I have the gripe. Essentially it’s a cold. I got it when the weather down here got all whacky and all of sudden got cold. I have gone days without sweating. It’s a miracle. It’s only 71 degrees but I’m freezing. It feels like what 55 felt like to me in Houston I think. It set in on Friday... but it didn’t stop me from going to Santa Ana for the PC soccer game with the other gringos this weekend. It was a blast... so much fun I forgot I even had a cold.
To get there we had to take a bus to San Sal first... on the bus I had some old doctor man from san vicente standing next to me in the aisle the whole time talking to me really really loud. I was not at all interested in talking to him. I would ignore him and he just kept coming up with more stuff to talk about. He was nice enough though... And if I ever break a bone and need to go to the hospital there I am sure he will take good care of me. So we got to the terminal in San Sal, where we found excellent Ray Ban knock offs for just $2 and ate lunch in the nastiest looking pupuseria. I’m surprised I can eat food from a place like that and not get food poisoning. I probably will jinx myself for saying it, but... I feel pretty invinsible. That I haven’t gotten sick with amoebas after all this time. My group members are dropping like flies. But I’m still going strong. Maybe it’s all the hot sauce I put on my food. Enough hot sauce, and the amoebas cant live. That’s my theory. And I’m stickin to it. Let’s just hope I’m not speakin to soon here. Although I do have gripe... so I’m not quite that invinsible am I.
Santa Ana is the department in the West that borders Guatemala. It’s really nice out there. Beautiful- just a different feel. They get a lot more tourists out there for that reason too. No wonder. The city of Santa Ana is beautiful and clean with a nice park that has a gorgeous big white church unlike any I have seen. The city was also more alive than here where I live. We went for dinner in the park at a Mexican restaurant. The park was full of street vendors and live music. I bought a really cool handmade bracelet from a dreadlock salvo man who was making his jewelry right there on the street. We went to a really awesome reggae cafe later and jammed to good ol’ bob marley and beanie man. I forgot I was in El Salvador while I was there. Until we got ready to leave and piled into the back of a pickup truck. We stayed at great little hostel called The Casa Verde that we had all to ourselves and had a cool rooftop hangout with a gorgeous view of the city and the mountains. It was painted in bright colors, impeccably clean, and had hot showers too. I was in heaven when I took that shower in the morning. I stayed in it so long, blissfully, that everyone was downstairs waiting and ready to go as 7 am came and we needed to catch the bus. I just didnt want to get out. I had to hurry myself up and ended up running to catch the bus with my towel still on my head!
We took the bus from Santa Ana to Chalchuapa and once we got to the terminal there we ate pupusas for breakfast. Then later we got to the place where the soccer game was, the beautiful site of another volunteer. It was the first soccer field I have seen that wasn’t covered in dirt, rocks and cow poo. It had grass. Fancy! I was just planning on laying there in the grass the whole time. The weather could not have been more perfect. Sunny and breezy and not hot. I wasn’t feeling so hot after the long night we had, so I was really content with just laying in the grass. But then, the girls team was short one player. I was the only one that had a uniform. I said no. They begged. And so I took one for the team. The great thing about soccer is that you can just stand there and be a warm body on the field if you want. That’s basically what I was. I have no clue how to play that game. Lilah tried to pass me the ball once and I literally said “Oh my god” and just jumped over it. Haha. After that they switched me out with the goalie and I got to just stand in the little box for the rest of the game. Which worked out great... the other team didn’t ever come and make any shots at me. And it was in the shade. So it worked out perfectly... Made it on the team and through the game without even breaking a sweat. Maybe I’ll play next time. I can see how soccer could be fun. I should learn how to kick the ball though huh.
So now I am back in training community #2. Completed my first full day of PST2. Most of it was like a therapy session... we all sat around talking about our experiences in our sites. It was nice. Then this afternoon we learned how to make shampoo. It’s something I might want to do with my women’s group in my site. We might even be able to sell it and have a little micro business. Could be cool.
Tonight I let my host family try my Internet USB stickon their computer. They have a laptop that they barely know how to use. They bought it for their kids educational purposes. One kid is taking computer classes in the city. They were super excited to have internet on their computer. Of course they didn’t really know how it worked. So i introduced them to google. That’s really all you need to know when it comes to the internet anyway. There you can find anything. Well I guess I could teach them how to set up email or facebook too. It was fun teaching them. They sat there for hours, just like good ol’ americans, just looking shit up on the internet. Haha. They can’t wait to get their own magic stick.
So it feels good to be back in training, for now at least, and to know that I will get home to my site in a few weeks with the tools to get started on some projects. I also look forward to the weekend... when I will be going to hang out at the Sheraton at the pool and use the sauna and jacuzzi. Yea let me just say, this ain’t my grandmother’s peace corps down here. I’ve got it good. Gracias a Dios.
Buenas Noches. Paz y Amor!
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