There are over a hundred internet cafes in this small, cramped city, and Roman likes to stop by them, so I just do the same, though normally I wouldn´t. e have lots of time though (which I love). It´s like 75 cents for an hour. Everything is crammed together, it´s so fascinating.
I saw an American high school group here. I don´t know what they´re doing here; no one speaks any Spanish. The ones that know the most know just a few phrases. I can´t imagine the arrogance of going to a country and not studying the language at all. I guess they´re just kids, and haven´t really thought about their place in the world. But you can buy newspapers and go over vocabulary, study with a book, watch Spanish programs on the TV, and of course, speak to people. It´s such a fabulous opportunity. No one expects you to speak fluently, learning a language is HARD. It´s great for taming your ego. But you have to make an effort.
I went to the market today. The meat section was a good advertisement for vegetarianism, in my opinion. So sad to see the animals´bodies displayed there.And it didn´t look sanitary at all, especially in this heat. I bought maracuya, passionfruit, and two others, whose names I forgot. Apparently one is tart and not sweet at all. The other one is acidic but sweet. Also shredded palm hearts (I sprayed those with food grade hydrogren peroxide I brought). The organic ones you can buy in the States are actually from this area. Anyway, there was lots I wanted to buy, but couldn´t. It was fun to see. And two boys were drumming there.
I finally got to do some yoga last night and center myself. A brief meditation. There´s one of those Falun Dafa?? groups that China was prosecuting, they do Tai Chi (I don´t really know much about them). I think they might have meditation sessions, that would be good to go to, since otherwise I don´t have any method of timing myself. It´s not necessary but helps me meditate longer.
The traffic is crazy. There are almost no cars. There are motos, and lots of mototaxis that will bring you someplace else. Mostly we just walk. One block is really short. I don´t know, it feels like maybe a third of a block back home. Maybe just a half of a block, compared to a place like NYC. There are tons of uncontrolld intersections--busy intersections with no stop signs in any direction, or lights or yield signs. Figuring out the dynamics for that, for crossing, has been interesting.
I love it. I think having been to Mexico a few times helps, having an idea of how things work--though Mexico is a richer country. I am not uncomfortable at all so far. It´s hot and humid, but it´s nice to have so much warmth.
1 comment:
I looked up lucuma and it said in some places, it's one of the most popular ice cream flavors! it's also reportedly one of the "coseschas perdidas de las incas." cool!! keep posting about fruit; I'm looking all of them up. do they have guava (guayaba) or sapote? I guess maracuya is also called golden passionfruit. you're eating the purple kind too, right?
I'm glad you didn't go see the tribes perform for you. I hate that shit. damn rich Western tourists. but, it's hard too - what else do they do? subsistence farming? this is a hard topic for me. in Venezuela we met a tribal guy who was offering to take us to his village, but they wanted us to chew some leaf first and some kids were against it (drugs). that was weird. I don't know if he wanted us to pay, but I assume they would have shown off for tourists. why else would he invite a group of Americans he didn't know?
how interesting that your race became an issue in the U.S. people do need to quit being nosy, but I see why they are. the definition of a racialized society (from anti-racism training) is "a society in which you are never unaware of the race of the person with whom you interact." man, I think that's true in America, unless you have actively, doggedly trained yourself to ignore it. in Venezuela, I did blend in, but they have a lot of Italian blood. I hated being a rich person there, I think I told you. how do you like it? I thought the extreme poverty (people living in villages made of cardboard and trash) was sad and felt stupid for being there and not helping.
I'm glad you're getting awesome vegan food easily and having time to meditate and relax. it's so romantic that you two are on this trip!
besos!
Danger
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