The reason for the long ride was mudslides. I now understand what mudslides really are when they talk about them in the news. Masses of mud, rock and whole huge trees covered the road and blocked any hope of getting to Santa Cruz in a timely manner. We had to sit, along with hundreds of other busses, tractor trailers, and cars and wait for the mud to be cleared by bull dozers.
Not only were there mudslides, but several times I thought the sticky oozing mud on the roads would carry us over the road side cliffs. When I would look out the bus window and NOT see the edge of the road I decided to just look the other way and hope for the best. Let's just say I was happy to get off. And, I was told that sometime people get stuck on that road for weeks!!
I did come up with a few ways to express how long I was on the bus:
1. I was on the bus long enough to meet a nice guy. We'll be getting married next month.
2. I was on the bus long enough to now speak Spanish and Quechi fluently.
3. I was on the bus long enough that the other passengers are now fluent in English and Kreol.
4. I was on the bus long enough to shear the sheep hanging off the back of the bus and knit a sweater.
Despite the agony of the ride, I did have an angel with me. The woman in the next seat travelling with two kids kinding shared bread and peaches and juice with me the morning after sleeping scrunched up on a bus seat. I was very touched by her kindness.
Pictures to come....
