We left the hotel at 8:00 am. It is about a 50 minute ride to the school that is our job site. The school was very well prepared for us. Mike had sent money down so they could pour the columns for the second floor expansion. Those columns were in place so that we could proceed with laying brick. I was put in charge of the masonry crew. Others were working on improving the playground. Another team is working on cleaning, repairing and painting windows. It did not take long to get into action.
It is summer break Argentina so the students are not around. However, many of the teachers are around to assist. We also have a couple of university students that are acting as translators.
Part of our arrangement with the school is that they would prepare lunch for us. They took that very seriously. The cook and a crew worked all morning on preparing lunch. There was chicken fried steak, potatoes, a lot of different vegetables, fresh fruit and ice cream for desert.
We clean up at about 3:45 pm and leave for the hotel at 4:00 pm. Tonight we were on our own for dinner so we found a nice local Italian restaurant.
The weather is getting hotter. There is a lot of bright sun and the humidity is creeping up. When you are not used to doing heavy physical labor (like brick laying) it takes a lot out of you. As you might imagine, it was an exhausting day.
The wall we are constructing. It will be stuccoed later. The brick is red clay and is breaks quite easily. It is certainly not like the cinder blocks we are used to.
Marie on the paint crew.
Some major work on the playground. Large plants were transplanted and a lot of dirt was removed for the construction of a sandbox.