Granada, Nicuragua 27/28th April

Wow, it's really great here. It's so beautiful. Huge colonial buildings with high ceilings, lots of carved wooden work and fresh colours. All looks so elegant and proud. We have arrived smack bang in the middle of a cultural festival. The main plaza has food and drink stalls, and stalls selling arts and crafts of the different reagions. A large stage has been erected and for at least 5 hours yesterday there was a continuous stream of performances. I now know the National dances for each region of Nicuragua! The dancers were excellent (don'k know how they managed in this heat....that's why I'm here, having a drink and trying to escape the heat for half an hour). So many colourful costumes and lots of stroytelling dances and masks. Really great. Had a few beers as we watched the show...people were really getting into it, as the crowd (the whole of Nic by the looks of it) are totally up for a party. We left the square about 11.30 (we're usually in bed by 9.30) / the show had finished, but next there was a street disco with live music. This morning we were awoken by a Drumming Garifunas group from Bluefilds on the Carribean coast, that are staying at the hotel. 7am they were practicing the wild, fantastic, complexted rhythems and the girls danced. Amazing! Well that's it for now, as I've cooled off (a bit) and I'm just itching to get back out there and enjoy this wonderful place and all the many activities lined up for today. Happy fiesta!

Leon, Nicuragua 25-26th April

6.45 bus to Leon. Despite having a bad stomache ache I enjoyed the journey tremendously. The landscape was completely unexpected. It isn´t lush and tropical like you´d imagine this Cenral American country to be, but much gentler and much more elegant. The land was rich red/brown, green/brown and yellow/brown, with strong textures and contrast and threw long black shadows. There were miles and miles of long, wide, flat valleys that at the distant edge were framed with volcanoes and mountains. It looked so serene, and colours and vegitation looked more like I was in Africa. So beautiful. Well, relax. Leon is fine. It´s peaceful and friendly. It reminds me a bit of Antigua in Guat, but with rougher edges. Has a few great churches and the cathedral is large, cool, open, with stunning alters and painted murials. Murials are a big part of the town, with them on alot of the streets...either formal commissioned ones, or inpromtu graffettied ones. All of which portray the same scenes (in numerous forms) of struggle and of hope for the future. Nice squares, and lots of busts around ( concrete, not flesh types). Been having to do quite alot of planning...only a banl here....so how long will we be in the country, what money will we need, where next etc, etc. The heat is quite something, I never knew that ALL of your body can sweat. Yep, even shins....bizare isn´t it, but I actually sat and watched sweat run down my shins. (now isn´t that a beautiful mental picture for you?) Today (Thurs) I took the plunge, and armed with scissors in hand, systematically hacked away at my hair. It´s needed a trim for a while. I took of just over an inch. Rather tricky. However, I´m quite pleased with the results,,,looks even. But that´s today, who knows what horrors await me im the mirror tomorrow once it´s settled down!

Esteli, NICURAGUA 24th April

6am to 6pm on various buses. Quite a difficult journey on the hard dusty roads in the infamous chicken buses. - but, not as bad as some journeys. Crossed into Nicuragua ...strange, keep forgetting which country I´m in....keep thinking it´s Panama! At border were a couple of locos, one of which caught a bug and put it right up to us for us to have a look (and to try and nerve us). It was the size of his finger with hard ´plastic´ wings, dark green in colour, with big boggly eyes on the side of it´s head. It made a tremendeous racket. It was the fatal disease carrying Chiclura! All a bit weird actually. Another loco came upto us thinking we were from the States, saying ¨Free Nicuragua¨ - the same bloke was then shouting out of the bus window to the orange-clad traffic patrol people (all new roads and bridges being constructed), calling them carrots!! ? Arrived rather dishevelled in Esteli 12 hours later. Eseteli... mmm again like Tela or Corozel...bad feeling. We talked to a cafe owner at the station as we had a coke, and he told us that it is dangerous and that there are 10 gangster sects fighting in Esteli. Just confirmed our instincts, so we taxied to a hotel that had a restaurant and stayed in and made the most of it. As we drove thriugh the the streets I could see some of the buildings still had gun shot holes from when there had been all the troubles, and at the hotel a party was going on for UN or Swiss organisation that had been rebuilding the schools for the past 13 years. I suppose that you can´t expect a place that has had so much conflict to be warm and welcoming....just hope that not all of Nicuragua is likr this!

