Dear All

Three and a half months ago I left the world I once knew, where showers were hot, the weather was cold and I could walk down the street without being stared and shouted at and I could talk to people and be understood. Three and a half months ago I came to Cofradia, Honduras. While on one hand time has flown by in a whirlwind of new sights, new smells and loud new sounds, I also feel that my other, old life is a distant memory, because so much has happened in that time. I am happy to now call this amazing, crazy, beautiful country home. Honduras is the second largest and second poorest country in Central America. It is mostly mountainous with coastal plains on the Carribean and Pacific coastlines and rainforests scattered across the country. The views are fantastic, the whole country seems to be green. All shades, from the vibrant green of the banana trees to the varying shades of dark green of the mountains, depending on where the sun is shining on them. Cofradia is a small, authentic town of approximately 35,000 (though no-one is really sure of the number), about 40 minutes away frocm San Pedro Sula, Honduras's second city. There is nothing to bring tourists to Cofradia and there is little money coming in. Many people work in the poorly paid Maquilas (factories, one of which makes American cigars). Foreigners in Cofradia are basically all teachers, and attract attention wherever they go. We are often greeted with 'Bye bye teacher", but it is usually "Gringa" (the name given to Americans which they assume we all are) and often "I love you", the only English phrases most people know. Cofradia's Bilingual School is run like an NGO. About half of the students, those from poorer families receive scholarships, enabling kids from all backgrounds to study together (a new concept in Honduras). At first I was a little overwhelmed by the lower than I had expected level of English (the term "Bilingual" is being stretched if it refers to the children), basic resources and a small class of wild animals! Now I almost feel like a pro. The teaching has become more enjoyable, still tiring, but those eleven wild animals have been tamed a little! They are still a cheeky bunch, but more adorably so (well, with the odd exception). I feel so lucky that the class is so small. In the nearby public school there are about 80-90 kids in a class, half go in the morning, half in the afternoon. I teach 4th grade all subjects except Spanish and Social Studies (taught in Spanish by a Honduran teacher). We live about a fifteen minute walk away from school, in the centre of town. Our house is one of the grandest in town. Not exactly what I was expecting! At first I was slightly disappointed; I had prepared myself for the challenges more basic accommodation. However, the house has its own challenges. First there are the many bizarre contradictions… such as the Jacuzzi yet rarely running water, and the two terraces, one of which you can only get to by climbing out of our bedroom window! To compensate for my disappointment on finding we are not exactly "ruffing it" as much as I had expected are the sporadic water and electricity supplies and twice daily "bucket baths" (in Jacuzzi - tip small bucket of water over one's head) which provide challenge enough! I live with the five other foreign volunteer teachers. A retired (!) couple from Australia, a Latvian girl (26) a New York girl (30) and Vicky my Project Trust partner. It is like living in the Big Brother house Cofradia style. The wire round the top of the high wall, always being watched, the huge mirror (hiding the camera men?), almost no knowledge of what goes on outside Honduras and most importantly of course the relationships between housemates. Since being here, my favorite times have been our travel adventures. Within about a month of getting here we went to Copan Ruins and Guatemala! Copan is a Mayan site, one of Honduras's main tourist pulls. The ruins were fascinating and set in stunning, peaceful scenery. We had to go to Guatemala because one housemate needed to renew her visa (you have to cross the border every 90 days). We went to Antigua, a cute colonial town in the highlands and nearby Lake Atitlan, surrounded by three powerful volcanoes. Spectacular mountain scenery, dangerously enticing artisan markets with beautiful indigenous goods including woven cloth and a boat trip on the Lake to see mountain villages. A fantastic weekend, rounded off by a hair-raising 4am bus ride! We have relaxed on the gorgeous beach at Tela (the hard life of volunteer teaching), been to nearby mountain town, Santa Barbara where we went up a muddy mountain in a taxi to see a stunning, mist-surrounded castle and nearly didn't make it down alive. We have also been to two international football matches (world cup qualifiers) Honduras Vs Guatemala then Honduras Vs Canada. The first was almost called off. After we arrived in the stands, the most almighty storm I have ever witnessed exploded around us, soaking us to the skin and making a mud bath of the pitch with torrents of water and sending the stadium into darkness in a simultaneous crash of thunder and lightening! Unbelieveably, play started, only about half an hour late, after as much water as possible had been pushed (literally) off the pitch. The atmosphere was electric and the end result was a dramatic 2-2 draw. I have managed to keep up my running (not much can stop me) and even horse riding. We head to the rural edge of Cofradia most days for our daily run. This is my favorite place in Cofradia and part of my day. We go for a run, surrounded by tropical greenery and mountains. The scattered houses here are the most basic - wood, tin, palm leaves, mud or even cardboard and string. The locals view us with interest and we have made some friends, including the boys who sometimes race me and let me ride their horse. Seeing the sun set behind the trees, I think how lucky I am to be in such a special place. Thank you for supporting me by helping raise the money I needed for Project Trust to send me to Honduras. I am having the most rewarding, fulfilling, exciting experiences of my life and I know I have many people to be grateful to. Feliz Navidad Happy Christmas from Honduras Charli