A view of La Paz

So new week: On sunday I got up early and tried to find a church, where my sister knows the pastor and his family.  I got a taxi and was dropped off outside what I thought was the church, went inside into this really posh building where everyone was ridiculously overdressed, the service had already started, with me walking straight into the front.  I realised I was in the wrong place and awkwardly walked out again realising it was a mormon church, with a group of guys chasing after me to try and get me to stay.  Luckily the taxi was still there and we made a quick get-away and found where I was meant to be.  I met marcelo (the pastor) and his family and will go back next week and have lunch with them.  After that me, Toby, Su and Nora went to the market in El Alto , which is the biggest in Bolivia.  Compared to where we are El Alto is really poor, with people living in half built houses and washing their clothes in the gutter.  It's kind of like a massive suburb of La Paz, with 700,000 people living in it, almost as big as La Paz itself.  I didn't buy anything, but was tempted by the 100's of live guinea pigs, we could have one as a pet and then breed them and eat them, not sure where we would start our guinea pig farm and how happy I would be eating little baby 'pedro'. 

Both me and Lukas have been given boys in our project who we are going to befriend and support, they all have problems in school and we are going to act as a link between esperanza and their teachers.  However getting them to school is also a serious task, I have 5 12+ year old boys to try and get to school, none of whom are that excited by the idea and in the busy streets they can easily disappear.  Yesterday us 5 left the house, by about half way 2 were missing then I realised we were just two. Then just as we reached the school mario told me he needed his school bag and ran bag to the house.  I dissparingly walked back and bumped into one of them, taking him back towards the school and ensured the teacher grabbed him.  I then bumped into mario with his school bag and walked him back towards the school, by which point we were quite late.  Apart from that we havn't really started 'work' yet, we just talk to the boys and spend time with them.  Some of their stories are very sad, one boy said he had brothers and sisters but did not know how many or their names, another boy's mother drowned in the river leaving him and his 3 siblings.  They are always really smiley and fun to be with though. 

Had a scare this week, I went to go shopping with Lukas and realised I'd been a massive doofus and left my card in the cash machine.  The machines here are also designed to make you vulnerable to having your account emptied by any passer-by - they give you the money and then you have to select to finish and remove your card.  I just took the money and forgot about my card - luckily to my knowledge I still have all my money and i've canceled my card.  So we've finished our fist full week of work, it's been really really intense - especially trying to communicate with school teachers in spanish which was a nightmare- but good.  I'll see what next week brings and keep you posted.  Take care (don't really know what to write at this point) and I am missing friends and family - but don't worry i'm not crying myself to sleep yet - to toby's relief.  Hopefully i'll write soon - adios :)