Journal Entry, January 31st

Laying in a hammock at the Earth Lodge about twenty minutes outside of Antigua, up in the mountains on an avocado farm. Huge full clouds overhead. Breathtaking views. Quite chilly at the moment as the sun has faded.

We all hopped in the back of a small red pick up truck after brunch today, Kate, Karla, Alana, Lyndsey, Marko, and I. We are staying in a tiny dorm style hut in the middle of a large field. The six of us and 2 other girls we just met. Sisters from Chicago, one a Peace Corp volunteer here in Guatemala. She has been building stoves in a tiny town for the past year and a half.

It is now 5PM. Sipping Gato Negro Carmenere from Chile that we bought at the supermercado in Antigua for 28Q...roughly $3.59 U.S. haha. I am looking out at the incredible view of the mountains and the city below listening to the others talk about the next stops on their upcoming travels. I am jealous. Sad. Jealous that most are deciding to extend their time in Guatemala and jealous that many are open ended in their time away... They plan trips hours in advance and fiddle with travel books and maps. SO carefree. I do not have a job pulling me home either...or an apartment to tend to. I am pretty much free to roam as long as I prefer as also. Right. But calls from home remind me of those I miss.

Sad that some are leaving and that my time with them is over. Sad that I will probably never see them again. These amazing individuals that have also devoted their lives to volunteering around the world and specifically here. Sad, that my last week here in Antigua and more importantly Santa Maria de Jesus is nearing.....

I will be starting all over in Honduras this time next week.

Muy Cansada

One of my favorite photos.

Yuri, the twins-Jessica and Diana, and Juan Carlos.

Chicas enjoying sandia.


Sports Day, look at that view!

The work week is definitely harder than I expected it to be.
And the weekends more active and exciting than I expected.

Seño Kate (Australia, 25) and I took over our classes this week. Solo. Eeeeeeek!

This means no help from Seño Doreen. Lesson planning has proved to be tedious and the children finish every project so quickly! We must come up with some new ideas soon. The little ones (5/6) need a new activity almost every 15 minutes. There is only so much coloring one can stand. We have used lots of papel de china (tissue paper) as well...but the glue has proved to be QUITE messy. All the childrens´fingers are stuck together at the end of class-haha. They love to play and fruit break is CRAZY!!!!! They are all so tough and rough house like nothing I have ever seen before. And hardly EVER cry.

Last week, we found out that a little girl (Nayeli) in our afternoon class hadn´t eaten ALL day. The only thing she had put in her mouth since dinner the night before was the orange we gave her at frutas break at 4PM. Now how is a 6 year old supposed to concentrate on an empty stomach??? We gave her some bread to eat and some to take home to her 2 brothers.

Heartbreaking.

They are all so happy and love school and love us. Hugs and kisses everyday at the beginning and end of the day. At fruit break...¨arriba, arriba!!¨ They want to be picked up and thrown around constantly.

Friday was Sports Day. SO MUCH FUN! We walk all of the kids about half a mile away to a huge field surrounded by beautiful active volcanoes and corn fields. The boys are super competitive with their futbol (soccer) and the girls just want to play with your hair and touch your face and make bracelets out of string. I have on a pink string necklace that one of the older girls made me that day ;)

Next week is my last week in Antigua and at the school in Santa Maria de Jesus. I was the little one´s first teacher. A little sad...but excited for the next stop. Copañ, Honduras.

I have so many pics, but will only allow to upload 4 at a time....will try for more soon! Must run to Español Clase now!

Hasta Luego.

City-fied?

Friday Night:

• GVI Barbeque.
  
• LOTS of yummy food and LOTS of vino.

Saturday:

5:45AM

• Internal body alarm (sick...AGAIN!).
• Try to hold banana bread in.
• Pack for Lake.

7:45AM

• Walk to bike shop, pile in van, hit the road.

10:30ish

• Get geared up and on mountain bikes with many confusing gears.

11ish

• Begin 15 mile ride. YES, 15 miles. (but mostly downhill....I cannot lie.)

