WINTER CHILLS.......

The past few days the weather has really changed. Its very cold with clear blue skies and a cold wind that rips through in the mornings. The sky is always striking blue and at night crystal clear so we can see the stars. It is time for winter clothing and to wrap up warm as I walk to work and stare at the sharp image of the volcano, if I reach out I am sure I could touch it!!
Sadly this also has an impact on the children because they are not allowed to go out much. However by late morning the temperature usually rises and we have a little stroll in the small garden adjacent to the dorms to get some fresh air and a change of scenery. This week I have continued to help with some of the other duties, like washing and preparing all the bottles for the day for all of the children., folding what feels like hundreds of clothes and sheets. This week also had me doing the worst job so far….cleaning the children’s ears!!! Won’t say anymore about that.

But there is always an opportunity to spend some quality time with some of the children.
Since the last time they were weighed, some of the children have lost weight, not good, and some have put some on , so the number of bottles per child per day has to be adjusted. For some of them it’s a worrying time. One child was taken into intensive care yesterday. We continue to have students helping out which is a great help. It has also been a week of getting to know two new children who have joined us. Both very scared and unsettled being away from the family. This one is …10 years old! She has a fantastic smile and is finally starting to take milk. One afternoon this week the children had a little party…getting the sweets from the pinayata by hitting it!! I wonder who invented that one? It was really great to see the children and other patients from other wards laughing and enjoying just being out.
On Thursday , Mallory, Timo and I decided to take three of the children to a café by the park. I think it’s the first time that they had been in there, but the people in the café were really kind and once again congratulated on our work.
Its not work we said…it’s a way of life!!!

MOUNTAINS AND SPRINGS.......
Last Saturday some of us woke up very early to meet the challenge of a 4 hour trek up a mountain. But first we had to get to the foot of the mountain in a pick up… well an animal pick up. Which for 45 minutes was fine as we hurtled, standing up, up and around some very unmade

and at times quite scary roads. My friend Romana and I clung to each other at times to gain

some balance…..great for me as she is very tall.

The climb was a challenge as it had been raining so it was very slippery and the steepness was a challenge even for the young ones. Once again I was aware of the age difference but managed to get to the top to view some spectacular landscape and lush greenery. We were very high up so it was amazing to see the clouds once again hugging the sides of the mountains, and in the forest, mist and clouds meandered through the very tall trees as the winds blew across the land. Spectacularly, running through the valley is a river which suddenly ventures underground leaving natural limestone bridges with cool pools of clear blue and green water on the surface…a perfect place for a dip after the huge climb. Sometimes I look across the landscape and realise that in so many ways it is just so different to other places, every place has a sense of the original Mayan culture resonating through it in so many ways. It certainly inspires me to travel through Latin America.
After about 30 minutes at the top we slowly started our descent back to the limestone bridges, where we all rushed into the clear waters and cooled off under the small cascades of flowing water, what a relief. We all talked and laughed until it got too cold, then we rushed out dragged on our clothes and climbed back onto the pick up for the rickety drive back for a hot cuppa.
Later we all enjoyed our ride back to our houses in Antigua and made plans for the following weekend when we would board a camianeta and head off to see the giant kite extravaganza, the day of the dead.

The night sky on our way home...

Adios amigos
Goodnight.
Xxx

early morning skies....

Sunflowers and lilies for all of you from me .

With much love and look forward to seeing you all soon.

Enjoy!!!

xxxxxx

The rainy season continues......

This week another group of students arrived to help out with the children. Sadly the rain continued so often they were left frustrated and bored as they couldn’t really do much. So we encouraged them to massage the children’s arms and legs or read books to them. And for the more able we have some educational toys so it was time to count, and recognise colour and try or make basic sounds. But 4 hours is a long time to try to keep it all going. So finally some of them decided to help with the cleaning too. There was more to do then usual as the barber arrived in the middle of the week. So first, all the boys were taken one by one, to have their head shorn. The shorter the better as it makes the hair nit check easier!! It was quite amazing the difference it made especially as we decided to get some gel and give them all a new look. Which they loved. As for the girls, only the very young ones had their hair cut. This week also saw the arrival of a new child. She is ten years old and looks about 5. Malnourished, with rotten teeth and ulcers and a skin infection which is contagious, so we have to be very careful when we handle her to ensure we don’t pass it onto the other children. After two days she finally smiled and began to feel a little comfortable around us. Once again I was left to wonder how this could have happened. I believe she was carried on her mothers back without much attention or care or an acknowledgement of the fact that something as wrong with her. it’s a completely different world and life here for so many. One of the days was a public holiday and they were short staffed in the physiotherapy section, so I decided to help out with the older children. Activities like threading beads and shapes through string, so easy for us, are enormous tasks for many of them. But once again such joy when the mission is accomplished despite the length of time taken. Other activities included colour and shape puzzles and rolling on balls. It was also a time to check on the developments of the bones of the hands and feet which haven’t developed properly. The contraptions they have to have on are often painful and uncomfortable, strapped on tightly to maintain position and shape of the limbs. This is hard for them to bear and the children then cry intermittently for the rest of the day. It takes a lot of willpower to stop myself from just taking the things off and giving them some relief. But I have to remember that its for their benefit. Many of the problems are also caused as a result of oxygen deprivation at birth.
Three of the children had birthdays so we celebrated them all together with cake and ice cream, a favourite with children all over the world. For a few weeks now we have had Mallory with us which has been great . She is a natural with the children and 100% supportive of everything. Its great to have her with me.

