13. The Excursion

Written on 10/4/12

Excursion day! Time for a day-long field trip to the closest lake for a picnic, soccer, and swimming. This is a day I was looking forward to since I heard about it last week. However, the kids have been anxiously watching their calendars for this day for the past three months. It was worth it…but it almost didn’t happen!

 Two days ago all of the volunteers met and discussed logistics about the excursion, and they discovered some major problems: it is a three hour long truck ride on bumpy roads to the nearest lake, all 87 people would have to stand up in the back of a cattle truck for 6 total hours, the forecast predicted rain, and…it is very dangerous! So dangerous, in fact, that I am told it is common for one or two children on a given day to die due to anacondas and crocodiles. Wow! I wanted to go—but it was sounding less and less like a good idea.

The lake. Gorgeous even on
a stormy-looking day

Well, after much debate, everyone ended up going. I could not understand how it could be worth it—especially if a kid got injured by an animal. I just hoped to see an anaconda—from a distance! We piled ourselves, the food, and my sports balls into the truck. As we set off, my heart sank; there was no room to move. To make it worst, we all had to stand while our hired driver stopped for twenty minutes in town and ate breakfast!!!!! Not cool! 

Relaxing at the lake



We eventually made it. I decided instantly that the trip was worth it. The views were gorgeous and they had a great place to dive into the crocodile infested water. We ate, played some soccer, then I took a big gulp of air, said a prayer, and dove into the water. Refreshing! I tossed kids, played chicken, volleyball, and constantly looked around for a creature sneaking up on us.



Happy to survive our swim
without becoming anaconda food



After much fun, we had to return home. We were half way back when I saw what had to be the most beautiful, greenest soccer field in all of Bolivia! I was even more excited when we all got to play on it! That was the highlight of my day. We returned home and Islept like content baby.

**Keep adventurizing!...I know I will!**