Feb. 12, 2013

Feb. 11

I am staying in a working class neighborhood with two folks my age from Olympia, Washington. They live down here (in rentals) part of the year. Two young people, bicyclists, are also here: she’s from California, he’s from France. We are a pretty congenial group.

I am recovering from my trip through the Gap from Colombia to Panama, and actually I’m resting from the whole trip. I’ll be off to Mexico in two days; then, back to the US from there. So I’m on the last legs of this trip. I’m already sending out couch requests for April and May in Louisville, Kentucky. I won’t be going to Churchill Downs, but it will be great to see the race at a bar (or…?) in the city where it’s running. And before the race, I want to get involved in some of the events and go see the track and perhaps see some of the horses who will be in the race.

______________________________________________________________________

Majo.Aguilar February 11th, 2013 – 10:35 pm

Hi! Which night would be the one in Guatemala City? So bad you’re going straight up to México… missing great roads and people in CA.

Bunny Boswell February 11th, 2013 – 10:41 pm

I went down through Central America by buses (stopping to Couchsurf all along the way, taking a month to get from California to Costa Rica) two years ago. Then, three weeks in Costa Rica. Then, six days on buses (not every night on buses though) going back from CR to New Orleans.I haven’t seen enough of CA.I will be coming through Guatemala on the 14th or the 15th (Thursday or Friday). I think Friday.Love, Bunny

Majo.Aguilar February 11th, 2013 – 10:45 pm

mmm… friday’s not good for me. If it’s thursday we can definitely meet up and you can surf my couch. Keep in contact.Majo

Bunny Boswell February 11th, 2013 – 11:00 pm

You’re sweet, Darlin’. I am not a tourist on a pleasure trip, as you may understand by now. I’m just livin’ my life.

I get into Tapachula at midnight Friday. My CS host crapped out on me. Some lame excuse (her mother probably said, “you can’t bring a stranger into this house!” I don’t know. I am just trying to get a couch in Tapachula Friday night!

My ticket says that sometime on the 15th we leave El Salvador and go through Guate and get into Tapachula.

Have you ever couchsurfed, Majo? Or been on buses for three (or six) days in a row?

Our lives are so different.

I love my life. It’s really hard to explain or describe it to people who aren’t living this way.

Thanks for the offer. I will keep your phone # on hand in case I need your help.

Love and luck always! Bunny

Bunny Boswell February 11th, 2013 – 11:08 pm

Bus trips like this are gruelling. You have to love (being on) the road to do it and enjoy it! I do, but it’s a fucking lot of work.The borders, the bus changes, the people, sleeping sitting up or in a crappy little motel room at the end of the bus line. Trying to not get myself killed if there’s no motel at the end of the line: I wouldn’t have TIME or TAXI MONEY to get to your house (even if we did get in at a convenient time on Thursday). We often get into places in the middle of the night.And I don’t speak much Spanish (which is fine, it just adds to the challenges and amount of effort required). It’s not a “pleasure trip.” My life is not about finding beautiful places or nice beaches. Been there; done that. This is a life lived on the roads of the world. I think I mentioned this to you before.I appreciate your efforts to help us surfers who are Travelling Gypsies. We are strangers coming into your towns hoping for a little consideration, a good time while we are there, a place to sleep, and some help to get moving on. Our happiness is being on the road!Enjoy your life, Majo. Maybe we’ll meetup sometime. Hugs, Bunny

__________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s a conversation I had with a young CS host in Tapachula, Mexico, the town at the end of my bus ride from Panama City (which starts tomorrow):

Melissa,

I am so glad you understand that people like me are NOT TOURISTS. I don’t have a home to return to. Everything I own is in my little backpack. I live on very little money.

I am a TRAVELLER-GYPSY. Everywhere is home. When I get to Tapachula, I am home.Settled, sedentary people can be very cruel to Gypsies. They definitely don’t understand us; the idea of having no home drives them crazy!

I am glad you understand this. Thank you for apologizing. (After accepting my couch request, Melissa ignored my messages for several days before my arrival. Then, she said she wouldn’t be available the Friday night I was arriving.) I need hosts to be available by phone and in person when we are coming into town. The best hosts are very aware of this. I have about 220 references; I know how Couchsurfing works. I know I am not asking too much of you.

I am glad we have worked this all out.I will see you this Friday night (actually, early Saturday morning, Feb. 15/16). Looking forward to it!!Enjoy your day! Carnival! Mardi Gras! YEA!!

Love, Bunny

**************************************************************************I was offered another Tapachula couch by Adrian who was going to leave his house keys at a store across from the Tapachula bus terminal. Without meeting me (on the basis of my CS references), he was going to let me stay at his house while he went away for the weekend. I told him, before meeting Adrian, that he is an angel.

___________________________________________________________________________

From the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras song, Indian Red:

“We don’t bow down on nobody’s ground.”

________________________________________________________________________

I am going with the Rick Nelson song that says, “Ya can’t please everyone so ya got to please yourself.”

I never mean to hurt anyone, but it happens. People can’t quite stomach my honest writing. I should put a warning at the beginning of my blog: “READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!”

Tact is for people who aren’t smart enough to be sarcastic. (from a New Orleans T-shirt)

________________________________________________________________

Pedophiles are criminals who PLAN their activities. They choose organized situations in which it will be easy for them to abuse children.

This rough quote is from the film from SolarMovie’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God.  It’s a 109 minute, 2012, HBO documentary about the sexual abuse of children by the Catholic Church’s priests and hierarchy, and how the Vatican purposely and consciously covered all this up (and has done so for hundreds of years!).

The Vatican group that has been handling ALL cases of abuse of minors by priests, etc., is the same part of the Church that was responsible for the Inquisition!

_________________________________________________________________________

I’ve spent five days here in Panama City. The ex-pats (of sorts) I’m staying with are nice people who enjoy their Couchsurfers. I’ve enjoyed this slice of life in an out-lying section of the city. It’s incredibly easy to negotiate Panama (as the Kuna call the city) on the diablo rojo or “chicken buses” because the people are so friendly here. That takes the sting out of inner-city travel for me. When people around me are so approachable and willing to help, I feel safe and taken care of. City rambling becomes an adventure. My age helps because Panamanians want to assist old folks.

________________________________________________________________________

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ~Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu was a woman.

Ha ha. What if?

It’s possible. Do you really think ALL those smart, wise, famous people THROUGHOUT HISTORY were men?