This all happened quite a while back, but oh well...

update

So a lot has changed here in the last week, so I thought id let you all know. The school year ended two weeks early, on the 15th, because the Casa just couldnt continue to support the over 100 resident kids that are usually here during the school year. Now we are left with only 40, and most of them have no where else to go but stay here. this usually happens and is kind of a "summer "break" and they all come back in January. However, the possibility that we can afford to bring them all back is slim, and many I believe are already searching for other schools, or planning to stay at their homes next year. This results in a very sad casa Guatemala, because instead of 100s of kids running around going to school and doing activities etc. we only have 40, and we as volunteers have found ourselves quite bored and melancholy at the moment. a few volunteers left all in one week, for various reasons, but this biggest exit was last week, when the volunteer coordinator left for Guatemala City, and we were left without a coordinator. Not for long though, because the director of the school and the head of Casa Guatemala came to me and asked me to be Volunteer coordinator! besides two other people, Ive been here the longest, but I have way better spanish than them, and I guess they thought I worked well with everyone and I would be good for the position. anyway, because of this I will be staying here at least through November. Im excited about this "promotion" because itll give me a chance to get some good experience and also I have a lot more to do to keep myself busy. On the other hand, im nervous about being responsible for bringing people into an orphanage that seems so pathetic right now, and im afraid of not having the ability to make this place a little bit better. Im gonna do my best, but at this point its a little depressing here, and the new volunteers are going to notice that right away. One of the Volunteers is organizing a big fundraiser with his friends back in England, and I hope to help him in that venture. maybe we can raise enough to get all the kids back in January. Anyway, thats what im doing. Ill try to upload more photos soon.

Hasta luego,

Alex

Mayan Ruins of Tikal

Update

Hi world!

Just to let you all know who I promised a postcard, I am still planning on sending you a postcard. The thing is, I haven't seen any postcards yet, being that Ive been rather isolated in the jungle and the only town ive been to is very far from touristy. I am going on a trip to Flores tomorrow or the next day, and im going to see the ruins of Tikal. Im rather overdue for a break, because we have been so low on volunteers and I havent been able to leave. Normally we are supposed to have eight days off every three weeks, and ive already been here for over five weeks without a break.
Casa Guatemala have been approaching the edge of an abyss for the last few years and I happened to arrive right in time for the leap of faith. the head lady is going to court tomorrow because the workers here drew up a law suit against her. They havent been paid on time nor have they received their proper minimum wage salaries. Also the Casa itself is in debt some 40 thousand dollars, so its pretty much a certainty that the number of students will redice from 250 to 50 or 60. these 60 are the only kids that are true orphans, while the rest belong to families or at least have living relatives who cannot support them or who cannot afford to send them to school. anyway, Im gonna stake it out for the time being and see what happens with this place. At this point most of the volunteers are pretty disenchanted about the running of this place, and I think the reasons we are staying have more to do with a conscious ambivalence to the problems and a duty to the kids. Im partially staying here because I want my 300 dollar donation to be stretched as far as possible, and partly because I want to try to stick with these kids. They are so used to seeing volunteers come and go all the time and I dont want to abandon them so soon. Anyway, ill keep youall posted on my situation, and I hope all is well back in the states.

love and kisses,


Alex

soccer game, August Birthdays and a marbles (ticos) tournament

Trip to Rio Frio

Im pretty sure someone knocked over that tree specifically to play on...

Ross from Lonon, and one of his boys

Rope sings are universal

beautiful, clear, cold water

when we got there all the older girls wanted me to take pics of them with my fancy Camera

Guess whats in the pot!?

El Piedron, the big rock, and us, still hiking the 40 min. to Rio Frio

tall french man named Sebastian carrying our lunch