I read the most fascinating book today from cover to cover. As Kirsty put it 'It has been a very long travel day!We left San Christobal this morning crossing the border back into guatemala, 3 buses and a book later we arrived in Panachel on Lake Atilan at 6pm ,home for the next two days. I read about a Mayan Health centre while in Belize and thought of going for a massage but never did. A few days later in Caye Caulkers I came across a book about the lady who had set this up,Rosita Arvigo, american by birth, belizan by heart who spent 5 years working with an ancient Mayan healing learning all there is to know about healing with what nature provides, and with what powerful healing hands can restore. It proved to be a wonderful story of warmth, friendship, faith and hope.For all of 5 minutes you start telling yourself that I must really start taking some of these natural things, no more biscuits and all that but i think i was just getting abit carried away with the magic of the whole story and the expectional case studies that we were presented. Make someone laugh and they are already half way of the way to recovery. Have faith and body and mind can be restored and made well again. I only wish now that I had gone to see the centre.However it certainly made the journey alot easier and a lot more interesting. I didn't know quite what to do with myself for the last two hours of the trip. My ipod tunes are becoming all too familiar. How I wish I had added more songs before departing!

The weekend was lovely. San Christobal is 2,00 above sea level so it was so refreshing to breath some fresh air and not sweat the minute you leave the hotel! Like Antigua and Merida it is a colonanial city but somehow its colours seemed even more vibrant, even the cakes in the market had bright coloured icing! Lots of strolling &discovering on saturtday morning & then i booked myself in for a facial at 5. Support the local economy and all that!! Well they start young here! The ladies two year old played helper to her mum and thought it hiliariously funny to run back and forward underneath my bed. I seemd to come home with more exfoiliater on my face than had been taken off but hopefully It will have done some good. The spirit of Christmas abounded and was in full swing on Saturday night as we strolled around the main square after dinner. Mexicans seem to love Christmas as much as we do! A massive big Santa had appeared over night, every corner glowed with lights and decorartions, families out eating and strolling together,a real festive feel. Afterwards we tried out the local Salsa Club. Joanne kept getting sent Margarita from a very dodgy looking local sitting on his own. It provided some light entertainment trying to figure out why he was wearing woolie gloves and never took them off!luckily she escaped a dance with him. Again the professional looking couples just inspired me to learn how to do it.It's great going to a club where everyone dances, young and old alike.

Sunday morning we headed en masse to two local villages for abit of cultural immersion. We were greeting with a scene which seemd to silence us all. In front of us a massive grave yard, huge groups of famillies seemd to have set up camp for the day, bands and music playing, children laughing, a constant flutter of activity and noise. Sundays are spent accompanying the dead, at least for alittle while.Afterwards we followed our guide to one of the houses of the local elected leader to witness some more Sunday rituals. His front room had been turned into a shrine, palm leaves scattered on the floor, candles were lit and the chanting began. Samara had mentioned beforehand that she thought it was abit strange to go and observe people. At times, it did feel alittle envasive but appartently they are happy and proud for us to witness some of their rituals and hopefully with what we had paid alittle something would be given back to the community. We followed everyone to the local church. It is catholic but the people practice somwhat of a mix between old Mayan traditions and catholism. To be honest the only way I can describe the scene that lay before us as the doors were opened as abit of an Orgy. Well I have never been to one but what I imagine it may look like!! Bellows of smoke from every corner of space available made it hard to decipher how many people and animals they were inside. They were thousands of candles burning everywhere, on the floor, on the various altars, anywhere there could be there was. People chanted and prayed out loud. We had been warned that we were not allowed to take photos but as human beings always do when they are told that cannot do something, they try and do it anyway. Linden tried to catch a cheeky picture but forgot to turn his flash off! He nearly got the whole lots of us thrown out and left out poor guide defending his actions. The market outside was an equal frenzied event. I was relucant to take photos of people but I think it is the only way that you get a true sense of a place.I took a few cheeky ones from far with my super long lense so I hope you can get alittle sense of the place. I think the black and white works well. Sunday afternoon was lazy around San christobal so we fitted in with the rhythm .Out hotel was conveniently located behind one of the central churches so from 7 onwards every morning we had the bells chiming so an afternoon nap was had by all and throughly enjoyed.

Leaving Mexico this morning two impressions remain fixed on my mind. I could not get over how efficient everything was there.I never expected it, buses rang on time, public toilets were spotless. They even encourage you to save on toilet paper so only take as much paper you think you need before going in. Roads were smooth and easy to make progress on. Travelling there was lot easier than I anticipated. However I remained alittle dissappointed and surprised with the people. Being a Hispanic speaking country I thought they would be much friendly but they weren't. Jo and I both mentioned the other day how little people seem to smile. They didn't seem interested in the slightest in talking to us. Of course there were the odd one or two but on the whole, people were short, disinterested and on the surface appartently quite solomon and sad.The minute we crossed over the border today the roads worsended but the friendly shouts of hola greeted us.I am going to try and upload some photos of the weekend now but the computer is painfully slow so I might have to abandon my efforts. If I can't I will upload them when I get to Antigua on Friday. We will back to where we started this loop, the first circle completed. Some new people are joining us which will be good and shuffle the dynamics abit. It is no easy task sharing your every waking moment with strangers. I have told myself this is good training and will surely make me a more tolerant person. On the other hand it might just encourage me to become a Hermit! We will see… the journey continues…