After a little over a month in Xela, it was time to move on, go to the big city and meet with some academics and agencies about my research plans, as well as get my tooth fixed up, all before my parents arrive next Saturday. Unfortunately not all my last experiences in Xela were good, as on my way to the dentist for a check of my temporary filling on Saturday morning, as I walked along a momentarily secluded street at 8:20am, I was the victim of a bike-by boob grab. He was biking in the same direction I was walking, but I guess he saw his opportunity and pulled a u-turn, then whacked me in the chest as he biked by in the opposite direction. I turned and yelled after him, "You jerk!" No big deal, but in combination with the non-stop ache I've had in my cheekbone since my temporary filling on Wednesday, and then the dentist was over a half hour late to our 8:30am Saturday appointment (because of that cursed 'history of the marimba' spectacle going on next week), I was very temporarily out of sorts.
At any rate, I bid my adieus over a few days, including returning Rodolfo's 8th Habit book to him, unread. Maybe because of his definitive split with Martita, maybe because I obviously was foolish enough to have the tools within my grasp but not make use of them, maybe because he read my blog, but when we met he just took the book, gave me a sad look, and bid me pleasant journeys.
One of my final activities in Xela was going to a soccer/football game between the local team, the Xelajú Super Chivos, and a team from the south-east, Jalapa. We ended up looking like extreme sports fans because it started to rain (the first time since I've been here), and we bought plastic sheets to drap over ourselves as ponchos. But then at half-time it was raining buckets and Xela was leading 1-0, so we split. This morning I took the 8am bus from Xela to Guatemala City. Since it is reputed to be an extremely dangerous city and I have a fellowship application due soon, I am living large at the Howard Johnson's in the mellow Zona 9, where I have internet in my room and where I am overmedicating on non-narcotic pain killers. Owie.
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2 comentarios:
you're cracking me up with the regrettable lack of use of "the tools" and the thought of you as an extreme sports fan in a plastic bag rain poncho, screaming goooooooooaaallll!!!
oh but I hope I hope I hope your tooth/oral pain gets better fast!
xoxox
Anita
Oh so sorry to hear about the grab. This happened to a friend of mine here in Cairo but the kid then turned around on the bike after the first grab to come back for the second. Glad you are treating yourself to the Howard Johnson's during this stressful time. (I didn;t even know that hotel still existed.)
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