It's been a long week. I was giving English class to a bunch of youngsters all week and it was good. Everybody has wanted classes since I got here and I haven't been able to do a regular course because I often have to travel for meetings. So my plan (inspired by some volunteer who lived in Chris' site way back) was do English class like a day camp. A short, intense course with singalongs. It was fun for everybody and I think the kids learned something and I plan to do it again next year, but it wore me out. I came out of every day like I had just run a marathon. I've never been in charge of so many kids at a time and never for so long. I pretty much resorted to using sweets to buy their obedience, attention, and future attendance and that worked all right.

Another triumph. One of my hens has started to lay. The hippies always said that homegrown eggs are yellower and have a better yolk and they were right. The eggs are also delicious, except the ones that I didn't get to eat because the hen happens to be insane and starts pecking at her eggs shorting after laying them. Anybody know what to do for that? You could offer ideas in the poor neglected comment box.

In a couple weeks, before I'll be able to write again, I'll be going on a long walk. A group of volunteers are going from my site, across the continental divide, and to the Caribbean. It's only a four day trip, but the route goes from dry, hilly savannah to cloud forest to lowland jungle. And it is extremely rough trails and rather remote. Don't worry though. If one of us so much as sprains an ankle the navy will be sending a helicopter to get us. And plus, it's a small country. It's hard to get more than a few days walk from a road or the beach.
I'll write to tell you how it went when I'm in the city again.