La Navidad, Part Deux

Well, I took a lot of photos, as practice for my Farewell Tour '12 of Central America. I have about 51 days left until I shuttle out of Playa Tunco to Antigua, Guatemala, then to Honduras, and finally Nicaragua. We're going to end where we started by swinging back to San Salvador for a 2 am flight Pal Norte. Being a tourist, a mochilera, will be strange... but at least I know I'll never feel like a tourist in the Savior.

Anyways....This little Christmas Break to La Barra has chalked up to be just the right way to say goodbye to the Gallardos. The best holidays are the ones where you can celebrate and enjoy, instead of rush around, stress out, and go broke. We "remember the reason for the season." For them, it's vaguely about Christ, and for me, it isn't at all. So we ate, drank, and were merry all together.

Tomorrow morning I'm hitching a ride out of the painful heat of La Barra and taking the long ride back up to my "helado" La Palma. Less one guitar, one box of christmas cookies, and a full, kind of uncomfortable fullness in both my tummy and my heat. Aweee.... Touching.

Dinner, Indio

 No longer alive..

Those bad ass old fashioned metal sparklers.

 Nina Carmen and Don Jorge

Sand Pyramid...kinda

"He's floating like Kris Angel" they said.

La Barra at it's worst. Apparently two vacationers were pulled out by the riptide and two lifeguard types went to save them. They were probably swept out too, if we're being honest.

  

Tide's in.

Widowmaker.

Un, Do, tre, BRINCA!

La Navidad, Parte 1.

After sitting in a  slowly crawling chicken bus for an hour past the broke down Rio Ateos bridge in the noonday sun, and being violently pushed aboard my former "going home bus" the 259, I arrived at the desvio for La Barra de Santiago and hitched a ride into town. 

Since then, I've had delicious lemon juice covered fried fish, chuco, icy cold bottles of coca-cola all in my swimsuit. My swimsuit, juntos with "campo appropriate" layers. Shorts. T-shirt. I brought my twin 12 year old host sisters down to the beach today, and went swimming in a denim skirt and tee. Felt like I was going to drown.

The best part of it all is that I get to spend all day, every day with my former host family. Milena and I were up till 11 pm last night gossiping. While we're culturally from two different worlds, she is the best friend a gringa could ask for when it comes to good conversation and a good laugh.

Today is "Christmas Eve" in El Salvador, since we will be doing our celebrating tomorrow. Fireworks, pollo dorado, singing and most likely, lots of impromptu dancing on my part.

I have to say, Christmas without the presents, the shopping, the hustle and the bustle is the best version of Christmas I can imagine. Unfortunately in the states we all get caught up in it, and expectations for the holidays set us up for failure. Here, at least from where I can see, everyone is happy because no one expects big gifts or feels the need to give them. One plus of being broke, all of us.

While I'm enjoying La Navidad here, I hope you all are enjoying Christmas there. Hasta la Proxima.

My 2nd year PCV haggard self with my girls.

The girls playing my guitar. I gifted it to them for Christmas.

 I can't wait to get back to my REAL guitar back home.

She's got a style going

One of the twins preparing the fish for lunch. 

The kids rolling around in the sand. One of the worlds most itchy games.

Asi es la Vida

The changes being implemented in PC Central America were interesting enough for the New York Times. Unfortunately, a similar story went out in a Salvadoran newspaper and the online comment board that followed was a sad handful of pretty harsh comments on PCVs which, while they sting, are really just another irritation.

Well, I can't say with absolute confidence, but it looks like the about to COS group that was scheduled to go home in March now has the option to leave sometime after our Closing of Service conference in mid-January. Still planning on traveling Central America after service, my friend Dan Clarahan and I have tentatively rearranged our travel plans for February, which would get us back in the US before the end of the same month.

This is a very sad situation. This place is near and dear to my heart, as is Peace Corps El Salvador. I hope that the staff, especially those in San Vicente, are not fretting over the holiday season, and that they are able to keep their jobs despite the big changes.

As for me, I just finished my med visit, and am only waiting for the PCMO to call me and tell me to get out of Dodge. I am so excited to get down to La Barra de Santiago and spend time with the Gallardo family for Christmas. However, being a short 7 kilometers from my former site and all my friends and not being able to visit them will be hard. El Cocolito is just not the place for me anymore.

Very Happy Holidays to everyone, and I will catch you all on the flipside.