4ish

• Arrive by boat at one of the most beautiful hotels I have EVER seen. Built into a cliff with views of many many mountains surrounding the lake. WOW.
• Quick dip in the FREEZING water
• An amazing family style dinner

8ish

• Back to room to throw on swimsuit and hit the hot tub.
• First, kill three spiders and two scorpions (while doning the nerdy head torch).

8:30sh:

• Bring wine (to forget about the co-habitating creatures sleeping with me) to the wood burning stove heated hot tub overlooking the lake and under millions and millions of stars.

9:30ish

• Back to room, feeling a little more relaxed about my slumber buddies.

11ish

• Wake up panicking.
• TURN ON THE LIGHT!!! IT´s ON ME, ÍT´s ON ME!!!!!!
  
• Realize t´was just a dream. Sigh.
  

Sunday:

8AM

• Incredible breakfast.

9AM

• 4 mile kayak (BEAUTIFUL)

11ish

• Begin our ¨nice walk¨.

1ish

• Want to have a SERIOUS talk with those that think this 12 mile "walk" is nice.
• It is a HIKE.

2ish

• Have fallen down three times.
• Can´t breathe
• Sitting on rock
• Panicking
• Shaking
• Crying
• Having chocolate power gel squirted into my mouth by our guide-Victor.
• Using an inhaler

2:30ish

• Really embarrassed.
• Decide I must be WAY out of shape and need to get my act together.

3:00ish

• Back at hotel
• Jump in lake with all my clothes on
• Have a fresh fruit smoothie
• Comtemplate a career change
• Nutrition? Personal fitness?

How can a 26 year old, that (used) to work out at the gym during her lunch break AND tended to walk/sprint home (2 and a half miles) at LEAST 3 times a week...be SO out of shape?????

Was it the altitude?
Too much sun?
Too much physical activity in 24 hours?

Not enough water?

Has four and a half years in New York turned me into a city girl????

Must. Do. Something.

Chancho

This little piggy went to market....maybe?

a little out of order....argh, the formatting!

Sonria!

Uploading pics takes LOADS of time, apologies for not writing more about these little niños the other day!

They are definitely warming up, and they LOVE the camera!

(Which is perfecto for snap happy ;)

We had music class today -- they sang the funniest songs and danced the sweetest little dances. It´s hilarious! Teaching is EXHAUSTING and I am beat by the end of the day. I have been sick for two days now...which doesn´t help. I have to run down the street to Santiago´s house, as the children´s baño is a cement hole in the ground...

This little one kept pulling out a green mango from her dress and gnawing on it! Haha.

These chicas are singing a cute song about a whale who eats a shark who eats a sardine and then the whale gets sick....or something like that...
Notice the twins? Diana and Jessica....SO shy!

Carlos, Wilmer, Alex, and...I think the one on the end is in the other class....??

Carlos is and excelent student and his smile is SO genuine. Wilmer likes to take his time with everything and it has to be perfect. Alex is a ham and laughs constantly.

Ah, Melinda. I don´t have favorites..... ;)

10 Days, 10 Things Learned...

1. Let the little things go. Example-Cockroaches in your room...NOT a big deal.
2. Being filthy dirty isn´t so bad.
3. Wild dogs are just that-wild!
4. The children do not mind that you cannot communicate with them perfectly-a smile and affection is universal.
5. You WILL get sick. Day 10, stomach rebels.
5.5 Toilet paper in other countries-VERY thin.
6. The traveler´s footwear of choice, Havianas.
7. Thou shall not judge.
8. When trying to learn a language-study, practice, study, speak.
9. When living with host family, clean your plate at every meal or you will be served considerably less next time.
10. I am ridiculously lucky.

Los Niños

INCREDIBLE first day at school today. The children were waiting outside when we arrived at the school-a half hour beforehand. I teared up as I watched them walk in for the first day of school. Sigh...I can´t even begin to explain it....

