Costa Rica

So as you probably know, Jade and I went to Costa Rica last week for 5 days (although we only had 3 full days there). I had a good time although I did expect more from Costa Rica, I dont know why but I had thought it was kind of a big deal `the switzerland of central america` they told me! So maybe it was the fact that we didnt see the north coast or that the weather was really crappy but it was a slight disappointment. I think the first photo says it all about the weather, Costa Rica is green, green, green.

We were staying in San Jose, the capital city, so we had one day trip out the beach, but on the pacific coast, and so it was a bit dirty and not very attractive. The weather was overcast but it was sooo humid. But there were lots of souvenir shops and friendly people that wanted to talk to us. And at least one great thing about Costa Rica is that it is so safe! Well I`m comparing it to Honduras so its probably moderately less safe than the UK. But Jade and I got the bus on our own and were walking in the street at night and stuff so for us to do that when we are so used to living in fear it was amazing!

The second day we spent wondering around the city and visiting museums and stuff, yer wasnt that great. The national museum is worth going to though. We also visited a souvenir market which really was great! Jade and I got bargaining and probably bought way more than we should have done - especially since we would have spent the majority of our time in HONDURAS! haha.

The third day we visited a town outside the city called `Cartago` and came across the rather beautiful cathedral shown above. Then we visited some nearby gardens which was where the other photo was taken.

We also visited the mall in San Jose and went to the cinema to see a Costa Rican film. It was really interesting to hear how the accents and words differed from those in Honduras, plus it was a generally good film and I think I understood everything! yes!

Jade has now gone off the Ecuador to visit here boyfriend who lives there and I am back in Tegucigalpa Honduras awaiting the chaos of the elections next weekend. Oh and still working and enjoying my project.

In other news there is very little new stuff. I met two Honduran girls that are going to England in January for a volunteer year like me. I laughed so much when one of them said they were going to Brighton because here the people are generally very homophobic and you would NEVER see a gay couple in...well pretty much anywhere. So I think the year will definately be an eye opener for her! haha! Its cool because I will be around to help them settle in England and can use them to practice my spanish! haha alterior motives! No but really I will help them, currently I am advising them what clothes to buy....because they dont have anything warm enough to deal with the ice age that is winter in England! "Will I be able to wear these sandles Kat?" "...um well put it this way, I have hundreds of shoes and only about 2 pairs of sandals, a bit like you have loads of sandals and only 2 pairs of `closed` shoes!" Although there are always the strange ones that wear flip flops and shorts all year round... :-S

Running out of days, suncream and English tea...

So what has happened this week? I really dont know. I have become truly `aculturized`(which I realise is probably not a real word) and am so unorganised and living in the moment now that I havn`t written in my diary for about 2 weeks! So bear with me while I try to find the inefficiently filed away memories...

Last Sunday I think it was we went to the fair of Suyupa again (there is one twice a year and I went in Feb). I had a really great time the last time and I was all ready to take loads of photos this time - now that I`m not so scared to take my camera out of the house - but it was a bit disapointing. There weren`t half as many horses this time and no cows! Plus it decided to rain really heavily, which was unfortunate as we`d parked on a particularly muddy hill and i was wearing white sandals. I really dont think sometimes! haha! The fact that it was getting dark too really didnt help. Carlota and I practically slid down the hill, much to everyones amusement, and then it took several attempts to get the car to move. So in the end it was actually quite fun. Then we went to Patricia`s house and generously shared the mud around! There are photos of me wearing newspaper boots.

Oh and then on one evening we went to watch Andres recieve his blue belt in Tai Kwan Do, so I now feel very safe if im going with him somewhere!

The weekend just gone was different because we had one of the volunteers from Sweden staying with us. She is Andres`s `contact person`. She arrived in August and so is still finding it hard to adapt to life here. Its funny because she was making all these comments about all the strange things Hondurans do, exactly like I was in the beginning, but I now found myself trying to defend them saying `yes but...`, `i know but...`. And now all the things they do just seem normal to me. Yer its true they dont take their dogs out for walks, but why would they? Thats just pure crazyness! The dogs are there to help protect thier properties - which I now think is very sensible ever since we got robbed.

