Morning routine Our mornings started by meeting everyone at the coffee shop in Antigua, where all the volunteers got together before heading off to either Itzapa or Santa Maria de Jesus for the day. Our shuttle bus usually arrived around 8am to drive the teachers and stove builders to Santa Maria de Jesus, which is located on the side of Volcano Agua. Once we arrive at the viallge, and we all clamber out of the mini van, different children each day welcomed us with hugs and big smiles. During the weeks that Dan was building stoves, he would meet up with [View Full Entry]

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Situated in the northern part of Guatemala, the ruins of Tikal are considered by many to be the best remaining examples of Mayan architecture around. They are certainly the hottest. As we climbed onboard the battered minibus in Flores at 5am the air was thick with anticipation. Even the driver, slumped half-asleep over the wheel with headphones hanging from his ears, failed to quell the feeling of adventure. Each traveller was lost in their own thoughts and the conversation was minimal as we left the small town and headed out into morning mist. As the bus, laden with well-fed westerners [View Full Entry]

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Health Alert... From the looks of it my frequent, painful battles with gastrointestinal complications are a thing of the past, if you don´t count my erosive esopheghitis. My system is as strong as a donkey. I´m back to the good ol´days of devouring any type of street food Hondu and Guate can throw at me. Once again I´m living an intrepid, gastronomic free for all. Over all, movements are solid, frequent and of a mocca color. However, for the second year in a row I´m battling some odd skin condition. In the Middle East last summer 3 mysterious concentric circles appeared [View Full Entry]

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The return to San Pedro brought back a lot of funny memories of Xmas and New Year shenannigans. Though this time the party never even got started as Mhairi and I planned to dive the next morning so late night boozing was a no no. I hadn't been diving since Malaysia in 2007 so they reccommended a refresher session, which I was very thankful of as soon as I got under water and the fear began to rise. I remembered most of my skills but became a bit paranoid about bouyancy and not being able to wait for the safety stop, [View Full Entry]

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So yes, how many people can say they have done that in their lifetime?! It's certainly something I never envisaged myself doing! First things first, upon leaving Buenos Aires, I had a couple of flights, up to Miami, then back down to Guatemala City with a 9 hour wait at the airport in between them. I arrived there and managed to catch a taxi fairly quickly, and cheaply, to Antigua. I headed to the hostal and talked to Lee briefly as we organised meeting up before I had my first night without someone snoring in the room for 3 weeks. Heaven! [View Full Entry]

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I just had a great idea to start keeping a diary of the places that I have been. It all started with me coming here to Guatemala and how I never want to forget all the people that I have met and great things that I have seen. These things that I hold dearly to me. First of all, even if you do not think you will visit any where at all, GET YOUR PASSPORT! Do not wait until the last moment like I did. Trust me, I never thought in a billion years that I would be going anywhere and [View Full Entry]

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Well folks Hello from NJ and the Adventures continue. A few of the last pictures from the Big Adventure South of the US Boader. [View Full Entry]

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I wanted to spend a day exploring this region before heading up to Lago Atitlan, so I visited the little frequented Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa. Not expecting too much from this city I was pleasantly surprised that the town was clean, friendly and bustling with activity. I was in search of a lost Olmec City hidden in the sugar cane fields. The taxi drivers wanted $20 for a lift to the sites, so I took Shank's pony and a rudimentary map looking for good fortune. Trundling up the road I found good fortune who went by the name of Ricardo and had [View Full Entry]

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I crossed the border sat in the back of Manolo's jeep feeling a little worse for wear after last night's party. I could have stayed in Tacuba much longer just chilling at Mamas y Papas and exploring El Impossible. But the clock is ticking and I need to get a move on, at the 10 month mark already! First stop back in Guatemala is the sleepy and inaccessible village of Monterrico. Despite being quiet it's one of the most popular spots on the Pacific coast, only a couple of resorts manage to find a pretty location on this sun beaten side [View Full Entry]

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Day of the grandparents There were less people to squish into the van to Santa Maria de Jesus this morning, due to some of the volunteers taking a 3-day weekend in San Salvador and another having completed her time on the project. The comfort of space just added to how well the day was to become. Today at the school is 'el dia de abulitos' (the day of the grandparents) which is always combined with the day of the birthdays for the children. Once a month at the Santa Maria de Jesus project, the grandparents of the children that attend the [View Full Entry]

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