Monday Travels

A relatively (sp?) uneventful day. I got up late again (hey, I'm on vacation), packed my things, and said goodbye to the missionaries. Then I stood on their doorstep for about 15 minutes while I waited for the bus to come. I took the city bus to the down town ADO bus station. No, I don't know what ADO stands for. I had about an hour until the noon bus would leave, so I took advantage of the time to find an internet cafe. The bus ride to Juchitán lasted five hours. It was a ride I had taken a few times before, and the view from the mountain roads was just as beautiful as remember. I also got just as car sick as I remember. I did get to watch a couple of movies during the ride. But "Raise Your Voice" starring Hilary Duff wasn't all that much fun to watch in Spanish.
I arrived in Juchitán at about 5pm. As I stepped down from the bus I was hit by a wave of hot, humid air. I'd forgotten just how how the Istmo area can be. I immediatly started sweating, and I haven't stopped yet. After finding another internet cafe, I called a member family who I had helped teach and baptized. They met me back at the bus terminal, and we walked the half a block to the taco stand they help their grandmother to run in the evenings. We spent the evening talking and eating tlayudas. I met a guy named Fernando, from Guadalajara, who spoke english. His accent was very thick, but he could carry on a conversation without any problem. He said he had travelled quite a bit when he was younger, and had spent quite a bit of time in London, where he had learned english. He had also lived in Paris, where he learned french. Now he was in Juchitán for a few months, and he hoped to learn Zapoteco, one of the local dialects.
After our late dinner, we headed to the family's house where I got to spend the night in a hammock that was slightly too small for my larger-than-the-average-Oaxacan body.