Happy travels to you.

The year is coming to a close and at such a busy time, I will simply share this with you:

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

Granada, Nicaragua

May the new year bring you wonderful new adventures, wherever you go.
Thanks for reading! 

Just go!

When you travel in Latin America, especially if you are not a luxury traveler, you gotta leave the little girl pants at home. No, I am not going to talk about travel clothes again (did that here). I am talking about realizing that you are going to come across things that are very different, perhaps seemingly avoid-worthy as you traverse the region, so you just have to deal with these things. This has been discussed in previous blog posts (see here, and here, and also here), but I am going to address it again, on a smaller scale.

I briefly mentioned the rain in Xela, Guatemala in a previous post (check it out here), and that although it was the dry season while I was there, when it rained, it rained a lot. Buckets. Cats and dogs. Insert other incomprehensible English colloquialism here.

On one such a day, I had to get back to work after lunch. It was raining relatively hard, but I had my rain jacket and an umbrella. I took my usual route and when I got to the strange street (mentioned in this post here; I am posting the photo again below), there wasn’t just a wet road and some puddles. There was a waterfall. A dirty, fast moving waterfall. I was getting wet despite my wet weather gear, but this was going to soak my shoes. And socks. And perhaps all 52 bones in my two feet. More importantly, I was going to fall on my ass.

I stood there, underneath my umbrella, for at least ten minutes, pondering what to do. I didn’t know another route. All routes I took led to the waterfall street. I could go back to the house, call my boss, and tell him I couldn’t get back to the office. I didn’t really want to do that. But I didn’t want to get washed away either. 

As I was thinking, observing, brainstorming to find a way to get down this crazy hill, two old ladies walked by and just stepped down the waterfall. Zippity-doo, down they went. Just like that. Like they had done it a thousand times, knew where to step without losing a shoe, and it was no big deal. That is all it took to snap me out of my caution-addled thoughts and get down the waterfall. If two little old ladies could do it, so could I!  I tried to step where they did, and guess what! I didn’t fall or get washed away. I got incredibly wet, but I already was incredibly wet. 

What is the point of this story?

If you don’t know where to turn, follow your elders, as they are wise to the ways of the river.

Or:

Standing around thinking too much will get you nothing but wet.

Or:

Don’t be such a chicken – put on your big girl pants and just go!

Follow your bliss.

Here in the U.S., it is major league baseball playoffs time. My beloved Boston Red Sox are in a nail biting series with the Detroit Tigers right now for the American League pennant. I haven’t really had easy access to television all summer, so I haven’t been watching like I usually do. But last night I ventured out to a bar in El Lago, Texas to watch a game, in a place devoid of Red Sox fans (except for the bartender who was actually from Boston). And it was a fairly crappy game, from my standpoint at least. We lost. No one cared but me. I felt so alone.

I am a baseball fan. I am not obsessively so, but I enjoy it a lot and have since I was a kid. Although I have seen many games at all levels here in the U.S., I have not yet seen a professional baseball game in Central America, despite its popularity there. But it is something I would really like to do. 

Although not professional, this is a baseball (or maybe
softball) game I watched in Nicaragua. 

Not too many women watching this game, but that's okay.
I tried to keep my swearing down to a minimum.

I went to a semi-professional soccer game once in Costa Rica and I was glad to be with a group of people, including some guys, because it was a bit rowdy. A huge majority of the crowd were male. And a huge majority of those males were stinkin’ drunk. They were yelling profanities at regular intervals, never anything too creative, but as a student in a beginning Spanish class at the time, I quickly learned the term “hijo de puta.” That was their favorite by far.

I imagine a baseball game may be similar. (I found this guy’s blog and he has a baseball post that is super interesting, so check it out here. It is very guy-centric, but from what he wrote, so was his experience. The bathroom scene is a bit disturbing.) Nevertheless, I think it would be an interesting cultural experience that would tie my own interests to a popular past time in a country I am visiting. You can do this with anything really.

