Okinawa, Bolivia: February 2012

THE LAST MONTH HAS BEEN FULL OF ACTIVITY. ON DEC 26 I LEFT FOR A FIVE-DAY HOLIDAY IN SUCRE,   I THINK MY PICTURES WILL TELL THE BETTER STORY THAN MY WORDS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU I LOVED IT THERE. SUCRE IS A WORLD HERITAGE CITY AND VERY BEAUTIFUL.    I ARRIVED BACK IN CBBA ON NEW YEARS EVE AND WENT TO VISIT THE OTHER HOGAR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF TOWN.    AMBER AND MONICA, TWO OTHER SALESIAN VOLUNTEERS; THE HERMANAS AND THE GIRLS SHOWED ME A WONDERFUL TIME .   WE USHERED IN HE NEW YEAR WITH MASS, A DELICIOUS DINNER, DANCING, CHAMPAGNE AND FIREWORKS LIGHTING THE SKY.

I ARRIVED BACK AT MY HOGAR ON SUNDAY EVENING AND SPENT THE NEXT TWO DAYS HELPING PREPARE FOR OUR TRIP TO THE JUNGLE,   SOME OF YOU HAVE ASKED ME WHY WE TAKE THIS TRIP, SO I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED IN THE PAST THAT MOST OF THE GIRLS GO HOME AND SPEND FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS WITH RELATIVES, NOT NECESSARILY PARENTS. EACH YEAR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF GIRLS REMAIN AT THE HOGAR, EITHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RELATIVES OR THEY CHOOSE NO TO GO FOR VARIOUS REASONS. THIS YEAR, AROUND 20 GIRLS REMAINED BEHIND.   THE HERMANAS TRY TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THESE GIRLS; HENCE, THE TRIP TO THE CHAPARE. BUT WHY CHAPARE? THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS.   OUR HEMANAS S BELONG TO AN ORDER KNOWN AS THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. THIS SAME ORDER OF HERMANAS RUN A BOARDING SCHOOL IN CHAPARE. CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN REMOTE AREAS CAN RECEIVE AN EDUCATION AND LIVE HERE, AS IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO RETURN HOME EVERY DAY. THEY ALL GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES FOR SUMMER VACATION, SO THIS FREES UP A PLACE FOR US TO STAY AT NO COST. ANOTHER REASON. IS THERE ARE SEVERAL RIVERS NEARBY FOR US TO SWIM IN AND LAST OF AL,L HERMANA GUADA HAS FAMILY THERE. HER FATHER OWNS BANANA PLANTATIONS IN THE AREA AND SO OWNS SEVERAL TRUCKS, WHICH SUPPLIED US WITH TRANSPORTATION BACK AND FORTH TO THE RIVER.

I HAD AMAZING EXPERIENCES THERE AND I WILL NEVER FORGET MY BIRTHDAY.   HR. GUADA REALLY WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO MAKE IT SPECIAL FOR ME. HOWEVER, I WILL SAY, FOR ME THE JUNGLE IS NOT AN EASY PLACE. AS YOU ALL SURELY KNOW BY NOW, I DON'T LIKE CREEPY CRAWLY THINGS, AND, OF COURSE, THEY ABOUNDED THERE.    I HAD LIZARDS DROP ON MY SHOULDERS, DEALT NIGHTLY WITH MY COCKROACH BUDDIES, (HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE RAID NOW?) SWATTED AWAY MOSQUITOES AND FLIES CONSTANTLY, AND WAS BITTEN INCESSANTLY BY SEVERAL VARIETIES OF ANTS, OH, AND THE RATS WHO CRAWLED AROUND THE AWNINGS AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES I WOULD FIND MYSELF AMAZED THAT THIS WAS REALLY ME, SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BOLIVIAN JUNGLE AND ACTUALLY COPING WITH ALL THIS STUFF. OH, I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THE CRUSHING HEAT AND HUMIDITY.

THINGS I LEARNED:
1. I AM NOT A JUNGLE BUNNY.
2 GOOD IDEA TO WEAR SHOES FOR ROCKY RIVER BOTTOMS OR YOU ARE VERY LIKELY TO SEVERELY CRUNCH YOUR TOES, WHICH, OF COURSE, I ONLY LEARNED AFTER THE FACT.
3. DO CHECK YOUR FOOD FOR ANTS, EVEN IF YOU ARE RAVENOUS, LEST YOU DISCOVER YOU ARE CONSUMING MORE PROTEIN THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR.
4. BE ON YOUR GUARD ALWAYS AGAINST YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE WATER, WHO WILL PULL YOU, DRAG YOU, KICK YOU, CHOKE YOU, AND HANG ON YOUR SEVERELY SUNBURNED NECK AND SHOULDERS (NO MATTER HOW MANY TIME YOU BEG THEM NOT TO)ALL IN THE NAME OF FUN.
5. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR AND AWE OF THE NEW AND AMAZING INTACT, OR YOU WON'T SURVIVE.

ON OUR LAST DAY IN THE JUNGLE, WE WENT TO A NATURE RESERVE WHERE THE MONKEYS RUN FREE.   AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE PICTURES, THEY REALLY TOOK A LIKING TO ME AND IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE HAVING THEM CRAWL ALL OVER ME, EVEN A MOTHER WITH HER BABY.
ON THE WAY HOME, WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH AND I WAS SO TIRED, HOT AND DEHYDRATED, THAT I LOST MY FOOTING GETTING OUT OF THE TRUCK AND LANDED HARD ON MY LOWER BACK.   I AM SO GRATEFUL AND REALLY FEEL LIKE IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT I DIDN'T FRACTURE ANYTHING, BUT I DID SUSTAIN A SEVERE CONTUSION AND SLIGHT DISPLACEMENT OF MY TAIL BONE. THE SISTERS TOOK ME STRAIGHT TO THE DOCTOR AND ARE TAKING VERY GOOD CARE OF ME AND ANNA HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. SHE HAS BECOME QUITE THE COOK AND HAS BEEN BRINGING ME GREAT MEALS.   I'M ON BED REST FOR A WEEK AND WILL BE FINE.
THE GIRLS START BACK TO SCHOOL THE FIRST WEEK OF FEB AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A MORE ROUTINE SCHEDULE AGAIN. WE ARE WITHOUT RUNNING WATER INSIDE AGAIN AND ARE BACK TO HAULING IT IN WITH BUCKETS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS. COCHABAMBA IS VERY DRY AND LACK OF WATER IS DEFINITE AN ISSUE HERE, BUT EVIDENTLY THERE IS ALSO SOME ISSUE WITH THE WATER COMPANY WE CURRENTLY USE AND THE HERMANAS ARE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY, BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.   I'LL CLOSE FOR NOW. LOVE FROM BOLIVIA...(AS THE GIRLS NOW CALL ME)...
SENORA JUDITH (who/deet)

UPDATE. THURSDAY, FEB 2, 2012 I'M UP AND ABOUT AND DOING MUCH BETTER WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY. IT FEELS WONDERFUL TO HAVE A NORMAL DAY OFF, ENJOYING DOWNTOWN COCHABAMBA AND ALL THE WONDERFUL FOOD.

FOR MY SISTER, MARY, SEVEN OF THE NINE PUPPIES ALL WENT TO GOOD HOMES AND WE KEPT TWO OF THE LITTLE FEMALES AT THE HOGAR, SO WE NOW HAVE THREE GERMAN SHEPARDS. THEY ARE SOOOO ADORABLE.