Here are my Traveler Me revelations, gathered from the past five weeks. Some I probably should not admit, one might get me in trouble, and a few could leave me ill.
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| Beverage in a bag |
1. I drink water from questionable sources. But this delightful little bag of pitahaya juice was calling my name. Plus, it was 200 degrees. And my stomach only hurt for a few minutes afterwards.
2. I don't wear a seatbelt. Why bother? My taxi drivers are skilled in the art of texting AND weaving around large trucks, livestock, giant potholes, children, and other cars. And anyway, even if the crash doesn't kill me, the pothole will swallow me whole.
3. I have become an avid meteorologist. I am continually scanning the sky, looking for those dark clouds that are either going to ruin my beach day, prevent me from doing laundry, or more happily, cool things down here in Granada.
4. Sometimes I don´t wash my hands before eating. Now, I don´t always do this at home either, but at home I am not riding chicken buses, sweating profusely 24/7, or living with 15 other people. There is a perpetual lack of soap in Nicaragua's restrooms and if my little handy dandy bottle of sanitizer is not nearby, that means I will be enjoying a few extra germs with my meal. And not eating because my hands aren't clean is simply not an option. I turn into the Wicked Witch of the West without food.
5. Sometimes I don´t wash my hands after using the restroom. Which makes my previous admission even more gross.
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| Rice, beans, tostones, avocado, salad. What more can I ask for? |
7. I hitchhike. This is one that could land me in trouble with loved ones. You already know the rules my mother kindly gave me prior to departure. While she didn't verbalize it, I am pretty sure she would have frowned upon catching a ride with strangers on the side of a road in a foreign country. Same goes for the husband. Sometimes though, you really just need a ride, and the most convenient thing to do is hop in the back of a truck with a bunch of people heading the same place you're headed. (I suppose I could just tell the aforementioned loved ones that I was running away from robbers or something and hitchhiking was the fastest way.) Let me assure you, I would never, ever hitchhike at home, having seen one-too-many death by hitchhiking movies. Thumbing a ride wouldn't even be my last resort if I was broke and bleeding. (Ok, maybe I haven't actually watched this movie, but I'm sure it's out there.)
8. Finally, and probably the most important one of all. I force myself to meet people, get to know them and develop a connection. If you know me, you know this is not typical. Rumor has it that my soul is clad in iron. (Someone actually insinuated this about me once upon a time). I realize this is not exactly an award winning quality, but I just don´t like to extend myself, endure the forced chatter of small talk, or find myself in that awkward phase of getting to know someone. At home, I have all the friends I need. (That last statement probably does nothing to detract from the soul of iron rumor). Here, I have to force myself to do these things or I will miss out. Just the other day, I met Oscar David, who sells CD´s to tourists, loves baseball, has a one year old little boy, loves his country, and who wants to visit America some day. Later, I met Juan Nicaragua, an older gentleman who was weaving baskets out of bamboo and is very vocal about the upcoming election in his country. Not to mention the other volunteers with whom I have laughed, carried on, shared meals with, and had adventures.
I would say that's the best part of traveling.
Do you identify with any of these? Or better yet, got any of your own admissions to add?
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| Friends and the sunset in San Juan del Sur |