If you are a crafty kinda gal, then find a way to watch local artisans create their wares. Sometimes you can even take classes, e.g. weaving classes in Guatemala are popular. If you love to bake things, learn how to bake something popular from where you are visiting while you are there, from a local. If you take pleasure in drinking a couple beers now and then (while you watch baseball perhaps), go to a local brewery – or at the very least, try all the local beers. I like the beer in Central America, but even if you don’t, at least try it so you can find out. I can also be convinced to try new cocktails (as I mentioned here). If you delight in gardening, find out about local vegetation, get a guide or visit with a local garden club during your travels. There are countless possibilities.

Maybe all this is obvious, but a lot of times we are too busy on trips to make a personal connection with what goes on in a new country. Either our schedules are too full of visiting the usual touristy things, or we are so overwhelmed by it all that we just can't make a personal connection with life in this different place. It doesn't have to be a profound connection. But you can enjoy your past time or your hobby or your bliss in a completely different way. Heck, you may enjoy it more in another country. You just never know where following your bliss might lead you. 

Take a walk.

In my second post for this blog, I extolled the virtues of comfortable but sturdy shoes (see that post here). In another post, I encouraged you to wander around new places, get lost and just enjoy what you see along the way (see that one here). Today I am going to suggest that if you are planning a trip to Latin America (or elsewhere), get your butt moving now. Literally. Be ready to walk. There are mass transit systems in many Latin American cities, there are taxis that are very inexpensive compared to the U.S., and there are the legendary and amazingly cheap buses (discussed a bit here). But you are still going to be walking a lot. It’s just the way it is.

I think it is probably pretty universal knowledge that in the U.S., people like their cars. Sure, there are several cities where you don’t need to own a car to get around, like New York, Washington D.C., and Boston. But by and large, people are driving. Even if they are taking a train into work, most people have a car.

If you so desire, when you are traveling you can also drive by renting a car. But I have never done that when in another country. I always rely on others to drive me where I need to go, i.e. bus drivers, taxi drivers, or friends with cars. I just don’t want the hassle when I’m trying to see as much as possible in the time I have to experience a place. I like taking cheap taxis and practicing my Spanish with the taxi driver. I like taking buses (sometimes!) and people watching and looking out the window at the scenery. I like checking out different subway systems so crowded they remind me of the “T” at Kenmore after a Red Sox game. But mostly I like to walk.

As you have read in my blog before, “It’s part of the experience.” When you are walking, you are rubbing elbows with the locals. You are walking on their streets, passing their front doors, catching glimpses into their homes, smelling dinner as the aroma wafts from an open kitchen window. You get that while on your feet, not behind the wheel of some rental car.

Walking is not always easy at first, especially when the altitude is higher than home. I have mentioned high altitudes before (here). In Quito, Ecuador, I had about a 25-minute walk to the Spanish school I was attending. But I could not walk at the speed I usually did. I got out of breath really quickly because of the altitude (9350 feet/ 2800 m), which was quite a change from the 607 feet (185 m) in Connecticut, where I was living at the time.

It was also challenging in Xela, Guatemala, where the elevation at its lowest point is about 7655 feet (2330 m). With all the walking I did, up and down hills, to and from the center of town, sometimes twice a day, I was really getting in shape. Of course, you can only really prepare for a higher altitude by being in a higher altitude. So my friends, about all you can do is be aware of this so you don’t overdo it, or get altitude sickness.

This is just one of the hills I walked up (and down) to go to work
in Xela, Guatemala. Then I had to climb that volcano you see
in the distance (okay, that last part isn't true).  

Here is another hill I walked up and down on a daily
basis in Xela. This is a street. I never saw any cars on it,
but I did see a motorcycle go up it once.

I mentioned in that earlier post (again: here) that I walked about two hours every day when I lived in Xela. You may not walk that much yourself on a trip, but you might be surprised at how quickly the steps add up. Start a walking regimen before your trip to make it easier on yourself. If you can, walk up hills. If there are no hills, try stairs. Just do not go into it cold, with nothing but sad, mushy muscles and lungs that cannot face a challenge. You don’t need to train like an athlete. You don’t need rock hard abs. And you don’t need to be able to run a four-minute mile. Just get used to walking more than you usually do so you don’t feel the need to banish yourself to your hotel room from exhaustion. If you get exhausted, let it be because you actually did walk for two hours!

Just buy it.

