13/09/2019 - Day 1 of Volunteering, Easter Island, Chile

I woke up to a Whatsapp message from our boss/host Peter who asked me to be ready at bungalow 1 at 08:45. When we had gone to bed the meet time had been arranged for 0900. I could almost feel his anxiety through the message though! Josh and I had a coffee and some cereal together and then I wandered up to the bungalow. Peter wasn't there yet so I grabbed the cleaning stuff from the cupboard and thought I would make a start. By the time Peter had arrived after dropping his daughters at school I was already arms deep in the Marigolds in the bathroom. I think he found it quite pleasing that I had got stuck in without him as he says he had young volunteers with no initiative previously which must have been frustrating! He was a bit anxious as he thought we would run out of time (he thought the guests, who are friends, were arriving tomorrow but it turns out they are arriving this morning!) so he also grabbed Petra (the nanny), who was on her way out for the morning, and asked her to help too.The three of us got on with deep cleaning the bungalow. It became clear quite quickly that Peter doesn't just want the bungalows clean and tidy, but that it must be done exactly how he likes it, with exactly the right products in the right order. It is a tightly run ship and I am suprised he can let anyone do it for him! He did explain that he has worked hard for his good ratings (apparently the top recommended on Trip Advisor) and it is understandable really. He left before we had finished, to pick up the guests from the airport and left Petra and I to finish the bungalow. All the while we were doing this Josh had been allocated no job! I believe, as a male, Josh will be getting a bit of an easier time around here. Although Josh did offer to help Peter was very assertive in not getting Josh involved at all in the cleaning! After finishing the bungalow I had been told to go and start on sorting out the laundry room with Petra. We went down and started organisign it. It is basically a big shed with shelving attached to the other side of our studio accommodation. I think the previous volunteers had got it into a bit of a muddle so we started organising it from scratch again. When Peter got back Josh was asked to clean the car and Petra given the rest of the morning off as she was to look after the girls in the afternoon after school. Peter took me to bungalow 3 which had been deep cleaned last week but he wanted it all dusted off (basically completely cleaned again!) before the guest arrived this afternoon. I sorted that out and then went to bungalow 2, where there are a couple on their honeymoon staying, and was told how to do the ‘quick’ clean, which I did whilst Peter went to the airport to collect the new guest for bungalow 3. After finishing this I went back down to continue in the laundry room. Josh made us a coffee and brought it in to the laundry room with me. Peter got back and showed the new guest around, before calling Josh and I up for lunch. We had a lovely lunch as they had been expecting their friends to eat with us too, but they had already eaten. More for us! Josh and I washed up and then Peter really thanked us for our hard work, seems like he was impressed thankfully! Josh and I went back to our studio and chilled for a bit. By about 18:00 we went out for a run along the coast, it is such beautiful scenery and it was really warm in the low sun! Also it is so nice to not be at altitude and be able to actually do some proper exercise. It has been about 5 months since our last jog! We did a slow paced 5km to get back into the swing of things. Mad to think this area is ‘home’ for now and that most people who were on their flight out with us are probably on their way back to the mainland again by now! We got back and I made us a quick rice and vegetables dinner, we showered, and read our book/kindle in bed.