Last day in Guatemala

Today we left Quetzantenango (Xela) to visit Antigua by a private bus. The public buses are referred to as 'chicken buses' because people take everything, including chickens, on the bus. They are really colourful and are given names and are often adorned with the driver's personal touch.

We and arrived at Antigua at about 2pm and most of the group wanted to settle into their hotel. Val I had to return to Guatemala City at 8pm and so we set off to see some of the town. We visited the most amazing market and we spent ages and most of our money there.

I was keen (as usual) to see the church and there was a wedding taking place. A decorated horse and cart was waiting outside to take the bride and groom from the church. Val and I sat at the back of church for a while. In Guatemala the churches are really well used and on Saturdays there is a huge queue outside the confession box. The country may be poor but most churches have flat screen TVs around church and the churches are full on Sunday mornings.

Val and I made our way back to the group's hotel for 8pm where we were due to be collected for our journey and the whole group were waiting for us. They presented us with medals. They tried to tell us that the plastic was really silver! It was lovely and everyone said really nice things to us before all standing in the street to wave us off. I feel very blessed to have shared the past three weeks with such wonderful people.

I'm now in the hotel in Guatemala City and have a whole room to myself after sharing for the past three weeks - luxury. However, I am being collected and taken to the airport at 4am and really looking forward to going home.

Final goodbye to the children

Our final day was spent saying goodbye to the children at all three schools. It was really emotional and lots of tears were shed. The children put on performances for us at two of the schools and treated us to traditional dances and invited us to join them. We were made to feel like royalty and had seats of honour at the front. Hundreds of photographs were taken and many speeches were made. It's been quite a day and I now feel a bit deflated.

We performed Snow White again and the children really enjoyed it. The Mums brought us food at all three schools and we didn't like to refuse. Hot chocolate, Guatemalan style at four in the afternoon - my sort of snack!

Most of the group are spending all next week travelling around Guatemala but I didn't have any annual leave left so tomorrow I will be travelling to Antigua with them and spending the day there. Then Val and myself will be returning to Guatemala City. I will be staying overnight and then setting off for home very early the next day (Sunday) and returning to the UK on Monday. It's a long, tiring journey and I'm not looking forward to it. I am looking forward to going home though and have missed everyone so much.

What a day!

Today has been busy and exhausting. We were off bright and early to take a lesson at Manuel C. Figueroa school and the numbers had gone up again. We had a good lesson and I gave them all a piece of fruit. We finished early so that we could grab a bite to eat and then set off to Holanda school. The school has very little land and so we used the grounds of the local church to perform our play about Snow White. I played Snow White's mother and I had FIVE lines, all in Spanish. It went really well. The children know us really well now and they call out our names all of the time. They are really affectionate, even the boys and I am really fond of them all - even the naughty ones.

After the play we played games with them and the flip-flop game once again went down a treat. When the games ended there was an earth tremour. I wouldn't call it an earthquake but I felt the ground move. Really exciting for those of us not used to such things. Our driver, Ivan, said it's natural for Guatemala and that he doesn't notice them.

When the games were over we went straight to the 'circus on ice'. Over 300 children from all three schools arrived and we put them into groups and gave them a hat so that we could recognise them easily. Things went really well considering that practically everyone of them needed the toilet at some time. The show was really good and the children really enjoyed themselves.

After the show we were taken to the nicest restaurant in Xela and we had a really nice meal. I'm hoping that tomorrow isn't as hectice but we've been told that breakfast is at 6.30am.

Wednesday

This morning at breakfast one of the group, Magaly, treated us to a traditional chocolate drink. It is made with cereal and is served with bread and cheese, both of which are dipped into the chocolate. It was interesting!

We stayed at the hotel this morning to work on costumes for a play we will be performing and we have been busy making crowns for the children to where for the circus on ice. This is so we can identify their groups. Only ten of us have groups and I have been made the official photographer/videographer. I was pleased with that as the alternative was taking children to the toilet!

We only have two days left to work with the children and tomorrow will be our busiest day yet. It's another early start to get to Manuel C. Figueroa school where we will be doing a normal lesson, a quick lunch and then it is over to Holanda school where we will be doing our first performance of Snow White.

Most days we pass communal washing areas where the women wash their clothes and each time I try to take a photograph it never turns out. So today I asked Ivan, our driver, if he would stop and let me get my photograph, see above. When we teach at the home of one of the Holanda children I noticed that no pegs were used to hang the washing up. Instead the washing line is doubled and twisted and the clothes are poked through the holes. In the countryside the washing can often be seen draped over stones on the ground.

