Usuluta´n, El Salvador 22-9-2010

Usuluta´n, El Salvador 22-9-2010

Odómetro: 16,331.2

Today we made a big run from Nicaragua across Honduras and into El Salvador. Crossing two borders in one day is not a recommended way to spend a perfectly hot day in Central America. A day where the heat came up high enough to where I felt good. The sun beat down, the humidity reached 1,015% and the winds remained still. Gorgeous. Every pore pouring water and dirt back into my gear, replacing the fodder for the bacteria and fungus to grow just for ma. A day where it is too hot to be at the beach, a day too hot for the shade and air conditioned buildings. But the perfect day to wait in lines and get hasseled by hustlers. An excellent day indeed.

At the Nicaragua-Honduras border we met one of the nicest customs officer yet. As she filled out all the necessary papers she said we would need to pay $33.00, more or less, which would cover insurance, import taxes and the like. I asked if I could pay with Visa. ¨no¨came the reply. I then asked about $US. ¨no, only Honduran units in cash, please.¨ I asked if there was an ATM near. ¨no.¨ Hmmmm… “A bank? ¨ “yes, but they don´t exchange.” Hmmmm… “Then you want me to exchange with the thieves?” I asked, with a smile. Then continued with several comments on how this picture of me trading money with thieves and brutes and bandits just so I could drive across Honduras. Her eyes rolled, but a little twang of smile crossed her lips. I gushed forth with similes. How it is like driving cows to the butcher, chickens to the feather plucker, fresh water directly to the sewer….Now the smile and then laughter. Finally, she exchanged the money for us, out of her own pocket, at the known official bank rate of the day, just so I would shut up. She then told us how to get through the rest of the crap, thanked us for our understanding and for all the fun. Probably one of the more fun border crossings on this trip.

Uncle Walter