Het was een hele toer om hier te komen........we zouden netjes met een priveshuttle opgehaald worden zaterdag 4 februari tussen 14.15 en 15uur. Ready far before 14, I sat down in the sun with my book waiting for that shuttle.......when finally the phone wrung and the dutch lady who is our host here, called to tell that the driver could not find our homes (3 of us, and which was absolutely a big SMOES) and was gone without trying really to find us and refused to go back to pick us up! So she offered us to be picked up the next day either half past 5 in the morning or half past 2 in the afternoon. So, we all choose the earlymorning pickup and that our extra night with the guestfamily should be paid for by the company. One hour later we were called again: the only possibility is half past 2 the next day. So, we told her we will organise our own shuttle for early in the morning and so we did and got to Quetzaltenango sunday round 9.30 in the morning after a three hour trip through the mountains. Luckily the weather was as beautifull and sunny as in Antigua. Everybody warned us that it is really very, very cold down here and that we should buy ,handschoenen'! Nothing compared to the temperature in Holland and the rest of Europe!:-)

During the day, apart from today :-(, the sun is shining nice and bright, and temparature drops quite a bit late afternoon/early mornings.

The hostel here is also a bit of a shock to us, after staying in really nice and comfortable houses with the guestfamilies. A pity we were nog warned about this, it is not a real hostel, just 4 rooms, one occupied by personel from the school that is attached to our rooms. And the only other people we 'meet' are the students who sit one by one with their teachers in the courtyard, working very hard to learn spanish, so no time to interact really. And that is why we choose a hostel for the last few weeks........Anyway, the garden at least is beautifull, so that kind of makes up for the rest: not too clean outdoor room, not to clean outdoor bathroom to share with all the others, very gloomy kitchen with no clean pots and pans to cook in (luckily Jess and I both dont like cooking, so we eat out, which is a nice surprise everytime sofar!)

The town is very hectic with lots of travic and the centre not as beautifull as Antigua, but with beautifull mountains all around the city.

Jess discovered quite a few nice dancing schools, salsa offcourse and the possibility to go out dancing is everynight! The discotheek is around the croner and will be open as from tomorrow! It seems that the weekend starts here on wednesdaynights.........:-).

This morning we started our jobs in the orphanage. Jess with the schoolkids making thir homework, the boys go to school in the afternoon, have to make homework under supervision in the morning. The girls the other way round. So we did only meet the boys to day.... and the baby's and todlers. I worked with the baby's , about 8 of them and 4 to 5 todlers between 2 and 4. All the work done by one person during the night, and one person during the day.....

I was totally exhausted after 4 hours changing nappies, giving bottles, soothing crying babies and todlers and one little autistic girl , 4 years old, who needs a lot of attention. I really admired the staff working here with the small ones! Everything is very orderly and clean and well structured with a doctor in the house, 2 psychologists and 2 social workers. Nice big kitchen, big room with loads of washingmachines :-) and nice playcourts for the kids. Also 2 little calssrooms for the kids that need special attenttion. It s a orphanage from the government. Compared to everything so well organised for the schoolgoing kids, it is a pity that the babies and todlers cannot get enough attention with only this one staffmemember. There is one little girl underfed, very very tiny . Not getting any special attention or special food. Anyway, we will be working there for the next 2 weeks and hopefully be of some use to the kids ans staff there.

So, now back to doing some homework and learn some spanish! Hasta la proxima semana! jess y line