Adios Casa de Lenguas

Sorry for the lapse in blogs, addicts. I was temporarily away from all sorts of modern technology. Now that I find myself in front of a computer I feel better.

Updates:

Thursday was my last day at Casa de Lengas. The good thing about leaving for a weekend trip on Friday morning, at 4AM is you get out of your Friday graduation speech on your last week. Score! I got my ´diploma´ without having to give a speech in espanol. I was happy to leave, because my last teacher of the day, was really starting to urk me. I mean she is entitled to be bitter, but not on my dime, on my vacation, and for 2 straight hours. Thank goodness I got to fill out an evaluation and for Diego and Isabel, my favorite maestros. Aren´t they just the cutest teachers you have ever seen. Yes, for them I was thankful and would perhaps return to Casa de Lenguas, but for now, one week of traveling and no school here I come.

Friday 4AM
I worned the front desk night shift, that I would be leaving at 4am, and if he did not see me in the front he should wake me. Luckily the alarm did in fact go off at 3:30, I did not get much sleep the night before (not because of reasons you all might be thinking - ;)get your minds out of the gutter) because I was so nervous I would sleep through the alarm, or my clock would just stop working. Anyhow, the van is waiting as I walk to the front door. I am greated, by the chipper Juan Carlos, our fearless guide for the second weekend. NO ONE should be that chipper at that hour. I go into the van, and I am relieve to see a familar face, Eric, and not so excited to see a new ADDITIONAL chipper face, Katia. We make our round around Antigua picking up the remaining people. I spend the rest of Friday sleeping in the van, no seriously everytime we drove, I would fall asleep, mouth open and all. Beats last weeks nautious discomfort. We stopped off in Copan, Honduraus to visit some Mayan ruins. I am not sure if it was the bugs, the heat, or the strange way our guide spoke, but I was over it like 35 minutes into the 90 minute tour. Except for tours of the Berkeley Campus, tours should not be more than 60 minutes. The ruins were nice, I hear Tikal is better, I will see on Wednesday. Still nice to go, plus I get another stamp in my passport. Back in the van and back to my napping, I become the girl who can sleep anywhere for the rest of the trip. (See Dad, I do take after you)

Friday night we arrive in Livingston, and then take Juan Carlos´s boat to a remote island about 10 minutes off the coast of Livingston. While nice and remote, I was not looking forward to staying in these huts, although since Rebecca and I are his favorite, he gave us the deluxe hut. Still not that impressed. I am sure I will get bit. Rebecca and I decide to share the queen bed, because it is the only bed with a decent mosquito net. Luckily we are only here two nights, and luckily I have OFF, I used up all that natural repelent in Antigua, and after last weekend - bring on the DEET. I am sure my skin will heal.

Saturday
We take a walking tour of Livingston. It is hot here. I feel like summer in NY, dripping sweat, lots of humidity, never enough water. The walk is nice. Asside from the heat, I am not that bothered. I am pretty sure my lack of being in shape has to do with the altitude, since we are basically at sea level here. We walk through cementaries, people´s backyards, over streams (which I cross gracefully, 3 in the group not so lucky - that´s ok they were being rude all weekend anyway), and up hills. Finally we get the the view point: Juan Carlos likes to take pictures of people, sometimes he forgets to get the scenery - its ok we still love him.

We rest on the ´beach´ before making our way to the Seven Altars. For the Carribean, the beaches are not that nice. The water was too warm to be refreshing, but the Seven Altars make up for it. The water was cool and freshing. Eric and Matt, dove off one of the waterfalls. I was too nervous, not being able to dive and all. I was convinced I would be the one girl to hit her head. Swimming under the water fall was good enough.

Saturday
Tour of the Rio Dulce River.(pictures to follow - running out of internet time) It was quite refreshing and cool to be speading through the river on a speed boat. The driver takes Rebecca and I back, because we are staying 2 more nights (more than enough for Livingston). Our hotel is way better. Casa Rosada is like the Ritz compared to our previous home.
And this morning I woke up to this:
And really that is how I spent the rest of the day. Reading trashing fiction, thanks Christine and looking at that, getting some color.

Miss you all.