Fruitas

Four of our group, Erika, Angel, Magaly and Margarita went for a midnight hike up to the top of a local volcanoe with the intention of capturing the sunrise from the top. They took some fantastic photographs and the colours were spectacular. They were very tired when the returned at about 12:00 and they had to teach classes in the afternoon.

This morning we had time to plan lessons for the next three classes. I decided to buy some fruit for the children and set off to find some. I walked up to the modern part of town and saw a lady selling fruit and so I bought a good selection from her. Her eyes opened wide when I said the I wanted ten of each. I think I might have been her best sale of the day. I got lost on the way back (not a surprise to those who know me well) and had no idea which direction I was supposed to go and it took me ages to find a street I recognised. The walk was very interesting and the people are so friendly. I stopped a woman and asked directions and I thought she was going to hug me. She smiled a lot and gave my arm a rub. I probably said something inappropriate in Spanish to her!

In the English class I used the fruit to get them to point out letters, then we did some counting with them and finally I got them, one by one, to say their name, how old they were and which was their favourite fruit. I then gave them the piece of fruit which they devoured straight away.

Tomorrow morning we are planning a play that we will be performing for the schools later on in the week. I'm playing the Queen and have made a crown. In the afternoon we will repeat this afternoon's lesson at one of the other schools.

Time is going quickly and we only have a few days left.

A mixed day

This morning we set out on a drive to a picnic spot way above the city of Xela. It is a beautiful place and was the venue for our meeting with the teachers from Chiucavioc (not the parents that I mentioned yesterday). It was like a team building event and they were treating us to lunch there. It started ok and we each had to say our name and what our favourite fruit was. Then we had to go into further details and I didn't fully understand. As each person said their bit, everyone laughed and I knew that my limited Spanish wasn't up to it. I felt really isolated and out of my comfort zone, so before they got round to me I just left them to it. I felt a bit upset and annoyed with myself so I went for a walk. I came across a huge cross which overlooked the city of Xela.

The view was magnificent so I sat at the foot of the cross and soaked up the wonderful views and felt totally at peace. Butterflies were fluttering around and I managed to capture some of them, see photos. The quiet time away was just what I needed and it wasn't long before I rejoined the group.

Some of the group went down some huge slides but I preferred to take on the role of photographer. The teachers then cooked us dinner on the bbq, which was really nice.

This afternoon we were back in the classroom with the children. We sang 'Old Macdonald had a farm' which they seemed to like. The children are really special and love to get involved. They are really building in confidence as they get to know us.

When we got back to the hotel we were ushered across the centre of town where we boarded a special bus for a guided tour of the City of Xela. It was really good. To round off the evening five of us had a very pleasant meal.

Lake Atitlan

We had the earliest start this morning and my alarm went off at 4.45. We were on our way for 5.30am. The lake is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains and is really beautiful. We had a boat ride which took us to four villages around the lake.

There was a market in three out of the four villages and we were pestered by people wanting us to buy from them. As usual there were lots of children working in the markets. I find it very difficult to buy from them. Do I refuse to buy because I don't believe in child labour or do I buy from them in preference to the adults so that I'm supporting them? It's a dilemma.

The children who live by the lake seem quite well educated and can speak some English. Tourists bring money into the area and the children are expected to sell goods to supplement the family income after they finish school for the day.

The goods here are all very colourful and Guatemala is renown for its weaving. Every where we go we are offered colourful scarves.

It was a long day but very enjoyable. Tomorrow we have been invited to eat with the parents from one of the schools.

Trip to typical Mayan villages

Early this morning we set off to see some of the countryside and some typical Mayan villages. Our first stop was the market. This is a regular market and not on the tourist trail. It was so busy and noisy and the smell was lovely. The farmers (this includes wives and children) bring their vegetables and flowers to sell. The women carry everything on their heads and the men tend to carry things on their backs. Everything looked so fresh and there were lots of vegetables that I'd never seen before. The video doesn't do it justice.

From there we went to a glass blowing factory. It was really interesting and I even had a go. There was a shop but nothing took my fancy because it was a bit basic. We were looking forward to visiting a spa in the mountain and had planned to have a massage. When we got there they couldn't fit us all in so we had to make do with a lunch instead. It seemed to take forever before we set off again.