I know people who love to buy things, no matter where they are. They stock up on shoes, clothes, furniture, accessories, whenever they can. Others, like me, are not really into shopping. Sure, there was a time when I loved to shop as a past time. Loved those sales. And I still do if I have to shop for something specific. But shopping just for the sake of shopping is usually not my thing. (I also mentioned that in this post). 

When traveling, I am a bit different. I love to browse through local markets (also mentioned here and here) and check out local wares. But I know people who don’t buy things when they travel. They have enough stuff, they say. "Who has the room?" they exclaim. Yes, I understand this. We all could do with a little less “stuff.” But for me, the things I buy when traveling are more than things. They are compact memory portals, taking me back to a great trip, even for just a moment.

I know that may sound a bit trite. But when you are working too many hours, relaxing too few, worried about bills, spending so much time in the usual everyday madness that is your existence, sometimes grabbing that bag you bought in Guatemala, or wearing the t-shirt you purchased in Ecuador, or putting that Mexico-made ring on your finger can be a little pick-me-up, a little reminder of a wonderful time you had in another place. Yes, just a reminder. But I value those little reminders

I recently had friends visit here in Texas from Norway. One was born in Texas and had not been back since she was a baby. She really caught the Texas fever, grabbing hold of the state of her birth like a cowboy lassoing a calf, and didn’t let go until she went back to Norway. I’m not sure she even let go then.

She made many Texas-centric purchases ... a lot of items with the lone star on them. And she didn’t just buy them and take them back to the hotel. She wore them while in Texas. Some people looked at her twice after seeing her dressed a bit like a cowgirl, and then hearing her speak, not with a southern drawl, but with a Scandinavian accent. She understood these double-takes and would explain, “I am from Texas!”

Here is Pernille, the lovely Texas-born Norwegian
and her cool Texas boots. I think she looks terrific,
like a real Texan (yes, many people in Texas
wear cowboy boots all the time. It's true!). 

I don’t know if she continued to wear her bedazzled lone star items back home. I think she probably did. She had had a wonderful time in her birth state and I am sure she wanted to extend that to her home country. Those things will always make her smile, maybe even laugh, whenever she sees them. 

So if you are one of those folks who think, “Why do I need to buy anything on this trip? I have enough stuff,” shop around anyway. You might find something – and it doesn’t have to be big – that will bring you back to that lovely store down the street from the little cafe where you liked to buy café con leche and pan dulce every afternoon. Those kinds of flashbacks are worth every penny.

Appreciate what you see.

Tonight I am not going to write about some past travel adventure or give any advice on traveling. Things have been very hectic lately and I honestly do not have the energy tonight to write a full post. Instead, I will tell you something that you undoubtedly already know, but perhaps have forgotten: you do not have to travel to foreign lands to see beautiful things. Sometimes the beautiful thing is simple, small, or something you have seen a thousand times, but did not really look at. Here are a few of those things I have photographed.

Old barn near Royal, Iowa, USA

Lake near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, USA

This is what a wheat field looks like. Southeast North Dakota, USA

Bridge on the outskirts of Spencer, Iowa, USA

Shop smart.

‘Tis the season for traveling. I mentioned in my last post that I had been back to Iowa to visit family (see here). But my travels for the next couple of months will only involve day trips in Central Texas. However, as friends and coworkers set out on their seasonal adventures near and far, I remember past travels and lessons learned. Some were learned with a little discomfort, mostly to the ego. Below is part of an email I sent out to people when I was in Guatemala that illustrates such discomfort.

Hello everyone. Just an update from Guatemala. I finally went away for the weekend after a full month in Xela already. I went to Panajachél for a night, which is a town on the shores of Lake Atitlán, supposedly one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It was lovely. There are hardly any boats and I only saw one jet ski. The only boats I saw transport people to the villages surrounding the lake. I didn’t do that on this trip because I didn't really have time.

I stayed in a little hotel on a tiny street set back a little from the lake. It is owned by a local family and has only ten rooms. It was nice and the family was great. There is also a terrace for all guests and the view was fabulous. 

 

View from the terrace of the little hotel
I stayed in in Panajachél.

