I've been in this town for over six months now, and the volunteer (Charlie) who was here before me left six months before i got here. So a full year has passed since this guy has been here, with a six month transistion of no Gringo being here. So why do people still consistantly call me Charlie? At first I was polite bucause I realize just as we think all latino's look alike, they think all white people look alike. But now I've started getting rude cuz, c'mon a full year has passed and they can't figure out that I'm a different Gringo living in their town of six thousand people and one white person.

This is a disease that is carried and transmitted by mosquitos in tropical climates. I have just recently had the pleasure of getting this wonderful sickness. It started with severe exhaustion. I wasn't able to leave the house and the one time that i had to (to go to the bank), i blacked out in line and turned around and came right back home. About two days into the sickness comes the migraine headache that can only be described as an eyeball headache. The pain is isolated around the eyes to the point that it hurts to look anywhere other than straight ahead. Around three days in i lost my appetite completely. In a four day period i had maybe a plate and a half of food and lost about ten pounds. It also carries every symptom of the regular flu. One night i was extremely thirsty but felt so bad that i couldn't get out of bed and walk the six steps to the kitchen to get some water. And just when you start feeling better and think it is all over the Dengue gives you a parting gift, a rash. It was on my legs and one of those that you can't see, you just itch terribly. Good Advice: don't get Dengue Fever.

There is a man renting the apartment that is in the back yard of my house. Well I've lived in this house for about five months now and I still don't know his name cuz i would only see him occassionally. So i call him the guy who lives in my back yard (but not to his face). About two weeks ago he knocked on my front door with a couple beers, so i invited him in. HUGE MISTAKE. He then made a habit out of coming over every night after this. And it turns out this guy is a drunk. And he is one of those drunks that doesn't even try to speak, he just uses drunk sign language. One night he came over and offered me beer (which i decline every time now). He sat on my chair and continually spit on my floor. He would try to talk to me but was drunk beyond speech. I guess this spitting thing is acceptable here cuz he is not the first person to spit on my floor. Anyway a few days after this he knocks on my front door cuz he is too drunk to figure out which of his keys unlocks the gate to the back yard. The next day he comes over (oblivious that he'd made a fool of himself the night before), and starts the spitting thing again. Eventually his spit flies in the air and lands on my computer, this crossed the line in my book. I told him that it was rude and i wished he would stop. He immediately got up and left and hasn't been over since. I guess i offended him somehow, but i don't really care cuz i've gotten rid of him for now. But i don't expect it to last cuz he lives in my back yard which makes him a little difficult to avoid.

My house has recently become infested with all types of animals. I returned from a vacation to discover that a stray cat had dropped in from my ceiling and then could not get out of my house. I got rid of the cat but think this may have been a mistake because mouse infestation has since become a problem. They are so bad that i will leave my kitchen with a plate of food and when i return with the empty plate there are mice on my table trying to get at the empty pot. I bought rat poison which doesn't seem to be working. When it rains my back yard becomes flooded with water that covers my back porch all the way to my back door. This is very conducive for mosquito breeding. In an attempt to kill the mosquitos the city came around and sprayed houses. What i didn't seem to comprehend while watching bugs fall from the ceiling and walls is that maybe some of these bugs have landed on my bed. The ants that have constructed their hills under my bed did comprehend this. I layed down without looking and was instantly overwhelmed by ants. I moved my bed and discovered the lair. So I boiled a couple pots of water and scorched them. The one animal I have yet to find a solution to are the bats that live in between my ceiling and roof. They don't make themselves visible too much but their screeching throughout the night is quite annoying. My mission now is to kill all animals that dare to enter my house whether they are insects or mammal... I Dont Care, the war continues...

I live in Honduras, in a town called San Francisco de la Paz on the eastern part of the country. My city could be compared to the early nineteen hundred's west what with the lack of paved roads, trash pick up, waste removal, and everyone walks around armed. I live in a house by myself. My house has a plastic ceiling, and shower and letrine in the back yard. I've lived here now for seven months and have seen some whack stuff...