We visited the oldest church in Central America and the gates were locked. A woman came and let us in even though we weren't expected. I really liked the feel of the church and there was an original wall painting behind the altar.

I find it quite tiring being here. It must be the altitude because I work a lot harder at home than I have done over here. It's another early morning tomorrow and we are visiting Lake Atitlan which is the deepest lake in Central America and is surrounded by three volcanoes.

Another sports day

We travel everywhere in a blue mini bus which has been arranged for us. This type of bus can be seen all over and is used as public transport and can be flagged down like a taxi. I have seen people hanging out of them with the door open. Every so often someone tries to get into our bus.

Today was a repeat of last Friday's sports day except this time the theme was team work. I was on the obstacle race with Margarita but the children didn't really understand the game and it was a bit of a shambles; ironic really. The main thing was that the children enjoyed it. This afternoons games worked out better than this mornings but we adapted it a bit.

The children all want their photograph taking and crowd around to see the result. When the sun shone it was lovely and warm but when that clouds comes along it is really cold.

I must admit that I'm looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow we are going to visit some indigenous villages and if we have time we'll visit a hot spring.

Day 11

This morning we were at manuel C. Figueroa school. The numbers had dropped a bit this morning and punctuality seems to be non-existent here. The children just turn up throughout the lesson. If a child needs the toilet, you can guarantee that a couple of others will manage to leave the room at the same time. Discipline is not good and I am a bit concerned that each volunteer will be able to take responsibility for 30 children each when it comes to visiting the circus.

After lunch we will be at Holanda school. That is the one where there are too few classrooms to accommodate us so we use local houses, see photograph. The children there are the best behaved of the three schools that we visit and I'm looking forward to going there.

The children are really affectionate, especially the girls and they want lots of hugs and always give a kiss on the cheek when we leave. Some of the older boys don't like joining in and need encouragement. I've noticed that the children in all three schools are getting used to us and are not as shy.

We have been going to a local restaurant for lunch and it is really cheap. We are given soup (yesterday's was bright green) which is 'mostly' tasty. Then we have a choice of main course and I normally go for the chicken because I know what it is! I will be clucking by the time I get home. The bottles of pop, like coca cola, are all much larger here than back home and a lot cheaper. The straws are the same size and often don't reach the bottom of the bottle.

The hotel puts on a really good breakfast and I'm please to say that cereal is on the menu and the coffee is good. Some of the food we eat is a bit 'dubious' and some of the group have had a few problems; I'm pleased to say that I have been fine.

Holanda children

The children in all three schools loved singing along to a song about a snake that Magaly introduced them to. The tune is really catchy and it stays in my head for ages afterwards.

I went to the bank today to change some of my US dollars into Quetzales, the local currency. At the entrance to most 'good' businesses is a guard with a gun. Smaller shops tend to have bars across the counter although some shops are just like the UK. The bank has a guard who opens the door for everyone. Inside the bank I decided to make a phone call and was instantly told by another man with a gun to put my phone away. I didn't argue!

I bought some local biscuits/bread from Xelapan, an amazing shop. You are given a basket and go around the shop putting a selection in the basket. I bought enough for the entire group for a mere £1.50. They are delicious.

We are on our way to Chiucavioc, the rural (and most deprived) school and part of the road to get there is an adventure all on its own. There is a huge stretch of it under water and it is full of pot holes (see photograph). Two of us in the group are English and we plan to teach them the English football song 'footballs coming home' - should be interesting. We will be performing it with them next Wednesday and no doubt it will be filmed. The number of children we teach keeps on increasing. I'm not sure why. Could be poor organisation or word of mouth.

Yesterday when we were going back to the hotel we spotted a tent being set up and a circus 'on ice' has come to town. We asked whether the budget would stretch to take all the children from all three schools to it and we heard today that they can go. We will be responsible for 300 children. Quite a daunting thought.

Tonight at our discussion the lights went out. The whole town had a power cut and the owners of the hotel came dashing past and closed (and locked) the big metal doors at the entrance. We carried on our feedback session by candle light.

Visitante distinguida

This morning we were at Manuel C. Figueroa school. It isn't far from the centre and the living conditions are better for the children. The children are cleaner, better dressed and they are better developed both physically and mentally. Some of them wear a semblance of school uniform. They are also much more confident which is reflected in their behaviour.

