People of Central America

 

 
Starting the trip off of course was my favorite person, my dad.

While Stephan was not "of" Central America, he was someone special I met while in Texas. In fact I met him going both ways, on the way back we were both frozen from the winter wind and he bought me pizza before we went our separate ways.

 
I stay’d at Daniel's hotel in El Guadalupe, México. When I got to his place the night before in a rainstorm after two very hard days of driving I was about to turn back. After a good night of rest and lots of advice from him, I continued on my way the next day.

Yes finally, one of my last posts on this trip is going to cover one of the most important parts of the trip, the people. I often thought as I was traveling how it was the grace of the people of the country I was visiting that got me through ok. When your thousands of miles from home, don't speak the language, and are totally reliant on others patience and goodwill to give you directions, dinner, gas or a place to stay one gains a certain gratitude for others tolerance and an understanding that most people are curious and friendly, not out to get you. At times a feeling of vulnerability in such circumstances seems to contradict this fact. But the truth is we all have fears of the unknown but letting these fears rule our relationships with others or letting them stop us from visiting unknown places only means we don't get to meet unmet friends or experience ourselves in different ways. So much is lost.

 
Thanksgiving (el Día de Acción de Gracias)  at Intensa in San Jose, saw people from all over the world observing the day with a school dinner.

In a long post earlier I devoted a lot of time to discussing the crime in Central America and Mexico, its causes, its consequences and how people learn to live with the reality of it and still go about their daily lives. This could be said about any place in the world, even in war zones where people adjust in order to live. Often its in these adjustments to often very cruel and harsh realities is where we find out the most of what humanity is about. Regardless of circumstances people still share common values that are no different than our own. They want to protect and honor their families, they wish to work and support themselves and they hope to be a little farther ahead tomorrow than they were today. And as I found out they can also extend warmth and hospitality to a total stranger who is passing through their country on a motorcycle and doesn't even speak their language.

 
Vera Cordero, myself, and Robert Patterson at Intensa, the Spanish Learning School in San Jose.

Mireya, one of my friends and teachers at Intensa.

While its true many people were not benevolent and many sized me up for what they could get from me; these for the most part were a minority and confined mostly to border crossings, cities, or heavly visited tourist spots. Most people like here in the U.S., are concerned with the business of their daily lives, not ripping travelers or strangers off, and some having no fear of someone new, went out of their way to offer directions or help.



Joleni, one of maids from Nicaragua in San Jose.

Whether it was an older couple in Texas who made eye contact with me and said "howdy" at a time when I was  thinking others might think I was weird for being alone traveling on my motorcycle, or a local Honduran man on his lunch break posing beside his bicycle while I took a picture, I often found friendliness, or at least curiosity everywhere I went, if I was open to it.

 
I stopped to take a picture of this mans bike at home for lunch, he and his companion came out and allowed me to take a picture of him. To me I will always remember him for allowing me to do so without reservation. It gave me an image of his home and self to take with me, a hospitality that went against common fears of traveling in a foreign country.
 

I also found border "helpers" and officials that would be out to get everything they could from an inexperienced gringo, while at the same time find a man who was drunk who would turn out to be one of the most honest people I would meet, warning me that I was being ripped off by these guys. In the same border situations I would find young boys who would honestly help one for only a few dollars while the "big boys" weren't around. And as I left the situation I realized both the "big boys" and the little ones would both choose to do this dirty work for another day, or perhaps a life time. It was a sobering thought, to make a living off of overcharging others for services needed at a hot, busy border crossing. I could drive away from it, they would, or could not choose to.

 
One of my fellow passengers on our tour bus in Costa Rica, Elji was 84 and from Finland. He originally wanted to ride a Harley from the states to Argentina, but didn't want to wait 6 months for paperwork to go through. He ended up flying down to Costa Rica and then planned on taking a freighter back to Europe via Africa (or at least that was the plan). He did email me later saying he got back to Finland, had a new girlfriend, and they were heading up to Holland or somewhere for the weekend on his Harley.....

