I did it !!!

A new milestone! Alex apparently felt too sick to come today. She taught me pretty well so I boarded the bus without any issues. A nice older man let me have his seat at the station before the bus arrived. At least I was able to say “thank you”. He looked older than me but I didn’t mind letting him be a gentleman. I took pictures from the other side of the bus today. Once in Palmares, I found a taxi and arrived without a hitch. Only six children were home today. Schools run on some kind of flex schedule so I am never certain when school is in or not and for whom. I took the Spanish track videos today and gave them to the Tias. I hope the ninos get to watch them later. They were videos I had already watched but thought the kids would enjoy them. Madagascar, Shrek, etc.

Pamares is larger than Atenas. Today everyone was still talking about the earthquake but they were no longer nervous or concerned. Mostly it seems people were checking the “where were you when” type question. The children did not mention it at all, not even Escobar. I must say they were quite a bit more active today. The crayons and coloring papers were already n use. They are not very good at tidying up…… much like most American children! Boys will be boys wherever you go and these are no exception. A running game ensued, not exactly tag but more or less case me. I wish I could remember some of the simple children’s games from my childhood. Perhaps one of you can remind me… Their attention was commandeered by a helicopter flying overhead. The Tias called out to them several times. I am sure they were taking advantage of the new American with poor Spanish skills. Even with my notes and dictionary, I have a hard time understanding. But I do have a few tricks from my days of childrearing. I brought out the pack of dinosaurs I brought with me. A miracle! They were able to play and share with those almost until lunchtime. The girls went off to play in the playhouse. Apparently they have little interest in dinosaurs. All in all, it went OK. I wondered if the Tias thought I was losing control…..they would have been right! Kids know what to do and when they can stretch the limits. Once lunch was served, the Tias said “asta manana” so I guess it is OK for me to come back tomorrow.

Today I had some time to spend before the bus came. I sat in the central park and enjoyed the cooler air. There were lots of people enjoying the park and the critters who were there today. See if you can spot the large dark red iguana in the tree. He was about 3 feet long. Here are some of the park photos.

The road repairs were still underway. We had to stop for several minutes before we could pass. Take a look at some of the oncoming traffic. Inches or less between us! The work on the power lines was finished yesterday. If you didn’t know we’d had an earthquake, you’d never guess.

I walked to Kay’s again today and enjoyed a nice lunch. You may not understand that most meals here are virtually the same. Trust me, I am getting plenty of gallo pinto! In fact I smell the beans cooking now. They don’t use much seasoning here so it is quite bland. And I needed the companionship of hearing my own language too. There is always somebody at Kay’s.

When I got home, I had another surprise: the door was locked. Since so many people live on the compound, I felt certain I would find someone home. And yes, one of the daughters was here. She let me in. When Anita arrived, she was surprised that I was inside. Apparently I have a key in my room but never thought to take it with me. I will remember now…

I haven’t mentioned the difficulty of walking around. The sidewalks are very uneven. They are not always continuous. It is very important to watch your step. Traffic moves quickly and is not really pedestrian friendly. People cross wherever they can. Rolando, the 20 year old actually badly sprained his ankle yesterday. I look down anyway when walking but am being extra careful here.
I forgot to tell you about my trip to the bank the other day. Other times when I have passed the bank, there has been a long line outside waiting to get in. The bank doors are always locked and a guard has to let you in or out. Since I desperately needed to get collones, I decided to go on my way to Spanish lessons about 2:30 in t he afternoon. It was already thundering so I thought maybe fewer people would be doing any banking at that time of day. For once I was more or less right! The guard let me in, understood that I wanted to exchange my dollars, and gave me a number (just like at the DMV). I waited and observed, All of the tellers were men. In fact, the only women I saw were customers. It reminded me of the19 50s. I rarely ever see a man working in a bank these days. Once y number was called, he cheerfully completed the transaction. I feel much better knowing I have the right currency for any shopping I may need or want to do. There has been very little time for either so far.

My internet is very slow and mostly not working today. If this is all I can post, more tomorrow…