6.19.2016

Journal, April 17, 1976 AM

“Sunshine, lollipops & rainbows, everything that’s wonderful is what I feel when we’re together. Brighter than a lucky feather . . .” I think it’s an old Petula Clark song, and it somehow sifted to the front of my mind this morning as I shiver, & gaze out into the bright early morning. It rained late yesterday afternoon, & the freshness has remained in the air. That’s also why it’s so chilly. I’ve even got a little cough this morning.

Yesterday was like a breath of fresh air - no hassles, no heavy talk or worries. We went up near a town called San José de la Montaña (which as you might expect is up in the mountains). It was cool, green & fresh up there, & we snacked on watermelon, mangoes and oranges in a cow pasture. <Sofia brought me a pair of special tamales (yum! yum!). Sofia went flower picking, & I was following her when we were spotted by the management & ordered out of the cattle’s private sanctuary.> They even tried to order us off the road in front of it.

Relegated to roadside, we took a walk along the narrow & winding road. Up above the heights of the coffee plantations, there were only dairy farms (with Holsteins) and vacation homes, & these not piled on top of each other as they might be in El Salvador.

<We had some weird tamales at the house of a friend of Sofia’s family (they were sliced like bread, & about the texture & consistency of banana bread), after the rain washed out our game of “hot potato”. On the way home we visited Luis’s house, and Sofia, as usual, got her mitts on the baby.> The kid got so attached to her, it wouldn’t leave her for it’s own granddad! That’s an all too common occurrence. When we’re at her house I always have to share time with her sister’s child. And so it was last evening.

<I had a good meal at Sofia’s, & left early since we were both tired. I had some more to eat at Doña Carmen’s.> Making the blunder of saying I was a little hungry still, & wouldn’t mind a tamal, I ended up with soup & rice as well!

Today, I have officially been in Peace Corps El Salvador for a year & a half. May the last six months go by quickly!

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