47 degrees

During the day here in HAwaii you are pretty much free to do what you want. There are tasks to be done but you don't have to do them if you don't want to since a lot of the time we are tired from night patrols. However I like to keep occupied - I have so far shown everyone that it is perfectly possible to keep toilets and kitchens clean and sanitised. But it did take a lot of elbow grease! Other activities have inclded plastering a water tank for the turtle rescue centre, cleaning, painting, cleaning, beach clearing, cleaning.

I am one of about a dozen people here. Scott and Sarah are an English couple who kind of run the place. Rachel and Emma are sponsored by the European Volunteer Service (EVS) to do some 'science'. Rebecca is a Kiwi who is alos kind of part funded by the EVS somehow and part self funded. Ysabel is here from Peru. She's a tour guide for all over South America nad has been given 6 months to discover Central America and is spending 3 months on this project. Correen is a 17 year old Canadian high school student. Sam and Alice are wildlife photography students at Blackpool. Anne is a more mature New Jersey software consultant. Noticed that it's all girls so far except Scott? Well that's what it was like when I first got here. The next day Jared arrived for a long weekend. He lives in Oregon and is employed by rich parents to get their kids off the rails and back into college. Then yesterday Derek arrived from Vermont. He has just sat his bar exam for environmental law. And finally and by all means least, there's Colin, a guy from Dunfermline who annoyed me as soon as he openend his mouth. He's almost everything I hate about Scottish people. When he introduced himself and I asked if that was another Scottish accent I was hearing, by way of reply he lifted his shirt sleeve to reveal his Scotland tattoo and the words "we shall be a nation again". All his t-shirts are Scotland/football related. He's sitting at the same table as me right now and has just shown me his diary - with a great big Scottish flag on it. He's already gone on about Scottish independence and how Mcconnell is a patsy for Blair. He's not a horrible person but I wouldn't want to socialise with him in any way in Scotland never mind Guatemala. I feel a tiny bit sorry for him as this is a very new experience for him and he looks a bit out of his depth at times. He just got divorced and the proceeds from the marital home are funding this trip. He is on anti-depressants and has nothing and no-one waiting for him back in Scotland. Aw - too much information in 24 hours mate!

Just as long as I never have to go on night patrol with him and we can stop hijm playing his awful music (4 non-blondes and Robbie FFS) then I'm sure I can cope. His arrival has significantly spoiled my enjoyment and chilled-outness though.

47 degrees celcius (in the sun) today. Phew.