If you are not going to one of the other villages, there isn’t a whole lot to do in Pana but eat and shop. I did find some great restaurants, one of which was vegetarian! There are stalls all over, lining the streets and alleys with textiles in all forms: bags, table cloths, scarves, shawls, skirts, etc. I am talking about beautiful weaving in beautiful colors and patterns. I have seen a demonstration of weaving and it is an incredible thing, very complicated and intricate. The women usually use "back strap looms" which are strapped around their hips and the top is tied to the ceiling or some other high point. It is pretty amazing. So I know the work that goes into these items.

But there are so many things and so many people trying to sell them, mostly women and girls. It’s overwhelming. And because the competition is so fierce, the sales tactics are very "in your face." You see something you like in a stall and stop to look at it, and pretty soon the woman is finding a ton of others similar to it to try to sell you. And forget about buying one, why not buy two? Completed the sale? No matter, didn’t you see these other lovely things over here? There are also women and girls selling textiles on the street, just walking around and coming up to you, sometimes even when you are eating a meal. I found that if you engage them at all, then they never leave. I feel bad, and don’t want to be rude, but a simple "no thank you" and then turning away is often necessary.

The most interesting story of the shopping experience was my last purchase. I had decided to stop buying things. "No more!" I told myself. So I went to eat lunch at the vegetarian place on Sunday afternoon. I was sitting on the patio and this cute Maya girl (all those selling textiles are Mayans and speak various Mayan languages) walks up to me with her weavings. But she didn’t start selling right away. She just started talking to me at first. In English. She was only 13 and made all the weavings she had. We talked about her family, how her father doesn’t help the family at all, how she goes to school and weaves and does homework at night, etc. She was definitely charming. She showed me some table runners that were very pretty.

The problem with having conversations with people on a personal level is you then feel obligated to buy something from them. I can often say "no" without a problem, but I really liked this girl, so I was trying to figure something out. The table runner was, according to her, 200 Quetzales, which is about $26. I told her I bought a much bigger piece in Xela for 100 Q, so I knew her prices were too high. But she kept talking to me, and said that she only sells on the street because then she doesn’t have any overhead and she can charge less. Makes sense. Strange to hear business talk from a 13-year-old girl! Anyway, I don’t know what happened, but in short, I bought the freakin' table runner for 150 Q. That is like $20 and is probably more than twice what I should’ve paid. I didn’t feel bad about it until I overheard these guys at another table bargaining with another woman and the guy got two pieces (one quite large) for around 100 Q. Then I knew I had been nothin’ but a big sucker!

It actually bothered me because I knew what a good price was. But I just wasn’t thinking. Now I am telling myself that she needs the money more than I do, which is very true. It’s hard, even with a young girl like that, to get over the fact that she was just making a sale. She knew how to sell, that is for sure. Whether or not she used the truth or not I will never know. Often when these women and girls are bargaining and you are getting ready to leave, they will ask you how much you can pay because they need to get food for their family. Try ignoring that one! This girl did not use any such methods. She didn’t plead or anything. She just talked, like a very wise 13-year-old girl who was interested in using her English and speaking with foreigners. She was interesting. She was smart. And she was obviously smarter than I was. I was told later that I probably could have bought it for 60 Q, which is like $8. So I am thinking of it as a contribution to that girl’s education. She has street smarts, that is for sure. Now she can hopefully get nearer to obtaining book smarts, too.

Suckered by a 13-year-old girl. Wow. But I would rather be the one losing out to a girl who has little but her charm and powers of persuasion. If I had not paid enough, then I would have felt even worse about that. I prefer that she came out ahead. I just felt a bit stupid in the end.

I told my host “mother” about it and she said that it has happened to them too, even though they are locals. She said it is always better to know the going prices for something in the market before you buy it. Then you know what is a fair price. It’s part of the culture of shopping here ... you don’t want to be unfair, and sometimes the first price they give you is still way less than you’d pay in the U.S., but you also don’t want to spend more than is normal. I mean, why would you? It’s always more fun to get a bargain. But it’s not always easy in Guatemala.

So as you travel this summer, wherever you may go, be smart about your purchases. Don’t let the excitement of being in a new place keep you from watching your budget. Sometimes being a little off your bargaining game ends up being better for someone else, and that is okay, too. Everyone has to make a living. And there are times when a bargain is worth a lot less than helping out a kid who has much less than you do. 

