As i lie here in a hammock, relaxing in the breeze while Matty is off building an earthship and the babes both sleep, a few things about our journey through Central America pop into my mind. Mainly the people. Aside from the guys at the border crossings so many desparate to rip off the easy target "scared cos we can't speak the language and are uneasy with this different culture and we've heard so many rumours" tourists, ( we fell into that catagory ourselves on occassion) there were so many decent folk dotted around pointing out the right direction, or office. I'm learning so much about people and I've never felt as acutely aware of how we are connected to each other no matter where - or who - we are.

Our time in Guatamala was fantastic and Xela very quickly makes you feel welcome and comfy and it was hard to leave. Our hosts at the school La Democracia were truly beautiful people. Right from my first meeting with them i felt completely at home - even despite the initial language barrier. Thanksgiving dinner, Matty's wee concierto, even ensuring our safety with police escorts when necessary, there was nothing that was too much trouble for them. The other students too were fantastic people, each with their different tales of adventure and interesting stories on what brings them there and where they will go to next.

Our host family Barbara, Lilia and Abuela were also so wonderfully hospitable, we really did feel like a part of the family. It wasn't just a place to stay. Barbara went over and above that. Taking the girls completely into her heart too - babysitting so Matty and I could get a bit of peace occassionally, sending us off to the cinema, giving us her truck to go on day trips, organising a few gigs for Matty to play in the city, taking the girls to play with her cousins, her sister even bought Christmas gifts for Freja and Eir. She even mentiond wanting to gift Freja one of her pedigree puppies - until she realised what a nightmare it would be at border crossings (and for mummy and daddy). There were tears when we had to say adios.
I noticed every day as i walked to school in Xela that the folks I's pass on the street seemed to have a sullen, almost frown upon their face as they look at you with slightly suspicious eyes. Perhaps it was just their disgruntlement at the chilly mountain mornings. A beunas dias or hola though and the transformation is dramatic - their faces completely light up with such spirit and charisma and warmth. I loved my walks in the mornings. I loved watching those faces light up.
I often thought it a little odd though to see the women, most of whom still dress traditionally to be standing on the street corners chatting on cell phones - a weird meeting of 2 eras.

Another thing that sticks with me about our time in Guatamala was when we visited the finca. In the afternoon all the kids were playing with each other, Freja's name was echoing around the entire place, bikes, footballs, puddles from the rainstorm, fun trancends the language gap. Then the following morning as we began our tour of the coffee plant those same kids were now at work, aged 7 or 8 i'd guess. It took me by surprise - even though we'd be told so often about kids working, and i'd seen some the day previously hiking with bags of coffee on their backs, somehow until i had actually seen them playing with my kids, and doing things i associate kids with doing iy hadn't really registered - it was a real eye opener for me to see them no longer at play, but with a serious working look on their faces, working in the world of the grown ups.

The family we met in Honduras - again totally opened themselves up to us. Everything they have became ours for that night. I must admit i felt a little inadaquate at times there. Miriam asked me if i needed some water to wash our clothes at the end of the night. Ah, ehm, no thanks....i don't really know how to without the aid of a machine......i have no idea how she managed to cook up and serve up such a huge amount of seemingly unending food for a seemingly unending number of people, in such a short space of time. The entire table was covered in freshly made tortillas. I don't even know who all the peoole were, but no one went without food. Her husband was asleep by 8pm as he leaves the house at 5am every morning to milk their 20 or so cows, back to the house with full churns by 8am then off to his day job. By that time in the morning all the women have been up for a good 2 hours too. A quick cup of coffee with some sweet bread while the entire yard is swept and cleaned - everyone picks up a broom and sweeps. The fire's started, pots of water put on to boil and some more laundry scrubbed, and then before i knew it once again Miriam has announced another huge plateful of food awaits us on the table - when exactly did she have time to cook it? I've only just managed to rub the sleep from my eyes and dress the babies?
I don't think they were a really poor family. She is a retired teacher, her daughters are now both university educated teachers, her son an engineer, they're house was relatively big, ( 3 or 4 rooms perhaps) they have TV and a truck and a blender and a few other kitchen appliances. She told me they had just added bits on to the house over time "poco a poco". Still an outside loo and shower though - why not?

More reminiscences later......