San Pedro Sula Honduras 23rd April

Bad morning as bad dreams were had last night, so spent the day with a bad head. 11.30 boat was a real rough crossing....didn´t quite see Hughie, but almost. Then taxi, then chicken bus. Ate, checked the bus for tommorrow and bed early. Oh the joys of travelling....exciting isn´t it?

Utila, Bay Islands Honduras 17th -23rd April

Now this is more like it. Yup, definately. Reminds me a bit of Caye Caulker in Belize, but not as polished. You can really tell that the island is made up of pirate ancestors. The people are a bizare mix. Some Spanish, some black, but most quite pale, blondish hair, with very deep set eyes and look like they havent quite reached Homosapian in their cycle of evalution yet. Looks like there is alot of in-breeding going on! It is so difficult to understand what they as not only talk Patowa, but their own strain, and with extremely loose jaws. (paints a pretty picture doesn´t it?) Staying in a great hotel with fantastic views right next to the beach, which is typical white sand and palm trees. Water is fantastically clear and we did some great snorkelling and saw squid as nature intended (instead of on my plate). I spent most of my time on Utila snoozing on the beach or snoozing in a hammock. This place is the Mosquito coast and the critters are supposed to be merciless, but there were none to be seen. We did get a couple of bites fron Sandflies, but nothing to write home about. We biked around the island - which was hard work in this heat. We also went to the cinema to see ´´Clockwork Orange´´ - which was actually a load of people sitting around someones front room watching a video on a slightly larger than normal TV. Mostly we just relaxed, ate wonderful fresh Kingfish, sat at a bar that was straight out of the Bacardi Breezer advert and finished each evening by sitting on our balcony drinking rum and cokes and of course chatting, chatting, chatting. Been good to kick back for a while and chiil out, and as we sit for our last meal on the island, Simon´s already sun-snogged face is getting one last goodnight kiss from the sun as it set behind me.

Tela, Honduras 16th April

This place was supposed to be ´´Wow´´, best beach on the Carribean....how?? When we arrived a loco local was trying to get Simon to sell him his hat. Simon told him that it wasn¨t for sale and after much toing and froing the honduran left in a huff calling Simon ´´a Mexican s**t!´´. Thought it would be a bit glamourous, but actually a bit run down, not nice to look at and not a safe feel. The hotelier told us not to take anything at all with us to the beach, even to remove our wedding rings, as we would be robbed! Mmmm! The beach was nothing special at all, and when we returned to our room there were dozens of finger-length cockroaches and to top it off, a very large moth! Get me out of here!

Tela, Honduras 16th April

This place was supposed to be ´´Wow´´, best beach on the Carribean....how?? When we arrived a loco local was trying to get Simon to sell him his hat. Simon told him that it wasn¨t for sale and after much toing and froing the honduran left in a huff calling Simon ´´a Mexican s**t!´´. Thought it would be a bit glamourous, but actually a bit run down, not nice to look at and not a safe feel. The hotelier told us not to take anything at all with us to the beach, even to remove our wedding rings, as we would be robbed! Mmmm! The beach was nothing special at all, and when we returned to our room there were dozens of finger-length cockroaches and to top it off, a very large moth! Get me out of here!