Here are a few pics. Start from the bottom up...having trouble with the formatting today!

Bananas for fruit snack today! They put SO much in their mouths...haha!

In line to wash hands before the frutas break. I have been told that this may be the only thing the children eat all day... Oh, and we start the class with a piece of bread, like a roll...to get somthing in their tiny tummies so that they can focus.

Santiago-local, he speaks to the children in their language...introducing them to us and the school. Dorreen is the teacher Kate and I are working with. Over that fence is the older class-7 and 8 year olds.

My morning class. Class is from 9-12. Five and six year old cuties that have never been to school before. We had two criers. But after handing out stickers...they were fine.

La Playa

The gorge sunset...one of the prettiest I have ever seen.

Six of us took a trip to Monterrico for the weekend--about a 2 and a half hour drive out of Antigua. This weekend I experienced my first taste of culture shock.

Coconuts for sale everywhere. Mostly children selling...

The water was SO warm and the waves a bit aggressive...but great for body surfing!

We booked ONE room at a small hotel and plopped ourselves in the sun for a little relaxation before gearing up to teach on Monday!

Spanish Class!

Karla and I teaching Kate and Alanna (from Australia) and our Español teachers...Español!

(We were practicing for teaching the little ones next week)

The Spanish School. All outdoors -- muy frio in the morning.


Alanna, Kate and myself...at morning break from class.

Los Perros

I felt almost drugged the first few nights when falling asleep here in Antigua. So exhausted from traveling, and walking, and learning it was a breeze falling asleep and staying asleep all night.

Last night...not so much. You see SO many dogs roaming around here in Antigua and at night they let themselves be heard. Non-stop actually. The constant barking does not make for a good nights sleep, but I guess this is just another something I will need to get used to!

A tired self results in a frustrated self at Spanish class today. The morning was BRUTAL....with almost a standoff between my teacher and me. She will not speak to me much in English...which makes it muy difficult when I do not understand something. We fought our way out of the slump after some cafe (and some patience) and moved on to learning words that I will need to teach when with the children next week. Today: Animales and el cuerpo. I like learning the volcabulary MUCH better than the conjucating and such. Memorization is cinch.

This afternoon we are having a mock teaching session with our teachers. We will be teaching them the colors, numbers, animals, and parts of the body. I´ll be back this afternoon to let you know how I did ;)

Also, I hope to post some photos today!

Hasta luego -- break is over. Back to jam-packing the mind with espanol!

Ready or Not...

I am here. In Antigua, Guatemala --three days now! The city is beautiful and the volunteers are great. Most in their early to mid-twenties and early thirties and from all over the world. Australia, Canada, Ireland, Philly, the UK, Chicago, Scotland, Spain. Some have been traveling for a while...and for some Guatemala is their first stop. I am staying with Silvia. She is a 60-something year old widow who lives in Candeleria, just outside of the city. She is hosting myself and a young married couple from Canada. Troy a firefighter and Nicole a Civil Engineer, quit their jobs, sold their house and decided to travel the world for year. They will be volunteering their time in most of the countries they will visit.

Today was the first day of intensive Spanish lessons. Starting at 8AM and ending at 3PM everyday this week, we are learning one-on-one. So no dozing off! We study outside, which is nice. The weather is quite cool in the morning and evenings and lovely mid-day.

Desayuno with the host family was served at ten till 7AM. Not so used to that... A whole roasted plantain and a tiny spoonful of frijoles negra were on the menu. Not quite used to that either! Silvia packed me a lunch of papaya and crema and dos jamon sandwiches for lunch at school today. The fruit here is muy bueno!

Antigua is very colonial looking and so vibrantly colorful. The doors to almost every building are so intricate and beautiful and the indigenous dress is very very cool. Flowers everywhere, cobblestone streets and two active volcanos are part of the scenery.

I have not taken the camera out much, as we were warned not to "flaunt" the electronics. I am DYING to get behind the lense and capture this place to show you all. As soon as I can, I will try and post some photos.

Hasta luego for now....