The Macdonald files

Well we got across London on the tube without any major incident,Seth pulled on his hoodie and tried to look suspicious(or should we say more so).The children provided free entertainment  in the carriage by seeing who could hang off the high hand rails for the longest. They looked like a family of bats having a nap.The other game for the girls was spinning round the central pole so fast they got dizzy.They reduced the carriage to giggles when they loudly asked Hamish if they could have a pole in our house to play with!Hamishs face said it all!Our freinds Alethia and Alex picked us up and put us up in thier home overnight.It was lovely to catch up with them and see them looking so well.Alethia cooked us a fantastic dinner and we felt truly looked after.The kids let off steam pillow fighting with thier two children…then we slept.After breakfast a taxi got us to the airport in good time.We had just checked in and my folks phoned us and asked us how we were ..then my Dad said youre looking good which I thought was strange,I looked up and they were there!!could not believe it!!made me cry.They had come to see us off(make sure we went!).We passed the time chatting and drinking coffee,and the kids blindfolded Grandma and Grandad and led them around terminal four which attracted some stares.Darcy and Flora took it one step too far and tried to lead them down an escalator.Its amazing what Grandparents will do when they know they wont see the kids for a while!After long waves goodbye we undress for security(thats what it feels like!)and get through with no problems.Aboard the flight to Housten..everyone is excited apart from me who is shaking with terror and wondering why I do this to myself.Once we are up in the air I have convinced myself its good to do things that scare us because it makes you feel very much alive and free..which is a wonderful thing.After a delicious dinner and a good movie I sing along to some great classic albums (the intro to U2`s streets have no name is particularly ace) start to relax and feel excited.As we fly into Newark we see the iconic New York  skyline.The flight attendant was great with the kids showing her the land marks,statue of liberty,george washington bridge,and the empire state building.The kids were genuinly delighted to see it and want to go and visit New York,which we cant today as we connect in four hours!Security here is tight and smiles are few, hand signals are prefered to talking.I keep telling the kids off who are joking about and no New Yorkers are amused.Mum and Dad are feeling the jet lag and the kids are feeling our lack of patience.We then fly down to Houston which had just had a big storm and we were told the weather was causing moderate to severe turbulence…not what a nervous flyer wants to hear but it was not as bad as expected and we landed without any problems.It was like the north and south divide ,greeted by warm and smiling Texans with thier slow, long acents and big smiles.The staff called us Baby and sugar!!this is not New York!We had a night in a motel which was great.We have lots to learn from the Americans about family travel.We had a massive  room with two enormous beds, tv ,microwave ,fridge and lovely ensuite all for about thirty pounds,with breakfast included.In the uk you are not allowed to have more than 2 kids in a room.Love the American system of paying for the room(feel a hotel chain in UK coming on..watch out dragons den).In the morning we set off for San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras,we had a good flight and saw some beautiful sites out of the window,it was such a clear day.We saw the beliezian reef and cays which were so stunning and the kids took pictures . We flew over all the banana plantations and as we were landing you couldnt see the aiport and it felt we were landing in a field of banana trees which Seth liked!the airport looked like a bunch of tumbledown buildings and we suddenly realise we are here in a culture and country so very different to ours.We get through customs and we see one Amerian lady has been stopped and in her case is a load of bones!!We are laughing with the Honduran security saying its her husband!But we hope it wasn’t!We get in the taxi and are amazed at the heat ,even the wind is hot.It is 92  blue skies and we are sweating.We tip the porters and we get in conversation that we are from England .They seem very excited and Seth gives one of them a British pound.He is obviously delighted wit it and so Seth gives his mate one too which was lovely of him.We end up in a hotel which is luxury by our normal standard but figure we need to rest and aclimatize.It is typially Honduran and looks tired but it is clean and cochroach free and has a pool .It didnt take us long to bare our lilly white bodies and have a dip to cool from the raging heat.We walked around San Pedro and got lots of stares which we thought unusual,but we didnt see any other gringoes .Feels wierd to be an ethnic minority.The children were a little unnerved but were ok.After a typical Honduran meal we went to bed at 7.30 and slept so well.As I sit writing this as I woke up we have tropical rain today ,so we are wondering whether to make our way to teguigalpa today rather than tomorrow.Its an arduous trip through three massive mountain ranges on a chicken bus..it can take anything from 4 to 6 hours….we will decide over breakfast.For now we say good bye I will post some pics relating to this post soon.We are very thankful to be here safely,and excited about the opportunities presented to us daily.All our love Rachel Hamish Seth Darcy and Flora.x.

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Hello isn`t it great you can go online whilst on the train!I have just enjoyed a hot chocolate,talked to my parents and sister,and as its a full (some standing)train I am sat apart from my family next to three very well behaved individuals,and I am pretending the noisy 3 children constantly going to the toilet just so they can play with the doors…are nothing to do with me!Thankyou to jeff for taking us to the station and it was great kirsty came along too.The kids have a tesco bag full of sweets that they are getting through at lightening speed,I`m suprised one of them havnt been sick yet!!least we`ll have tesco bags at the ready.Everyone seems excited,Seth has just been told to keep his voice down,and is playing his ipod a little loud,lets hope this carriage likes lady Gaga!Darcy and Flora are both drawing and playing quizzes with each other,Hamish is reading,and I might take this rare opportunity to relax and have a nap..may I drift off to the dulcit tones of lady gaga!!!cu soon love Rach.

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We are packing again to fly to Honduras.As ever in our house hold life is manic up until the train leaves for London! but it will get there !thankfully someone is living in our house and feeding the Macdonald zoo,and most importantly taking care of our beloved caravan(ha! will it still be standing on our return!)Picking up kids school work today the kids groaned about it..but it will be done!looking forward to seeing friends in London and living out of rucksacks and sunshine.See you soon.Rachel.

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