Pack a snack.

I have family in the Midwest and recently flew back to Texas from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after a week in Iowa. This was a couple days after the horrible tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, and another storm cell had passed through the Dallas area earlier on the day of my flight. As a result, many flights had been delayed in a chain reaction. I was flying through Dallas, and my flight from Sioux Falls was delayed two hours. These things happen when you travel. There’s nothing you can do but go with it. 

So I went with it. I got to Dallas, it was around 11:00 at night and the place was jammed. People were lined up at almost every gate. Many were running, desperately trying one last time to catch a connecting flight. I went to the gate of my rebooked flight and the woman told me that at another gate, they were just loading my earlier flight and I should go there. “Quick!” she said. So I joined the runners, grateful that I wore tennis shoes.

I got to the gate and was worried that if they had rebooked me on the later flight, I wouldn’t be allowed on the earlier flight. Then I would have to run back to the other flight and try to get on that one, or be stuck in Dallas for the night. It was a nail biter. But I got on the flight, after some mad typing by the ticket taker at the gate that made me nervous. We got into Austin ahead of schedule, but we weren’t really there. We were in Austin, at the airport, but because of all the flight back-up, we didn’t have a gate to go to. And when you don’t have a gate, you can’t get off the plane. So we waited. And waited. For about 45 minutes. Which considering some of the stories we’ve all heard on the news about planes being stuck on the tarmac for three or four hours (or more), isn’t that bad. The pilot also kept us informed of what was going on, so that was good. What he told us made us groan in unison, but at least we weren’t just sitting there without a clue as to why.

Being delayed in Sioux Falls for two hours and then on the Austin tarmac aren’t the worst flight stories I’ve heard or myself encountered. I have been delayed much longer. I have run much further. And sometimes for naught. Like I said before, there’s very little you can do in many travel circumstances. Flying can be totally inconvenient. But how else do you get so far so quickly? Granted, the “quickly” doesn’t always apply, but it is amazing when it works.

Because of the craziness of air travel, when I fly, I take snacks. Sure, there is food in the airport, but the prices are high and as I described earlier in this post, sometimes you don’t have time to dilly-dally. Also, airlines are not very generous with the snacks these days. And forget meals unless you are going abroad, and I mean way abroad – like Europe. I haven’t had a meal on a plane to Latin America in ages. These days, you are lucky to get peanuts on most flights, and those little bags have about six peanuts in them. If you are desperate, sometimes they will sell you snacks. But you could probably buy yourself some nice jewelry for the price of a snack box on a flight.

This is why I take my own snacks. I hate being hungry. And when I am hungry, I am hungry. So I pack a sandwich, cheese or peanut butter, nothing fancy. I bring some trail mix, and/or yogurt covered pretzels, and/or almonds. I usually have a granola bar stashed in my purse. I’ve taken crackers, cookies, and fruit. If I have an early morning flight and I have a long day of traveling ahead with little connection time, sometimes I buy a sandwich at the airport where my travel originates and eat it on my second flight. And I always, always buy a bottle of water once I have checked in at the airport and gone through security. Yes, the airlines do still serve beverages on flights. But I do not rely on them for all my hydration. If you are one of those poor souls stuck on a tarmac somewhere and they stop serving drinks, then at least you have your own water. Hopefully your fellow passengers won’t attack you in a mad fit of thirst.

This may seem like overkill to some of you. I know a guy who travels by plane for his job all the time. I am pretty sure he never packs snacks. I am pretty sure my brother, who normally eats way more than I do, never packs snacks. I doubt that most of my friends without kids pack snacks. But I am not a camel like these people. I cannot be sustained by my built-in energy reserves if I’m stuck on the tarmac at some airport. The truth is, I cannot be sustained for three hours. Sad, I know.

Case in point: when I flew to Guatemala, I packed a cheese sandwich. Fairly boring, but meant for lunch in case I didn’t get lunch. I don’t recall if I got lunch in my connecting airport that day, but by the time I got to Guatemala City I was hungry. I thought I would be able to get something to eat before I caught a bus to Xela, but that didn’t happen. I got to the bus station, got on my bus fairly quickly, and prepared for the four-hour bus ride. I soon realized that I wasn’t on the “express” bus, meaning we were stopping every couple of miles to pick people up. So we were traveling much slower than I had expected. I ate my boring sandwich, and that was great. I was so glad I had brought it. But that solved only one bodily issue.

