El presidente and screaming children ...

I am writing from a cafe in downtown Marida looking across at a square filled with people listening to the President of Uucutan giving his speech from parliament down the street. There are some protesters with small signs. Of course I have no idea what they are saying ... I am drinking a cola and was just served the largest plate of guacamole. Lauren Hill is fighting with El Presidente for my head space as I am needing some English and non salsa at this moment. Wilbert LOVES salsa and blared it the entire three hour drive yesterday.
I forgot how much my heart thrives walking around a new place with new people, new food, well new everything ... yet at the same time so similar.
My trip has changed pace a little. I am now in Wilbert´s home city Marida. The first meeting with his family actually left me feeling like I wanted to back to the beach and fast. It is so hard to be with a group of people and not understand the language that they are speaking ... especially for me because you all know that I was filled with about a million questions and just wanted to get to know everyone. It is funny ... even at this stage in my life some internal irrational but unavoidable fear whispers that the laughter is about me. I felt better after having a shower and Cynthia, Wilbert's sister, invited me for ice cream and to watch her husband play with his band.
We ended up at a two year olds birthday party and it was wonderful. After being kissed on the check by the little kids and family I just sat back and watched. I saw a beautiful snow white pinata dissipated and little gift bags handed out for the kids to stuff full only to find they had more candy hiding under their chubby little thighs. The children here are truly beautiful.
Being here reminds me so much of the Philippines ... the smells, the stores, the streets. I am so thankful for that experience in my life. I know that it had a huge impact on the way that I see the world.
Oh,the president is about to walk by me ... he is a handsome man ... a head taller than the crowd and holding a child that is screaming bloody murder to get out of his embrace ... Hilarious... not the picture op. that I imagine he was looking for.
I finished A Complicated Kindness ... it left me in tears ... how does a religion that kills souls survive? That can not be what God intended. So good to be reading again.
Sat in on Mass at the oldest church in South America ... I was drawn in by the singing ... it was beautiful ... one of those moments that you would not wish to be anywhere else. There is something about traveling that teaches me to enjoy my own company. My head is not such a bad place to be sometimes.
Cynthia will come collect me soon and we are off to a Cuban buffet ... Cuban everything lately. Wilbert took me to hear live Cuban music our last night in Playa del Carmen, then Cynthia´s Cuban husband and his music, now more Cuban. I am loving it though. You should have seen the way the Cuban singer in Playa moved her hips ... it was like a washer on the spin cycle ... he he he. I am learning to salsa... it is hard with the still weakened condition of my legs but I am still giving it my best and shaking as well as I can. Wilbert is a great dancer and very patient!
So as the breeze cools me on this beautiful adventurous full day of my life I send love and hope that you will find some time today to see your world like a foreigner would ... full of mystery and beauty.
And Kirst, as beautiful as it is here I can´t wait to be at your beach soon. Missing all of you and wishing you were here experiencing all of this with me ... it would make it all that much more perfect.
Again no spell check because blogger is in Spanish here ... go figure!