Abuelita

The suggestion has been made, and I totally agree, that maybe my blog is a little bit dull. So in an effort to liven things up a bit, here is a little story about my trip inthe bus back from El Salvador to Guatemala City before coming home:

Travelling solo has its perks, but I did enjoy being dropped off at the bus station by Rachel, Ryan and Ashley who made sure "I made it on the bus ok". As I sat in my aisle seat, I felt bad for whoever was going to have to sit next to "the gringa" as I'm sure they were all thinking as well.. how awkward sitting next to a gringa. I had my fingers crossed that it would either be a female or someone really sleepy, glad that the young chicos who'd been looking at me in the waiting area were sitting far away. After most of the bus was filled, this adorable little grandma got on the bus and walked right up to me. YAY, a sweet abuelita to sit next to, PERFECT! She didn't even bother to ask me if I spoke spanish and just started rambling under her breath about how she wanted to have a safe trip and how she was glad the bus was leaving close to on time. She was mumbling so much that I was still listening closely trying to understand her when I realized she was saying a prayer and started to cross herself. Awkward. But she didn't seem to mind.

She spend most of the first couple of hours fussing with things in her extremely large bag full of smaller plastic bags filled with fruit, bread, or clothing. She even had a small plastic bag which held her passport which she got out a number of times to examine. Things started getting a little more exciting as we got to the El Salvador/Guatemala border. The first thing that happens when you pull over at the border is that border officer gets on the bus and tells you that it shouldn't take very long but they will need to examine your identification. My abuelita made sure to tell it that it was fine, and to take his time. After everyone has been checked and they pulled those chicos from the bus station off the bus and walked them into the station for some reason, the cambiadors come on the bus. About 15 men crowd onto the bus squishing passed each other in the ailse waving huge stacks of bills in everyones faces asking for who needs to change from dollars to quetzales. My sweet abuelita changed three dollars for about 24 quetzales and stuck them in a plastic bag, then in her bra. After the cambiadors trickle off the bus the women and young girls pile one the bus. 20 to 25 of them carrying sodas, pupusas, snacks, fruit, even pots of chicken and rice for a proper meal if desired. These women smash themselves in the aisle of the bus, one of the rather "well endowed" women really had to squeeze and when my abuelita called her over to taste test and then buy some fruit from her I found myself in a rather awkward proximity to her unusually large bosom for a few minutes.

When my dear abuelita discovered that one of the quetzales that she was given by the cambiador was ripped she put up a big fuss and even stood up and walked down the aisle looking outside for this man so she could give him a piece of her mind. For his sake, I'm glad she never found him as I'm sure the Guatemalan equivolant of hitting him with her heavy purse would have taken place. Maybe kicking him with her silver shoes or pinching him or something. She was a pretty sassy lady I think.

Anyways, as we got closer to Guatemala City, her hometown, we started to chat a little more... about her family and mine, why I was in Guatemala and what my plans were when I got there. When she found out I wasn't entirely sure where I was staying she made sure to tell me several times to stay at the hotel in the bus station and not to go out until the next day when I needed a taxi for the airport. When we got off the bus she even walked me all the way to the door then gave me a kiss and a hug and then disappeared into the crowd of taxi drivers trying to get my business.

She was such a sweetie, but the thing I loved about her the most was how she would light up when we talked about Guatemala. She would just say "me encanta Guatemala" and I feel the same way. I loved my experience there and am sad to be away from it. My Spanish has improved dramatically although I still have a long way to get to fluency. The people were wonderful and the country itself was beautiful and interesting and fun. I miss you Guatemala, but I'll be back someday!