I Haven´t Worn a Seat Belt in 4 Months

As we draw closer to the conclusion of our life in Central America, I must highlight some of the inherent risks taken in these countries on a daily basis. Sure, these countries are generally safe (Nicaragua more than Guatemala) and Trisha and I experienced no problems whatsoever in our four months here. But if you really stop and ponder it all, it is amazing some of the everyday risk factors that just become routine.

To begin, I haven´t worn a seat belt since November. This was not a choice, but instead a reality of automotive travel. In all of the buses, taxis, shuttles, jeeps, and local cars that Trisha and I made voyages in, only a few times did I even catch a glimpse of a seat belt--and those were usually worn by the driver. So instead of perpetuating the feeling of seat belt nakedness that we felt when we initially arrived, adjustments took place and now it will likely feel foreign to once again fasten on that safety strap.

Adding sevenfold to the lack-of-seat belt risk factors, were the white-knuckled driving sessions we were subject to on a routine basis. From the inexpensive public buses to more pricey tourist shuttles, all had drivers with nerves of steel who seemed to be more interested in achieving some unreachable arrival time, than the mental well-being of their passengers. I am still amazed I don´t have a bodycount to share of the countless men, women, children, dogs, horses, and goats almost hit by our fearless drivers. I can recall the whites of their eyes as we passed within what seemed like millimeters of impact.

The interesting thing is that not once did I see fear in any of those eyes. Dogs lie dangerously close to the street, knowing deep down that those drivers aren´t going to hit them (I only saw one dead dog here and it was on a dirt road) The women and children walk with the same confidence, always with the traffic instead of facing it, and never seeming to have problems. And the horses, which I shared about in blogs past, are never spooked and have an ingrained confidence that I think impossible to achieve here. Our inherent risks fell in more subtle areas too.

Trisha (and I) complained for two months about the cold showers we experienced in Matagalpa and other places. Did you know that we did have some hot showers too? Our transition days and visits to other cities which required a hostel or hotel, and home stays in Guatemala, all had hot water. It was these simple pleasures that increased our chances of an untimely demise. Since natural gas is expensive here and hot water heaters are uncommon, an electric device installed above the shower head with cords running all over the place is the efficient water heater replacement. I will say they work very well as I enjoyed their warmth immensely. However, it was impossible not to think that you were going to the electric chair every time you took a shower. As hot water flowed down, the red and yellow cords above always reminded me of how close I was to becoming a piece of crisp bacon. Fortunately nothing too shocking occurred.

Another somewhat comical instance of increased danger with little precaution was out visit to the Pacaya Volcano. This magnificent mountain is located about an hour outside of Antigua and makes for wonderful hiking. The destination of the hike is the tourist draw, and I have to admit unlike anything I have ever seen. Near the summit of this volcano is actual molten lava rocks, flowing both gracefully and with sudden explosions down the mountain side. I imagined prior to our visit that the actual lava areas would be roped off with a sizable distance given for tourists to snap a shot or two. Instead, with the permission of the guides, all groups were allowed to venture as close to the lava rock as they wanted. And so many did.

Trisha and I got close enough to where we could feel the heat of the molten magma warming our somewhat chilly bodies. Others of course (mostly French and Germans I think) were posing for pictures directly in the path of the oncoming rocks, or using sticks to poke the fire-red rocks. There were even a few guys who brought up marshmallows and roasted them over the chunky lava river. Amazing! You have to love a place were liability forms don´t exist and your death, dismemberment, or charred parts have no grounds for lawsuits or suing. This was the theme of all the parks we visited, however none were quite like our volcano day. Again, I must say as a disclaimer, that Trisha and I never felt unsafe on any of these excursions and always had guides who were extremely caring and informative.

A final area on this topic is food. We were lucky throughout our visit to never have anything too uncomfortable or severe plague our systems. That said, I am amazed that more people are not laying unconscious at their dinner tables from some of food storage and preparation I witnessed. The most puzzling, and one that I have seen in other countries too, are the open air butcher shops with hanging red meats and slippery chicken parts covering the counters. I´m no scientist, but I thought if meat sits out all day that it´s a bad thing.

Trisha and I never purchased our meats from these types of vendors, but we did have home-stays, and I know that our families were buying food from the mercados, and and not the supermarkets. Not to mention that many of our home-stay kitchens looked like scientific experiences themselves. Our longest home-stay in particular (Granada), had a kitchen that I didn´t like putting too much thought into or spend much time peering at. Fortunately the beautiful fruits and vegetables sold in markets only needed a good clean, and most of the street food didn´t look half bad (The regular supermarkets were very clean and worked just fine). Plus, I would like to assume that the restaurants we visited could hang an A or B in their front windows, although if a food grading system existed here we might not have gone out to eat much.

In conclusion, I`m not sure of the lessons that can be learned from these types of experiences, except children aren´t bubble wrapped with pads, helmets and doting moms as they walk down the street, the men don´t mind hanging off the side of a bus or going helmentless on motorcycles or bikes, and suing someone over minutia is not a common practice. I am not sure if all this risky business is always the healthiest option, but it makes the life of a tourist very exciting.

Final Disclaimer- My dear wife has written more than once that I worry incessantly on travel days. It´s true. For those who would question my overall manly grit or bravdo however, non-of-the-above falls into worry categories for me. They are but interesting tidbits.