So yes it was fun to talk to a new volunteer, even though she is completely the opposite of me in that she is really outgoing and says exactly what she thinks. She also has very strong ideas about what she wants to do in her project and is finding it very hard to accept that that might not be possible. So I figure she`ll either change, adapt and stay here or will end up going home early because at the moment shes`s not very happy. I have ended up doing something completely different to what I had originally planned, I think the same is true for most volunteers.

I did get to ride to a horse in the end which was really cool, although mum says it doesn`t count if someone is leading the horse, I personally think it does. I not only had to stop myself from falling off but also the child that was with me, responsibility enough I reckon! The guy there said that he would of taught me how to ride properly if i`d had time...shame. Never mind I have learnt so much this year already, perhaps in my last blog i`l try to compose a list of them?

At the moment I am very excited because on Saturday Jade and I go to Costa Rica for 5 days! Que bien! And the best part is we have planned nothing except the flights and hotel. I have had a quick look on the internet but havn`t had time to do much research so who knows what we`l do. I do know that we will be talking spanish to each other so as to try not to look like complete tourists though. And apparently they don`t pronounce their double r `rr` so that will make it easier for me (whos been trying to pronounce it right since January without much success).

And finally I may not have been able to buy a poppy this year but I am still `remembering`.....

a few horses, alot of kids, some of El Salvador and a daylight robbery

Sorry that this post is very delayed and that there are no photos - this would be down to the fact that last weekend I suddenly decided to go to El Salvador and then the monday after someone broke into the house and stole the laptop. So at the moment we are using a borrowed laptop.

So I have now been in my new project a week and a half. Its going well I really like it, not as fun as the blind school because the children have more mental problems like cerebal palsy. So in a way you have to work alot harder for less reward. But I have already made a real connection with three of four of them. So glad i'm doing this now that I can speak spanish because trying to figure out what they are saying is hard enough as it is. They have me doing everything there though wether I want to or not it seems, I have been spoon feeding them, changing napies, carrying them... there is one thing thatts really cool though and thats that every Tuesday and Thursday some of them go to the stables and ride horses, they call it therapy.... apparently. Anyway I get to lead the horses round the field, doing a bit of exercise and getting a tan at the same time, awesome! I'l get to ride one some time too. But I really like it there its 'tranquilo' as they say.

I decided to go to El Salvador to visit my friend Oscar who now lives there, well and so I can get to see another country in Central America obviously. I had a really great time, El Salvador is like Honduras but they obviously have more money because its really pretty, theres no rubbish, no graffiti, not so many kids selling stuff on the street. The capital San Salvador reminded me of the U.S, its very smart and the malls are amzing. I could actually live there quite happily I reckon, a thought wish has never crossed my mind in Honduras though I wouldn't say this to my family here. Obviously I'm not going to, dont panic! We managed to fit alot in, we went to:
* The volcano
* The beach
* The lake
* Some mayan ruins
* and the malls, restaurants and clubs of San Salvador
Hopefully I can add some photos to this post later on for you to see. Bit annoying that all my photos i'd loaded up onto Carlota's laptop as back ups have gone. Now I just have my memory card which i am protecting with my life! :-O

The robbery, so yes last monday a horrible man broke into the house, in the middle of the day, when there were 3 women in the house! Granted 2 of them are practically bed bound but still. He stole the laptop and alot of Carlota's jewellery -including a ring that I bought her. And although he'd been through alot of my stuff and left it a mess I dont think he took anything. Thankfully he didnt have much time so didnt get to look through my suitcase and find my dollars!!! Apparently he broke in through the window in my room so I feel a bit vunerable at the moment, but Carlota gave me a herbal pill that smelled of cow poo to help me relax that night so I was ok. ;-)

I havn't heard much news from England recently, it was mum's birthday a couple of weeks ago and Dad's is coming up soon so 'Happy Birthday!' hopefully they will ring me soon to check I am ok. My boyfriend played guitar in a Halloween gig last night for charity which I hear went so well that they ended up in just their boxer shorts!

And on that note, i'd better go and get ready for the day...