Educadora de la Calle

.... ah forgot to mention I have changed work place from January on... I still work in Casa Alianza... only that now I am an "Educadora de la Calle"... which basically means that we go with a team of 2 peolpe on the street and look for the kids.... and later try to convince them to come to casa alianza... because there they can embrace a much brighter future than on the street... starving to death and taking resistol (glue which they inhale and makes them high).... With my work I go to placed of Tegus that I have never imagined I would get close... but the challenge is incredible... the impressions are overwhelming... the people you talk to have so much to say... they just need someone to listen...last week I went to a part of Tegus which is called Villa Nueva.... very pooor poor part... and we started to talk to these 3 little kids... (Jose - 8, Mario - 8 and Jorge -7) .... they were looking for toys in the trash... their cloths were dirty and destroyed... they had no shoes on.... but still... when we went up to talk to them... they were laughing .... and happy... because even though they were dirty and poor... they were happy... they were happy to be together and to have a family that loves them.... the problem with these kids was that they are too young for Casa Alianza... usually we work with kids between 12 and 18.... well but in a couple of years I am sure we can do something...I have to say... this work is so challenging... not only physically because one walks around all day to look for the kids.. but as well as already mentioned the stories of violation, abuse, prostitution, addiction problems (with time one learns to ignore the disgusting smell of urine, dirty and shit)... its a question of habit i guess... but living this... feeling this... made me grow in so many ways ... i can not describe it... it made me realize... the importance of priorities and family. I really dont know if you understand what I am going through.. I really do hope so.... i want you to understand and I hope my mail could help you to picture a piece of my new world. heaps of love and kisses

x-mas trip

hey ...
long time no hear... i know... and I am sorry for the missing updates... but here I am now... new year ... new luck... more energy ... no requests for new year (after 20 years one simply stops to bother..:) )
so what has happened here eversince christmas....
Christmas here is very interesting....the entire family gathers and one has to wait until 12 oclock to heat... and there is a countdown when the clock ticks 12 oclock and there is firework, heaps of merrenge.... and people are happy...
after the food orgie and the presents the kids usually go out... so did I .... I went to see a couple of my friends who invited me to their post party and we danced salsa and merrenge in their garden ... and kept drinking.... later that night.... we are already talking about 3 and ongoing... I went to a party in santa lucia (which is basically outside of tegus) .... and we kept celebrating till the dawn... was heaps of fun
on the 26 we started our big journey to Trujillo (11 hours by bus) .... it is located on the north coast of Honduras.... so after a very interesting journey with dirty bus, which had so much dust in the air that you could see clearly anymore)...arriving in trujillo we directly jumped into the sea.... it was a beauty.... really relaxing after all this journey.... so anyhow.... the next day we went to visit ... Cayos Blancos ... (rented a boat for a day .... and the guys brought us 2 km from the coast to a spot where you could scuba dive .... see one of the most beautiful corals in the world .... clear blue ocean... incredible).... after the day trip... in the night we went out ... and met these 6 very fun guys... which whom we went to a garifuna part of the town.... there we have seen over 50 garfiuna women dancing and singing in their natural environment (this is pretty rare to see... because usually they dance for tourists.... but not for themselves)... so anyhow.... we kept going.. and went to this bar on the beach... and we started to dance bachata, salsa, ... IN THE SAND.... i tell you... i felt like in a movie... the sand between my feet.... hearing the oceans sound.... increble.

after Trujillo we went to Ceiba where we went up the pico bonito.... well at least we inteneded... we went until the mangas.... were the nature was so pieceful and overwhelming ... that it made you forget the noise of the busy town for one minute.... we swam in ice cold river water.... jumped down waterfalls... :)....

the following day.... Cayos Cochinos... this is basically the most beautiful spot in Honduras.... Small little Island groups approximately one hour from Ceiba by boat.... there is nothing ... only island.... island... beach beach... turtles..... I swam with a baracuda (1 m size)... I saw caracol which were as big as my head.... and observed fish which were white, black, blue, red, gree, grey.... all possible colours that you can imagine.

from that daytrip we went to Utila...the scuba diving paradise... and even though it was my intention to do that... my financial situation didnt allow it anymore... so what did we do.... dancing on the beach.... drinking beer in the water...:).... bycile day trips... and of course one ought not to forget.... having new years in the possible most beautiful place of the earth....
Imagine this... when the countdown started.... the people who were standing on a podest... started to distribute champain to the crowd downstairs (including me)... so when 2009 finally started ... i did not only get a champain shower... but observered the firework .... and it was soooooo extreme... I still dont have appropriate words for Utila... i guess you have to be there to understand...:)....
the one and a half weeks ... ended far to fast.... with no money left in my pockets.... from ceiba we hitch hiked back home (dont worry mum and dad.... it was a good friend of mine who happened to pass by Ceiba and gave us a ride)... tough I have to mention that 3 of the people were sitting in the back of the pick up... hehe.... for 8 hours.... it was an adventure... and we all survived it....
the following weekend we went to this place called san pedro sula ... where we saw this extremly good concert ... from Polache (Honduran singer...really really good music).... and not like in tegucigalpa (where the party officially ends at 2....) .... we had a really good time...:).... the next day we went to Puerto Cortes and Omoa ... nice little towns at the north coast ... but nothing compared with Trujillo or Cayos Cochinos or Utila....

well i guess this is my short story of my x.mas trip... i know.. there was a lot of party included.... but i guess we deserved it ...to its full extent... working and working.... makes you need distance every once in a while...:)