ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

It's so great to be here. I flew from Cancun to flores, Guatemala and then on to Guate City. The view from the plane was beautiful: first the azure blue coastline of the caribbean (the Yucatan) then over the jungle of northern Guatemala.As we approached flores, there was a beautiful, large lake: Lago Peten Itza. In the middle was a compact village, Flores, linked by a causeway to the land and the nearby town of Santa Elena. I was longing to get off the plane and visit tikal and then go thru the jungle to el mirador, but all in good time... we flew on to Guatemala City, flying over mountains with the occasional road threading its way thru the mountains. When we landed in Guate City it felt like we were going to land in the city itself! The airport is virtually surrounded by buildings. I was met and taken to Antigua which is amazing. I havent had an opportunity yet to take photos but it is incredible to wake up ans ee the volcano to the south. Antigua is small and picturesque. Its ben a lot to take in: meeting the family I am living with, meeting people at the spanish school (organisers of my stay and volunteering= and meeting everyone at my school. I am having to get used to a new routine: waking up at 6.30, breakfast at 7 , leave the house at 7.30. I walk to the market place where i catch a bus to the nearby suburb. I am speaking spanish most of the time and sometimes my brain just switches off and I dont know what language I am speaking - bever mind what tense or gender! I have been made to feel most welcome here.
It is a privilege to be here and meeting all these people.
Hopefully I'll get my camera out and show you what it looks like.
Can you believe that Jan is going so quickly, I hope you are all having a good start to 2010.