Getting Lost and Running Away

Back in Posadas again. Iguazu seems like ages ago. We got back in last night after 11, the journey was in way as bad as the one there, we had proper reclining seats and they even showed 3 films (including Gladiator in Spanish!). When we got back none of us was in any particular hurry to get back to home so we went for a very tasty pizza. I didn't end up going to sleep until 2am, but even then I was awake half the night scratching my numerous mosquito bites. I'm so itchy and it looks like I have some sort of pustulous disease.

I awoke this morning to the sound of rain, and for a short while thought that I was back in Morninside, and that the whole Argentina episode had been a dream. However, it was just another spate of forceful Argentine rain, which due to our position near the tropic, is accompanied by powerful and impressive storms. We decided to get the bus straight to work this morning instead of meeting Lorena - a foolish error! Despite squeezing our noses to the window all the way, we missed the stops (it was hard to see with all the raindrops and condensation) and eventually, when we realised that we didn't recognise our surroundings, we got off and crossed the road to wait for the return bus. We had to wait 40 minutes... oh dear! To make matters worse, the rain became increasingly heavy and more and more slanted to the left - we got totally soaked as the bus shelters here don't have sides. Eventually we got another bus back and missed the stop again! We ended up back at the flat, totally soaked and having to ring Veronica, who sent out the rescue party (Marcelo!), who very kindly took us to Arcoaires. We were only 70 minutes late!

When we got there, Lorena had a bombshell - 3 of the girls had run away from the home on the Sunday. They are 3 of the oldest residents in the home. One of them was back as she had been found, but the other 2 made allegations against the staff of the home and are now living elsewhere. It is really sad, as from what I can see the girls are treated really well there. Lorena was visibly upset by the matter and sad she felt really hurt by what they had said.

We spent the rest of the morning playing with the kids - some of them have made up their own themed versions of "This Little Piggie" and they are so cute to listen to. I spent as much time as I could speaking to individual children and being cuddled and kissed to pieces again. It's quite exhausting! The rain continued for the rest of the morning and we were glad to stay for lunch, which is always a cooked meal and very tasty. It's lovely getting to sit down with the kids and I'm finding my teacher/psychology skills really useful - the kids really respond to positive praise, although I struggle to find the words that are adequate. I do "thumbs up" a lot!

Neither of us were particularly looking forward to El Refugio in the afternoon, as when it rains they only have a tiny indoor space to play, eat, watch TV and everything else. We spent the whole afternoon watching innappropriate soaps - I can't really follow them, but it's the ideal opportunity to get 5 minutes with each kid on my knee, something that they are really starting to respond to (funnily enough, most of the keen beans are the boys). I was really pleased that I made something of a breakthrough with 2 of the older boys, who have been very wary of me. One of them came straight up and greeted me with the traditional 2 kisses and both of them brought their chairs to sit by me for a while.

We are both very shocked at some of the practices in the home, which I don't really want to write about here. One thing that did really annoy me though was that one older girl was enforcing discipline with a stick. It was hard to stop this as we don't ahve any authority. However, at one point she went to hit a child and hit me instead - I pointed this out and she just looked at me. I'm not too sure who is in charge and if the children are really safe at all.

On that note, I really have to run - I'm going to attempt to be home in time for tea to impress Cuca. And of course to organise something sociable for the evening!