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My Visit with Sonia :)

Thursday was a special day because this was the day that I planned to meet a child that I use to sponsor who lives in Cartagena. I sponsored Sonia when she was five or six years old and I was her sponsor for about five years. I was able to meet her in 2011 but she unexpectedly left the program about  a month later.  I was able to send a final letter and receive a final letter from her but I always wondered how she was doing. I was able to locate her aunt on Facebook and through her aunt (that I met on the 2011 trip), I was able to connect with Sonia's mother on Facebook. We communicated on Facebook although it was not easy because she does not speak English and I know very little Spanish. My friend, Emily, helped us to communicate because she knows Spanish and she lives in Barranquilla. We agreed to meet Thurs. under the clock tower in the Old City at 10:00 am and I was very excited :)

I decided to spend Wed. night in a hotel that was located closer to the center of the Old City because I wanted a nice hot shower and a larger bed to rest in. The hotel that I selected was a nice hotel that was not far from the clock tower, so after a nice restful night, I hiked it up to to the clock tower. It was a busy little hike and by the time I arrived I was a little tired and soaked from the hot sun. As I waited under the clock tower, I found a few small gifts for Sonia that I wanted to give her along with the T shirt and necklace that I found in Ft. Lauderdale. After waiting for awhile I began to worry that something had come up and they might not have been able to make it. But just as I was thinking this, I turned around and there they were! I was very happy to see Sonia and her mom. Sonia  has grown into a beautiful young lady!

After Sonia received her gifts, we decided to eat at a nearby Subway restaurant. And when I say that it was difficult to communicate, it was difficult to communicate! I had been using an online translator while I was in the DR and Colombia, so I asked one of the employees if they had WiFi. At first he said that they did not have it, but later he permitted me to connect to the store's WiFi when he saw that we were having a very hard time communicating :) After that, things went a little smoother and I was able to find out that Sonia was doing well, liked school, and wanted to become a skater. She looked very happy and that made me happy. I think that I am still in shock that I found her again and that we actually met, that it actually went very smoothly. I was very thankful that I was able to see her again and I hope that we can stay in touch :) I wish her and her family the best.

Sonia, her aunt, and a CI staff worker with me in 2011

 Sonia and her mom

Sonia and me

Sonia, her mom, and me

The Ride Back to Cartagena

My ride back to Cartagena was a little complicated. Victor and Juan drove me back to Barranquilla in the CI van and then they took me to the place where the another van service  loaded passengers and I had to wait until the van with the right number arrived. Juan was very sweet to wait with me! After the ride to Cartagena to the van's next drop off/pick up location, the next step was to catch a taxi that would take me to my home base in Cartagena. Juan suggested that I give the driver of the van the name of a place that I don't remember now, if I had any problems. After we said our good byes, I was on my own and I hoped that I would make  it back to Cartagena without the same problem that I had when I arrived in Barranquilla!  This ride was much smoother and Juan must have spoken to the driver because he was very helpful and seemed to know that I was an American in need of help! After gathering my bags, I quickly found a taxi. The taxi driver was very nice and took me directly to my location in Gesemani. I was glad to be back in Cartagena where I could plan for my next visit to take place the next day! :) :) The road I travelled :)

Once we were at the mall, we decided to have lunch. Lunch consisted of pizza, chicken, fries, and Chinese food. Leonardo was good at taking photos while we were waiting and he also tried to teach me some words in Spanish.  During lunch, Leonardo's mother called from the hospital and Leonardo cried as he was speaking to her. It was very heartbreaking but everyone tried to give him support. We decided to let the children go to the arcade after lunch and shopping  to cheer him up some. Andrea was quiet most of the time and I think that she was still a little sick from the car ride. After we ate lunch, it was time for shopping for school clothes. All of Andrea's siblings was able to get one outfit and she was able to get 2 or 3 outfits. Leonardo had his heart set on a soccer ball, so he was able to get this also.

Since I had to return to Cartagena before the vans stopped making trips between cities, I was not able to spend as much time with Leonardo and Andrea Carolina as I had with Bleidys and Maria. After we finished shopping, we hopped back into the van to take the children home. Everything was a blur because of my emotions were a little high because of Leonardo's situation,  as we said our good byes. I remember Leonardo giving me a two big hugs and a kiss before he left and Andrea shyly gave me a hug before they left. I was very happy to visit these two sweet children and their families again. I hope that they will continue to do well and especially plan to keep a close eye on Leonardo as he goes through this difficult time with his mother.

Meeting Andrea Carolina and her Family

My next stop was to visit the home of Andrea Carolina. I  sponsored Andrea Carolina after I was asked to take her as a sponsored child, after one of my sponsored children, Sonia, left the program. Andrea is ten years old and she lives with her parents and three siblings, who are all sponsored as well. Andrea loves school and she wanted to be a model the last time I saw her in 2013.

