End of first week going solo So survived my first week og going solo and any fears I had disappeared after the first day. It wasn't a problem with the teaching it was just the Spanish but got through it all by the skin of my teet. Luckily the kids understood what I wanted them to do and it all went smoothly!! On Thursday we had a special part of the day when grandparents of the kids came for the food parcels, basically in a family situation over here, grandparen...

Lake Atitlan Adventure Weekend Okay so we're in to the second weekend here and it's the set trip that GVI do. Really looking forward to this, kayaking and cycling. Got up early again on Saturday and plodded down to the main shop to load up on the bus and meet our two guides. Rucksacks, bikes etc on the bus we set off for a two hour drive stopping at a little restaurant place, could be the Guatemalan alternative to the motorway service station. We stop at the top...

First week at Itzapa This week saw my first full week up at Itzapa with the kids. Again it was all about finding my feet, getting to know the school, how it works and of course the kids. It was quite daunting considering my Spanish is absolutely terrible and doesn't seem to be getting any better but by the end of the week I was able to give basic introductions and managed to plan a lesson in Spanish. God knows how I will do next week on my own. I have to thank t...

Volcan de Pacaya Okay here's the second entry. So yesterday we climbed Volcan de Pacaya, a bohemoth of a Volcano at over 2500m. That has to be the highest natural geographical formation that I have ever climbed. For some reason climbing anything back home in the Lakes now seems a lot less daunting. It was absolutely spectacular and hard work. The first two thirds were just a constant climb up and up but with some pretty spectacular views to be seen. At the end o...

Week One Okay been in Guatemala for a week and it's all about settling in and getting used to the place. This week has been mainly about discovering Antigua, meeting all the other volunteers and having intense one on on spanish lessons. Met some really nice people so far. Joelle who is in the same house with me and Ella who arrived at the same time as me. All the other volunteers are really nice too. The whole town is really beautiful, all buildings are no high...