This is my third day in country and it is SUPER hot and humid. I feel like I havn't taken a shower. The first day we arrived was crazy. First of all, our plane was an hour and a half late, which meant we were at the airport for almost 5 hours. Too long to wait. When we finally arrived, we were whisked away to this monastery for the night where we had a quick introduction to the staff, our pictures taken = all hot and sweaty, not pretty! = plus given a rabies shot, malaria pills to take, and mosquito net to sleep under. The mosquito net was kinda hard to put up since I had never done so. It felt like building a fort in this tiny little room I was sharing with my same roommate from Miami. I put on mosquito spray and slept pretty peacefully considering the heat, I guess I was just that tired. Thankfully, I have not had any crazy nightmares that the malaria pills are supposed to give you. I dream so much as it is when I sleep that the malaria pills are no match for my overactive brain. Knock on wood that I don´t get the nightmares tonight or ever! But, we will have to take these pills every week for the next two years or so. My new perfume has become OFF! I smell so yummy, but I don´t want to risk dengue fever or malaria, so I have to reapply it several times a day. Even then, I still get bit. I have three bites so far. Yay. As long as it doesn´t develop into anything more, I am OK.
Last night was my first night with my host family. It was pretty interesting. I can pretty much understand them, except there are times when I have to ask them to repeat what they just said. Plus I am learning some new words...habichuelas for beans, not frijoles, and guagua for bus, not camion. It is like information overload. I have eaten lots of beans and rice and plantains. YUM. Luckily my host mom has had other Americans stay with her before, so she is aware that a non-meat diet is pretty common. Its not her favorite because it requires a little more work, but she is OK with it. So I am happy. She also helped me put up my mosquito net to sleep under. Suprisingly it is not as clausterphobic as I thought it would be, or maybe I have just been that tired. This morning I had to take a bucket bath, and with cold water. But it did feel good for a bit, even if it was cold, because soon after I felt hot and sweaty again.
Today I got my meningitis shot, and my arm is sore. I think I have about 8 more to go. My poor arms. As if my arms weren´t already sore from carrying my baggage. 43 pounds on my back!!! Plus two other handbags. It seriously is way too much for me to handle and I am really going to suffer in October when I have to move out and into the countryside. Its not that I overpacked, its just that I am pretty weak. I am going to return with She-Ra arms. HaHa. That would be funny.
All I hear everyday, all day is merengue and bachata. Blasting from all over the place. People here are pretty friendly, and I am thankfull for that.
There is another storm coming, I can hear the thunder and see the dark clouds are rolling in. Hopefully I will be able to make it back to my house before it sets in. My host brother was supposed to come back for me, but I guess he forgot. Good thing it is just up the street.
