Hola,
We just got back from Playa Monterico. Originally it was a morning thing, but by the time we got there we changed our mind and stayed there for the weekend. We didn't have any clothes except the clothes on our backs and our bathing suits. If you look up playa Monterico in the travel guide it will explain it as a big popular beach with big hotels and lots of restaurants. It's totally not true, it is popular but it's a one road town, four restaurants and only two 'big' hotels.  By big I mean one story with about 15 rooms each. There are some other hotels that are like 5 to 6 rooms, but over all the town is tiny. We arrived at the beach about noon and ate ceviche at a little restaurant. At the restaurant was a guy who owned a hotel a little ways from the town on the beach. The hotel has five bungalows around a really awesome pool right on the beach. We decided right there in the restaurant that we would stay there.

Later that afternoon we went and checked out a turtle farm. It was tiny but cool. You can walk around this little pond full of turtles, then go to a cage full of baby alligators, then by another cage full of iguanas. if you want  you can go into a little museum type thing that is really a hut full of pickled turtles, fish and sea horses. Also a giant turtle shell. After you can go to the back where there are two little pools full of baby turtles that had hatched that day. They were so little and black.

While we were at the turtle farm we saw a sign that said if you want release a baby turtle into the sea come to the beach at 6. We were definitely doing that! We arrived at the beach at 6:15(late but thats okay because its latin time) bought our ticket for one dollar and then we were handed a turtle, one little black turtle. To release a turtle here you don't reserve a spot, wear gloves, get supervised by a professional, pay a fortune, or even need to show up on time. Well, all of us got our turtles and gave them names; Mimi's was Floppy, Lili's was Myrtle, dad's wasLucy ( as in my cousin Lucy who is probably the happiest person ever to know a real little turtle was named after her) mom's was Byron, and mine was Slow but he really wasn't at all. After getting your turtle you just play with them for a couple of minutes then every one puts there turtle down and they begin for the water. Them racing toward the water is seriously the cutest thing ever. All the little turtles flop down the beach then some get stuck in the footprints in the sand and try to wiggle their way out. then when they are close to the water a wave will come and you'll see all these little black dots flopping in the water while the waves pull them into the giant dark sea.

The rest of the time we spent swimming in the pool and talking with our new friend Mike from Colorado, he owned the little hotel.

Lilia on the black sand beach

 

Mimi in the hammock in our bungle 

A truck full of sugar cane three carts long and on the freeway before it pulled out it was dropping sugar cane everywhere 

Mimi waiting for dinner and playing on the beach

nearing the end of their turtle trip down the beach every black dot are the last turtles that day we released 200 newly born turtles

left to right; Slow, Floppy, Byron, Lucy

Lili and her turtle Myrdle

Mom's favorite picture of the patched mountain side on the way to the beach

looking down the black sand beach

Marije and Floppy

at the hotel the cook was selling homade popsicles Marije has a papaya and watermelon one there was also coconut ones

at the pool where we spent most of our time

Right now while I'm writing this I am sitting in my room, in the house that we are staying in they are playing all the popular american music super loud and perfectly singing along yet they have no idea what they are saying which is really funny. Lilia is doing her math and mimi is doing English slowly. Daddy is in the US for a week and Mom is helping us with homework. When my mom and dad can't help me with algebra I go down stairs and ask the 19 year old in college how to do it and if he doesn't know he writes it down and asked his professor. mom likes it because she doesn't want to relearn algebra.

BABY PUPPY!  My mom doesn't let us pet dogs but I couldn't resist, he was too cute.

LITTLE BABY PUPPY! We are also not allowed to feed dogs but we had an extra piece of bread. When it accidentally fell on the ground we had to throw it away so instead I gave it to the puppy.

I'm sitting near the top of the volcano with three jackets and a little black dog. You can see where the volcano meet the forest. Also if you see the distant blue mountains those are part of El Salvador.

Our neighbor who always plays with tires it's really funny. 

I'm inside a hole in the volcano and its really warm and fun. 

Lily is sitting in the back of the car and taking a picture. In Guatemala we don't use seat belts and sometimes we don't even sit in the seat. Mom, though, always uses a seat belt.

Welcome to the moon or the volcano Pacaya. All of the Gray is ashe and rock.

