The Macdonald files » Central America

Roatan in Honduras, Raratonga and pictures from the Cook Islands

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:20:35 +0000

Roatan in Honduras

beach at west bay

Flora is holding a night monkey

Seth with Iguana

Raratonga

Chillin’

Sunset

Cook Islands

Hey yesterday we saw a stone fish ahh

the beach near where we stayed

Seth feeding fish in the sea

Journey to LA.

admin — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:07:35 +0000

We had a very tearful goodbye at the finca..cried all the way down to teguc..awful..but we must visit
them all again soon.Miss them already.Our trip through El Salvador wasn’t the greatest..it was hot
full of exhaust fumes and crowded beyond belief..we all felt really ill..and it continued for the whole
two days!we even woke up sick..but its over now!!we had one funny incident on the way flora
needed the toilet bad..tummy trouble…the bus stopped thankfully and we had to pay to use a very
ropey hotel toilet!well there was no water to flush so I had to use a bucket to fetch water to pour
down to flush it..it wouldn’t work..so I started to have a fiddle to see if I could fix it(bad move!not
blessed with plumbing skills stick to the arty stuff!)well something flew off and I was hit in the face
with a forcefull jet of water which wouldn’t stop!!well I collapsed laughing poor flora didn’t know
what had hit her..I was soaked through and had to keep my finger on the offending tube..whilst
screaming for help to the young girl next door!!who came and smiled meekly at the helpless wet
gringo!!she said to leave it..we went back to the bus hair dripping wet..Hamish wondered what on
earth had happened to me!!at least I was cooled down.Arrived in Guatemala and caught our flight
without any problem it was nice to touch down safely in LA and be met by friends at the
airport.Great to feel cool air..but still very sunny..lots of burnt hillsides around and buildings leveled
due to the fires..we didn’t hear about them until a few weeks ago..thankfully our friends house was
OK.Last week we had a lovely time in Roaran…we stayed with a wonderful Iranian family they were
so hospitable.Had fun on the beach..got bitten by sandflies..I was walking around in an antihistamine
daze for a couple of days!!For those that like laughing at other peoples misfortunes you
are gonna like this!!!we got up at 5am for the7am boat…got to the port for 6 ish.Found out we
couldn’t pay by visa..so Hamish had to bomb it down to the town to get money out the cash
machine..he arrived back to see the boat depart!!he then told me the bank wouldn’t give him any
money..it wouldn’t recognize his card!!!he had to go back to our friends house to ask for the money
back we had given them to say thankyou!!(the shame!!!!)he was cool about it..but it was just
enough to get us on the next boat…at 2pm!!so we didn’t even have the money for a taxi back to our
friends..or any food or drink!!so 7 hours wait at the port tired hungry thirst in tropical heat..was not
our best of days..but we kept our spirits up and reminded ourselves we would laugh about it one
day(in many years time!!!)we are setting off for the cook islands tonight..long flight..and all suffering
with upset tummies..we are taking antibiotics..but hope we will all feel healthier soon.Love to you
all..miss you want to come home for Christmas!I will send some photos of Roatan..went to an Iguana
farm which was fun!love Rachel.xxxxxx

Soon to Roatan

admin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:30:09 +0000

Floras birthday was a fun day of opening presents.She sleepy in until 10am!I dream of a birthday like that!!

We went out for the kids favorite dinner in the village..at a cheap and cheerful commodore..we had pupusas..tortillas stuffed with cheese..and an anafre..refried beans with stretchy cheese cooked over charcoal..and you eat it with fried tortillas..its yummy.Hamish had a typical plate..of rice beans..sour cream..meat and salad.

We then went up the mountain to our friend evas house..for a delicious cake..and a piñata

you hit it until all the sweets fall out..great fun. Flora got her nose pushed in the cake before we ate it..a local tradition!

Seth improved on his machete skills..cutting wood and grass with one of the workmen called Oscar.

Whilst in the café we were laughing about Spanish soap operas..they are on in the background everywhere you go.The leading lady is always crying hysterically..and dressed like they are on their way to the `Oscars`..normally they have dyed their naturally dark hair a weird shade of blonde.A fight breaks out every few minutes and furniture is always smashed..its so overacted its like a comedy sketch..it actually makes neighbours look like Shakespeare..its so funny it always lifts our spirits..but everyone wonders why we are laughing…I reckon they would find british TV pretty dull!Well we are soon leaving will be sad..we are off to Roatan an island off the Caribbean coast of honduras..its gorgeous..crystal clear water..palm trees..Iguanas on the beach(seth will love it)Cant wait for the break..we`ll send you photos.Keep us in your prayers as we travel many hours on buses and planes in the next few weeks!Love to you all Rachel and Clan.PS Our car was sold in the states..great news..our friend Ed sold it and sorted it out..the totally ace family we stayed with in the states.I don’t think we have met kinder people in a long time..they are a tremendous witness for God in the way that they live.Write again soon.