Copan, Honduras 15th April

Told you I´d be back soon!
Copan was really nice. Small, clean, colonial with square/plaza and a Mexican feel to it. Men on horses galloping up and down the cobbled streets. Went to the ruins, only a 10 min walk from town. Saw a dead rat about2 foot long with sharp pointy teeth. Inside the ruins we were greeted by a load of Macaws, who were curious and very cute. The ruins didnt have as impressive arcitecture, but it had amazing, well preserved stelae. Intricate, complexed and very effective. I believed that the ancient rulers were indeed mighty. Saw green parrots and a deer. Amazing sounds fill the air (birds or insects?) that sound like a 70´s sci-fi sound effect from Blake 7 or Dr Who. Seen some very large butterflies, and Simon comforted me with the knowledge that Honduras is the home to the largest moth in the world, spanning 10 inches!!! I´m not going to say a word! Ended a lovely relaxed day with a meal and a beer under a canopy of lush vegitation, by candlelight ; looking first at the rich pink sunset, and then with equal appreciation of beauty at my husband.

Copan, HOUNDURAS 15th April

&.30 bus to the border. Straight away different, hot, humid, tropical Honduras. Got in a pick-up with some surfer guys and some locals and were driven into town. Great views and exhillorating ride with the wind in my hair....
Same old story, shop wants to close up now. Talk about out-staying your welcome!! WILL UPDATE SOON:

Copan, HOUNDURAS 15th April

&.30 bus to the border. Straight away different, hot, humid, tropical Honduras. Got in a pick-up with some surfer guys and some locals and were driven into town. Great views and exhillorating ride with the wind in my hair....
Same old story, shop wants to close up now. Talk about out-staying your welcome!! WILL UPDATE SOON:

Copan, HOUNDURAS 15th April

&.30 bus to the border. Straight away different, hot, humid, tropical Honduras. Got in a pick-up with some surfer guys and some locals and were driven into town. Great views and exhillorating ride with the wind in my hair....
Same old story, shop wants to close up now. Talk about out-staying your welcome!! WILL UPDATE SOON:

Chiquimula, Guatamala 14th April

4 bus rides, a stop off in Antigua to buy Spanish books to continue our studies and now Chiquimula. Back to the hot weather again now that we are down from the mountains, so a dip in the pool was just what we needed after the long journey.Relaxed and had a nice pasta...and also the thrill of going round a real supermarket. OOohh it was lovely, all bright and clean, with different things that you could buy. We wandered around like 2 kids in a toy shop.

Chichi .. cont...last one!

It was a glorious day of hot and powerful sun breaking down from the heavens...fitting for such a holy occasion. By 7 pm we were sitting eating a sandwich and taking a much needed rest. (so much to take in) All of a sudden there was something happening down the street. I went to investigate. It was the crawling man. He´d done a circuit of the town and now he was on the home stretch heading for the church. That is 2 hours of crawling on the cobbles! Once he´d crawled into the church there was a small service and then he was lead out (walking) and lead off home - but he still had his face covered, so remained anonymous. On closer inspection I NOTICED that he was far from being a young man. As the evening enclosed we strolled up and down the long road infront of the smaller church. The whole thing was covered in the sawdust carpet- and people were still at it. Lots of different sections all with their own design, patterns and pictures. The streets were dark with just the odd glow from the few lamps. The procession was still taking place and wouldn´t be back round till 12 -12.30. That means that they would have been carrying those things for 7 hours! We were shattered just watching. We went to bed and slept well!
(Forgot to mension that over the church door there was a strange figure of a man - like a Guy Faulkes- strung up. He had a quirkey painted rough looking face and was smoking a cigerette. On inquiring who he was, I was informed that it was the hated Saint Simon!!)

Chichi still cont.....

4pm parade - everyone and their grandmothers were there! It was packed and got fuller and fuller. I was amazed that in the hundreds of people I only saw a handfull of tourists. It was a sea of sights and sounds, colours and smells. First thing to happen was a comotion of women placing their blankets on the floor. A man dressed only in a Jesus-style white loincloth, with a purple hood and his face covered was crawling out of the church, down the steps on hands and knees. He carried palm leaves on his back and had a rope around his neck that trailed behind him about 20 foot. Men were in charge of keeping the rope as straight as possible on the floor and noone could touch it or get in its way. The women were throwing their blankets down infront of him to cushion his hands and feet. And off he crawled thud through the cobbled streets and out of sight. People poured out of the church all in their best dress, then young men in white robes with black crosses on them, or black robes with purple hoods, and of course the "Rooster" priests. Then the plinths were carried out one by one - about 6 in all. Some were so large and heavy that it took 12 men on each side to carry it. One of the biggest ones were carried by only women. The leader played the penny whistle, then the swinging insence, then the floats, then the marching band and then all the people following the procession -some singing- but all with devoted and proud expressions.

