Actually, it began last night with dinner. Yesterday there was a big influx of regular tourists arriving, and the hotel is suddenly a bit crowded. We are a big group of 34 people, and that many people have difficulty being very quiet when we are in a small room, and the conversation (and the wine) is flowing. We were just laughing, having a good time, when the MC went upstairs to the lobby for something, and was cornered by a Spanish tourist who screamed at him about us being so noisy when he had paid a lot of money to stay here and have dinner, etc. Daryl told him that we were just having fun and he couldn't stop it, but we did try to keep it down a little after that.
Last night was the queimada ceremony (see last year's blog for an explanation). We had a bit of a party in the little classroom building afterward, and I left about 11:30, but there were those who, I hear, stayed until 2:30 and later.
My losing streak has reached a new high (or low). Last night before dinner, I left my cellphone in the lobby (but got it right back), and THEN.... I lost my electricity! At about 4:00 a.m. I woke up and needed some decongestant from my daybag that was downstairs. I flipped on the light for the stairs, and the second one's bulb blew, taking with it every light in my little house. The lobby is open all night, but though I could probably have gone there to get some help, I didn't really need them coming over to fix it at that hour, so I just used my phone for enough light to get down the stairs and back, and went back to bed.
This morning, the whole lot of us walked into town to do a photo scavenger hunt. In the little town there is a castle, an old prison, a Roman bridge, and some other places that we had to photograph, along with our group with a display of Barco Beans (white beans that the area is famous for) and some other things. We ran all over Barco getting our pictures, then had a drink in the square before heading back. We had a couple of one-to-ones, then lunch.
Then during siesta, when I would normally be swimming, Craig (an Anglo from Michigan) and I walked down to the river (about an hour's trip all together). We were actually in search of a geocache that had just been published the other day and has not been found yet, but we were in the whole wrong area. Still it was worth going just for the view.
We had another telephone session, then a couple more one-to-ones, then a hilarious entertainment hour (I was in a skit last night). Now it is past dinner time, and though I know I said I would tell you about the Spaniards today, there just isn't time right now. We have reached that stage of the week, though, where we are starting to eat off of each other's plates and make fun of each other without risk of anyone being offended. One of the Anglos is teaching them all kinds of slang, and barely an hour goes by without a Spaniard telling me "See you later, alligator" to see if I will respond "After while, crocodile". I also had an interesting conversation today with one of the Spaniards who is a maxillofacial surgeon. We talked at great length about Kym's surgeries and he was interested to know what kind of outcome she had right away, and he explained the facial sweating.
Last full day at Vaughantown tomorrow (already!).
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