hello all. I haven´t written in a few days, I've been pretty busy with Spanish in the mornings, homework, teaching in the afternoons and preparing those classes. It's been a real eye opener being here and living within a community rather then in a hostel. It can be hard to take sometims as you come face to face with more poverty and harsh reality then you would as just a tourist. I've learnt about the coffee exploitation, the mistreatment of the indigenous population, how 40,000 Guatamalian men have dissappeared and the government won't investigate, the corruption in the police... it just goes on and on. It is such a beautiful country, but hard on the people living in it!

Anyway, Last Friday, all the international students/teachers cooked a lunch. Everyone was asked to cook something from their home country, so I therefore cooked some spuds! (with cream and garlic) The meal was fantastic and great fun to cook. (there´s a kitchen at the school)No photos of the children or my host family yet as I thought I´d get to know them a bit more before whipping out the camera. But I did take a pic of the street dogs and a random moth...And one of the classrooms on the roof of the school (space is a problem)...The view from the roof... The road to the school... As you can see, Xela is a pretty dusty, place!Well, this weekend was the highlight of the trip so far. I have the weekends free from school so I looked up an organisation called Quetzaltrekers and went on a hike! Quetzaltrekers are a non profit group, who run a school and a home for street children. The guides volunteer for three months and all the equipment is donated. So the money I pay covers my bus and food, all the rest goes to the children. Their website can probably explain it better: http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/guathome.html
Anyway, on Saturday morning at 4.45am we met and got a pick up truck, then a very busy chicken bus to the foot of the volcanoe Tajumulco. We started climing at 9.00am and at 3000 metres. After two minutes I was really out of breath and started to wonder if I'd be able for the hike. Carrying a rucsac full of group food, camping gear and my own gear didn't help.Hungry cow on way upWell, I made it to 4000 metres where we set up camp for the night. We climbed to a small peak to watch the sun set. What a view! That night was COLD. I just about managed to sleep in my thermal long johns, trousers, thermal vest, tshirt, three fleeces, hat, and two sleeping bags, in a tent with the bodyheat of 6 people! It gets cold at 3000 m at night! Cold.

So the guides woke us at 4.00am, and we climbed the last 220 metres to the top. And I saw the sun rise from the highest point in Central America (4220m). It rose from behind a chain of volcanoes, while one of them was erupting. It was the most amazing thing I have seen in my 26 years. The photos will never capture the experience, but here's some anyway..

Waiting for sunrise on the top.. coldSunrise..Close up of the eruption..The volcanoe's shadow..Waterfall of clouds (I learnt it was a katabatic movement of air)..Well, back to base camp, I love that I had a base camp, for breakfast, then the decent on very high spirits.
The walk home from the bus...I can't leave it there without mentioning one particular member of our group. Murray, from England, is cycling between the highest points in North, Central, and South America, and climbing each when he reaches them. He is doing it to raise money for cancer charities as he lost family members and friends to the disease. The night before the hike, the guides (over a few beers no doubt) convinced him he would be able to bring his bike to the top. Well he did. I want you all to know, it was not an easy hike, and to manage to carry a bike up took a lot. Big up to Murray!!! Check out his progress at http://www.peaktopeak.co.uk/ and donate if you can.

At the top at sunrise...

On way back down... Well, I detter go do my homework. Photos of my host family and school to come.
xxx Roz

P.s. why aren't my links working???