Preparing for the next leg

admin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:41:35 +0000

Hi feeling poorly today so it wont be my usual jabbering on for hours!it will be early to bed I hope!had a music practice in the city..so had two bus journeys on my own…the usual 3 on one seat crush..but I kept safe..and enjoyed playing a piano.Helping to lead in church tomorrow..should be good.Been teaching lots this week..the kids here are so willing to learn..it’s a lot of fun…Seth has been helping teach kids maths he has been a real help.Darcy is a social animal and is always out with her friends..and flora has aquired a passion for recorder playing..which we are trying to encourage !!!despite the intense pain it causes in our heads. I have been enjoying bouncing on the trampoline…showing them tricks..which once they have mastered get a lollipop.. its lots of fun…stops the boredom of manning a line of eager bouncers!Its been a full week of entertaining people who just drop in..one evening 5 extras appeared for tea..it was Hamishs chips and egg evening..but he was still out when everyone arrived so it was like a local chippie for a few hours with me sweating over the chip pan…I think I have inherited my mums habit of always making a bit more just in case any one pops in…the world has cottened on !!and pops in very frequently…but I much prefer it that way to pre arranged drop ins!its more spontaneous…and you don’t have to worry what the house looks like!what am I going on about..oh Don Pablos dog which we all loved died yesterday..he thinks he ate poison..a few pet dogs have been poisoned this week by poison we think put down for the rats or the dogs..such a shame…and yet all the flea bitten skinny unloved pitiful dogs..don’t seem to have eaten any!!must go to bed in need of sleep to get better really dodgy tummy its that been up all night feeling…don’t know whats up..but head is wrecked(my daughter and that recorder!)post this in teguc tomorrow..night night..listening to Damien Rice chilling me out love it.Take care love Rachel and the clan.XX

A word from Hamish

Sat in our kitchen writing email so I can send them quickly tomorrow when we go down to Tegus as we hope to treat the kids out to the cinema as it is Flora’s Birthday on Tuesday, where has 6 years gone!! Been a very busy week, today put in the foundation for the 5^th house, we use over 17 bags of cement for the concrete, thankfully there was 10 of us working on it. It has been a hard week as we had to dig out the foundations this week by pick and shovel, why don’t they have a bobcat?!? Also more walks in the country, sadly one of the kids (not ours Thankfully) got bitten by a big dog on the face she seems ok and they don’t seem worried about rabies and it was not deep so no stitches, later on Darcy found a snake thankfully it was dead. The vehicles they drive, and tyres with wire showing, pick ups which look like they have been in a scarp yard for 5 years with 20 plus bags of cement in crawling up roads I find difficult to walk up, it is crazy!! What else can I say but the cockroaches in the microwave keep growing and multiplying!

Well we will be leaving soon we hope to go to the Bay islands next week for a few days, so google Roatan it is a beautiful place opps chip pan about to explode, good ole chips but not with egg tonight but chicken que rico!!

After our little break we are back here to say our good byes So Sad I hate it! We travel up to Guatemala City via El Salvador then fly up to LA for 2 days then on to Raratonga in the Cook Islands then on to NZ for December.God bless Take Care

Hamish and Co.

Married fifteen years

admin — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:02:47 +0000

Hi all..things are going well and yet another week passed.woke up this morning and wanted to do something English so had marmite on toast..(bought at home…from my mum for flora who loves it) .and a boiled egg..yummy!never short of eggs round here..chickens everywhere.Eva lent us an abba cd listening to ..the winner takes it all..nearly crying what a saddo…think its one of the most beautifully written songs..on my diverse list of all time greats!this week was our wedding anniversary(15yrs!..wow.).We went to a most gorgeous restaurant overlooking Tegucigalpa..dead romantic and fantastic food…(great company?)Had a really special evening..followed by doing our weekly shop in the city..because we had the use of a car..beats lugging it up the mountain on a bus!honestly..the practicalities of life..it was like going to the Ritz then nipping to Tesco for tea bags on the way home!!we can still laugh about these things.Eva looked after the children they had a fab time..certainly weren’t asleep when we returned..but happy and well.This week has given us all aching muscles..walking for hours each day with different groups of kids up mountains we live at the height of ben nevis then walk another 2 hours up!you can feel it in your lungs and your legs!but gorgeous and have seen some lovely views.Had a good day representing Britain at joshuas school(Leonis son……as I`v said before..shes looking for a husband..but only millionaires need apply)We painted union jacks on our faces made bonfire toffee..and had a lovely day!everyone is cold at the moment..I have a fleece on tonight..but its still 70 degrees but with a cold wind..the Hondurans would have a shock in Britain in November!singing at church inTeguc tomorrow..and going to a friends house early for lunch should be nice..off to the finca church tonight just made a chilli for everyone..for the prayer time after church..should warm everyone up!Hamish not impressed I turned on the water in the kitchen when he was having a shower ..it turns the shower off..no water pressure..he was shouting and I didn’t hear him!you also cant flush the loo if you want water!!the joys!allthe children are fine..Darcy thankfully on the mend after e-coli and amoebas diagnosed in her tummy…antibiotics have worked wonders..she is much better now.Best go hopefully send photos tried last week but connection so bad as thunder storms !!so slow to send..hopefully this week.Love to all God bless Rachel and clan.

