Highs and Lows

Well! It's been a funny couple of days. Yesterday in particular was a day of contrasts... in so many ways. After my last entry, Sile and I met the boys and attempted to take the bus to the International Bridge over to Paraguay, but we managed to miss it while in the shop buying juice. So we hailed a taxi, which here are white Fiat Pandas. It's quite funny trying to fit the 4 of us in. Anyway, a taxi to Paraguay... I might use this as the title for my memoirs. It dropped us at the port, as there is still a rickety old ferry that takes people over the River Paraná to Paraguay. We had been well warned that we needed to make sure of getting all the necessary stamps on our passports so that we could get in and out ok. We had to wait in a massive queue but eventually managed to get on the oldest boat in the world to take the 10 minute journey over the river. It was the same rigmarole at the other side, but we were just pretty excited that it was so easy for us to be in yet another South American country. We had had various reactions from Posadas residents when we announced our intention to cross the river, ranging from the disgusted to the shocked. We had been told that it was "dirty", "poor", that lots of thieves operated there and that they had cheap electronic goods but only because they were fake. So, understandably, we were on guard. Happily, although the very small bit of the town (Encarnación) that we did see was run down and scabbit, it seemed like a really cool place. We had a bit of a wander round the town and checked out the shops, which are cheap even by Argentine standards. We stopped off for a traditional "asado" barbecue, which was to die for... especially the chorizo. We only had a couple of hours, so we didn't see much, but it was just so cool to be in a random country for a matter of hours and for it to be so easy to get there. On the way back, Oli managed to walk through passport control without remembering to get his passport stamped at the exit from Paraguay, and we wondered if he would be immediately deported or stripped of his nationality at the Argentine side. However, he was allowed to re-enter without incident, despite what Veronica said!

Sile and I had to rush off to get ready for work at that point. We were picked up by Marcelo and taken to the orphanage. It houses 39 kids that have been taken away from their parents by the judicial system due to abuse, neglect or death of a parent, as well as kids who have been found wandering the streets, abandoned. Where can I start with that... it really is something from another world. I was utterly shocked by the way the children live there - they have nothing, just a bed and a few ragged clothes. I tried hard not to show that I was shocked, but I felt terrible for the children. They showed me round and I was so shocked at how small it was, that there are next to no toys and there is no garden, just a courtyard bit that seems to serve as a bathing area as well as all manner of sports pitch. Children from babies to teenagers were wandering around - but they were delighted to see us and I was delighted to discover that they understood my Spanish and I could understand them. I'm getting very good at my command words - "dejame" (leave me alone), "no toques esto" (don't touch that) and "no hagas esto" (don't do that). Some of the kids there clearly have really sad stories that I don't want to put on here, but it is exactly as heartbreaking as I had imagined. The girls in particular seem to like our company though and like to play clapping games, have their hair braided (I saw my first headlouse today!) and play dodgeball. They keep asking to go out to the park, I'm not sure how confident I feel about that though, especially as some of them are banned from this as they are classed as being in danger of running away.

After a really hard introduction to orphanage life (there could be no other!), Marcelo and Veronica picked us up. They told us that they had another orphanage in mind for a project, and asked us if we would like to go along and see it. We decided to go with them, and I'm so glad we did. This place was completely different - for starters, there are only 8 kids, and they were more like a family than a disparate group of random kids. They were all over us as soon as we walked in - I think they must be used to posing for photos, as as soon as Marcelo got his camera out, they formed an orderly group around us and smiled for him! I'll see if I can get the photos from him, it would be good to get some on here and at the moment, I can't get any from my camera to the PC. Anyway, the kids seemed more used to adult interaction (no doubt from the small adult:kid ratio) and the place was so much more child-friendly. Sile and I were both a bit shocked at the difference, and part of me secretly wished we were working there instead. Of course, I didn't say anything, but Veronica asked us afterwards if we would rather work there that at El Refugio. I would have liked to have said yes in terms of easiness for me, but I can't leave the kids who really need me. Very kindly and without prompting, Veronica suggested that we work at the other place in the mornings and at El Refugio in the afternoons - so that was quite a relief and we were pleased to agree.

After a hard day's work and being subjected to a number of bodily fluids (mostly not belonging to me), we went out for a bit of relaxation in town. We met the boys back at Mentacata - I managed to only have one deadly Caipirinha this time, but then it was a Monday night! The boys were, of course, keen to stalk any unlucky Argentine girls that they could find, so we ended up heading down to the Costa Negra, where all the best bars and clubs are (apparently). We rolled up outside CopaCabanna, which describes itself as a "Pizza Club" or something equally daft, and I was horrified to discover that most of the people in the queue were literally around the age of 12. The door staff claimed it was for people of 17 or over (I just about fell over my walking stick at this point) so the boys were through the door before you could say "jailbait"! What a place... wall-to-wall 16 year-olds and a crazy dance-off to Pink Floyd between 2 boys (I captured this on my mobile for posterity!). It was good to get out of there. The boys still have nothing to report (sorry if you're reading this, Oli!). I did, however get chatted up (in English!) by a 19 year-old who very smoothly told me I didn't look 26. At least, that's what he said, but something may have been lost in translation!

Today was more of the same at El Refugio (we start at the other place tomorrow morning ), and somehow it didn't seem as bad. The high point of the day was when Oli and Johnny turned up unexpectedly at the door, and the boys from the orphanage loved it. They aren't that impressed by all the female staff (unlike Oli, who needs his own portable cold shower), so I think it was really special for them to meet some guys who wanted to play with them and chat to them. I suddenly remembered that classic game "A Leg and a Wing", so we ended up playing that for about 2 hours with all the kids in the place fighting to get a shot. I think I may wake up with back problems tomorrow, and I can still feel phantom arms around my neck from all the hugs I got!

Time to go again, I really need a shower after all the exertion. The four of us are going out for tea tonght (meeting at CopaCabanna in an hour and a half!) and I can make a pretty safe bet on how the evening will turn out. Posadas is truly one crazy place!

Hasta pronto...