Chichi Samana Santa cont...

Up and at ém for the 8am parade. Hardly anyone around. Infront of the 2 churches were 2 squares of elaborately decorated carpets of coloured sawdust and flower petals, which the procession would later walk through and destroy.Watched the parade - which I will explain the afternoon parade- then went back to the hotel and on the roof to talk, talk, talk. Enjoyed having so much time together and all the chats we have about life, living, accepting and enjoying each moment. We have both changed the way we approach things and the way we live our daily lives. I suppose it was inevitable that things would settle to where they are now - but I´m glad none the less.

Chichicastenango Santa Samana 11-13th April

Was a rteal farce trying to get a bus back to Chichi, with everyone telling a different story of what was happening, finally 4 hours later we jumped onto the back of a bus that didn´t want to stop and at last on our way back to good old Chichi.
This was certainly the best place to be for Semana Santa, and what could have been a nightmare, was sheer joy. We looked inside the churches as all the pews had been taken out and only the giant float/plinths remained, each telling a scene from the bible.They looked so heavy, I knew the people carrying them would have a difficult job - but it would also be an honour. The churches are now decorated with ribbons and palm leaves and the market has been cleared and there is a buzz in the air. Come Thurs evening people are still erecting palm arches for the proccession to pass through and people just aren´t going home. People are set at the bottom of the church steps, with little tables set up eating and chatting about tomorrow. There is only a faint amount of light being cast onto the scene, and smoke rises up from the pots of food. - I´ve come to hate the smell of their version of KFC though...fried chicken feet.

Nebaj 10th April

Yes, so Nebaj wasn´t that great. Women there wore maroon skirts and green embroidered tops and the most extreme headresses of long embroidered strips of cloth around their heads with 6 large coloured pompoms on the end. Luckily there was a bit of atmosphere as the fair was in town for S. Santa ..fair means 3 sizes of big wheel, balanced on wooden blocks and made out of Macanoe, the smallest of which was 2.5 men high and was turned by hand! - the others went round at such an alarming rate it was scarey.
Had a lovely treck through the countryside to a 75ft waterfall. Was a killing hike for a couple of hours in the extreme heat, but a nice afternoon, rolling green feilds and passing goatherds.I was having my Heidi fantasy.

Nebaj 10th April

This was the most incredable journey ever. There is no way you will ever be able to comprehend just how uncomfortable it was. So full, half of a cheek on the seat, one toe balancing me and the other foot somewhere so far from my body that it was nolonger mine anyway. Every inch of space was taken up and as more and more people piled on they became like Babapapa and morphed into whatever shape they needed to be. At one point I was in so much pain, and was almost sufforcating as a very large lady had her boobs in my face and there was no escape. Even space above you doesn't exist...and it is so hot. It really is an endurance test. Nebaj is a disappointment. Thought it would be an isolated little untouched town. True no Gringos, but they didn't exactly make you feel welcome. Not a very relaxed atmosphere. Nowhere to eat...go to one of 2 places and they just bring you food, no menu or anything. And you have to try and not think of germs! (mind you felt quite excited when half of cooked carrot and half of cooked potaoe was placed infront of me, something different!)
....oops, got to go. Sorry, but they want to shut up shop. I'll continue soon"?"

