Valdivia and Chiloe

Camila, Daniela, Sarai and me in Valdivia

After an emotional last week at work it was finally the holiday time and the end of our project. We went on a lovely staff trip to some thermal pools which was a great chance to talk more to the people we haven't previously and the perfect way to say goodbye to all our colleagues.

Then we headed off to Valdivia for a weekend away with 2 of our friends. We ate a lot of fish and icecream had a lovely couple of days in a very picturesque town.

After that, it was back to Cholchol for a couple of days, enough time to squeeze in a couple of days with other friends and a trip to Temuco before we got onto another bus, this time all the way down to Castro, on the beautiful island of Chiloe (which is classified as Patagonia!) where another of the volunteers from Project Trust lives and works.

The beautiful beach at Achao

We spent the friday exploring Castro, ventured to a town called Achao on one of the smaller islands the next day, and then headed for a night out in Ancud on the saturday night. On the sunday we had a big 'Paila Marina' for lunch (basically a kind of seafood soup which is very yummy and very filling!) and then explored the town. It was (amazingly) beautifully sunny which made for some very very picturesque views of the town and the ocean and some of the surrounding smaller islands. We climbed to the top of one of the hills and had an absolutely stunning view of Andes mountain range right across the horizon. It was unbelievably beautiful - literally ridiculous that a view like that should exist really! Even more annoyingly - none of us had our cameras... then again saying that, I don't think that view is going to leave me for a while and I doubt a picture really could have captured it.

The very castle-like cathedral in Castro

During the week we went to work with Evie. She works with a foundation called Coanil which has 2 homes for people with disabilities in Castro - one for kids and one for adults -. We split our time between the two and spent our days playing and dancing with kids, and cooking and walking with the adults. All the people in those homes are absolutely lovely (I did want to take quite a few of them home with me after just one week!), though they can also be very difficult to work with and to engage in activities. It was definitely an amazing experience to have and I'm very glad we did it - no regrets there!

We were planning on staying on in Castro until the Sunday but due to bus timetables we came back home on the Saturday instead.

Me and some of the kids in the home

So now here we are, back in Cholchol for the last time! Now that's a scary thought! Only just over 2 weeks until our flight home and so time for relaxing, packing and spending as much time as possible with the people I love.

Hannah :)

Una Despedida Tan Linda...

As our last week of work looms, we knew that the girls in the internado were organising some kind of convidencia or farewell thing for us. We also knew it was to be on Monday.

Our surprise...

So last night, we heard them all evening blasting music and definitely up to something... At just gone 8 they knocked on our door and 2 of the girls led us through the dark (they'd turned off all the lights) to the large common room they have. They turned on the lights and all shouted surprise at us! They'd set up tables and plates piled with biscuits, sopaipillas, crisps, cake. It was so sweet. We each had a slip of paper underneath our plates with someone else's name on it and whilst we ate we all took it in turns and ask that person a question. I got asked what my favourite childhood memory was. So I said about the snow white dress my mum made me once - the first thing that popped into my head and a pretty nice memory all the same! In the next game, we had to each do a challenge.. mine was to dance - so I showed off my best gringa-style mad dancing  which they thought was hilarious! I did explain that being British... I just don't have hips like them!

playing musical chairs...

We also played other games throughout the evening including Musical Chairs (which I won!) and karaoke (Which my team also won.... ooh yeah!)

We were then presented with a present from one of the girls, and had to say a little speech and afterwards we were bombarded with hugs and kisses and more personal words of thanks from all the girls in turn. It was pretty emotional and I'm not gonna lie, a few tears may have leaked out at this point. But soon it was on with the fun, and back to enjoying this last little time we have left with them.

We also managed to get in a big group photo and many more besides and also presented them with gifts of our own. We had made them all bracelets as a little memory of us... They seemed pretty pleased with them which was good and demands for more have already come in so that will be my evening tonight!

Us with all the girls...

Altogether it was the most lovely evening. We hardly ever get to do something with all of the girls at the same time so it was an amazing chance to do that one last time before we all go our separate ways for the holidays and then as we head back to the UK. We also now have a supply of food stocked in our house which will last us the next few days as well as many more convidencias coming up in school before them, so I think we'll definitely be well fed!

Hannah :)