It has been a wonderful trip with many good memories and friendships. We can't wait to see our families and friends and share all that we experienced this month.
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| Goodbye Uruguay! |
Monday, July 15, 2013
Monday, July 14th - End of trip
We can't believe that we are back in Montevideo, preparing for our flight back home to California. On the last day in Iguazu the students went zip-lining and rappeling.
It has been a wonderful trip with many good memories and friendships. We can't wait to see our families and friends and share all that we experienced this month.
It has been a wonderful trip with many good memories and friendships. We can't wait to see our families and friends and share all that we experienced this month.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday, July 12th - We have arrived in Iguazú
After a tasty dinner with a great Argentinian family in the northern Delta region called Tigre, we left for Iguazú!
It's wonderful and warm here. We took a guided tour today of the famous waterfalls. It is absolutely spectacular!
Tomorrow we are headed for the rainforest for a another tour. Everyone is relaxed and having a good time!
It's wonderful and warm here. We took a guided tour today of the famous waterfalls. It is absolutely spectacular!
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| Enjoying an Argentinian dinner |
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| La Boca, Buenos Aires |
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| Two Lithuanians: Greg and Alberto |
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| Sarah and Natalie in the cathedral, Buenos Aires |
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| Our flight to Iguazu |
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| It is hard to choose a good souvenir |
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| Iguazu Waterfalls |
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| The Pink House: presidential palace in Buenos Aires |
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| Zach |
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| Sarah |
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| Mirko pondering the beauty |
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| Natalie |
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| The guys getting ready to be soaked |
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| Ryan and Natalie |
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| Greg and Sarah |
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| We are "Kings of the world"! |
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| Ryan on the boat to the falls |
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| We saw the rainbow! |
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| Sarah and Natalie having a blast! |
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| Mirko and Sarah |
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| Finally found the perfect gift! |
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Tuesday, July 9th - in Buenos Aires
We have arrived in Buenos Aires! Our hotel is fine, and the students are very comfortable in their rooms. This morning we slept in, had a good breakfast buffet and took a tour of the famous Recoleta
Cemetery where "Evita" Peron (Eva Duarte), First lady of late President Peron, is buried. It is not an ordinary cemetery but a small city with streets lined with mausoleums: some are the size of a decent size house! The English guide, Simon, told us that there are about 5,000 vaults! Afterwards we had lunch with the guide, our friend Elaine (from the Loyola group) and her son Amadito. Then we ran over to a nearby mall to take shelter from the showers! Right now the students are relaxing in their rooms before we have dinner tonight. Tomorrow we have made reservations for a 3-hour tour of the city.
Cemetery where "Evita" Peron (Eva Duarte), First lady of late President Peron, is buried. It is not an ordinary cemetery but a small city with streets lined with mausoleums: some are the size of a decent size house! The English guide, Simon, told us that there are about 5,000 vaults! Afterwards we had lunch with the guide, our friend Elaine (from the Loyola group) and her son Amadito. Then we ran over to a nearby mall to take shelter from the showers! Right now the students are relaxing in their rooms before we have dinner tonight. Tomorrow we have made reservations for a 3-hour tour of the city.
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| We are ready to get on the "omnibus" that takes us to the ferry |
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| The chapel in Recoleta Cemetery |
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| This young lady died in an avalanche and they buried her with her beloved dog. It is said that petting the dog's nose gives you luck! Greg, Zach, Natalie and Ryan want to try! |
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| Greg, Mirko and Sarah also pet the dog! |
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| The mausoleum where '"Evita" and her family are entombed. |
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| Sarah and Natalie in front of the mausoleum of the couple who did not want to be buried next to each other, but instead facing the opposite way. The wife had spent most of her husband's fortune and he had put a stop to that. She never forgave him! |
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| Ryan is comparing his muscles to those of the boxer Luis Firpo. He was a world champion in 1923. |
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| Greg striking a similar pose! |
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| Sarah admiring Firpo's strenght |
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| It is said that this lady, who was buried alive by accident, still haunts the cemetery! |
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Sunday, July 7th - End of Pachacuti
Today all students that attended Pachacuti met for mass in San Jose. We met a SM group of tired, but happy students. They said that they had had a great experience with a lot of hard work but also many new friendships. Sarah said that she wouldn't think twice about doing something like this again. She loved it! I am so proud of the Santa Margarita students - I never hear them complain. They are known here for their hard work and great attitude! After mass the students were celebrating with their groups - a lot of dancing, screaming and waving the individual schools' banners.
The priest encouraged the students to remember what they had experienced, both the good and the hard: the work that they accomplished, the daily devotions, the friendships that they made, the cold that they suffered and the camp-like food that they were eating for a week. He was hoping that this experience made them grow as humans as well as spiritually.
After a good night's sleep we are meeting tomorrow afternoon for our departure to Buenos Aires! I think that everyone is ready to feel like a tourist for a while!
The priest encouraged the students to remember what they had experienced, both the good and the hard: the work that they accomplished, the daily devotions, the friendships that they made, the cold that they suffered and the camp-like food that they were eating for a week. He was hoping that this experience made them grow as humans as well as spiritually.
After a good night's sleep we are meeting tomorrow afternoon for our departure to Buenos Aires! I think that everyone is ready to feel like a tourist for a while!
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| We made it! |
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| Faces painted with the colors of the team |
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| Pachacuti Mass 2013 |
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| Students waiving their banners at the end of mass |
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Happy Fourth of July from camp site #3
Last, but not least, we drove off to visit Mirko and Ryan in a place called Liceo Carlos Reyles. This high school building is located in a really small town that is mostly shut down because the railroad, that connected it to the outside world, no longer exists! The train tracks and station are still there, but many houses are abandoned because of the isolation. I was told that about 40 students total, are enrolled in the high school. The rain continued to pour as we read the directions to the site "follow route 5 until Carlos Reyles. The school is across from the train station". This was the easiest place to find, and we were glad since it was already late afternoon. We did not want to drive in the rural area after dark.
We walked in to the old school building where we met another enthusiastic group of students. Mirko and Ryan were waking up after a short nap and ready to continue their work with the school building: prepping, painting etc. They said that they were enjoying the work with the group, and sent greetings to family and friends in California! We were chatting a while before we had to start our trip back to Montevideo. The students from all groups will be meeting for an End-of-Pachacuti Mass on Sunday, in San Jose. They have one more day of work, then they will leave for San Jose on Saturday where they will spend a night together with all the groups. We are happy that everything has worked out well so far. Students are doing well, they are healthy and in good spirits!
We walked in to the old school building where we met another enthusiastic group of students. Mirko and Ryan were waking up after a short nap and ready to continue their work with the school building: prepping, painting etc. They said that they were enjoying the work with the group, and sent greetings to family and friends in California! We were chatting a while before we had to start our trip back to Montevideo. The students from all groups will be meeting for an End-of-Pachacuti Mass on Sunday, in San Jose. They have one more day of work, then they will leave for San Jose on Saturday where they will spend a night together with all the groups. We are happy that everything has worked out well so far. Students are doing well, they are healthy and in good spirits!
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| Mirko and Ryan with their new friends |
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| Mirko, Ryan and their friend are ready to start working after a well deserved nap! |
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| Ready to prep and paint! |
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| Ivan, working hard on preparing a door |
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| Sleeping quarters |
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| Ryan at work |
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| A typical class room |
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| "Our work can be big or small, but our concept of life depends on how big or small our work is" - Carlos C. Reyles |
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| Some female students getting ready to paint |
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