When we got further away from the city, I wobbled to the back of the bus to use the restroom. It was now dark outside and dark inside the bus, too. When I opened the bathroom door, there was no light. So I went back to the front of the bus to ask the driver to turn on the light. He did, but it was quite dim. We were traveling on very curvy roads. I could hardly stand up (ladies, you know how we do not sit on a public toilet, especially one on a bus). It was like surfing to pee and trying to hit a target. I couldn’t do it. I had to abort my mission. Back to the front of the bus I went, bladder still full and causing some mild discomfort at this point.

I managed to keep myself busy for the rest of the trip. I read my book with my flashlight. I dozed a bit. But how I wanted a bathroom! When I finally did arrive in Xela, my new boss was there waiting for me. I tried to manage our introductions, his welcome, and initial questions (“how was your trip?” etc.), but I still needed the bathroom. So I finally told him, “If I don’t find a bathroom, I may die.” Thankfully, he pulled out all the stops (is that a pun?) to find me one in a nearby cafe. Glory hallelujah!

Obviously, packing a snack only solved part of my problem on that particular trip. But it was a big part. If I didn’t have that sandwich, I would have probably gotten a headache and been really grumpy. That would have just added insult to injury, the injury being my stretched-to-the-maximum bladder.

This last trip from the upper midwest that was a little crazy, wasn’t really that crazy. As I said, I’ve experienced worse delays. And to be honest, I hardly touched my snacks this time ... and I had some good ones, too. But if you are going to have a long day of travel, or you have a short lay-over to catch a connecting flight, or if you have a very long flight that isn’t an overseas one that includes meals, or if you are not a camel either, then you should consider packing some snacks. If you’re like me, you will be much more ready to take in your destination with a clear head. And stay hydrated, too. Just not too hydrated!

Picture this.

I love to take photos. Always have. I mentioned my photo fever in this blog post. I am still aware that not everyone is this way, and I respect that. Some people say the memories are enough. Some know they will never print any, so why bother. Some never remember their camera. And others just don't like taking pictures. I am, as I stated before, a little overzealous with the camera.

I know professional photographers. My friend, Jen Uhrhane, has awesome photos of her travels that people buy (including me!) and galleries exhibit. You can see her travel inspiring work here. Another friend, Sarah Greene Reed, is also a fabulous photography artist whose work is a delicious drink for the eyes. Check it out here. And my mother was a professional photographer with her own studio when I was a teenager. I do not have the mad skills these three do. I am a simple point-and-shoot camera kinda gal. But I think that works just fine for me.

I will share a few I have taken in Latin America.

Xela (Quetzaltenango), Guatemala

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico



Enjoy your own pictures, even if they're just your memories!

Watch your language.

For most people, learning a new language, especially when an adult, is no easy task. I feel very comfortable with Spanish these days, but I don’t get many chances to use it or improve it. So what do you do when you have all this language knowledge in your brain, but it is starting to evaporate from lack of use? If that language is Spanish, you watch telenovelas. Latin American soap operas.

I know. You might be thinking, “Jill usually writes such a smart and sophisticated blog. Why is she writing about soap operas?” And I know I am probably risking my reputation as watcher of all things PBS, but please let me explain why telenovelas are so awesome.

Telenovelas allow you to hear native speakers use the language. You hear the accents, the cadence of phrasing, and the idioms that make a language more interesting. You hear slang and insults. You hear the different tenses used correctly. You hear romantic declarations and heartfelt speeches. You learn very useful phrases, like “¡Auxilio!” (Help!), “¡Sueltame!” (Let me go!), and “¿De dónde demonios sacaste esto?” (Where the hell did you get this?).

I have even gone so far as to make flashcards for the words I hear but do not yet know. Yes, I am serious – telenovela flashcards. In the past couple of months that I have been watching a telenovela again, my vocabulary has increased exponentially. All while being entertained by very good looking actors with amazing dental work.

