First thoughts of Cochabamba

After a 24 hours  flight which included passing US immigration and a re-route due to two erupting volcanoes, I arrived in Cochabamba early Wednesday morning  My first thoughts were about the wonderful weather, hot, sunny and not a cloud in the sky, very different to the British weather which we are having! I was first taken to my family who seemed really lovely and welcoming. They offered me all the food I could ever want, and were very interested in why I had come half way around the world to help in an orphanage. I then was able to visit where I was going to be volunteering , an orphanage called hogar de sueños, (house of dreams) which offers accommodation and food for children who have been abandoned. Many of them do have parents, however their parents are not financially able to take care of them, or have addiction problems. There are 17 children aged 2-9 who live there. I wanted to try to do some music with the children, so my idea about playing Christmas songs  was abandoned when I got out the recorders I had brought with me and they just loved making the wonderful high pitch squeaking noises that recorders make. I think it might take a while before we have cracked Jingle Bells! On Friday I experienced Bolivian nightlife which was a lot of fun, crazy dancing and good music. Make better by trying to get into my house in the early hours and not being able to, my mum then had to come down and assist me of which she was not very happy with spending the rest of the weekend being the centre of all family jokes about how I was grounded. The market was an experience, apparently the biggest market in South America, which had everything you could possible want, I just found it difficult to keep up without getting lost, let alone look at all the wonderful things there was. After my first weekend I am now back to the orphanage and Spanish lessons which should get rid of my accent which they also find hilarious. The highlight of the city is the 32 meter jesus statue which I climbed as my sunday morning activity to be close to God!