Que mas ve*!

My last two days here have been incredible!  Both days I went to school with Valerie.  Here are some photos from school.

We're teaching English!

Outside the school buildings

Juice! Everything comes in bags here.

The segundo debasica class singing for the Ayyam'i-ha celebration

Yesterday after school, we went back to the Institute for the final day of the Intensive.  It reminded me of the last day of church camp, happy and full of joy because everyone had such a great time and grew spiritually, but sad too because everyone had to leave.

Jose Louis and Jose Louis playing at the closing of the Intensive

Sitting outside on the steps of the Institute

Today after school Valerie and I went to the fruit market**.  I LOVED IT THERE!!! And everything was so cheap!  We bought tons of fruit for like four dollars.  After that we went to the waterfall, “Peguche.”  Here are some pictures from our hike!

Taken from the first bridge looking at the falls

Valerie and I on a rock above the falls

I'm all wet

I LOVE YOU VALERIE!!!

JUMP!

JUMP HIGHER!

Today is the last day of Ayyam’i-ha, and so there was a Feast and Ayyam’i-ha party tonight.  The Feast happens every 19 days, and the end of each Baha’i month.  After the Feast, Valerie presented the community here with a guitar and amp as a gift from the Baha’i community in Alaska.

Wladimir*** with the guitar

The night concluded with a dance, “san jwan” which pretty much consists of everyone shuffling around in a circle with the musicians at the center playing the same phrase of music over and over again and randomly bursting out with shouts in Spanish that I didn’t understand.  Everyone seemed to be having a great time though!

San Jwan

Tomorrow our plan is to go to the beach!  I love it here!

*Everyone says this.  I’m still not really sure what it means, but it’s something like “Hey what’s up!?” I think…

**I think I just found my second favorite place on the planet (Hatcher’s Pass will always hold the favorite title)

***Wladimir kind of speaks English, so I’ve talked to him a lot.  I really like everyone here!