Spanish classes and progress. Sven and Elsa have been very good to me but apart from them I have had very little contact with anybody at the project except for Suzanne.
Now onto something new!!
Well you thought I had finished! But no! Have patience! The installment came to an abrupt ending because the check in opened(15 minutes late of course). I had followed suit of a few of the locals and left my luggage in line, unattended! Imagine doing that in Melbourne or LA??? I was checked in quickly but in my improving Spanish managed to ask for an aisle seat and discovered that I have to pick up my luggage in Bogota and check it in and go through security again. We are. SOOOOOOO spoiled in Australia! Nausea has settled, time for a last pee before boarding in 20 minutes ( we'll. see if that actually happens)! Bathroom! No toilet seat, no paper, nothing to hang bag on. No soap, nothing to dry hands on. Find toilet paper! Giant roll sitting on wall before toilets, take what you need in with you! What a novel idea to save paper! Amparo at the school tells me that I have una maleta magica. A magic backpack!!! This is because everytime I need something, I open my back pack and it is there! Lucky the magic tissue appeared this morning.
Now in the waiting salon! Feel like I am going to the dentist. But the salon is cool, first time in a couple of weeks, air conditioning, what luxury.
Fantastic outlook to the mountains, now trying to decide if I should unpack back pack to get camera out for one last photo through the filthy window. Too lazy, window too dirty.
Next episode from Miami!
Chao amigos, hasty luego!
Ps departure 25 minutes late as I write and not a plane in sight! Good start to the return trip!!!!
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