Me and Lil with our teachers at spanish school.

Soccer court next to our house.

We were on a hike in a park when some guys passed by with machine guns!! :0

An adorable puppy and it was super fluffy.

Lilia and Mom's dance class the room was about 20ft by 14ft crammed with maybe 30 people learning to do the salsa.

These are some of the people that are constantly in our house

left to right; Carlos, Marvin, Carlos, Mimi, Chino

I bought a bird!!! No seriously I bought a bird and they put the birdy in a box!

This is the Bird that I bought its really pretty!

This is at dinner.

Left to right; mimi, me, Carlos, Sylvia, Marvin Sr., Diego, Marvin Jr. and lilia

There were bunnies that look like my fat bunny they were so fluffy and adorable 

Mimi playing Soccer

This guy even posed for us while he guarded the Beer delivery truck.

my mom's blog is www.michellerechin.blogspot.com

My mom dosen't want me to say names (Mrs. Brant) but if you can't comment click the 'No comment' or '1 comment' , ect. Write your comment then it will be sent to my email where I can approve it. Then every one can see it under the comments.

Buenas Tardes,
All the showers here get hot water by the electricity electrifying it so if you touch the shower head you will get shocked. So this morning my Dad was taking a relaxing shower when all of a sudden the shower head burst into flames! Daddy ran out of the shower faster than we even thought was possible. Then all the power in the house went out.  Sylvia is the kitchen only saw a pillar of fire come out of the bathroom window and started yelling. Then the whole house smelled like smoke. Now we are all a little scared of that shower.

Last night I had finished watching a movie and was in the bathroom. Here the toilet paper is not on a toilet paper holder so I went to get it off the cabinet. I picked it up and a cockroach crawled up my hand  I freaked out and shook it off then ran out of the bathroom silently yelling because I was in my sister's room. Things like this happen every day.

Hi, 

I am in Antigua, Guatemala. We are in spanish school here and living with a family of three boys. Diego and Carlos are 17 year old twins and Marin Jr. is 19. Marvin Sr.and Sylvia are our (the girls) 'parents'. Mom and Dad are staying with Sylvia's brother Carlos. Their house is connected to ours by the garage. In Mom's house there is Carlos the dad and his wife, also, Sylvia. They also have a son named Carlos (Pepe), and Cristian the cousin who is also living with them. Josue the cousin who lives  minute away has the the tallest hair ever and practically lives here also. There are some more male cousins that live a few doors down the street and randomly show up for lunch and dinner. The great uncle who comes everyday is Julio he goes to one house, eats lunch then falls asleep on the couch watching TV. Then goes to the other house eats lunch and falls asleep on the couch talking.  Grandpa Carlos comes over everyday too. He rides his 1950's bike then sits on the couch with Julio and falls asleep. They also say that there is one female cousin who lives near by but we still haven't met her! God also blessed us with a Christian family. Last night we were all deciding what movie to watch and they asked us if we wanted to watch 'Fireproof'.  

One normal day here is waking up at six thirty with breakfast at seven. After breakfast we go to the coffee shop so Dad can stay alive, then walk to the school. The school we go to has a main building but they also own a garden on the edge of town. We are in the garden along with about 30 students and 30 more teachers. We are at school for four hours, then we walk back home for lunch at 1:00. Lunch is fun, mom and dad eat at their house but at our house all eight of us eat at a table made for five. We all talk and eat and talk and eat. After lunch we have to study english, math and spanish, we get a lot of spanish homework. Then we go walk around town, or go on a trip set up by the school. If we stay home for the afternoon Marije goes and plays soccer with the boys. All the boys are really good at soccer and they play all day. Marije loves it and all the boys treat her like a little sister. At 7:00 is dinner and so we all sit at the little table and eat and talk. After dinner all the boys either go play more soccer or we all watch a movie. that is our day in Antigua.

Hello, 

If you want to comment click the 'No comment' or the '1 comment' then the comment will be sent to my email for me to approve :) 

Hola,

We have safely arrived in Guatemala. Right now we are staying in Zacapa, Guatemala at the orphanage Casa de Esperanza (House of Hope). We are hanging out with the kids all day and then helping make really big dinners. We are sleeping on floors and couches because there are not enough beds, but we are still having a lot of fun.