Woof Woof!

First,

last night's dinner was the same as lunch, noodles with veggies. Afterwards everyone in my house sat around and played cards. I had a local beer, not sure the name, but it was quite dark and not exactly to my liking. We played til almost 10 and cut it off because we all had to work the next day.

I woke up early, around 6 and had breakfast of two fried eggs and a very thin porridge which was sweet and cinnamony. I left shortly before seven to head to Maximo to get my "guide" and covolunteers for my bus. I managed to get lost 1/2 a block away, but figured it out.

The buses here are school buses that are colorfully decorated. I think they cram in extra rows of seats too. It's normal for there to be 3 people per seat with the aisle person halfway hanging over. In a full row of 6 people the aisle ceases to exist.

First ride was about 30 minutes and cost 5 Quetzales. We got off and transfered to another bus. The second ride was a bit shorter (I think) and can be 3 or 4 Quetzales. We then had to walk up a dirt road for about 15 minutes before getting to our placement, Animal Aware. The place is amazing!

It is a huge forresty/open dirt area with large indoor/outdoor runs that look made by hand. There are about 5 dogs per run and they are (almost) all so sweet. Only two we need to stay away from. There are also several cat houses including a FELV house. The woman that runs the place has been doing it for quite some time and she has two employees and several volunteers right now. The animals are all fixed and fully vaccinated, which I wasn't quite expecting. They even offer clinics for the community to take advantage of.

Our work today consisted of exchanging the old bedding and replacing it with new burlap. We went in and out of so many kennels and the dogs were so excited to see us. Even though it is a great place, most of the dogs could really use a bath and some need a thorough brushing to get rid of mats.

It seemed to take forever to get home and I got off the bus at the wrong place. My area is at the end of the bus line but before getting there, we went through a area that looked like we were leaving the city. I panicked and though I had missed my stop, so I got off there, walked awhile, and then realized I could have stayed longer. At least I know for next time. Lunch was ready for me, it was almost 2, and it was broccoli and carrots with dressing and melon with some honey. It was a bit light, but dinner shouldn't be too far away.

The weather has been raining on and off since I got here. It's a bit chillier than I expected too. In the mornings I wake up rather cold. Luckily there is a warm shower.

I've scheduled Tikal for this weekend and am hoping to climb Pacaya mountain and see the Chichicastenango market next week. Honestly, I'm still not feeling this like how I enjoyed Peru, but I'm trying to make the best of it.