Fresh off the chapa, I back home. The joy of being home will be short-lived, since I have to board another chapa early tomorrow morning. I think I’m experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome, ‘cause I don’t wanna. My chapa driver today hit a dog. I saw it happen. The dog hit the car and was dragged under exactly in front of me. The dog’s last thoughts may have been, “Hey; a white person”. The dog is dead, and I can’t do anything about it. I did, however, panic when we got into Ile and the driver seemed to be veering towards a goat. I shouted out – in English - before I could stop myself, “Oh No! Not again!” after which the driver and other passenger next to me looked at me like I had two heads. He did not hit the goat.
Gurue was particularly enjoyable. I spent the better part of yesterday on a path that wove through a tea plantation, up the side of the mountain, through bamboo groves, under a sparse forest of acacias, and finally, to the top of a waterfall. Allison, Bethany, and Erica took their Redes girls on a hike, and I tagged along, taking pictures as I huffed up the mountain and sweated out a liter of water. We hung out at the top for a few peaceful hours. Towards the end, I taught some of the girls how to make daisy chains using the wild dragon snaps that grew on the rocks. I didn’t even know I knew how to make daisy chains. It must’ve been the innate hippy in me emerging.
Last night, Allison and I made glorious French toast for dinner, and I reached for the trash to clean up, and touched something. My hand snapped back as a reflex, and I looked down to see one of the largest spiders I’ve ever seen in my life clinging to the side of the trashcan. I touched it. I touched it. I spent the next five minutes of my life repeating that exact phrase. In what I consider one of my finest moments, I picked up the trashcan and brought it outside, with the spider still clinging to it. I was very proud of myself. Allison then called over the embregado next door, who tried to convince us that it was harmless, and proceeded to put my act of bravery to shame. He picked up the spider, put it on the ground, and then ground it under the ball of his foot. We screamed like little girls. Bethany actually remarked later that I have a particularly girly scream – I know, shocking. But, it was a huge spider.
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