Of scrummy food

admin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 22:30:05 +0000

Well..its Sunday morning..I have just microwaved my cornflakes !!!those who are nearsest and dearest to me are not a bit surprised by that information….but I should be having a great morning….had a bit of a lie in..the children stayed at Evas house last night..they wanted to go and sleep there to catch scorpians!!they were so excited..we packed them off with their pyjamas..a night in the hut in the woods!!of course I was a bit worried..especially as it’s a very wet rainy season..but we enjoyed a night of real rest..not being pushed around in the middle of the night by our 3(especially Flora).We watched a film on the laptop and had a lovely evening.!Wanted to show you some pictures of a walk we went on yesterday up the mountains with the older boys.We went to one of the workers houses..she is called Mecedes..but the kids call her grandma!She is such a hard worker she sets off at 5 every day to get down the mountain in pitch black..there is no electricity there yet….and works 2 jobs…washing with no machine..and tons of other real hard labour..she says she has never had to have a day off sick.She is fab with all the kids always has time and patience for them..the kids love her.She then prays in the church she helped to build..(how I don’t know…she has nothing!)she prays at 3 in the morning!!and says its like fire!!her whole life is work and service for others..no leisure time….she is an amazing woman.I`m sure this is why the church of Latin America is growing so rapidly..faithful people praying.We took coke and crisps for everyone and she had made spagetti bol for us all..fantastic!!it was a day of eating yesterday..pancakes in the morning..sandwich at lunch..spaghetti 2 hours later..then I had friends from the village round cos they wanted me to make spaghetti for them!!(more!!) they brought a bottle of wine and ice cream..then after we dropped off the kids with Eva returned for a meeting with everyone concerning plans for school for the kids..and guess what more food..typical Honduran delights then Hamish whipped out a chocolate bar he had bought for me as a surprise…Always room for chocolate I say!!yummy it was like a mars bar…but as not used to it here felt a little sick!..we felt like it was Christmas all day…Vicar of diblys Christmas I think we should fast today.I`m playing keyboard in Teguc tnight..will enjoy that ..it’s a real break from the routine which really helps me!hopefully retrieve our children soon and walk to the market to buy the most fabulous bread!love to you all God bless you..Rachel and Cl

Interesting porridge

admin — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:22:17 +0000

Hi a few moments to myself..so here again..well another week almost passed..its been a funny week…not a bad one…just a slow and rather tiring one.The weather has been stormy and rainy..which turns most roads to mud..not pleasant.The week started with me asking the pharmacist in the village if she had any medicine for a wart on my thumb and for verucas on darcys feet…be warned..village life is not for the fainthearted!!!she said I would have to go to Teguc for medicine..but said she had a failsafe method for removing them!!I was all ears…here goes…….we had to draw a little blood from the wart(there is some truth in this bit)…then put a coin over it and walk around the whole village and it would be gone!! I nearly fell over and thought of Andrew tickle….giving out that advice over the counter at Boots…she saw my look of disbelief and told me it was true..she did it to hers and its never returned…wow.Characters everywhere.It has been the fair all week…very noisy..it wouldn’t be allowed back home..guys with loud speakers in their cars..all night..totally outrageous but quite the norm here.Missed home this week..and all its comforts…cold showers when its raining and cold are not nice..but most people have to wash outside..it could be worse.There are a family of cochroaches living in the microwave..they sit in the clock section..cant get them out….horrid.Flora made us laugh this week..she loves porridge and eats it every morning…but this batch had loads of insects in it..small long brown beetles with legs!she had eaten most before I noticed things wriggling…I asked her..did you have any black things in your porridge she said yes..they had legs on I left them but Dad ate one to show me they were ok….save me from this madness.It reminds me of a very famous lasagne Emma cooper made in Honduras with weavels in the flour….we ate and we lived.Miss my piano nearly as much as my friends making do with small keyboards isn’t the same but better than nothing.Darcy lost her tooth this week whilst eating sugar cane! over the pile of sand and cement outside the house..I gave a group of kids a sieve they had such fun trying to find it which they eventually did.Mummy and Daddy did the unthinkable….the tooth fairy didn’t come!!!we told her the Spanish are never in a rush and she would probably come tomorrow…Manana!!and she bought it she has obviously been here too long!hope to go to the Holy hole in teguc with leonie…a church which meets in a shack in a deprived and dangerous part of town..she says it smells awful and I`ll die when I see it..but its full of the prescence of God..sounds good.We went up to Munda and renees house this week .They live in the mountains and have very little most English people would struggle to stay there for a night..never mind a lifetime..but I love going ..they are the most warm generous people..always smiling and thankful love them…fine people a real role model.Their house is always open they share everything and their faces seem to shine..no other way to describe them.Wonderful people ..I always come away from their home feeling better in some way.Anyway going to the commodore(dining room…of sorts!)we are all eating together today wonder what it will be!I`m hungry so it will taste good I`m sure.Love to you all.Rachel and clan.PS we are going to leonis son Joshuas international day at school this Thursday..so we are going to help them represent England amidst all the yanks here ….should be a laugh…send more photos soon.

