Walking Around Las Varas, Again

This morning, before I left Chacala for Las Varas, I checked on a reservation for next February with Concha. While I was at her home, she invited me to come to Fair (I think) in Las Varas.

Concha teaches the state-funded weekly class for local moms with young kids. They use the kinder play yard for their classes every Wednesday. Anyway, Concha had a whole box full of toys that parents can make for their kids with just stuff around the house. Musical toys, an airplane, a kite, and a bunch of stuff. I think the Fair tomorrow, at the Plaza in Las Varas, will be for all the teachers and families who attend these classes in this area. At least I hope that's what it is. It's a great concept. The classes and the toys. This photo is the Las Varas plaza, recently re-painted.

Even though Las Varas is five miles from Chacala, somehow this week I have been there more times than I normally go there in a month. It's not like I can just jump into my personal vehicle whenever I have a whim to go to the big city (12,000 souls and 5,000 ATVs). I either walk down the road or wait at the store for one of the collectivos, which runs on their own random and erratic scheudles, or I hitch a ride with someone I know who is driving by. Then, generally I have to wait up to an hour for the collectivo for the ride home.

Anyway. I took my sheets and towels to the laundry and left them there. Then to the bank/ATM, where hung out with Terry, my favorite Las Varas dog, for awhile. And met his owners granddaughter and family. Terry is a great little dog with a horrible big collar. Then on to the internet place and then to the Kodak store to drop off the CD of photos from yesterdays birthday party in Chacala, then to the market, back to the Kodak place, the laundry.

On the way back from the laundry, I met some lovely horses, tied to a tree in front of a house. Notice they don't have bits in their mouths, only a rope halter. Very nice. I love the colors these buildings are painted. They are nice and bright and cheerful.


This is a shot of the interior plaza of this house. Almost all the nice houses in :as Vars seem to have these hidden plazas that the room are built around. Often the inside of a large block of buildings has two or four separate plazas inside. I love it. I don't think they get much in the way of breezes, but they are usually full of flowers, and tables, and chairs. Everyday life seem s to mosty take place outside, except for watching TV.