Greetings from Guyana!

Hello everyone!

Well, this is it, the big one! We have arrived in sunny and HOT Guyana and have just about settled in! Yesterday we flew in to Cheddi Jagan Airport and - after the scariest landing ever - were picked up by Berle, the Chief Commissioner of Guyana Girl Guides, and Erin, a guide herself who Nikki met last year. The flight was pretty cool, over the rainforests and some reefs and ocean shelves! We drove to Georgetown (mouths wide open all the way at the houses and trees!) and were shown the HQ where we will train, the supermarket and the water place where we can get drinking water. We also went to our apartment, which sadly doesn't have air con, but is owned by a lovely lady called Mrs. Patterson. It has everything we need if it is perhaps a little 'rustic'. We do have a little sitting area, two verandas and a garden which is amazing, featuring figs and breadfruit! It was quite manic yesterday driving around, unpacking, and getting used to being sweltering all the time!
Today was slightly calmer, we met some of the girls for the first time (we were amazed to turn up at HQ to see them waiting for us, even though we were right on time!) and Nikki was able to sit down with Berle and plan out the project including when we go on camp! We also met Glory, the president of the association. We spent the morning with the girls getting to know them and playing icebreakers and doing energisers. By the time lunchtime came around we were quite tired but had to wait for the pouring Caribbean rain to pause before heading home! Laura and I went 'straight' home whilst the others went via the supermarket, but it appeared we didn't actually know the way home, so ended up lost and wandering for a good while until finally working out the way and arriving at the apartment footsore and boiling hot! Nikki, bless her, had been having a heart attack wondering where we were, as they'd managed to get to the supermarket and home by the time we had arrived!
This afternoon we have all just chilled and slept because its so hot and we're not used to it! Nikki and Hannah went to get water, a herculean effort, and the lady who lives with Mrs. Patterson brought Heather, Laura and I 'Five finger' fruit juice and Breadfruit chips which were both amazing, and so kind. Heather even saw a hummingbird whilst she was in the garden!
Now we're cooking dinner and later we will make a long term plan for the project and a short term one for tomorrow.

That's all for now, its hard to describe everything that has happened but I think that's the main news!
Lots of love,
Team Guyana 2012

P.S. Mosquito got in the net last night - bite count is at 15+ on the first day!
P.P.S Pictures to come later