Happy New Year

I am feeling happy, and that Xela is my home.

I spent this morning wandering around Democracia market. This is the biggest market in Xela, and it's beautiful. I adore the way the vendors set out their wares so beautifully. Sacks of beans, rice and fragrant herbs. Enormous piles of shiny red tomatoes, glistening tiny potatoes, enormous bunches of fresh coriander and spinach (with the roots still on, so that you can take them home and put them in a pot of water and keep them all week - how sensible!). Dried chillies and peppers, enormous white volcanoes of garlic, threatening to erupt onto the small child selling them to me.

Today is New Years Eve, and not all the of the shops are open, which gives Xela a peaceful and happy air. The sun is shining, and it being relatively early morning, the streets are clean - the ferral dogs having done their work overnight! Santa Maria volcano presides over everything, a beautiful forested dome, dominating the skyline.

As I wandered from stall to stall, growing ever more laden with produce I felt quite proud of myself. I can haggle in spanish for whatever I want to buy, say hello to the kids on the street (they chase after me with their shoe shining kits, hungry eyes fixed on my walking boots) and have a chat with Maria who sits on the corner of 12th avenida selling weavings. I am adept at leaping out of the road and onto the tiny pavements when an enormous chicken bus comes wobbling along. I even have a wide vocabulary of spanish swear words should the need arise.

T and I have decided to renew our passport stamps by going to Costa Rica for 2 weeks at the beginning of February. It's a long way, and it's quite expensive. It entails another bus ride to Guatemala city, and a flight from there. But being as Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places on the planet, we thought maybe we should have a go, whilst we are on this side of the world!

http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/photo_gallery.htm

We have found a Quaker-owned organic farm that accepts volunteers for $10 per day including board and lodging. This farm is right next to the Monteverde national park - the place where you can walk on rope bridges in the tree canopy and look down to see birds and plants to numerous to imagine, and if you're really lucky - monkeys, sloths, and all other manner of creatures. We're really excited. Although leaving Xela will feel strange. I have a kind of inertia which makes me want to stay. It's so easy here, and the sun shines all the time. My days have fallen into a routine of exercise, laughing, shopping at the market and studying spanish.

All this will change in a couple of weeks when my voluntary work starts. I'm so impatient. The school holidays are timed to coincide with the coffee picking season, which continues to the end of January ARGHGHG! The other organisation that I want to work with is off until January 17th.

Well, I guess I'm learning patience!