Tuesday, April 19, 2010

0711, Tue, 042010. What a busy day. We were headed to the big city with John and Sharon from Sunsation. We walked to the main road in front of the marina/hotel and only had to wait a short time for the "Chicken Bus". This is one of the old style school buses that the locals fix up with lots of graphic paint jobs and race around the countryside delivering everything from people to chickens. This particular route starts running busses before the sun is up and honks an air horn like it was a train whistle, almost continuously down the road. I guess it is worth raising the dead to let all the living know the bus has arrived. Being at the beginning of the line we were lucky enough to get a seat, although not much of one as I hung halfway into the aisle. The bus even came complete with a little sign up front that was in English, 1. Behavior on the bus is expected to be as in the classroom. 2. Obey the bus driver. 3. No roughhousing, and so on. Definitely an old school bus. This ride lasted about an hour or so until we got off at a stop called the arches, so named for the underpass going beneath the highway above, although we didn't know that until after we were off the bus. We were all a bit in a mist as far as our directions since we were told to follow the crowd up the hill to the road above, but there was no crowd, just the four of us. We went up the road that lead to the highway above and asked several people where the bus to San Salvador stopped and crossed the road just in time. Kewl, no waiting. This bus was an upgrade from the last and even included a clown in full clown shoes and painted face. He might have been funny if we could speak Spanish, but the kids enjoyed him. Maybe he is waiting for Hollywood to discover him. We rode for another hour or so arriving in the outskirts of San Salvador on a side road. The entire bus unloaded so we figured this must be the end of the line. From there you taxi into town, our first destination being the appointment for John at the Dermatologist. We seemed close when the taxi drive deposited us, it was the medical district with lots of offices all around with every specialty you could imagine. I tried to convince John he needed an OBGYN and that we had found the office but no dice, he wasn't going for it. We headed over to a building we thought was the correct place and I suggested going inside just to make sure, since we were quite early. Good thing. It wasn't the right place. We ended up getting the run around asking people where to go. Now remember, in Latin America no one ever says they don't know. Each person gave such convincing directions that we went to about four or five place all within several blocks of where the taxi dropped us off, until we made the complete route and started being directed back to the same places a second time. With the help of one fellow, the pharmacist, who left his place and walked us several blocks trying to help, we came to a place where the Doctor's name was close and had the same specialty. Latinos also take the family names that they are related to, so they end up with a long list names, the order of which shows their relation to these people. The place we landed was a relation to who we were looking for. Finally a call was made for us and we found the Doctor had moved clear across town. Sue and I needed to make a stop in the Bank and while J&S waited for the phone call and directions we popped into the bank. Now, there is no such thing as a pop into the bank in Latin America. By the time J&S were ready to go we were at the bank window and couldn't stop now, it looked like it would only take a few minutes. So, John and Sharon arranged for a taxi to take us to the next spot while our transaction strung out, the girl making several phone calls, but bingo! We had money in hand, we all hopped in the taxi and were off to the other side of town and right to the front door, only a few minutes late. It was nice in the office, air conditioning, ahhh. I snuck in a little nap while Sharon called the final taxi guy who had been recommended to us by other cruisers. John was done, the taxi showed up, we arranged for him to take us shopping and back to the marina for $45 US. Deal. We stopped for lunch at a Burger King, went to Price Smart, stopped at another grocery to finish off the list and were running out of day with not a spot left for another bag in our small taxi. It was about 5pm I think when we started heading out of town for the marina. The taxi driver stopped along the highway to deliver a can of formula home for his little daughter and then the race was on. Like a horse heading to the barn we were on Toad's Wild Ride. Ripping along the highways, cutting between cars, and slowing now and then for speed traps the driver was making good time. The speed limit was 65 KPH which, if my calculations are right is about 40-45 MPH. We had to be going 70 MPH. Well, they have radar here and before we knew it we were caught. He got a ticket for $57 US. The day would be a bust for him. Well, we chipped in to help defray the cost of the ticket with a hefty tip and were left with a pile of groceries at the dock. We loaded the dink, leap frogged the groceries into Neos, and all was stored just after dark, just in time to see what was going on in "24" land and hit the sack, whew…..more later..

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