Wow almost a month since I last posted! Time here flys like you wouldn´t believe, so I now sit here with 11 days left at Parque Machia. Seriously, where did the time go!
Well since my last update I finally managed to book myself a day off! yes folks after 43 days of walking Sonko I was about to have a day to myself! Only sometimes things don´t always go to plan......I woke at around 9am (luxury around here!) Went into town and did some shopping. Got back to the volunteer cafe and had my first ever hot lunch (cat walkers spend their lunch times in the jungle with their cats) Then I went to my room to get some washing done.....And as I got there I saw Helen walking up the path with a very serious look on her face! Aure (my Walking partner with Sonko) The wonderful crazy French guy had run down a particularly steep and muddy hill with Sonko, but Sonko had darted into some bushes half way down leaving Aure spinning at speed, he twisted his knee and was unable to walk! So it was on with my jungle gear ASAP and into the jungle with another guy to help Aure walk out and myself and Helen would bring Sonko out as it wouldn´t be safe to do it with just one person (Sonko needs two people always in case he jumps) and with this situation (it was pounding with rain) Sonko was a little scared. Aure was helped out of the jungle and Helen and I followed soon after with Sonko once we´ed calmed him down a bit.
So now with Aure out of the picture for at leats three weeks it was time to find a new walking partner for me to work with...I feel so bad for Are as he loves Sonko so much! This now means that once a new guy is trained up and walking with me that I will be the more experienced of the two walkers, and actually my confidence has grown so much snce working with Aure that I´m ready to be training up someone new. So in walks Tomer, and Israeli guy touring South America and randomly arriving here. We have been working together now for 9 days and the good news is Sonko likes Tomer very much (which is nice!) hehe
Have you ever had an audience whilst having a haircut? Well I have! I had my undercut redone whilst a class of school kids walked by, they all stopped and formed a semicircle round me...I´m not sure Bolivia is quite ready for the undercut yet hahaahaa!!
OK so I had a birthday!!! I am now 33! And I have learnt a valuable lesson. Sometimes things don´t always go to plan, but with the insertion of some wonderful people life can truely make you feel so special! I caught some tummy bug the day before my birthday meaning I spent most of the day in bed :( Aure who is in the next room and also in considerable pain due to his knee kept me company for most of the day, we watched some Amercian TV on his laptop and chatted. in the evening i went out for dinner with some friends. the swings restaurant put on a special menu of Buritos just for us! And we also had a MASSIVE cake! Over 30 people turned up and made the night wonderful! I couldn´t eat anything :( But I took the leftover cake and gave it to the beautiful bolivian family that looks after our appartments where we stay. They were so happy (And may have never have eaten such a wonderful cake before) That made me ver happy :)
A lovely girl called Becky made me a bracelet with some amazing red and black tree seeds from the jungle, that made me happier then she could realise as it was the only present I got. I´m not sad though, I´m just happy I got a present :D
What else has happened! Too much to write here that´s for sure! Oh yesterday (on my birthday) I saw a beautiful white owl, it was HUGE! Everday here brings new adventure, but with only 11 days left the time has come to move on! Soon I will be in San francisco with Becca. I have rented a Harley Davidson Electra-Glide, the biggest bike Harley make for my four day tour to Seattle! Oh life, I love you so very much!
I will try to post again from Bolivia, but if not the I will catch you all back here once I have a flower in my hair!
Much love to you all xxxx
