She Lives!


Hmm so I have been "muy enfermo". This explains the lack of posts.

The last week seems to have only been about three days long. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all seem to have blended into one day, and not even a long one at that. Shame really because it really was a smashing Saturday night!

"It" started on Sunday. I though it was alcohol poisoning at first. Then I thought it was food poisoning, when it got to Thursday I thought it might be time to stop self diagnosing and get to the quack, (doctors to my international friends). People had been trying to get me to see a doctor before that, but I had a bit of trouble in the state that I was, explaining in Spanish that I could not actually walk more than 20 meters without passing out.


I now know that I have an unspecified virus. I am a lot better now, and I can do stuff like..... Stay Awake!! Read!! and ....surf on the internet!!! My enthusiasm for life in general is also gradually returning. I do all this with the aid of large doses of sugar provided by Antigua's most lovely deserts, and yes there are a lot of them to choose from. I don't consider I am that hard done by, because a sickness that necessitates my sitting around eating lots of cheesecake and pecan pie is a pretty good lot given the selection to choose from.

I think whatever it is must be reasonably nasty, as the drugs they have given me cost $20 US, which is a hell of a lot of money over here. I have even taken to giving a few Quetzals to the disabled beggars in town. (Generous to a fault me...) They after all do not have the benefit of my Visa card and the GBP - GTQ conversion rate to help them out, (aprx 15.32 to the pound).

Reasons I am Unlucky

1. I got ill right in the middle of my Spanish Course, and had to pay half a weeks tuition fee for Nada!

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Reasons I am Lucky

1. Antigua is the probably the most developed place in Guatemala, they even have ambulances here, it is a very good place to get sick.
2. Antigua is one of the most beautiful towns in the world. With the time and the money, you could quite happily waste away the rest of your existence here. Some do! So it is a nice place to be ill on that front as well.
3. I have got lots of friends in Antigua, who are looking after me.
4. I had my own room in a really nice homestay when I was really sick.
5. Jose is not going to take students to the bullfighting any more because of me being sick!!!!!
6. I am not poor and I can afford food without working for it, (well here anyway), and medicine.
7. Ad infinitum


Yes so the only bad thing is I have lost out a bit on the Spanish Tuition. However I was overjoyed at the end of last week to find I was actually able to communicate, (a bit) in another language. It really was coming on quite well. Not only can I now order food, but I can complain if I don't like it and send it back! I can remember saying a few weeks ago that if I could get to that point, that I would have cracked it! (It's not really as difficult as I thought to be honest). However this really does not mean that I can have "a conversation".

So if I can find some more enthusiasm, cheesecake and energy, more Spanish hopefully next week. I might even be able to elaborate on the current speech pattern of a five year old child.


Number five on the list above  leads to another story.......

On the same day that I started at the Spanish School, (the week before last) I was most dismayed to find out that the school I had signed up to runs excursions to Bullfighting.

Yuk.

A lot of you know I am a vegetarian, in two years I will have been vegetarian for more than half my life. (Only 11 years then!!!!) I am unashamedly, but with a heavy dash of reason, "Militant Animal Rights".

Repeat after me...
 
I am not against medical research, but I think......

So anyway, I wasn't´t too happy about the gleeful terrorisation and tearing apart of innocent animals as an extra curricular activity for my language school. 

I didn't adopt my normal, feet, vote with, policy because I was told that all the Spanish schools do bullfighting, which is how I still came to be with Ixchel Spanish School when the dreaded lurgee struck.

Me and Jose who manages the school ended up talking a lot about how much money I should pay, for which we reached an amicable agreement, and other subjects, like was I going to die of plague in the schools homestay? So we basically became quite friendly. An ideal opportunity to discuss the subject of bullfighting!
 
I have been incredibly disappointed on this trip at the number of (stupid... naive...ignorant...young idiots) people I have met on this trip (Ori), who although they would completely condemn bullfighting, cockfighting and other horrible practices at home, are more than happy to participate in them here. 

Personally (Ori), I think this is completely spineless.  Although  traveling does entail a strong element of the voyeur, you should not forget that your actions, omissions, and tourist dollars have a massive impact on the places that you visit.  One should have a greater sense of responsibility than to blindly blunder along with an attitude that often comes down to little more than "can´t be bothered".

Other people are fast to point out that you can not take your western, and personal, values and try to enforce them on the rest of the world. They are right. However considering that animal, and also humanitarian welfare issues are often largely due to lack of education. You can always respectfully show people that there is a different way.

So when all is said and done me and Jose had a pretty open conversation about it bullfighting, and Ixchel Spanish School in Guatemala are not going to the bullfighting anymore. I´m not saying I´ve converted the man himself, but it seems I have talked him in to adjusting the school program. 

The fact that I was out with Jose till three o clock in the morning last Saturday, and he does like my hair, (no of course I didn't,) may indeed be a factor, but does that matter given the result?

Never, ever, again, he promises me, and I believe he is a man of his word.


Ta da!


I don't have anything else majorly exciting to report. Well I do, but you have to understand that to some extent at least "loque pasa en Antigua, se queda en Antigua". Isn´t that right Belinda?

So I cant give you the details of everything...... suffice to say

..............maybe I'll tell you next week.

Here are a few more pictures of La Antigua instead.

Incidentally, its called La Antigua as it was once the capital of Guatemala, i.e Guatemala City. Now there is the new Guatemala City, La Antigua (the old city), or Antigua for short is referred to as such.


 





Tuc Tuc, the only way to travel!

It´s rainy season now, so I am also looking forward to the last spending splurge next week in Costa Rica and Panama, where it will be hotter. Antigua is quite cool. Big bruv has gotten jealous and decided it´s time for a holiday and is coming out to meet me. Then its homeward bound, to the city where the streets are paved with gold, good old London town.

Preferably before I file for bankruptcy.

The adventure is not over yet however, and don't worry, once it is I will continue to inflict my opinions on the world at large, about anything I like.

Phew, now there´s a relief to you all....


(I do just have to thank Darling Ali, The Tartan Angel, for the soup runs and the endless sympathy and help. I would have been lost with out you honey.)