Chichi cont 2....
I'm afraid we couldn't resist all the beautiful things that were surrounding us, so we deciced on some practical things to buy. (we've thrown some of our original things away, so we could justify it) After much searching to find exactly what we wanted, things that were typical of Guat and would always remind us... the barganing would begin. Simon is an expert and played one off against the other (the week at school certainly paid off). He managed to things at such a bargin that the stall holders were practically crying. (When he asked the hotelier how much a hat like the one he'd just bought would normally cost - he quoted the exact price Simon got it for.) He also went off and returned with a suprise for me: a beautifully embroidered traditional top. (he'd spotted a woman selling them to a shop keeper, followed her & told her that he'd been watching so knew the asking price...and what a bargin, unbelieveable.) Quite a few more goods were bought...and Simon even started trying to sell stuff to the vendors, and eventually bargined something right down, and then used something we were just going to throw away as most of the payment. Talk about cheeky!
That's all I'm going to write about Chichi for now...though I could go on & on .. the amount of things I could describe are inexhaustable. It's been a really enjoyale time - one of the best so far.

Chichi cont....
The indian priests - Confrada- are remarkably dressed. They wear black peddlepushers with embroidered side flaps that remind me of a rooster. Bloero tops & very heavily embroidered red headresses tied similar to a bandana,but bigger, thicker and with longer corners with tassles looking rather like a jester. (or 'santa's little helpers' as Simon called them).
In the market it is a feast for all the senses. There is so much colour and pattern, beautiful fabrics and blankets (which they use to carry everything - including children- on their backs) intricate embroidery, hair wraps, pottery, carved wooden masks ...on and on. You are in a whurlwind taking it all in. You can spend hours just sitting and watching the activities, or walking around admiring the handywork. It's fantastic. In the evening we had the best view of town from the roof of our hotel and, sat under an umberella sipping over sweet Guat wine, we would watch a large orange moon rise above us as.

Chichicastenango -Sun 8th April

Great bus ride to Chichi through narrow, winding and steep hills with terraced farming down their sides. The bus was full, a girl chased an escape baby turkey down the aisle and Simon sat next to a man with a tortoise. The bus conductor was mad. He was like super monkey as he climbed in, out and over the bus as it took hair pin bends on the dirt roads at alarming speeds. He wsa so strong carring everyones goods & packages onto the roof. One man had a large thick wooden trunk about 4x3x3 ft filled with goods. It took 3 men to lift it and they couldn't find a place to put it, as it was so bulky. So Super Monkey bent his head forward and balanced it on the back of his neck, then procceeded to climb the ladder on the outside of the bus to the roof - amazing!
What can I say about Chichi? This really is a wonderful place. It's buzzing with life, full of the traditional indians going about their business in the market place, which is spread practically across the whole town, but mainly concentrated between the two large white colonial churches that stand opposite each other. On Sundays the steps of the largest church (which sprawl down to the bustling market) are covered every inch with women selling flowers, petals and candles for offerings in the church. The smell of the flowers mingles with the smell (which is just as sweet) of the fire that is kept burning at the bottom of the steps, and with the fragrance of insence that is continuously swung by various people by the entrance of the church (this also creates a dark haze which adds to the whole atmosphere). Inside the church was huge, with bare white walls, but decorated all the way down with huge swags of purple & lilac chiffon drapped from the sides to the middle. Down the isle were small alters on which there are placed lighted candles and rose petals. The effect is quite breathtaking, along with yet more insence thick in the air, strange sombre and haunting music played and the colourfully dressed indians sang sweet songs to the lord. Watching the service I felt myself become quite emotional.

