I thought it would be fun to do a little recap of interesting things from each continent as we wrap them up. Here are a few things you could experience while in Central America….
H=Honduras G=Guatemala N=Nicaragua A=All 3
–It is acceptable to pass a semi-truck in a school bus on the opposite side of the road on a turn (H)
-20 kids will fit in a mini-van to be driven back to school from recess (H)
-You will breathe in more exhaust than oxygen (H)
-Your morning run will turn into running for your life from stray dogs. Do not pet the dogs in Honduras. 95% of them are not friendly. Don’t take your chances. (H)
-You could get woken up extremely early in the morning by the following: roosters, livestock, barking dogs, firecrackers, cannons, a lady yelling “Yay for Jesus!” (really she is selling tortillas, but it makes it better if you think the first thing), blaring music that sounds like a sound system on your windowsill. (G)
-Watch for robbers or gang members when walking the streets. Also at night, blow whistles and hack machetes to keep them away. (N)
-It is acceptable for people to hiss at you to get your attention. (N)
-Boys will whistle, hiss, meow, yell, wink, follow you, etc, to try to get your attention to let you know they’re interested. (N)
-Don’t wear a v-neck when working in the fields. Bugs will fly down your shirt, causing you to almost flash everyone around you multiple times. (G)
-You think a 4 year old is flipping you off, only to realize that all of your pre-schoolers point with their middle finger. (N)
-Hoes will become your best friends. (A)
-Don’t allow your fellow teammates loose to speak Spanish without a translator nearby. They may end up telling people they want to have sex with them and asking where the penis is. They will not know they asked this and will be confused by people’s reactions, resulting in lots of laughter and a little embarrassment. (N)
-If you can’t speak the language, when in doubt, start muttering off random, absurd phrases you know in that language. It will at least get a laugh out of the people around you. (N)
-The kids are very violent, but all they want is love. Force it on them, and they will eventually calm down a bit. (H&N)
-Bakeries and bread ladies are your best friends. (G&N)
-Internet is shady and nearly non-existent. (A)
-There will be loud noises that make you think you’re being shot at. You will never get used to it, and will jump every time. These noises can include, but are not limited to: avocados falling on your tin roof, cannons, firecrackers, car back-fires, actual gun shots. (A)
-Cars are a luxury, not a necessity. (A)
-You can fit a family of 5 on a motorcycle, which is the preferred mode of transportation. (A)
-Toilet paper is not to be flushed. (A)
-You may be sharing a bathroom with bats, geckos, spiders, cockroaches, spider-sized ants, etc. (H&N)
-To get rid of a large ant infestation, pour bug killer on their trail, light them on fire, and pour hot water on the walls and floors. (N)
-If there are no more seats, and no standing room, there is still enough room for more people on a chicken bus if it means more money for the drivers. (A)
-When they say they eat rice and beans for every meal, they mean it. (N)
-If two micro-buses pull up at the same time, they will pull and push you to get you to come into theirs. Or if one micro-bus pulls up to a crowd of people, you will need to throw some elbows and push people to get in. (N)
-If you stay in a shanty-town for long enough, you adopt and name all of the stray dogs. (G)
-Being potty-trained means that the child can pull down their pants and go anywhere they want outside by themselves. (N)
-It is acceptable to still breast feed a 3 year old who is bilingual, potty trained, and eating normal food. (N)
-It is normal to have Chinese food at a Mexican food restaurant and American food at a French restaurant. (G)
-Trashcans are optional and rarely used. The preferred method is to throw trash on the ground anywhere you want or put it in a pile on the ground and burn it. (A)
-You can wash your clothes on a washboard, while getting washboard abs. (A)
-Corn has more uses than I ever gave it credit for. (A)
-Drying dishes is not necessary before putting them away. (A)
-The shower knob only has one setting…freezing cold. (A)
-Livestock has the right-of-way on the road (G&N)
-If you have a bathroom with 3 showers, 2 sinks, and 2 toilets, you may end up being able to only use one of each between 8 girls. (N)
-Showing your shoulders and kneecaps is scandalous. (G)
-Any dancing other than salsa and merengue is considered provocative. (A)
-Your walk back from the barrio could turn into a running of the bulls. (N)
-If you think you got bit by a spider, check for scorpions. (H)
-Iguanas, cobras, and tarantulas are apparently delicious in tacos and soup. (H&N)
-If your contact says you will be moving dirt one day, expect to move 2 semi trucks worth of dirt, and then leveling it after. (G)
-You may meet a Guatemalan who speaks English in an Australian accent, using British slang. (G)
-There are nearly invisible ants disguised as bed bugs that will eat you alive in your sleep. (N)