ferrier week

admin — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:07:13 +0000

This week has been ferrier( fair )week…which is another excuse not to go to school…set off loud fireworks and march very loudly with drums round the village wearing funny costumes!there is never a dull moment! Though we are lacking in sleep due to bangers being set off at 5 am and excessively loud Spanish ballads playing all night! We must be getting old!!the kids have been to school with me to help the kinder it is quite an experience for them..I don’t think they will complain about their school in England again..Seth does nothing but go on about how good his school is..which is a far cry from what he used to say every Monday morning back home.Well it was face painting last week and this week has seen loads of kids coming to me for haircuts…how scary!they are so trusting! I told them I`d never done it before..but most went quite well..when they asked for layers I freaked..but was surprised how nice it looked..I cut a little girls hair in a lovely bob she looked cute..maybe a new career awaits!and I didn’t talk to them about their holidays..I was too busy trying not to chop their ears off!The trampoline and protective fence is now finished so I take a group a day to bounce..its great fun..only one at a time for safety..but they love it(so do I).I am involved in the worship group in Teguc…and have been singing also..its been lovely to be creative and work in that environment again..its been good for me..and even though its more to do it refreshes me and gets me away from the non-stop atmosphere of life in a kids home.Leonie..our midwife friend continues to bless us..we meet most Fridays ..we had curry night this week..soon we thought it would be funny to do a Northern night!!we obviously miss good English traditions..like pie and chips!Darcy had a lovely birthday she got some roller shoes..and enjoys wizzing about on them.We went to the cinema with friends and watched the film about noah,,don’t know what its called in English..it’s a followup to bruce almighty..but it’s a most fantastic film..you must go and see it..very moving, funny..a real treat with an amazing message!well that’s all for now…oh seth and Darcy have been playing with baby snakes this week…and seth found a baby dead one and has put it in a jar…on top of the microwave!!kids are sent to test us!but they are all doing well with their Spanish..jabbering away its amazing to see..I am seeing a teacher twice a week to improve mine further hes great but lots of homework to do but it focuses me in learning new vocab which is good for me…his name is manuel…I cant stop thinking of fawlty towers it makes me laugh ..all are well and healthy thank God..miss you all keep us in your prayers all our love Rachel and the clan xxx

More Pictures Honduras September 2007

admin — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:15:51 +0000

Another blog entry..

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:23:35 +0000

Well since I last wrote we have celebrated the day of the child and independence day..both involve lots of pinatas…sweets..celebrations..and marching bands..our ears are still ringing ..they have been practicing for the last two weeks!! We all had a good time and all the kids loved it! I had the wonderful opportunity of having a cockroach climb down my neck in church…I didn’t do the respectable thing..but instinct took over!! i screamed stood up and detached it far away from me! the kids thought it was funny anyhow!We went to the kids school to support a presentation they were doing and one of the 14 year olds passed me a cup with a tarantella in!I nearly died..Seth was delighted and proceeded to play with it..and asked me could we keep it as a pet for a week or two..one look at my face gave him a straight answer!This week we have all been unwell with various things but are hoping we are all on the mend now.Had a nice day off in Teguc today there are some lovely places…we had food supplies to buy but we wandered round a posh mall…and had lunch..which wasn’t rice and beans..it was lovely!Still miss family and friends..funny it strikes at the strangest of moments..but glad for all the great opportunities we are having.Take care I promise to send photos soon..I have some of Hamish’s hair in plaits all over his head..now why doesn’t that surprise any of you!!!all our love Rachel Hamish and clan!