October 20

Buenos dia y Familia and Amigos,

Today is Saturday (Domingo).  We finished out building work yesterday, Friday (Viernes), and said our good-byes to the host family and the workers who we worked under during the week.  I only have a few minutes right now because we are waiting for our ride to take us on a tour of Asuncion and then we are going out again this afternoon to do some shopping and then habitat is taking us all out to dinner.  I will have more to say about this later.

Here I am back a whole day later!  It's now Sunday ( Domingo), October 20.  Wow! time flies when you're having fun.  It has been very difficult to get on the internet this weekend here at the Hotel.  I think it's because this is the hotel where the soccer teams stay, if they are playing here in town. Several teams passed through here and 99% of the young men were on their internet devices.

Let's go back to Friday (Viernes) since I never got to finish that day.  Friday (Viernes) was a fun day at the site. We worked hard in the morning...sealed and stacked tile for the roof, finished lining the cesspool and septic tank with bricks, finished adding and leveling dirt in the floors of the rooms, and we cleaned the brick walls as the masons put them up.  Too bad we couldn't see the house finished but they assured us they will send pictures when it is complete.  I will send that on when I get it. The move in date for the Family is the first part of Dec.(Diciembre)  However, it may happen in Nov. (Noviembre).  The Director of Habitat and the Volunteer Coordinator came out to the site and had lunch with us. They presented each of us with a beautiful piece of lace art, for which Paraguay is known, and a certificate of appreciation.  We had the opportunity to tell what the build meant to us and to formally thank the family and the woman, Lucy (our cook), who welcomed us into their family and fixed such wonderful lunches every day.  On Friday, (Viernes) they cooked our meat in their outside brick domed oven.  Very cool!! They cooked chicken (pollo),cow (vaca) and chorizo. There were a few tears and lots of laughs as we all said "Adios"'  We made a stop on the way back to the Hotel in Luque (the little town where the build site was) to check out leather goods and silver.  At Friday (Viernes) night dinner we all sat around for a long time reflecting on the week.  I feel very fortunate to have been a part of such a great group of volunteers.  I think I have said it before but I will say it again that they were all hard workers and no complainers! Everybody worked hard and slept well!

Now...let's chat about Sat. (Sabado). :)

The weather has definitely warmed up as the week has progressed.  It was somewhere in the mid 90's on Sat. (Sabado).  After breakfast Habitat arranged for a tour guide (Guia de turismo de Paraguay) Fausto Dionisi, to take us downtown Asuncion for a 2 hour walking tour.  It was very interesting and he was so knowledgeable, having been a guide for 42 years.  We were fortunate to see the changing of the guards at the Panthion  It was quite a process with a marching band of solders.  He told us a great deal about the history of Paraguay which I won't go into now.  One interesting fact that I learned, which surprised me, is that Paraguay sits on top of the largest natural water aqifers in the world.  Paraguay is the second poorest country in South America, Bolivia is first, and Paraguay worries that the rest of the world will try to steel their water.  In the afternoon we were joined by the daughter of one of our team members.  She is Paraguayan,  lives here and works for the Peace Corps. She took us to a market and everyone bought some things to take home.  We came back to the hotel, freshened up for dinner and then Habitat took us to a very nice! restaurant as a "Thank You".  It was wonderful   :)

Enough about Saturday (Sabado)...will chat with you tomorrow...:)   Adios!