Life at Hotle BackPackers

Hello Everyone,

I have been at Hotel Backpackers now since friday afternoon. The restaurant slash hotel supports the orphanage and is mainly ran by locals. The Hotel has internet so I have been able to keep up with all the sports. Thank god the browns finally won and Beanie is back.

Eric and Thad left yesterday to casa guatemala becaus there was not enough work for all three of us. They do not have internet access there and I have not been there and I am unable to talk with them so I do not know what it is like quite yet. The volunteers at the orphanage come to town wednesday and saturdays so I will see them then and possible go there tomorrow depending when a volunteer shows up.

It gets dark her in guatemala at 6 and light here at six. I guess that is pretty standard all year around. I wake up about six and got to sleep at like nine becaus of the sun. I live in the hotel dormitory things are slow right now so there is not that many people in the large room full of bunk beds. The room is right on the Rio Dulce (Sweet Rivver) and I get a nice breaze.

The last three days I have worked in the kitchen. My spanish has been improving quite a bit, I feel that writing english is more difficult becaus I have been speaking in spanish all day. I work with two sister Reina and Lidia. They are both in their 30s, only speak spanish, and are always telling me that I am guapo (handosme) and also always asking me to take them to the United sates. I think their might be a connection here but im not sure? Either way it makes me feel good and they have helped me wiht my spanish.

The kitchen is awsome because it is full of charachter. The entire hotel is on the water. The kitchen has a large tree in the middle of it and around the tree is used for a sorta closet. There are a couple holes in the floor where the ladies drop a line and fish for blue gill and I think I saw the catch a catfish one time also. Today they were cooking the fish in the kitchen but I think the usually take them home and cook. Everyone talks about local production, i don´t think you can get any more local than that.

After work I have no schedule. Yesterday I went into town. I walked through the market and I would walk out of a store with freezers and fridges full of meat and then next to that is some one cooking on a barrle with a wood fire. It was quite an amazing mix. Other than that afte work I just practice my spanish with the workers.

Well Im going to have to dinner with another volunteer and we are going to only speak spanish. So I better go. I will try to write soon.

Buenas Noches.