November 2010: El Mes de Gratitud

November started off with our boss taking us to the hot springs to relax and thank us for all of the extra work that we had been putting in to cover classes when the teachers left.  It was the perfect way to unwind and begin our month of gratitude.

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Honduras, but since we are a bilingual school consisting of mainly American and Canadian teachers, the school gives us a few days off to celebrate a holiday that gives us a little sense of home. 

For the past 2 years, we have celebrated AmeriCanadian Thanksgiving at our house.  We invited all the bilingual teachers and Peace Corps members in town and had a big potluck dinner complete with chicken (we're too poor to afford turkey here), and every kind of casserole you can imagine.  Karen even cooked up some Sister Schubert's rolls, apricot congealed salad (which if you are from the Pace family, you know this is a staple at every holiday dinner), and apple pie.  Have I mentioned that my sister is an amazing baker?  It was really fun having her around this past year to share in my culinary adventures.

After our big feast, we took off for a much needed weekend getaway.  Four other teachers and I loaded the bus for our first stop:  Tegucigalpa.  We didn't make it very far before the bus broke down in La Esperanza.  This is us waiting for a new bus on the side of the road...

After a short wait, we were back on the road and made it to the Intercontinental Hotel in Tegucigalpa where we spent a day shopping and basking in luxury.

And then we were off to Valle de Angeles, a beautiful valley right outside of the capital city.  We got to relax in hammocks, shop in the little souvenir shops and eat at cute little cafes...

Then it was time to go home and back to the reality of school.  The bus we took home was so crowded.  Can you guess where the people who didn't fit rode?