Do you remember the days in the Old School Yard?

We used to laugh a lot...

Contrary to popular opinion, life abroad, while pleasant is not always a rollercoaster, laugh a minute, edge of your seat, action packed, salt reduced experience. Sometimes, well, it is well, quite bloody uneventful. ( I have of course consulted with the British tourism board so as to ensure that I have used the word ´bloody´in an appropriate way.)

So I have decided to tell you a bit about my normal school life, and some of the people I share it with. Let us see how many friends I can lose myself over the next little while.

School is downright fun. We guffaw and chuckle and talk of all things, from sleepwalking to global politics, to the best way to remove unsightly eyebrow hair. Truly, it is a laugh a minute.

But as always it is the people who make a place. Needless to say our teachers are friendly and entertaining, and very good at what they do. But we will meet them in later entries. Today you get to encounter a fellow student.

Let´s met Ingo. Ingo is the man on the right in the photo two down from this entry. He is a lovely fellow from Austria, with long blonde hair and a countanence that can´t help but remind me of John Lennon. A peaceful, calm and contented man who is always ready with a smile and willing to talk about any subject you desire.

Ingo is also just a bit crazy.

When we said good bye to Ingo just last Friday, he was about to get on his bike(which he had brought from Austria)and cycle from Santiago to Lima. Mmmm, sounds like my idea of a good time. However, this alone is not enough for Ingo, because Ingo intends to go to Lima via Argentina. That´s right, this man intends to cross the Andes, not once, but twice..... ON A BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!

When I asked Ingo why in God´s name he intended to embark on this audacious journey, he paused for a few seconds, considered it and said to me:

´Well, I like bikes.´

´Clearly´ I almost shouted ´That´s fine, but there is a great big set of enormous mountains in the way. This doesn´t make you want to think twice?´

Again, there was that slight pause, that moment´s reflection that allows you to be certain that what you say is being given adequate weight:

´No´he said.

And that I suppose, is that.

We used to cry a lot...

So, sadly, we say Auf Weidershen to Ingo (Clearly I am not learning German). He was a good learning companion and treasure to mull over the world with a beer and an empanada.

Good luck in your travels, be safe and be sure. May your gears never stick, your chain never break and your wheels never slide.

For, today, Ingo, we say to you...

Rock and Roll.

Paddy.