Fleas and general ramblings

I've got fleas. I can't believe it! My small coffee coloured companions are still alive, well and numerous. I have reached the stage now that whenever I peer at anything I see small black specks appearing and disappearing. I have got an obsession, I know it.

Potential salvation came to be yesterday, in the form of my yoga teacher. I have been moaning to him about the flea problem, and yesterday I was joking about sleeping in a hammock instead of my bed, which is clearly flea-infested. (Incidentally, the machismo culture in Guatemala clearly extends to the fleas, as T wakes every morning happy and ready to start the day, whilst I stand in front of the small mirror in our room, twisting and contorting to view the bites that have appeared overnight (16 in one night is the record so far). My once-reasonably-smooth pale skin is now covered in massive red/purple blotches - I may never wear a swimming costume again! Oh well...). He darted to his room, and returned with a massive hammock!!! I just have to work out how and where to suspend it in my room, and my flea problem may be reduced!!!

Things are hotting up for Christmas - literally. The sun is shining, and it feels like a warm June day.

All the Christmas decorations are up, and the central park features an enormous white snowman standing in the middle of what used to be the fountain. I find this utterly strange, as not only is it hot at Christmas time, so the odds of finding a Christmas snowman are about the same as me waking up without any flea bites, but the people of Xela have never even seen snow - never. It *never* snows here! So why oh why do they have snowmen, and why do I keep hearing 'I'm dreaming of a white christmas on the radio'??? My Australian pals tell me it's the same there, with everyone clinging onto this bizarre northern hemisphere notion of Christmas. Very strange! :o)