As we hopped in to the van to pick of Andrea Carolina, Leonardo wanted to know if we remembered where Andrea Carolina lived. He was very eager to tell us how to get there. She does not live very far from Leonardo but the streets are very narrow and rocky and it was hard for Victor to maneuver the van down some streets. Then we saw Andrea's father down one of the streets and he directed up to the right area. Since Andrea lives up the side of a mountain, we climbed out and hiked up the rocky ledge which I remembered from the last time. The staff was concerned that I might not make it but I know I could do it after making it in 2013.

When we reached the home, things looked a lot different because the family has been able to obtain more furnishings for their home which I was very happy to see. Andrea and her siblings greeted me with hugs along with their parents. Andrea is small for her age, which is 10 years old, one year older than Maria, the sister of  Bleidys. The family showed me around the home and I saw photos of Andrea and me side by side. The family also showed me the wardrobe and bunk beds which had been provided with a special needs donation. (Leonardo had this too but I was not able to see them)

We took some photos and all gathered into the van on the way to the mall. Andrea also opened her gifts in the van, and after riding some distance, she informed us that she felt sick.  This often happens when sponsored children are nervous about meeting their sponsors and when they have to ride bumpy an rides over long distances. Luckily there were plastic bags available for Andrea but she seemed to feel better  after awhile :)

 Andrea Carolina

 Andrea and her siblings, along with Leonardo

 Bunk beds purchased earlier with special needs gift

Wardrobe provided with earlier special needs donation

Visiting Leonardo

We arrived in the city of Santa Marta around 9:00 and drove to the neighborhood where Leonardo lives. Leonardo is an eleven year old child who is sponsored by a group of Children International sponsors. He loves school and playing soccer.  I met him in 2013 along with his mother, younger sister and one of his older brothers. As we drove up to him home, things began to look familiar. Leonardo lives on the lower side of a mountain, and as we climbed the rocky ledge, I saw some familiar buildings but did not recognize the home that we stopped in front of. I learned that this was his  older sister's  home  and that Leonardo, along with his sister and her children,  were inside but that they were not ready. I also learned that Leonardo's mother was very ill in the hospital. I knew from the first visit that his mother had a very bad illness but that she had been receiving treatment and doing better. Now, we learned that she was not doing well and that she was not expected to survive.

We sat down outside in front of the sister's home and then I realized that his sister's  home faced the back of Leonardo's home which I recognized when I sat down. I also learned that the family is trying to sell Leonardo's mother's home because of her illness and all of his siblings are living with other relatives. After a little while, Leonardo came out and gave me a big hug. He looked the same except that he was taller. I gave him his small gifts and we took photos. Leonardo introduced me to his cousin who is about the same age and was a child that I recognized from an earlier photos. His younger cousin, a little girl, also came out but she had been sleeping so she went back inside to sleep until it was time for school.

I was very happy to see Leonardo but I was very sad to hear about his mother's condition and hoped that the day would be a fun one for him.

Leonardo in front of his sister's home

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The back of Leonardo's home

Leonardo and Juan, the translator with Leonardo's new watch

Leonardo's cousin is in the doorway, A CI volunteer is behind Leonardo

The Road from Barranquilla to Santa Marta

After I restful night at the Hotel Washington, I had to get up early for the ride to Santa Marta which is about 2 hours away. My sponsored children, Leonardo and Andrea Carolina live in this city. The CI van picked me up early at 7:00 to hit the road. The ride to the city was fast and furious like all rides in this area! I took a few photos along the way.

Visiting with Emily

After resting a bit, I was very happy to hear from my friend and former translator, Emily, who lives in Barranquilla. She came to the hotel and we ate at one of the nice restaurants that is across from the hotel. We had fun catching up on news and just having a good time. I was very happy to see Emily again and I hope that we can get together again if I ever travel to Barranquilla again!

Emily :) :)

Emily and me at the restaurant across from the hotel

At the Hotel Washington, in front of a waterfall

At the Hotel Washington in the lobby area

My crazy fun photo taken by Emily :)

The Hotel Washington Plaza in Barranquilla

After my visit with Bleidys and Maria, it was time to relax and spend the night at the Hotel Washington in Barranquilla. In 2013, I stayed in Santa Marta for one night, so this would be a new experience here in Barranquilla. It took awhile for Victor and Juan to find the hotel. Barranquilla is a huge city and it seemed like we traveled forever but we eventually found the hotel. It is a beautiful hotel and I highly recommend it for anyone who visits Barranquilla. It is also very inexpensive, with me spending only $49/for one night through Booking.com.. It is also located across from some nice eating places :)

My flowers from Maria and Bleidys in the hotel