Cochabamba (4-16-11)

My sleep was rather fitful, but my shower was hot.  Close enough to a good start.  I got up and ate breakfast at the normal time, but I have no idea what is supposed to happen today.  I didn't think I was going to La Villa and indeed no taxi came.  Diego mentioned something about there being a city tour I was to go on, but that seemed unlikely until the group arrived and I expected them to be tired.  So, reading and studying Spanish is the plan for the day until something happens to change that. 

I don't have another Spanish lesson until Monday, so I'm on my own for studying.  I think my biggest hurdle at the moment is vocabulary which Reginaldo really can't much help with.  I've been trying to look up words as I encounter them, but I don't always have my iPad with me.  I need to get Internet access for my iPhone so I can download the translation app for it as well.  I also wish I could find some way to make a list of new words to practice.  I look them up, but promptly forget many of them.  I found an intro to Spanish book here in the library and plan to read through the dictionary in the back. 

It is quite amazing that I have not had any access to the Internet since Sunday.  At one level, it has been great to avoid that time sink.  On the other hand, I constantly want to check something (like how much to tip here) and cannot.  In an annoying recursion, I bet I could find a place nearby with WiFi, if I could check on the Web.  At this point, I consider this all part of my spiritual training that I am not in control. 

At about 11:30, Amy (the Director of Amistad) and some members of the Amistad board arrived.  One of them, Walker, turns out to be even more of a hard-core cyclist than me.  We went to a big supermarket which felt very American.  We bought ingredients to make pizzas for all the kids in La Villa tomorrow.  We have a guide, Susana, who seems very nice.  We then went to La Villa to visit the kids for a couple hours.  Most of these folks know some of the kids and had a blast interacting with them.  It was fun to watch them.  The group should be fun rather than the drag I feared. 

We ended the evening on the balcony overlooking Cochabamba as the sun set and the lights to the city turned on.  Life is indeed good.