Could I get this language assistance by simply watching the news in Spanish? No, I do not believe so because the news anchors and reporters talk a lot faster and in a more monotone manner. It’s not how people speak in normal conversation. I like to watch the news in Spanish sometimes, but I don’t get as much out of it that would help my overall language abilities.

Another reason I like telenovelas is because almost everyone I have ever met in a Latin American country likes them. I have watched them with most of my host families, even back when I hardly understood a thing. Telenovelas are the main form of programming. There are some that are just plain goofy as heck. There are some that are a little more dark and dramatic. And there are others that are more in the middle with the typical melodrama, and some comic relief thrown in now and again. Sure, some of the acting is over the top. The amount of crying is at times comical. The drama can be unbelievable, the fight scenes unrealistic.  But all that makes it even more enjoyable to watch. That is the world of telenovelas. And it is a fun part of the culture.

I think telenovelas are better than U.S. soaps because they actually have a beginning and an end. They only last a few months. Why do U.S. television networks allow shows (any shows, not just the soaps) to go on and on, for years and years? Enough already! Quit trying to squeeze more juice out of a dried up orange. Follow the example of the Latin American telenovela, where when someone dies, they die. They don’t die and then come back in the future, played by a different actor, all “I was kidnapped and held captive on an island for six years and had plastic surgery and now I look like this instead.” None of that. There is no adding on season after season just to make money. Because there will most certainly be another show after this one is over; another novela to bring in ad dollars. That is just how it is. No worries.

As unrealistic as this may be, at the end of telenovelas, the bad guys and gals get what is coming to them. They either go to prison, contract a horrible disease, lose all their money, die alone, or some other well-deserved consequence. Likewise, the good characters you have grown to love typically have happy endings. At the end there are newborn babies; recovery of stolen funds, ranches or companies; justice; reunions with long lost children; and a huge wedding for the main couple. It’s all wrapped up in a nice little bow. The end. It’s over. Move on to the next novela.

I was recently telling someone about my telenovela flashcard Spanish lessons and she said, “Wow, you must have a lot of free time.” Well, yes, I probably have more free time than a lot of people. But a telenovela only lasts an hour. I know most of you spend at least an hour each night watching TV anyway. Don’t act like you don’t.

So why not learn something while you’re watching? I mean, can you really learn how to dance the foxtrot by watching Dancing With The Stars? No, not really. And can you learn how to sing like Mariah Carey by watching American Idol? No, you can’t. But can you improve your Spanish by watching a telenovela? I am here to say “¡Sí! Se puede. Yes, you can!”

Take a trip without leaving your house.

The Oscars were just awarded last weekend and my marathon viewing of Best Picture nominees is finally over. I didn’t quite get to see them all, but it is a good motivation to see the movies getting most of the buzz. Typically, it is difficult to see any of the Best Foreign Film nominated movies before the Oscars because in most places in the U.S., they aren’t in the theaters. We have to wait until they come out on DVD.

In this blog, I have written about bad movies on buses in Latin America before (see this post). I have also suggested seeing movies, from the U.S. or elsewhere, when traveling in other countries (check this post). But today, I am going to suggest a few movies that you can view without your passport or an airline ticket.

The Motorcycle Diaries

This is a road trip movie, a road trip where a young man explores new and amazing places. It is the story of Ernesto “Che” Guevara before he became a revolutionary and pop culture icon. But the part that interests me the most is how traveling changed the way he viewed the world. He saw injustices and suffering people, and he didn’t just take a snap shot of them to take home and show his friends and family. He immersed himself in an effort to help people and make a difference. It was inspiring to see this young and altruistic Che, as opposed to the way he is often depicted: comrade of Fidel Castro and enemy of the CIA. Plus, the scenery and music are divine.  

Here is the movie trailer:

Sin Nombre and Un Pasaje de Ida

Immigration reform is one of the hot topics in the U.S. right now and there are plenty of people on both sides of the issue. Some folks call undocumented immigrants “illegals,” but I really hate that term. It sounds so inhumane. And the truth of the matter is people who come to the United States, legally or not, are looking for a better life. And they will do anything to find that better life, even putting themselves in extreme danger.