San Pedro ...cont..again

San Pedro is a beautiful small town. It has two docks. The large one (2 jetties) is by the main road and there are a couple of restraunts by the lakes edge, which make great places to chill out and watch the changing sky and clouds and gasses that cling the volcanoes. The view is so stunning that the occasional pinch is necessary to make sure that you're really there. The people are all indian (Tzu'tuhil) and were only traditional dress (men, women and children alike). There are no tourist shops, and the people carry on with their lives without too much interference from the hardcore, but laidback travellers. Men collect wood and carry it in huge bundles with the weight of it carried by a strap around the forehead. Women weave and sew and go around selling fruit or pan de banan from large baskets carried on their heads. Everything is carried on the head, no matter how large or heavy - I even saw a woman carrying a back pack on her head which I found quite funny. The streets are narrow dirt paths that wind around the small allotment sized farm plots that grow the food the town needs. People gather by the small dock which is by the really quiet end of town and farm reeds and wash hundreds of onions in the lake, which they then bundle up ready for market. The main work is from coffee. Everywhere you go there is an overwhelming smell, very distinctive and very hard to describe. It comes fron the coffee berries, husks and beads that are spread out everywhere to dry and it smells oversweet and a little like raisons that are starting to rot or ferment.You can't quite figure out if its really nice, or a bit repulsive.
The other most distinctive thing about S.P are the dogs. There are packs of them that have become almost wild again. In the day they don't get upto much ( most of them looked recked actually) and that is because once the sun has gone down...the town is theirs. They bark constantly, fight and reek havoc. One night as we were walking home in the dark we were sprung upon by 2 growling barking dogs, that bared their teeth and blocked our way. It was frightening, but managed to get away without being bitten. (other people were not so fortunate!)
It's been a great time here and I'm a little sad to leave it behind, though looking forward to seeing more villages. It's been peaceful, tranquil and with such views it's both grounding and uplifting. As the night draws in there is a really special sight. If you go by the lake, which already takes away you're breath, down by the trees on the waters edge you see fireflies blinking. I once ran after them. It was like having dozens of fairies dancing around my head, like Titania with her enterange - (and I couldn't be completely sure if my feet were on the ground!)

San Pedro ...cont..

When we arrived in S.P we were feeling quite frazzled and desprate for a hot shower. (over here ´hot' means not freezing cold...you're lucky & happy if you get water that's tepid or luke warm, but hot water is the ultimate, much appriciated- but sadly rare-luxery. So it was the top of our list..we had to have hot water (I still had volcanoe ash in my hair) and we were lucky to find a place with real hot water...aaahhhh how fantastic, pure bliss! It was a great hotel with a nice garden and we would sit under the franjipani tree doing our homework with tiny hummingbirds sipping sweet nectar from the flowers an arms-lenghth away. They are so tiny and fragile that I'd find myself holding my breath until they'd gone on their way.
The days easily settled into a pattern with us waking with the sunrise (which lit the volacanoes with a burning amber that looked more like sunset), go to school, in the afternoon study, eat, relax, study some more, take a walk and end up at one of the docks to see the sun go down, have some food and take a beer,.Bed came early as once the sun had gone down, it was like the middle of night with only about 4 street lamps in the whole town, and we were ready to sleep. One time I got up in the night to use the bathroom and was very relieved that I'd switched on the light, as there was a scorpion there infront of me! A couple of days later Simon came to me saying that there was another scorpion, a baby one in the shower. I tried not to laugh too much as I explained that it was just a bug with claw-like antlers...I don't think he was convinced!

San Pedro de la laguna, Soloa, Guatamala -6th April

Came over to San Pedro, a small village on the other side of the lake. Really quiet, simple life, so thought it was a great place to put down roots for a week, and signed up on a weeks Spanish course. It was the perfect place to study, as the school had gardens going down to the lake, and we would sit outside under small thatched shelters and take our classes. Simon and I had one tutor for the two of us and had lessons for 4 hours a day, for 5 days. As the tuition was so one on one we got to learn a great deal - structure,verbs and how they change in relation to present & future tense in conjunction with masculine, feminine, in/formal, group, ourselves, singular, plural etc etc. I can understand so much more in convrsations now, and find reading easy (comparitively), it's just the talking, it takes me time to find the verb and use it in the correct tense etc, but I suppose speed isn't important and will pick up anyway. We were the perfect students as we did alot of studying out of class and made the most of our homework. Simon really took off with it and the tutor was so impressed that he asked just how long we studied out of class (4 hours). Simon was using really complexed structure that he hadn'd even taught us, but the tutor was fantastic and really pushed us. (even when studying Simon still managed cheeky/humerous responses and had the tutor laughing and shaking his head.) It has already come in so useful and know if we keep it up, it will be of great use for the rest of the trip.