I love visiting schools in other countries and especially in the Amazon. The school teacher has been working Monday through Friday at this school for 6 years. Weekends are his family time and they live in Coco. Monday mornings he will catch an early bus to a stop where he will then walk 90 minutes to get to the school. School begins at 7:30AM. Students leave at 1:30PM. There are 11 students attending this primary school. Some students walk a half hour to attend school. It’s necessary for some students to bring younger siblings since no one is home to watch them.

As a result of the Napo River flooding, their baños/toilets had to be rebuilt and the school building moved back from the river. The river’s edge continues to be eroded away. The teacher will teach one subject at a time and modify the instruction for grades 1, 2 and 5. The students can attend to grade 7.

The students played Jingle Bells with color-coded hand bells and music sheet. My fellow travelers and I led the “heads- knees and toes” song so the students could move with us. It was fun! After a couple of tries, the students really got it.

I have great respect for individuals in the teaching profession. This teacher truly is admirable! Another lesson I learned while in the Amazon is that voting is mandatory. Our guide was missing his required vote because he could not get home to vote at his required voting place since he was working. Fine of $47 for first miss would be paid in a few days when he was in town. Second fine is double the first fine and third fine is loss of Ecuadorian citizenship! Wow! I’ll need to follow up on this info that our guide mentioned as that is truly substantial, especially if noe cases are allowed.