The following are two movies that demonstrate what people go through to get to the American dream. Think about how difficult their lives must be in their home countries to risk it all in these ways.

Here is the trailer for Sin Nombre, a movie that along with crossing borders, also delves into the world of the Mexican gang world. Some people make the journey to start a new life. Others do so to escape the past.

Here is a link to the movie Un Pasaje de Ida, in its entirety. This is a Dominican film from 1989 and the quality here is very poor. Nevertheless, it is worth seeing. We forget that not all people seek their dreams by land. And not everyone makes it to the other side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg0bMa6ALik

Guatanamera

Most everyone has heard the song, “Guantanamera” (if not, it is at the beginning of the film link below), but here is a movie by the same name. Guantanamera means “woman from Guantánamo,” and no! I don’t mean the U.S. military detention and interrogation camp. I mean the province in Cuba where actual Cuban people live their lives -- people like those depicted in this movie. It’s another road trip film (I am the Wandering Güera afterall), this time with a group trying to get a deceased loved one to Havana, with touching and comical trials and tribulations along the way. It is one of the many charming Cuban films I have come to love.

I tried to find a trailer, but instead found the entire movie here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9sR4c44vTg

There are so many amazing foreign films out there, from all over the world. They have a special flavor to them that is different than U.S. movies. I love many movies from the U.S. But seeing films about other countries and cultures that are made by people in those countries and cultures is another wonderful way to see the world when you cannot cross any borders yourself.  So pop some of your own poporopos, get comfy on the couch, and escape to another world.

Don’t let mosquitoes bug you.

It is the end of January and I have a mosquito bite on my arm. At least I think it is a mosquito bite. Even in Texas it seems strange to have a mosquito bite in January, but I know it’s possible. You see, today the temperature here was 81º F. While my family and friends in the north are freezing their earmuffs off, I am wearing flip-flops and sunscreen. Life just isn’t fair, is it?

Back to the mosquitoes. I have mentioned some not-so-desirable creatures you might encounter when traveling in Latin America (see this post here). But I didn’t mention mosquitoes. We have plenty of mosquitoes here in the U.S. during the warm months, that is for sure. They are sometimes like small birds, swarming in Hitchcockian-fashion, making us run inside for cover.  And they can cause more than itchy bites. West Nile has become more of a problem in the U.S. in recent years, not to mention Eastern equine encephalitis. But mosquitoes abroad are a whole other story, more diverse in what they pass on to their human prey.

I am not really qualified to get into the science of mosquito-borne illness, but suffice it to say that it is possible to get dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria when you travel to certain parts of the world. No matter where you go, be prepared. 

Before your travels, go to a travel clinic and get the proper immunizations and medicine for where you are going. You should speak to a doctor who specifically practices travel medicine. These doctors have extensive information on anywhere you wish to travel and can best advise you on how to stay healthy. They can also give you prescribed medication that will help with such things as the dreaded traveler’s diarrhea (which I once mentioned here) or malaria prevention. Some countries also require you to have certain immunizations to enter, so a travel clinic is the best bet to make sure you also have the necessary medical documents for your trip.

To avoid these mosquito-borne diseases, an additional option is to take along mosquito repellant – there are some that are stronger than the kind you typically buy at the drug store before heading to a barbeque or picnic. There are also sprays specifically for clothes and sleeping bags. If you do not wish to use such chemicals, a mosquito net is another way to protect yourself, at least while you sleep. In regions where mosquitoes are prevalent and air conditioners scarce, many hostels, hotels and guesthouses have mosquito netting over their beds. But if you plan to stay in more rustic places and you want that security, netting doesn't take up too much space in your backpack.

Here is a great resource from the Centers for Disease Control to use when you are getting ready to travel. It even suggests when you should go to a travel clinic (your immunizations need time to take effect) and lists what you need health-wise for any country in the world: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/vaccinations.htm 

There are other illnesses that do not come from mosquitoes (like typhoid) that you can also get immunized for before traveling. And more illnesses than the three I mentioned that come from mosquitoes or other insects. But don’t let this knowledge freak you out. Really. It’s not like Land of the Lost down there where giant bugs pick you up and keep you captive in their hives (see demonstrative, but fictional clip below). Just be aware of the punch those little buggers can pack.