A lady from Japan that was on our tour. She was touring with a Syrian man (who had gotten kicked out of the country for refusing to go in the army), another Japanese friend and one other who were all students in Houston.

Most people were beyond curious about me and my bike and would either simply stare, or approach me. While a Kawasaki 750 is not considered a big bike in the states, many in Central America have never seen anything so big. I had soldiers at check points get on it for a picture taking, or a policeman in Nicaragua rev the engine to see how powerful it was while I stopped to ask him for directions. Security guards at hotels would dutifully guard it with their weapons like they guarded everything else on the hotel grounds. I'm sure for the most part I was thought of as crazy for traveling so far for no apparent reason, and on a motorcycle of all things. At best I was probably considered not worth hassling or robbing since what could I possibly possess that was worth anything, at worst they just thought I was crazy.

My bike was usually well guarded at some of the nicer hotels I stay’d at, like here at The Comfort Inn in El Salvador.

Perhaps the most memorable and lasting friendships came from my stay in San Jose, Costa Rica. Since I was staying with a family, taking Spanish language lessons and having dental work done all over a period of 3 weeks I got a chance to know a lot of people and form  friendships. At the dental office that I visited for 5 weeks over a years time I got to know Melissa a young girl wanting to be a dentist who worked there, her father who was a driver and also the staff who made me feel quite at home.

 
One of our maids, Anna, at my homes stay in San Jose

The family I stay’d with had several people who were from other parts of the world who were also staying there, Jeff from Taiwan became a friend who I am still in contact with. One maid was from Nicaragua and the other two were from Costa Rica and they all  had incredible work ethics. I got to meet the owners of the house's whole family who joined us for dinner on Sunday nights. Two sons, one is a senator the other an engineer who brought his wife who had a degree in marketing and their son.

 
From left to right, myself, Jeff from Taiwan, and Anna from the U.K. at my home stay in San Jose.

Later, when I came back in May for a follow up visit to the dentist, Jeff and I rented a car and went up to the Arenal Volcano for a couple of days.

Intensa the Spanish speaking school I attended had many warm and friendly people who did everything they could to help with my stay. Celebrating Thanksgiving at the school with people from all over the world was a highlight of my trip. Many of these people are still friends and contacts.

Llami (above) and Marceia (below) were both my teachers at the school.

And then there are those who are not Costa Ricans who were either traveling there from other countries or had started businesses there. From business owners in Puerte Viejo on the Caribbean side and hotel owners up in the mountains of Monteverde, I found like minded people who were trying to start a life for themselves away from some of the stress of their former lives. Often with mixed results, and for some still in a process of evolution. This is one part of the trip that is hard to explain, the different pace of life found in Central America and foreigners attraction to it.

My neighbor from Germany at the Santa Rosa National Park campground, where by the way, it was $2 a night to camp.

Either way, for the miles, trials and smiles, I never felt physically threatened (except by Guatemalan bus drivers) and many of my contacts  with locals were genuinely friendly and even with the language barrier went ok. Again, not speaking their language and being in their land, it was I who seemed to be asking a lot.

Julieta (standing), who owned the house where I stay’d in San Jose, she was also one of five families that owned this orphanage close to her home. The lady sitting is one of the people who runs it. 


To all the people who extended this hospitality to me, and the ones who didn't I am indebted to. They all taught me something about myself and made me understand and reaffirm that while we all maybe different in ways, we all have more in common than any differences. I also would like to thank the many people who followed this blog and supported me and gave me feedback and encouragement that not only helped me realize the trip was very doable to begin with, but also made me want to write about it and share it. They reminded me I was never really alone on this trip. It really idd make a difference.something about myself, themselves and their own lives as well as perhaps a part of God's grace that allows us to it with others.here one more day and be with each other.

 

And finally, one of the many "Our Virgin Mother of Guadalupe" shrines that are on the side of the road all over México.

 

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