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