San Andres, Peten

Life in San Andres is full of challenges. We are living with a family who speak no english so we are trying our best with Spanish. There are bugs everywhere, mosquitoes, spiders, scorpions and many unidentified flying things. Most of which seem to end up in our bedroom at some point. San Andres seems to be overrun with dogs - half starved mangy looking dogs who are tired and lazy in the midday heat but completely insane at night. So we get our drinking done early here. Things are pretty basic, outdoor toilet and shower and washing clothes outside on a washboard. The work is OK, we leave for work at eight and are usually cooling off in the lake soon after midday. Lake Peten Itza is about 20 yards from our house and is beautiful, particulary in the scorching afternoon heat.
The work is manual and quite varied. So far we've been replacing rotten fence posts around the perimeter of the park, rebuilding a chicken shed and replanting banana trees (where the tarantulas live). Next week we're in the butterfly garden. One more week to go.