The conditions in this school are far superior to 'Maria Luisa Beltranena' (Chiucavioc). Here the floors are tiled in the classrooms and the rooms are clean. Still very little equipment. For example there is no filing cabinet or any cupboards. Even so, the conditions are nothing like in the UK. I noticed that most of the children have a Pronino pencil case which contains pens and pencils. Such a contrast to Chiucavioc where pencils are in great demand. Someone mentioned that they have been given equipment but they are never seen again!

We finished the morning lessons a bit early so that we could meet the local council. We didn't know what to expect. We felt a bit like celebrities and photographers were there and the local TV. We were publically thanked for our help and were called out one by one by name and given a certificate which declares that we are officially 'distinguished visitors'. We even had a slot on the evening news.

This afternoon we went to 'Republica de Holanda school. This is another rural school and because it is small we have to use a local house for the lessons. These children seem well cared for and are reasonably dressed. I noticed a lot of Pronino branded clothing being worn. The group were small in number and easier to control than the morning session. The children at this school seem more respectful and are keen to learn and join in.

We normally have to be on our way for 7.30am in the morning and don't get back until about 6pm. We then have a discussion about how things went. Tonight our discussion didn't finish until about 8.30pm and then we have to start thinking about somewhere to eat. The days are long and I'm finding it tiring.

Catalan feast

This morning we spent some time preparing lessons which will be used at each of the three schools. We have been going to a small restaurant for lunch which costs us the equivelant of £2. For that we get a traditional soup which is delicious and a main course. This is normally chicken and rice or something similar.

Our class size increased today! The children responded really well to the class. We taught them 'head and shoulders, knees and toes' and 'if you're happy and you know it'. They seemed to enjoy the actions. We also split into small groups and we played 'snakes and ladders'. The children had to count in English and they did really well.

Tonight Antoni, one of the volunteers from Spain, prepared a typical Catalan meal for us. He really spoilt us and gave us each a gift.we had a really good time.

The group get on really well although I stuggle to keep up with what is being said as my Spanish isn't that good.

Tomorrow we are working at two schools and have a visit to meet the town councillors.

Sunday

Today we had another day off and planned a trip to a small town called Chichicastenango which is renown for it's market. It took us about two and a half hours to get there in our little bus. On the way we were pulled over for a fruit check. It seems that checks are made to stop contamination in certain areas. I took a snapshot of the sign on the wall which you will find in the Flickr file.

The market was amazing and full of traditional Guatemalan goods; so colourful. It was very busy and there were lots of international people there. Unfortunately there were so many children selling goods. Ironic really that we are in the country because we want to eradicate child labour and there we were surrounded by children who were working. We were warned to keep our bags close which made me feel a bit paranoid and our backpacks were worn to the front! The tourists were constantly followed and pestered to buy goods. It is so sad because they are all so desperate to sell - survival out here is hard.

Tomorrow the break is over and we have the morning to plan lessons and then it is off to school in the afternoon. We have been told that we have been invited to meet the town councillors on Tuesday which is a great honour and we are looking forward to it.

A day off

The alarm went off at 5am this morning so that we could get an early start. We decided to visit Chicabal Volcano and we had to be away early because the volcano spends much of its time under the clouds. In the centre of the crater is a lake and the site is sacred to the Mayan people. The bus could only take us so far and we had to walk the rest of the way. It was approx. 5.5km and all up hill! I really struggled because the air is so thin but I made it to the top. It was a bit disappointing because it was completely in the clouds and we couldn't see a view from the top.

The walk down was much easier but halfway is the ranger station and we negotiated a ride down in the back of a Toyota truck for some of us. It was great fun and very bumpy. We had a bit of a wait at the bottom and there was a shop with a house attached and two girls, Catalina and Maria (see photo), were weaving inside. It was very interesting and the work was beautiful. The girls were sisters aged 21 and 15 and they were working without a light. They lived and worked in the one room and the bed was in the corner. Maria was very shy and agreed to have her photograph taken. She hadn't been photographed before and was interested in seeing the photograph on my digital camera and smiled coyly.

The morning has been quite an adventure regardless of not seeing the lake from the top. I'm back at the hotel and hoping to go out for some lunch soon. I'm keen to track down the Cathedral and could do with some quiet time alone.

