Last night was a really fun night with the girls! Kimberly was over at the house for a meeting with the tias and for dinner. After dinner the girls went to takes showers, which is quite a hectic time in the house. After shower time, we played games with the girls. First, I played some marble game with Paty. She is 11, and one of the only actual orphans. Some of the girls get to see their families from time to time. But, Paty and I played this marble game, and she kept adding on new rules, like kids do to ensure that they win the game. But, we played it a few times, and I finally got the hang of it. Then, when more of the girls were showered and ready for bed, we played a huge game of Uno. The girls absolutely love Uno! All the tias played, and we had a great time. All the girls were in bed by 9:30, and since I had to get up early for the tour, I also went to bed at 9:30.
I got to the Maryknoll Center at 8:30 for our tour. We went to the downtown area and Cathy, who is in charge of all trips and outings for people participating in the Maryknoll programs, showed us good restaurants and cafes. We also went to the center of town, the Zocalo. There is a huge Cathedral and a big park with a fountain and statues in the middle. During the weekends, especially, Cochabambinos hang out here with their families. We got coffees at a cafe called Cafe Paris. It was some of the best coffee I have ever had! So delicious! We headed to the Prado and the Recoleta, which are two areas of Cochabamba that have nice restaurants, bars, and clubs! There is also a bowling alley near the Recoleta, which we decided we needed to visit soon! We drove up to the Cristo on the hill above the city. The road was sooooooo narrow and curvy--it was scary! But, we made it up to the top safely. We got to climb inside the Cristo, which was so amazing, but also really scary. The staircases to climb up are so tiny and steep! It was, however, very hard to breath because of the high altitude. But, the view from the Cristo and the hill was amazing--you could see the whole city and the mountains beyond. Then, we headed to Tiquipaya for lunch. A German man who used to work at the Maryknoll Center opened a hotel and retaurant in Tiquipaya, which is a smaller suburb outside of Cochabamba. The land he owns is so beautiful, and he started with a small chunk of land, and now has a huge operation with a pool, and a playground, tons of animals, and trees. It was a buffet lunch with chicken, fish, beef, beets, platanos, tomatoes, rice, potatoes, celery salad, and ice cream! Some of the best food I have had since I have been here! After lunch, we played on the swings and sunbathed in the sun!
I signed up for a trip to Santa Cruz, Bolivia in a few weekends. We are going to see the missions the Jesuits built, and one mission the Bolivians built. Dan told me that it's an amazing trip, and we stay in a very nice hotel that was built in the mission sites. So, I am looking forward to that! And, later in July we will be taking a trip to LAKE TITICACA!!!!!!! I am so excited to see Lake Titicaca! There are lots of indigenous villages built on islands in the lake, and you can go and visit them. I think this will be an amazing experience! I also am going with Tia Celia and the girls to mass tomorrow. It is 2 hours, and all in Spanish, so I am a little nervous. I hope I know when to go up for Communion! But, masses in Spanish are so beautiful! So, exciting things are coming up!
Miss everyone! Sending my Love!
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