Saturday 15th March 2008

Got rudely awoken at 6am by some loud Americans anouncing to the whole of Miami they were going for a walk before breakfast. I got up at 7am. I decided that my flight socks stank that bad there was no way I could put them on. Went for breakfast but they wern't serving till 8.30am so went for a walk. Once off the main road it was a really nice area with palm trees and cats lounging on peoples porches.

Had some breakfast and got the shuttle to the airport at 9am. Jad to take my backpack out of its travel case as my sholder was bruised from carrying it yesterday and there seems to be a lack of trollies at this airport. My flight was delayed by 25mins and as I was more then 3hours early my checkin wasn't opened. I sat around for abit and went back and it still wasn't open. Went to find a cup of tea, only place was Burger King. Got a coffe and managed to pour the milk down myself and the guy sat next to me. Had a breif conversation with him that didn't last long due to my poor Spanish and his poor English.

I decided to ask about my flight and found out that I was in the wrong bit of the airport. I found the right bit and manually checked in and gave them my backpack that was now weighting a ton. I then had to go for a 10min walk to the other end of the airport to go through security.

I must have looked like a terrorist as I got put in a different queue then everyone else. Went through a machine that blow air at me, metal dectector and got patted down. My bag went through the xray machine then got emptied out and pieces of paper rubbed in it and put through a machine to check for expolsives. I then got the tram to the otherside of the airport. I very wisely checked that I was at the right gate before hanging around. Result I made it. I wandered around and sat in the sun watching the world go by until boarding. The plane was delayed for an hour and took 2 1/2 hours to get to Guatemala. Sat next to a local who showed me some pictures on his lap top of the town I was staying in.

Saw Belize from the plane and the coral reef. After a rather bumpty landing I queued at customs and collected my bag. Filled out more forms and met the lad who was holding my name. God I felt important. He took me to the mini bus which was abit old but alot bettert then the others around it. Drove through Guatemala City to Antigua.

As I arrived at the house the last student who I was taking over from left. I spoke to the father Julio in the kitchen as mama Patty, who I later knew her as, made up my room. I got shown to my room which was at the back of the house. Basic but 'pleasant'. I unpacked and gave them the presents of English tea, Kendal Mint Cake and toys for the kids. I also got shown where everything was. The shower and toilet was very basic. Lets just say if it was raining I doubt you would need to turn the shower on to get wet and its cold water.

Had abit of a rest and met Lilly my house mate. She had been here for 5weeks and was ment to be in Honduras but her friend who was ment to be going with her failed to get on the bus. She thinks it was the result of drinking too much the night before. The bus driver refused to let her off so she had to take the 6hour bus ride there and back again. She wasn't pleased.

We had supper with Mama Patty and baby Patricia of pasta and tomato and garlic sause with bread. It was very nice but very salty. Lilly said that everything over here is either very sweet or salty. I was straving as I hadn't eaten anything apart from two packets of prezel things on the plane since breakfast that morning in Miami.

I went to bed early and gt woken up a few times in the night with barking dogs and noise and in the morning by the neighbours birds.

Friday 14th March 2008

Got up at 4.30am. Got to the airport just after 6.30am and it took till 8am to be check through security even though the queue wasn't very long. The plane took off on time and I had two great meals. Went over GreenLand which looked amazing with all the snow. Had a very anoying guy infront of me who though it was funny to talk like Andy from Little Britain the whole flight. Also the Liverpool football team was on the flight but think they were the 2nd team as I didn't recognise any of them. They were on route to dallas.

I was sat next to a lad who couldn't have been any older then 16. he was travelling to see his dad who was serving in the army in America. I got off at Chicago, through customs with no problems and got the train to the next terminal. Was lovely and sunny outside. The flight from Chicargo took off on time and we had to dodge some thunder storms on the way. Just like the flight from Manchester there wasn't anything decent to watch. We Landed in miami and waited for ages for the plane to park.

When we did finally get off the plane we had to walk and get the tram all the way across the airport like lemmings to get our bags. My bag was the last bag to come out. I lugged my backpack still in its carry case to the door looking for the pick up point for the hotel shuttle buses. No sign of them so I went back insude and tired to find a member off staff who spoke English. Eventually got directed upstairs to an undercover carpark which was vry dark. When I stepped off the lift it was very clear that this was not the place where I was ment to be.

The only people walking past rathjer speedily were Latin-Americans, Wierdos or lone males. Eventually an American couple walked past and I asked them for help. They weren't sure but the guy very kindly lent me his phone to ring the hotel which was very nice of him. I was ment to be on the floor below.

When I got the the pick up point it was a case of jumping oput infront of the shuttle buses when it passed but I was so tired that I was willing to risk getting run over. I really didn't care at this point as I had been traveling for 21 hours.

Hotel was basic but was ok. And does no onje listen. The amount of texts I got off people thinking I was still in England. tut tut.

P.S I HATE MIAMI AIRPORT!!!