Sports day

Today was sports day at two of the schools. The morning school was at 'Manuel C Figuero and the sun was shining and it was really warm. In the afternoon we went up to 'Maria Luisa Beltranena' and it was much colder. By the time we left three hours later the cloud had come down and we left in thick fog. The road to this school gets worse the nearer to the school and we have to drive on a mud track and parts of it are completely under water. It's a bit bumpy to say the least.

We put together six games and the children were split into groups and had a turn at all of the games. It was great fun. I was in charge of the 'flip flop' game, which was introduced to me at the 'Space' group back home at Leeds. The children in Guatemala loved it just as much as the children back home - it was a great success. Erika was in charge of a balloon game, Klara played a team ball game where they had to pass the ball through legs, Nancy looked after the sack race, Sonya took charge of a tug of war and last, but not least, Antoni played musical chairs. We went through the same games at both schools. It was exhausting but a good day.

We took lots of photographs and now that everyone has digital cameras the children love to see themselves. Another thing we did was to do some face painting and the children were keen and queued up for a flag or a flower painting on their faces.

We have been given the weekend off and we are planning where to go. So watch this space!

Wednesday

Yesterday (Wednesday) was our first visit to 'Maria Luisa Beltranena' school, one of three schools where we will be working. The school is very basic and the teachers do the best with what they've got. We have been split up into groups of four and focus on different topics. My group consists of myself, Erika, Magali and Enrique and our topics are Spanish, English and maths. Our work is extra-curricular and children are selected to attend different classes. Other groups cover values and technical.

The classroom where we were working was very basic and extremely dirty. It had rained and there was a huge puddle on the floor. The desks and chairs were very old and mostly broken. The children were lovely. They have a very poor diet and are often hungry. We are working with children between the ages of 9 and 11 although there is a 15 year old girl there. She brought along her three year old niece who she cares for. Most of the children were very shy. We were teaching them some numbers in English and had made a basic bingo card which they seemed to enjoy. They liked colouring in and we have brought along lots of equipment that we will leave behind when we go. One girl was desperately trying to get us to give her some pencils. It is heartbreaking to say no when we consider that a packet of pencils cost us about £1 back home. We can't be seen to give gifts to individuals and we haven't got enough to give to all of the children in each of the schools.

Everything here is a luxury to them. Nothing is wasted and it makes me feel really guilty when I think of how much I throw away in my bin each week or how I take for granted the equipment I have to work with when delivering a training course.

Hello from Xela

Today is Tuesday and am only just recovering from the 24 hours travelling. We were greeted at the airport by a man in uniform and wearing a holstered gun. He took us to the hotel which had locked gates at the front and we had to be let through. The next day we set off through the town and I noticed that most shops and businesses in Guatemala City had armed guards at the entrances. So did the buses. This concerned me a bit but I Xela is nothing like it.

To reach Xela (pronounced Shella) we had to use the mountain road that was recently reopened after mud slides due to heavy rains. The journey took us over 6 hours. We had to keep moving to opposite sides of the road to avoid mountains of mud or bits of missing road.

The hotel we are in is very basic and am sharing the room with 2 girls. I imagine that ours is 5 star compared to the homes that the families live in who we will be working with.

I'm writing this as I wait to go for lunch. We have visited two schools so far this morning and am building in confidence as I am now regularly introducing myself in Spanish. My group are now clapping me as my introductions are getting longer.

After lunch we will be visiting another school. We have had been made very welcome and at the first school the children lined up and sang and clapped us as we approached. It was very moving and was made to feel like royalty. I felt very humbled.

I haven't managed to get Wifi access in the hotel yet and as soon as I do I will upload some photos.

The weather is warm when the clouds get higher. The altitude is 12000ft (I think) and Xela is nestled in a valley and surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. One minute it is bright and the next it is foggy as the cloud drops.

I changed some money (not that much) into the local currency and have a wad of notes. I feel quite rich.

Julie Clarkson
07764 976479

The journey begins

Many of the volunteers got together over the weekend in Madrid for what was called the 'Integration Weekend'. Apart from my lack of understanding the Spanish language, we had a fabulous time and made many new friends. I met most of the volunteers from the other countries who will be part of our small team and I hope to introduce you to them over the coming weeks as I build up a picture of the trip. If you want to find out more about the foundation, just click on http://www.fundacion.telefonica.com/en/pronino/

So the journey has begun. I have two things to focus on before I leave and that is to lose weight(!) and master the Spanish language. The first will help me run around with energetic children and the second will help me communicate with them. At the moment I am struggling with both - so watch this space!