La Mariposa

is a delightful place, a language school designed and built by Paulette herself, surrounded by trees - especially bananas, and vegetable gardens. There are dogs, chickens, and large cages containing animals that have been donated by people that can no longer look after them: - monkeys, ducks, budgies, parrots, toucans and birds whose names I can't remember. The number of species of birds landing on bananas and in the birdbath far outnumber those I have seen so far - I remember 3 from Francisco's garden. Paulette puts it down to the lack of pesticides.
She sold a 2-bedroomed house in Sheffield to fund this and made it home for herself and Guillermina 6 years ago. People stay here or with familities nearby, and gIven the proximity, it's not surprising that most of her clientele are from the USA.
On Monday a Frenchman arrived who speaks nothing but French! Some of us with a smattering tried to talk to him but Spanish kept getting into oour sentences.
Paulette has generated a number of projects, and is now thinking of going into semi-retirement. Guillermina is learning Spanish at the local secondary school.  
Besides having Spanish classes in the morning, my time has been taken up with tubes, blood tests, ultrasound and consultations with a doctor who doesn't speak English! The ultrasound lady was interesting - before she started she said a prayer and afterwards she gave me a book called the Way to Christ.
The results of all this were that the doctor thought I should get back to the UK asap to have prostate surgery. However someone who can't sit down and has to go the toilet every 15 minutes to pass a few drops isn't someone who can get on a plane. He agreed and so fitted me with a temporary catheter, so Cuba (fingers crossed) is still on for next Tuesday - have tube, will travel!