A Village called Parraga

You won't find Parraga on the map.  It is a small village in the Columbian mountains past the big city of Cali and before you get to another big city called Pasto.  There's nothing much to catch your eye. Most of the houses and there aren't that many, march up a fairly steep hill.  There's probably 200 people.  They do a bit of gold panning in the local river, some small agriculture and jobs with transportation or this and that.  There's an elementry and secondary school.  The catholic church is at the top of the hill.  The priest only comes on Sunday.  We parked to the side of the church for two days and nights.  Norman just happened to see this opportunity and asked permission. When we arrived school was just letting out so we were the attraction and remained so.  The people of this mountainous community stole our hearts.  They gave us gifts of food.  They ranged from bananas, lemons,yogurt,and banana flavored milk.  Most of all they gave us their trust and their love.  The first evening we were invited to the school to watch folk dance practice.  What they lacked in talent they made up with energy. 
Norman is a para- medic and for years on his trips he has taken free blood pressures in many different places
This was a perfect place to do this.  I called on past long ago experience and helped take Blood Pressures  and we had quite a crowd.  We set up our clinic in front of the church.  We found 3 dangerously high readings during the two days.  A lady sent over coffee and hot corn cakes. I went to one lady's house because she could not leave her bed. 
While we were doing this, Bill printed pictures I had taken of the dancers.  What a hit!!!!! We gave them to the music professor to post for everyone to see.

As evening fell the crowd grew.  All ages and gender.  The young people were so interested in our trip.  We showed them a map and where our Casa (house) is.  I brought out a package of Oreo cookies and passed them around.  They all have such manners, from the least to the oldest.  They each took one and said gracious(thank you).
They loved to say our names.  Bill was BEEEL and I was Gerrrry.  When they saw we could not speak much spanish they tried to teach us.  The elementry students brought out their spanish-English school books to help us learn.  Bill had a buddy that corrected his spanish.  The kids were around us all the time.  We sometimes would have 6 in the motorhome at one time.
The second day word was sent that there would be a special performance of the more experienced dancers just for us.  We were the only audience and one of the pictures posted show some of the group.
We also left them with a slightly used soccer ball.  The whole class came up the hill to thank us
This morning as we were getting ready to leave the kids all came by.They are a "touching"people.  Each girl kissed your cheek and shook your hand and each boy shook your hand.  The adults also kiss your cheek and shake your hand-male and female.  The only english word one little girl knew was "Beautiful" and she would run by the motorhome and holler beautiful.  This morning when we left she hugged me and said Beautiful.  It truly was and we will not forget our village in the mountains of Columbia.

Bill and Gerry