On monday, I have made metal columns once more, but this time with the rest of the group. The day went by and there were no problems. A trucker strike had all the roads leaving the capital city blocked, and the new volunteers arrived only at 10 at night. Alex and her family were there and she woke me up yet again in the night because she was cold. Being the nice person that I am, I gave her my sleeping bag. Of course, no one is perfect, and I have to say that appart from this annoying habit of waking people up, Alex is a very nice person and I did miss her after she had left.
Tuesday, I stayed at home to work on a financial report for the chicken house to give to the foundation that had financed it. The water pump had stopped working because it somehow overheated and so Pierre went to get an other one, which we then broke trying to instal it since it wasnt the right voltage. We therefore had no water that evening. The others went to wash at the river as soon as they got back from work. At night, I got a course on bracelet making from Alex.
The 24th was a nice day. We burnt the old roof of the little house and scraped off the bark of tree trunks with machetes. When we got back to the house we had water again, which was great! We still went to refresh ourselves in the river. I then started packing a bit for the next week's adventures and we watched a Bourne movie with Alex and her sister Kacey. I think I have converted one more person to Bourne...
Thursday, I got up early hoping to have more time to finish my packing but realised that I couldnt really do this if there were still people sleeping in my room. I still managed and got to Guate later on. I also started to read a Paulo Coelho book called Piedra River or soemthing like that. Its a very interesting book about religion and love I think.
On Friday, we left for Monterrico at 8h30 and got there at 11h. Monterrico is a somewhat touristy town with beaches on the Pacific, or actually directly south of Guatemala. Jacques and Geneviève greet us. It is his place that he rents out and then uses as a hotel. The place is just perfect, nice swimming pool, direct access to the beach, where the sand is super hot and the waves are dangerously big. I then headed off to walk with Josée. We sat down and talked a bit while the waves pushes us around. We then came back for lunch but everyone was gone and the doors locked... and we had no money of course. So we decided to make the best of our situation took a little dip in the swimming pool or relaxed in the hamacs there. And soon enough, Jacques c
ame back and opened the doors for us. So we went to eat at Johnny's, a place that becomes quite lively at night and owned by a quebecer. I took a licuado of pinapple and mint with rum which was delicious. I then read a bit and went to see some other quebecers who were there, they were flying a kite and let me fly it a bit which was fun. After that, I went swimming in the pool, and in the sea a bit, and walked on the beach. In the evening, we went to eat dinner at the Pelicano where a real pelican lived. I never really knew they were so huge, and no very friendly too. I ate a chicken risotto which was very good.
Afterwards, we went to the bar next door where we played a bit of pool and a bit of djembes with François and the band that was playing there! It was pretty fun. We then went to Johnny's and spoke with Frank and some other people there. We also met an other quebecer name Matthieu who it seems is a new lottery-winner-millionaire and has decided he would travel the world for some time. Also met Micheal, a local who was friendly but really, he jsut wanted us to buy him some beer. We then headed to the Caiman, a small club next door. Danced a bit and then got bored. Frank who is a dj went to help them out. I then saw a guy dancing really well mixing salsa with other dances and a personnal touch to it. Being bored and alone, I told him I thought he danced good and he then offered me a beer and started giving me dance classes. I would
normally not have followed through with that but I thought to myself, I migh as well make the best of my time here and have some fun! Micheal joined in too and I later met this other guatemalan man a bit older with a sort of mexican cowboy look. So in the end it was a great night and I had a lot of fun, also went to bed at 4 am.
On saterday the 27th, I was suppose to go out early in the morning for a boat tour in the lagoons and so I looked over at Julien in the bed next to mind every 30 minutes or so to be sure they wouldnt leave without me. Turns out he didnt feel good the night before and stayed home while the others, who were not in the same room as I, left to go for the tour. I was a bit disapointed but I guess I wasnt in amazing shape either so it was alright. I spent my time walking around on the beach, reading and swimming. I noticed I had became a better swimmer. I guess I could be a good swimmer if I had more occasions to practice. It is definately easier here where I dont become blue and freeze the moment I touch water! I had an other disapointment on saterday, there were no turtle races. It is a tradition here to let hundreds of little turtles out to see and see which one gets there first. Of course, most of them die very quickly but it is probably helpfull to get the turtle population back to a normal number here. It seems that it wasnt the right time for the turtles so no turtle race...
However, Frank and I went down to the beach and saw these kids surfing on the water left on the beach from the waves. After admiring them a bit, we asked them to try and they let us. It was harder then it looked but pretty fun. We then ate dinner at the hotel where Jacques had cooked us some good fish. After that, we headed to see the carnaval in town. There was a nice atmosphere there with all the happy people and fluorescent lights. We also went in the big wheel thing! All of it was like from a different time and that made it that much more interesting. We then went out a bit but I was tired and went to bed at around midnight.
On sunday, I got up and had breakfast, read and went to the beach with my boogy board. Of course, I lost my hairband the second I went in the water but, even though it was very nice and a souvenir from my trip to Mexico, I decided I would not be attached to objects. So I had lots of fun in the waves but eventually decided they were too big to do anything. And it was the end of the weekend and back to the house. But the beginning of an other amazing week...
At night, we headed, with France and Julien to Antigua, a near by city which use to be the capital before they decided there were too many earthquakes there. It is a extremely nice colonial city with lots of nice ruins of churches. I then met the family I would stay with during my week there taking spanish classes.