Continual rain has also meant that the TV has been on in the wards all week for the older children. Frankly there is nothing like Tele Tubbies and Thomas the Tank Engine in Spanish to get the brain going in the morning……or indeed bring on another anxiety attack about my Spanish.

Morning Skies……

To escape the rain some of us decided to take a drive down to Monterrico again to find some sun. Alas Saturday was a bit of a washout.
Sunday dawned clear and bright as we walked down the street down to the jetty at 4.30 am to get a boat at 5.00am for a 2 hour trip through the mangroves. There was a slight chill in the air as we boarded the boat and it was almost time for sunrise. The silence was unbelievable as was the light at that time of the day.

I sat on the damp wood and remembered all the other times I have taken trips on the river

This ,however, was not a trip to see wild life but to look at the views and the volcanoes in the morning light. And it was amazing. I was unsurprisingly drawn to the amazing skies , the dramatic colours and clouds as we travelled down the river. As it grew lighter the mountains

revealed the strong contours of their height and the delicate clouds which floated past. Then just as the mist was clearing a sharp intake of air and a gasp, as I pointed at one of the three volcanoes which surround Antigua, it was pumping out hot pink smoke!! This was quickly followed by the numerous clicks and whirrs as all the digital cameras came out and people tried to capture the moment. The boat became unsteady as everyone jostled for the best view. I just watched as it slowly disappeared behind some clouds. Once again it was time to scan the horizon for more photo opportunities….
Later the sun came out so it was time for a little relaxing and a snooze in the hammock and then, lunch before our ride back to Antigua.
I am loving my work here and also am grateful that I have met some good people, and I am sure you are thinking how exciting it all is…. Well for us it is, but for everyone here its very normal!!

However I look forward to the next few weeks as we prepare for November 1st and 2nd…..The big kite flying extravaganza and of course the famous Day of the Dead!!
Other normal celebrations!!
Adios amigos
Goodnight
Xxx

WET ...WET...WET...

Monday dawned cold and wet and the beginning of another week of rain. Bad news for us as it means that the children wouldn’t be able to go out, not even in the small veranda and garden adjacent to their dormitory. So it was time to tackle other jobs while the children stayed in their cots. I decided to help in the kitchen with the washing up, washing down the trolleys, after breakfast and help sort out the washed clothes, sheets, and blankets, and there are many!! The children are constantly being changed out of their wet clothes and nappies made of odd bits of cloth. I enjoyed doing this as it felt normal and a slight change from the usual day and an opportunity to use a little bit of Spanish. The week was also different because we had a group of schoolchildren helping us out. In many schools here, for the last week of term the students have to do a week of community service, and this week is the last week of term….schools break up till January 15th. Yes only one holiday per year. So the place was full of teenagers navigating themselves around children in wheelchairs and walkers, the nurses and the cots…… They were really good and didn’t seem at all phased by the kids in the hospital which I thought was amazing. Maybe we are too shielded from these situations. I thought it was a really good idea, maybe other schools should consider it!! Oh and they all wanted to hear me talk because they loved my English accent!!
One day it was quite sunny so we took the children swimming again and they really had a great time again splashing about or just floating , the physiotherapists get in as well to help with some exercises. This is always followed by a rush to get them into dry clothes before they run the risk of getting sick.
Two of the children this week were ill. One was Perla who vomited all over me and then had to be confined to her cot wrapped up in blankets and another boy who had too many convulsions in the night. Many of the children have respiratory problems so they are always linked up to one machine or another. I also had a chance to spend some time with Alex who despite being given 6000 calories a day does not put on any weight His body cant work with proteins. He is fed through a tube in his nose, he is absolutely gorgeous with huge eyes.
Apart from the time of the first holy communion, I have only seen two parents visit their children..Lesley says that she has never seen Perla’s parents….this I find disappointing.

Another week just raced by and I continue to build relationships with the children and the nurses who now ask me to help and do things as well as chat with me, oh but they speak so fast… and oh my Spanish is so slow and confused!!

