Vacaciones!

Our fall break landed on the week of October 6th. Everyone in the group made different plans for the vacation, but the majority decided to venture out of San Salvador and do a little exploring of Central America. Some stayed in the country and the rest of us were split between Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. I spent the week with a group on the island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras. The place is known for its hot and humid climate, feisty mosquitoes and nasty sand fleas. What? You don’t see the appeal? Oh, well I forgot to mention the beautiful beaches, world renowned snorkeling and diving, and most importantly cheap lodging. And don’t worry mom and dad, I spent the week basically marinating in bug repellent and sunscreen.

We stayed in this little place across from the beach with no a/c and occasionally no running water...but only occasionally. Oh thank goodness for the ocean. But the stagnant heat was probably what gave us the most trouble. In the afternoons when the sun was most intense we either fought for a spot under the ceiling fan in the room, meandered through the few air-conditioned stores nearby, or sat in the ocean and popped our heads out every now and then. But despite the slight discomforts, we really had a blast! We caught up on some much needed sleep, snorkeled, kayaked, swam, explored the island and ate a somewhat suspect assortment of foods from the neighborhood grocery store. I didn’t know so many things could come in cans...yum.

Probably my favorite day of the entire week was spent with a woman who owned an artisan shop on the island. Originally from Guatemala, she came to Roatan about 12 years ago to sell her art. We talked awhile on the first day I came into the shop and then when I returned to make a purchase, we decided to go snorkeling together that afternoon in West Bay, an area of the island that caters to those willing to pay a little more than $25 a night ;). So after hanging out on the beach with wealthy Italians and trespassing on plenty of classy resort and condominium hotpots, Evelin led the way to her favorite snorkeling spot off of the West Bay beach. And I was really enjoying myself until I came face to face with a beast of a fish. At that point I was ready to call it a day.

The rest of the trip went pretty smoothly, with the exception of a less that ideal encounter at immigration coming back into El Salvador. I had 39 days left on my visa until I had to appeal for more time in the country to last me until Dec. 17. I tried to talk my way into 90 more days in the country, but those immigration officers were not going to budge. And instead of just leaving me with my 39 days, they cut it down to 25. You can imagine I took offense. So I decided to re-approach the officer (i.e. dig myself into an even deeper hole) and demand at least my 39 days. But I deserted that plan quickly once I saw a team of officers begin to approach the desk. I figured having to appeal for more time in the country after 25 days is better than being thrown out all together.

And on an unrelated note, I just mailed my absentee ballot !! I’ll tell you, it felt pretty amazing to sit in my room in El Salvador and vote for the elections in the U.S.! Probably one of the hardest parts about being in El Salvador right now is feeling disconnected from the U.S. during such a crucial time. The coordinators have been really great about letting us come over to watch the presidential debates, and have supplied us with some wonderful podcasts and literature explaining the economic crisis. It’s all quite overwhelming and unsettling, but I am very grateful to feel somewhat connected with what’s going on around the world.

Take care,

Chancita