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Published: November 27th 2012
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My Meal
It was delicious :) So, after the girls left I set of for the town of Volcan, which is the biggest in the immediate area. I had a grocery list and I also wanted to get a chip for my phone. I walked down to the bus stop and stood there for a while. After a minute or so, another woman came over to me. We chatted a little bit about the weather (in Spanish) and then she asked me where I was from. I'm not very good at figuring out whether they're asking me where I'm staying here or where I stay in the States, but we got through it. The bus came and I got on. The only problem was, I had no idea if I was on the right bus. I assumed that there was only one that came up to Guadalupe, and I knew it was a straight shot from where I am to Volcan, then down to David, but I couldn't help but worry I would end up somewhere else completely. Fortunately, I started recognizing things and was assured that we were going the right way.
I didn't realize that it was my stop until the last second, but
The White Burger
It still tasted good, so whatever. I made it. When I stepped off the bus it was HOT. I'm used to being constantly cold, so this threw me for a loop. Maybe it was the heat that made me think going to the grocery store first was a good idea. I bought all of my groceries, and then realized that I'd need to carry them with me wherever I went. I checked around the immediate area for a place to buy the Movistar SIM cards, but I only saw a lot of stores selling Movil+. So, I walked into a Movil store and asked them where I could find their competitors store. What didn't even occur to me was that, while I was completely able to ask "Dondé esta la tienda de Movistar", I wouldn't be able to understand what they were saying back to me. I understood bits and pieces, like her asking me if I was going on foot or by bus, and figured out the general direction she was telling me to go.
I walked out of the store, very aware of the plastic bags digging into my fingers, couldn't see the store in sight, and decided I'd come back tomorrow for
Raging River
I've never seen the river so high or so rough before! the SIM card. I went next door to the grocery store to the paneria (like a bread shop), that also had real food. I asked a hamburguesa sin tomates, but she said they couldn't and pointed to them already wrapped up and ready to go. I said ok, esta bien and asked for a number 3, which was a hamburguesa, papas fritas, y Pepsi. She said that she couldn't. I knew they had soda and hamburgers, so I said "no tiene papas fritas?" Then I thought she said I could have them if I waited "cinco" (5) minutos. I said yes and she told me to go wait at one of the tables. I'm thinking she actually said veinte y cinco, because I sat there for a while, although in Panamanian time 5 minutes pretty much is a half hour.
Eventually, my food was ready, and the french fries were totally worth the wait, though the hamburger was... white. I'm not really sure how that works. When I first looked at it, I thought that they had forgotten the hamburger and that it was part of the bun! Anyway, I finished my meal and when I walked out there was already a bus there for Cerro Punta. Again, I hopped on the bus hoping that it went the right way. It actually went a different way, then looped back around to go towards Cerro Punta, which freaked me out quite a bit at first. Eventually, we got to the stop before mine where my bus stopped and then backed into a gas station. The bus attendent grabbed my bags and put them on a different bus which then too me to Guadalupe.
From Guadalupe, I still had to walk back up the hill to Finca dracula. I'm not sure how long of a walk it is, but I would guess maybe a half mile. That's a long walk with grocery bags. Eventually, I made it back soaked from both rain and sweat and unpacked my groceries. I went back up to the office and talked to Nadia, then went back to my house to sleep.
That brings me to Sunday. I was planning on going to Volcan, but it poured and poured and poured all day long. In the morning I actually walked down to the river which was swelling above it's banks and a muddy color. It's been pouring all week and apparently, according to Nadia, they get rains like this about once every four years. Yay me for coming during a rainy year. At least December is the beginning of the dry season. Since I didn't go to Volcan again, I spent my day backing up and unlocking my iPhone, getting it ready for a new SIM card.
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Grandma Linn
non-member comment
Whew!
Whew is right. I can't really imagine. I am eager to see your hills and distances. You are one gutsy girl!