Another weekend in Antigua and as I walked towards Central Parc on Saturday I heard the roar of motorcycles and whistles and the sound of motorbikes whizzing around. It was the regular meeting of bikers from in and around Antigua…brought back memories of Easy Rider. The Bikes were amazing lots of chrome and mirrors reflected the sun ( a perfect day for a rally) and there , hanging around outside the cafes were the men and women in the leathers and bandanas and huge chunky silver jewellery. Men with long hair and beards and mirrored ray bans perched on their noses. The parc was buzzing with people sitting and chatting and just watching everyone encased in their own moment and conversation. I was drawn to it all and stood there watching and taking photos and hoped and wished that someone would offer me a ride but alas……….

Then it was the usual wander around the market and streets.
Rain also means lots of low clouds during the morning giving Antigua a different look. Antigua is at an altitude of 1530 meters so maybe the clouds aren’t really that low!!! But I never cease to be amazed by its beauty and its ability to generate a sense of wonder and contentment.
Thursday 16th October after lunch I sat on my bed and at around 1.45pm I felt the bed move and the room shake….. I experienced my first earth tremor. Once again those words…
‘Nothing to worry about, its normal!!’ Not for me I said as I grabbed my phone and woke Martin from his slumber . It may happen again they said!!

I later reakised that it was from an earthquake in Mexico!!
Don’t worry all is well..
Sleep well
Adios amigos
Goodnight
Xxx

Que Pasa en Antigua.......

This week I had the opportunity to explore working with slightly older children which proved to be different and equally demanding. All of the older children are physically disabled, and some more mentally disabled than others. So it was good to be able to talk and receive verbal responses to questions and comments. Of course as is always the case, some of them are very demanding, or cheeky !The day always begins in the same way with quite a lot of time given to having breakfast. Then my first new job….making them gargle followed by washing their faces after their teeth (those that have them) have been brushed This involves huge amounts of water and towels and water all over me as many cant actually do this and just spit everything out. Then its time for some form of physiotherapy. One day I went into the room to watch them exercise the children. Not easy when they are paralysed and many don’t actually like being moved about so they cry all the way through. Some of the children can go into walkers so we put them in them for a little while. Its amazing to see the amount of concentration that goes into moving one foot in front of the other, especially when the rest of the body is not coordinated, and there is no sense of direction. Yet such a sense of pride and joy when they manage even a few steps. Words of encouragement and exaggerated applause ever present. With some we give them crisps or biscuits to encourage hand , eye and mouth coordination. (I long to find packets of Hoola Hoops to put on their fingers but alas….) This I find very difficult at times as I see them struggle for ages only to have the crisp fall to the ground at the vital moment when the mouth opens and the food is released from the fingers. But we persevere because we know that eventually they will achieve. As you can imagine the place is quite messy when they have finished.

Imagine my happiness when I heard a little boy named Henry calling me in the morning when I arrived at the centre. So of course I reacted every time he called me, not the thing to do apparently because as I encouraged him I became aware of the jealousy that was beginning to rear its ugly head in some of the other children. So now I have a rota for when I can be with each one, to ensure that everyone gets some individual attention. We also continue to take the children to the park and with the older ones we can play with the water in the fountain and every day I buy some biscuits for the children to enjoy. They marvel at the trees and the sunshine and the people that give them attention and ask us about the work we are doing. I have found that people here really appreciate what we do as they often come and say something encouraging to us.
Later after returning from the park and with lunch ready to be served, I sneak off to see the babies and of course Perla. I feed her and play with her before heading home for my lunch. (I have a lunch break from 12.30 to 2.00) Work days always pass by very quickly….

There isn’t time to do much for me during the week as I always feel quite tired so it was good to spend the weekend in Antigua. Of course there was the usual outing to the market followed by long walks around town taking pictures.

During the weekend some of the streets are closed off so its very relaxed, also lots of the houses and hotels have their gates open so a perfect opportunity to take a sneak look at the many beautiful courtyards.

It was also time to visit the famous cross with great views of Antigua and the volcanoes…but it was a cloudy day!! It has rained a lot recently and the temperature has dropped so it gets cold at night
I also caught two movies…Cinema 2000 has 3 shows a day each with a different film, its free to go in as long as you have a drink or something to eat, a great idea I think and always very popular. It was also the last weekend for a couple of people I have got to know quite well so we all had breakfast together on Sunday, sat and talked in the park before heading back to our respective homes for the usual Sunday ritual of cleaning, ironing and preparing for the week ahead all topped off with a couple of hours of Spanish… which is coming along slowly. I doubt I will be fluent…too many verbs etc but I hope to le to be able to get by. One thing which I know will be difficult is that people stay here for short periods of time so friendships are always short term. But many good friendships are forged along the way. Of course I miss everyone and look forward till we are all together again.

As I prepared for bed I opened my first edition of Love in the time of Cholera in Spanish and found the line…
‘ Luego miro a Florentino Arizo, su dominio invencible, su amor impavido, y lo asusto la sospecha tardia de que es la vida, mas que la muerta , la que no tiene limites.’

Adios amigos

Goodnight
Xxx