Hi everyone!

We just wanted to give you some pictures so that you can get an idea of the things that we are talking about and where we have been for the past week.

We have been spending most of our days at the VSO office in Georgetown where we have been receiving and trying to process loads of information about many important topics such as the history and politics of Guyana, safety around Guyana, staying healthy, how to use a mosquito net and water filter successfully and many other equally important things. The VSO office is a very comfortable place with air conditioning (a luxery), a library of books (which is great because books weren't included in our "must have" weight limit), internet, and pidgeon hole mailboxes where our mail will be delivered. It will be easier to have all mail delivered there than to our homes, so if you are so inclined to send a note we would love to have it! There is nothing sadder than an empty mailbox. The address at the office would be:

Jessica Hoffman/ Blake Hutson
VSO office
106-7 Lamaha and Carmichael
Georgetown, Guyana

We have been spending our night at the Rima Guesthouse, a very comfortable and clean guesthouse very centrally located and around the corner from the VSO office. We have a very comfortable room with a king size bed, a mosquito net, a fan, and a sink. The bathrooms and cold shower is shared between 16 volunteers which proves to be a logistical nightmare in the mornings! We have breakfast, (normally eggs, toast, fresh squeezed juices, coffee, and fruit. You would not believe the fruit and fruit juices here!) and dinner (normally fish, chicken, rice, stir fried vegetables, and potato salad) at the guesthouse and lunch is ordered to the VSO office. We are eating incredibly well here!

This weekend was the home stay with currecntly serving volunteers. We toured the city, saw the important sights like the grocery stores and farmers market, and walked along the sea wall. the "beach" here is not much to see. The water is dark brown and so dirty that even the Guyanese don't tend to swim in it. There is also an incredible amount of trash around the city. It would be a great opportunity for a recycling project. Despite its flaws though the sea wall goes on for a long time following the coast, is a great place to run, and has a lovely breeze off the ocean.

On Sunday night, the currently serving volunteers hosted a pot luck dinner party for the new volunteers in the courtyard between a couple of VSO houses. It was wonderful! There was even a surprise birthday cake for Blake which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Tomorrow we leave for the Shankland "resort" for some more bonding time and a Creolese tutorial. Then it is back to the Rima for one more night before we meet our employers and they take us to our homes on Friday. We are "borrowing" internet from the bar across the street so our family room looks like an internet cafe every evening. We would love to hear from eveyone!