Since you wanted to learn more about what the kids do around here, I spent most of my time in Yarina with the children. It wasn't difficult to do, since they have followed us around since the moment we woke up! The day started out early, when two girls stopped by to show us their beautiful homemade necklaces. They use colorful seeds from various trees in the rainforest, including the Yarina tree. Lorena and Marisol, ages 11 and 9, told me that after school they go into the woods to collect seeds for their necklaces. They spend many afternoons making their crafts, as well as helping their mothers prepare dinner. Preparing dinner includes cleaning and gutting fish and other meats. It might also mean sifting through rice and corn to remove rocks and bugs, just like we had to do with our quinoa. Their brothers spend the afternoons fishing and hunting for tapirs, monkeys, and peccaries, as well as swimming, and playing soccer.

Most children in Yarina wake up early to get chores done before school. Fourteen year old Edmin wakes up each morning at 6:00 to do his two very important chores. He collects water from the river and digs up yucca in the garden. Edmin walks a half an hour to his family's garden to get the yucca.

The children of Yarina spend their weekends working and playing. The girls hand-wash the laundry with their mothers and help with cooking. The boys hunt and fish, and work in the family gardens. But there is plenty of time for play after the work gets done! On the weekends, the children of the community get together to play sports. Every Saturday they play a competitive game of volleyball. Every Sunday they play soccer. They also love to play tag and hide and seek. There are lots of good hiding places in the rainforest!

On Sundays, the kids in the community look forward to one thing that most of us take for granted. The adults turn on the town generator to create electricity, and everyone gathers around the one television in Yarina to watch a movie.

Spending time with the kids in Yarina has been fun for me. They are so creative and have taught me a lot about life in the rainforest. I look forward to meeting more children as we continue down the river.

May the forest be with you,

Anna