Friday, September 23, 2011

Things I won't miss when I leave El Salvador

I know this sounds negative, BUT, I'll be following it up with a post of things I WILL miss.


frequent brown outs--this is more annoying than anything. The lights will frequently go out, then come back on, or dim and then get bright. If you use the microwave you can literally hear when the voltage drops.

hotdogs in tomato sauce--I eat pretty much anything that my sister in law makes if it means I don't have to cook, but hotdogs in tomato sauce or 'salchichas en salsa' is just wrong.

fridge that was never cold--I put all my drinks in the freezer, 'nough said.

4am trips to the letrina--I cannot make it through the night without having to go to the bathroom. I go right before I go to bed but still, 3-5 hours later I wake up with a need to pee that is like no other. So I have to get up, find my flip flops, grab the flashlight, and make my way there and I slip on the brick path every. single. time. These bricks get covered in moss and are damp from the rain. Even though I step carefully, I always slip. You guys are going to think I'm mean, but because of this, I make M get up too to make sure I don't fall and break my neck. Whatever, he has to pee too.

mosquito larvae in the pila--the pila is supposed to be emptied and cleaned with bleach every two days. We're not always on top of things and sometimes it doesn't get emptied or cleaned. Then these little mosquito larvae show up in the water and, well it's just not good.

dirt in the bed--it's hard to keep dirt out of our room because our bedroom door opens up to an open air area. I'm putting this one squarely on M, he will walk outside barefoot and then come back and hop in bed without cleaning his feet. IT DRIVES ME UP THE WALL. I constantly have to sweep out my bed.

charco (mud)--it obviously rains a lot here during the rainy season. The dirt roads turn to rivers and are so muddy. I have never worn shoes other than flip flops here because I don't want to have to clean my shoes. At least with flip flops I can just pour water over my feet and flip flops and be clean in a minute.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Right there with you on those 4 AM potty walks. Lucky for you that M makes the trip too.

Estrellita said...

I don't think I would miss any of those things either. I hope the next chapter of your life is filled with COLD (I hate warm soda!) drinks and clean beds. Oh, and indoor toilets. I won't take those things for granted anymore!

Dad said...

Ah yessss….the advantages of inside plumbing. Something we all take for granted (except when we are out camping). Update us when you have an itinerary for your travels and addresses when you arrive in Oviedo. Love you-

vicky said...

hilarious!!!! hot dogs in tomato sauce!!???? and can you explain what exactly mosquito larvae MEANS? although part of me thinks it's better I don't know.

julie said...

Mosquito larvae...I was a little freaked out the first time I saw it. Imagine looking at a slide under a microscope and seeing little squiggly black lines moving and jumping around. It looks just like that except they are jumping around in your water. They look like little organisms if that makes any sense. And small, like 1/4 - 1/2 an inch long. They're not really gross, more like disturbing. I try to scoop them out of my bucket but when you're all shampooed and your eyes are tightly shut you can't see them as you're dumping water over your head. I try not to think about them.

Alisha Lundberg said...

This list is hilarious! I just found your blog. I have a list like this too as well as a "Things I'll Miss" list. However, I am lucky enough to have indoor plumbing; I feel spoiled. Have you tried bleach in the water to kill the larvae? We do that, but you have to be careful if it's the same pila you use to wash clothes. My blog is: http://alilorraine.blogspot.com/