And ups!

Everything is fine  today, aside from the fact that I just lost everything I wrote this morning and will now try to recreate. Things seem resolved as far as my room and about them feeling like they have to watch out for me. 

Much of group 2 has arrived. I was having lunch with Marina when the shuttle arrived. They all seem quite nice. I chatted with them for a while. At least two of them had participated last  year.

Five more folks are coming on a later shuttle. That is because ome person, Brenda, slept thru her alarm and missed her flight. Had take a flight the next day, and four others chose to wait for her. Hope she’s not too frazzled or upset.

So, back to yesterday. I met with Cheo the music  teacher yesterday afternoon.  The art" school"  is really just a barn- like building a few blocks from the hotel, and a couple of blocks from the elementary school. There were three marimbas there and three kids practicing. Only boys were in the group that has played at the hotel.  Cheo explained that there are girls in the group, but they are mostly studying to be teachers and have more homework at night.  Interesting.

 I asked what the boys wanted to be, but didn’t understand his answer.
He told me he wasn’t sure if the school would continue to exist, because they couldn’t afford the rent. He said they were looking for a patron. There had been a woman helping financially but she had suddenly died. I know Chati has been helping,  she told me that she helps out when they play at the restaurant and don’t make enough in tips. The teacher said he gives the money to the kids, a little to each to help their families.

I gave him the $15 Ines had asked me to give them, and an equal amount from myself.  He seemed really grateful and gave me two cds of the group’s music,  one for Ines and one for me. I will give Ines hers when I meet up with her back in Boston.  I told him to talk to Chati about playing again at the restaurant, and to bring the cds to sell, and that I would talk to our new group about their group.

One thing that should interest our group is that Cindy ‘s new mural depicts three children,  from another photo by Walter. One of the children is the teacher’s son, who was about six at the time, and is now sixteen and still in the band.

There were several  carved masks on the wall, unpainted animals with horns, perhaps elk. He explained that a group of Americans had done a play with them, for which the masks had been made. They were truly works of art. I wonder who had made them.

There were also some  clay pieces in a case, most likely ancient and perhaps valuable.  One of them was a whistle that made animal sounds. He said he would bring it when they came to the restaurant.

He also said the group did dances. I wonder if we could get them to perform before we leave.

I think I have recreated most of what I deleted accidentally this morning,  except what I wrote about the wonderful food here. But I will attempt to post this before I lose it again, and post the food info separately.

Last week I posted a,video on Facebook of the group playing at the hotel.