Well my time in Antigua is coming to a close. I have been here just over 4 weeks and it has been great. Although my Spanish is still pretty average, it is good to be able to start a conversation in Spanish and not have to asking "can you speak English" before starting any conversation. Although I did just ask some guy ..."Have you want to talk to someone"....he probably wondered what the hell I was on about.

A few of the highlights....and low lights of my time in Antigua...

1. Riding the crazy "pimped up" Chicken buses. They are so bright and colourful with flashing lights and usually blaring music and the driver constantly with his hand on the hooter. Usually some characters standing at the front of the bus selling something or the other (eg capsules that seem to provide a cure for everything), preaching or telling some sob story on why they need money. The worst is when you seen these really poor people on the bus giving these con artists money!
2. Seeing little kids in the streets shouting at you "Gringo"
3. Ladies night at the various bars where you pay about .60c for the most revolting so called cocktails. I learnt my lesson on that one and would now rather pay the usual $5 for a normal cocktail.
4. Had the best night watching a Cuban Salsa band...including one of the guys from Buena Vista Social Club. And watching all the local Salsa teachers show off their moves. The funniest night...I dont know where these people come from, but they are highly amusing and strange. They are exceptionally passionate about their dancing and love having everyone watch them. So sleazy but great dancers. All of them are tiny and sweaty and the women about a foot taller than them.
5. Going to the doctor who could speak about 2 words in English combined with my 2 words of Spanish ....but we got there in the end. Although when I collected my prescription at the pharmacy, they gave the prescription back to me when I left.....?!?!
6. Watching a local band play at one of our favourite restaurants and the guys from the kitchen coming out to salsa with some of the ladies dining in the restaurant (see video clip)
7. Wandering through the crazy market...it is like a rabbit warren....but well planned with fruit & vege section, bakery section, meat section (yuck...no kind of refrigeration) ...and basically every conceivable thing you could want. The CD stands all sell burnt CD's with photocopied covers. All the women sitting around selling their produce with their babies in crates or running wild
8. Revolting food at the school....one breakfast included a bowl of 2 minute noodles, filled to the brim with water, 2 poached eggs and sausages.....all in the one bowl. The coffee was disgusting and luke warm and sometimes cold showers
9. Sitting in the Central park, watching the world go by and listening to the sounds of Antigua...usually a lot of tooting of horns, often some band planning and a mixture of traditional mayan families and your more modern Guatemalans.
   It has been a great experience and I could easily stay here longer, but it is time to move on....off to Tikal tomorrow to see the ruins and then to Rio Dulce to do some volunteer work...check out http://www.casa-guatemala.org/