18/1/2011

9:35pm

I think I just had the best experience yet from this trip.

We'd just finished dinner, and I was expecting another quiet and early night, even though tomorrow is our day off. I went with the girls on their walk today, as well as throwing in some jogging, and the second afternoon with the kids in the art workshop was pretty hectic too.

But all of a sudden, it seemed and though everyone, even the sons who are usually glued to the Playstation, looked like they were getting ready to go somewhere. Our father tried to explain it to us, but the only word I could understand was "lights".

So in our jumpers and scarves, we set out into the night. We walked further up the dirt road near our house, and our father opened a gate, we walked through, and then we came up to a clearing. And it was such an amazing sight.

I like to think there's natural beauty in everything. It was a full moon, or close enough to watch the night bathed in moonlight, which was inspiring enough for me. But looking out over the edge of the mountain, we could see the valley below scattered with lights in various clusters and outlying points. It was a view that was literally breath-taking. Los Santos is a region that is known for its cloud forests, and I could literally see wisps of cloud floating just over our heads. The peak of the next mountain along peeped over the thick clouds, which circled it like a halo. If you stared at the scene long enough, the lights began to twinkle, as though mirroring the stars above. I stood there, awestruck, soaking in the scenery.

I tried to converse a little with my host parents, and I could tell they were pleased with my attempts. I also looked up at the perfect moment, when both my father and I glimpsed a shooting star. Though we couldn't verbally express it, I think we both could sense the mutual excitement.

We then spent a long while playing in the clearing: the whole family, plus two of their cousins, my roommate and myself. Simple joys such as spending time with the people around you are almost forgotten back at home, it sometimes feels, and it was great to see that despite the apparent infiltration of electronic entertainment, a family can spend an enjoyable evening in a moonlit clearing, kicking a ball and swinging the smaller children around, laughing and all eventually collapsing out of dizziness.

Right now, I'm sitting in the living room with the entire family, just after emerging from my lukewarm shower. The boys are showing me some of their music on their computer, and they get pretty excited when I recognise some of the tracks (they're anything from Blink 182, Green Day and RHCP, to ACDC and Bon Jovi). I have no idea if they understand the lyrics, but it's a bond that is transcending language barriers. For the first time I really feel like a part of this family.

And as I think back to that breath-taking view of the valley, I am sure this is a night that I am never going to forget.