A bunch has happened since my last real post. Leading the intern groups really is a 24/7 job, though I'm still loving it.

As I mentioned, there are pictures up of my hike up Volcan Pacaya. It was really difficult, but lots of fun. Seeing the lava up close like that was amazing, and certainly nothing that would ever be allowed in the States....

On Tuesday the 28th my group (6 interns) and Mary Claire and I left for Nebaj. During the week we did publicity and campaigns, did feasibility tests for solar lights and medicinal plants as new SolCom products, talked to restaurants to find out if they would be a new market for water filters, painted a school that is funded by SolCom, and found a new referral clinic for our clients with larger eye problems than we are able to treat. Overall, it was a very productive week.

This past Tuesday we left Nebaj and traveled to Xela (also know as Quetzaltenango), the second biggest city in Guatemala. I really love it here. It feels like a real city (sometimes Antigua doesn't) and has a lot of restaurants and cafes and a gorgeous Parque Central. We've done some similar things in Xela, such as campaigns and publicity, and several Xela-specific projects, including working with a weaving co-op called Nueva Alianza. On Friday we also went to Fuentes Georginas - hot springs about an hour outside of the city. They were gorgeous and it was a really nice way to spend an afternoon. On Tuesday we leave Xela and head to Lake Atitlan for a day (I'm going ziplining!) and then I'll be back in Antigua on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to going bacy, finally getting my apartment in order, and starting to set up a real life (at least for a while).

Today I finally have a day to relax a bit, which is nice and very necessary. I'm almost done with a book I borrowed from one of the interns (The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie), so I'm going to finish that now and then head off in search of a bookstore. I will try to update a little more frequently in the future, and more pictures are coming soon!