The rain has been relentless, monsoon styley every and alll day long. Really cold too! I am wearing absolutely all my layers and it is still not enough. So am now on a bus heading to a new and exciting country. Can´t wait to return to El Salvador everything that I´ve seen is stunningly beautiful, the people are really friendly and you have the lovely...and increasingly rare experience of being the only tourists in town. Apart from the people staying at our hostel we never saw another white face. Which was really cool. Like how backpacking must have been 20 years ago.
My friend and I are squished on a seat at the back, our backpacks by the driver and our hand-luggage clamped firmly on our laps. The bus is filling up rapidly. A mixture of stale sweat chickens, every manner of food and drink, laughter and chatter gradually fills the air and ears. Just as I thought we were about to take off, there is a loud BANG and about 7 boys and men swarm on to the bus all brandishing everything from sweet green peppers to bright individually wrapped colourful sweets to plastic bags full of various juices. They are loud and evasive. Dangling items in your face inviting you to smell, touch, feel. Buy, buy, buy. We have long since learnt that the most sensible thing to do is to avoid eye contact or if that doesn't work a polite but firm ´no gracias´usually does the trick. 10 minutes or so later they pile off again and the bus seems to sigh in slight relief. Toddlepips we´re off. That is not the end though. The whole drama occurs again about 3 times at various bus stops. I cannot quite describe it. Funny tho. Puppies, chickens and chicks and the occasional cat all add to the medley and din. I spend most of the 4 hour journey squished into the seat leaning into towards the safety of my friend while a El Salvadorian stands far too close for comfort and keeps rubbing my shoulder. Whether accidentally or on purpose I do not know. I hope the former.
I am rather very sleepy after being kept awake by a fellow dorm-mates snoring and would love to does off. However, these buses seem to have been designed for very very little people and will not accommodate my long legs so I have to sit sideways. I do feel very very tall in these parts of the world plus the scenery is far too good to miss. Its incredible! My eyes are drooping...I´ll have to describe it later. So so much green! Ahhh its lush. In both senses of the word.
No comments:
Post a Comment