BIG NEWS! Auntie Lella came to visit! We welcomed her at Santa Marta airport with flying banners. When I saw her I burst with excitement. I gave her a million hugs and a thousand kisses. We had her to ourselves for the first weekend because Mummy and Daddy went away to a music festival. We went to a place called Palomino (on the Caribbean coast of Colombia), and stayed in a little villa on the beach. It had a big swimming pool, lots of hammocks and a bed for swinging on.
There was a massive iguana that lived in the tree and every time we came to the car there was a massive splodge of kaka de iguana on it. Mostly we chilled that weekend, and Bella and I made our special home made guacamole and nachos to celebrate Lella’s arrival with a glass of passionfruit juice.
The beach was wild but beautiful.
On the beach we played in the sand and dug big holes. We even did some maths lessons on the beach. The game was that we had to work out the sum before the wave crashed over the question.
Auntie Lella sometimes helped out with literacy at school.
Rob walked to our house every day from the local town and crossed a river on the way.
Rob’s river crossing
On an early morning walk, Mummy saw this man fishing with a net which was really cool.
On Thursday we had a school field trip to go and see some indigenous people. We were only expecting it to be a 1 hour walk, but it turned out to be a 3 hour walk, in the blazing heat with a rubbish guide. He wouldn’t tell us anything interesting about the forest we walked through, or the people we were visiting, and he kept taking loads of selfies of himself . One time he said the word ‘foto’ and so we handed him Mummy’s phone thinking he wanted to take a picture of us, but actually he was asking us to take a picture of him with the indigenous children.
The chief of the tribe gave us a friendship bracelet as a greeting present.
Bella and I gave up 2 of our small toys and gave them to 2 of the younger boys because the big kids weren’t sharing our gifts with them.
We were a bit surprised (but not surprised at the same time) to see a solar panel and a few electronics, especially since they didn’t wear shoes.
One afternoon we all set off to a horse riding stables. We got our horses. Mine was a skewbald called Pinto (!!!). Lella rode another skewbald called Ciara. Bella’s was a chestnut called Pepino. Daddy rode Shelby who was a dapple grey with pink flecks. Mummy rode a bay arab called Nellie who was a bit nervous. First we crossed a river and the water got right up to our knees! It felt cold but amazing. After that we cantered across the beach right in the breaking waves at sunset before heading home. It was an exciting ride.
Another afternoon we went tubing down the Buritaca river. Most people go on the Palomino river (which gets really crowded), but we had our river to ourselves. We went quite late in the day so it got a bit cold, and we had to hike up carrying our tubes which was hard work, but it was worth it!
And here is us in our hole to finish!
What a hole!
8 thoughts on “Monico madness Part I”
Dinnie
What an interesting chapter: that beach looks amazing and I love the idea of having to find the answer to sums before the wave washes them out. I am glad the finger puppet found a good home, they are very well travelled, I think they came from China to Suffolk before they started their travels in the magic bag, and very special that you made some little children happy with them in Colombia! How intriguing that they had a solar panel, and was that a radio in the picture? I wonder how that affects their lives and thoughts?
lots of love and thank you for the window into your world, from Dinnie
Matteo Marzano
It’s like a short trip inside a BIG trip ! And beautiful pics…as usual you do !
Charlotte
You got it so right – it felt a bit like a mini vacation ;-). Hope you are well!
Lella
I had such a fab time visiting!! I miss you all so much already!!
Lovely to meet Rob and experiense the adventures of Monico Family Travels!!!
xxx
Charlotte
It was the BEST having you sis! xx
Ness Langdale
Maths on the beach looks much more fun than maths stuck at a desk in a classroom.
I am seriously impressed by the size of the hole you dug!!
We had some snow last night, but not enough to let Rosie off going to school – she was very disappointed!! Now it is just cold and slushy.
Lots of love Godmother Ness xx
Grandpa Suffolk
Emily, thanks so much for that. Yet more amazing experiences and so much of it turned “inside out”. Doing sums on the beach and having to get the answer before the waves came. I love iguanas, I wish you could have brought it home for me (but left the Kaka “poop” behind. I can watch them for hours. I don’t think Auntie Lella looks too stressed (!) helping out with the Literary Classes. The local children looked absolutely sweet with such lovely smiles. I bet they enjoyed the finger puppets, how really kind of you both to give them to the children.
Lella
Not overly stressed!! I was bursting too Embels… It was a super special time… Xxx