Who turned the oven on?

It's hot.....no, actually that's not correct...it's really hot! And that is why I am sitting here at La Terraza getting reaquainted with my old friend Salva Vida as I type this. So let me back track a little....

Yesterday's blog was a little lame. I was bone tired but got a good night's sleep and felt so much better this morning. Of course, I set my watch wrong and got up at ridiculus o'clock of 2:15am instead of 3:15am....by the time I figured it out I was able to get another 30 minutes snoozing before I had to re-get up! My shuttle came at about 4:20am. I was the 4th person to get onboard. The shuttle goes around to various places picking up people who like me are going to Copan. I was at first a little alarmed to see my bags being thrown on to the top of the minivan but they were tied down once we had picked up the last of the passengers back in Guatemala City. I had aksed the driver how many we would be and he told me 10 on today's bus. Thinking quickly (yes, I can at times) I asked for the front seat and at the next stop took the passenger seat next to him...best seat in the house!

We shook and jigged our way for 7 hours, ate at one restaurant, passed one dead dog, and got stuck in the mother of all traffic jams made worse with the fact that we had no air conditioning. If it wasn't for our driver we would still be in that jam....talk about chaos....but some clever shoulder driving, nerves of steel and making a road where none exists got us through with about a 30 minute delay. Arriving in Copan the heat has been overwhelming. Just sitting here in the shade I am sweating....but hey I am not complaining.

I grabbed my bags and hailed a passing tuk tuk to take me to my teachers house. They live about a 5 minute walk north of the main square. They are so hospitable and welcoming. I have thier daughter Karen's room along with my own little bathroom. Dunia prepared a delicious lunch of fried chicken and a potatoe, egg and corn salad. There was much conversation (all in Spanish of course) and I was told that their house is my house and to make myself at home. Tomorrow they are taking me camping....I am not really sure what to expect to be honest. I know that we are going with another family and it's on private property. Dunia says it is beautiful there. It means I miss Monday morning class but as I told them, just being with the family is a constant class as they all correct me. Water is being rationed here right now. We have water for the toilets and showers from the tank on the roof but all other water is only turned on every other day. They are desperate here for some rain.

My home stay:

As they had a couple of things to do and then church I have taken the opportunity to walk in to town via Ellen's house (of Project School Supplies). She is meeting me here in a bit for a beer. We have much to catch up on and much to discuss. I have brought some money with me raised by three of my amazing co-workers and we plan to equip a local rural school that I visisted last year and which is in desire need. I won't get in to that now as I am going shopping with the teachers one afternoon this week and will tell you more about that during that blog. There are also a few other projects that these funds may assist with so we want to get a game plan as I only have two weeks this time. So much to do, so little time...

View from the cafe...tough to take!

Some Antigua shots;

Hasta manana!

Antigua, Guatemala

Well, I made it with no problems to Antigua, Guatemala. It has been one of the longest days I recall having in a long time…but I’m not complaining. IT started with an early (ridiculously early) get up at 2am. Brent took me to the airport and I was there by 3:30am. My flight which took me via Houston, Texas was non eventful made even more so by the fact that I slept on both legs and even through takeoff from Houston. I was tired! I few through customs in Guatemala without so much as a sideways glance, even as I pushed my trolley ladened with extra luggage for Project School Supplies. My plan had been to take a shuttle (minivan) to Antigua at the cost of $10. But they were offering private taxis for $15 so I decided to be a bad backpacker and splurge and opted for the comfier route. My driver Marcos pleasantly surprised me. Although he seemed to think nothing about disobeying red lights and double lines, he has apparently resolved himself that he will not be getting a job with NASCAR and all in all drove at a relatively reasonable speed the whole way (not what I am accustomed to here in Central America). He was also quite chatty and it was a nice way to ease in to my Spanish, and as bagged as I wa, I was happy that I could have a conversation. I arrived in Antigua and the owner bad part was that I had to walk about a block and a half with all my bags. They had part of a street shut down for a procession so my driver couldn’t get right up close without driving all around town. My shoulders still hurt! Check in at the Hotel Casa Rustica was easy and my room was exactly as expected…..small but functional and clean with a private bathroom. After a much needed shower I took a stroll around the central plaza and a few side streets. It is as pretty as I remember it but it was getting dusk and all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. I found a small local restaurant close by and ordered a soup that came full of chicken, potatoes, rice, carrots onions and cilantro, served of course with the obligatory tortillas and a cold, local beer called “Gallo”. I don’t recall the name of it but it was good. By this time my Spanish with the waiter was horrible. I couldn’t string a sentence together and knew that it was bedtime. I fell asleep to the crows of a cockerel (do cockerels crow) and the thump, thump, boom from the music coming from a local bar…….ahh…it’s great to be back! Forgive the no photos, but no time to download…will add them in my next post! Tomorrow…6hour bus ride to Copan!