FIRST NIGHT IN BARRANQUILLA

Jackie and I share a room. It consists of two single beds, a shelf, and a small bathroom. Our room is right above the street with continuous honking horns. There is a TV and after flipping through the channels, we found one station that wasn’t fuzzy. They are all Spanish speaking. I did try to play Who Wants to be a Millionaire in Spanish. I didn´t do sowell. I am extremely grateful for the air conditioning. All the people working at this hotel has been so gracious and helpful. We can buy bottled water at the registration desk. We brush our teeth with bottled water and only drink bottled water.

William had pizza delivered. We decided to eat it outside where it was cool. There is a park located across the street. It’s not a park like I had seen before. It was dark but the park was well lit. There were many families enjoying the park. I think when it cools off in the evening, people come outside and enjoy the temperature. I guess it’s been in the 90s for a while now. Little children were riding their trikes around and around a circle. Some were roller skating in a cemented area made just for that purpose. There was a bouncy gym you see at carnivals that little ones were jumping in. People were shooting baskets and older folks were playing a game like checkers. Children were swinging on swings and riding on this little motorized merry go round.

We walked the park. It was so run down. The bouncy gym looked like it had never been cleaned since it had been put up. There was a lot of garbage. I saw two stray thin dogs running around hoping to find dropped food. The swings were old. I worried if there was glass in the sand under the children’s feet. As we walked we noticed there was a building with a police officer in it to keep peace, although to me it looked like the families were truly enjoying their time at the park.

Jackie and I talked about the park afterward and agreed how people in the United States are so safety and cleanliness conscious. Over the top. I have a bottle of sanitizer in my purse, at work, and at home. I would not let my child if she were younger jump in that bouncy gym! Funny how these children seem to survive a little bit of filth and have fun at it, too.

Lori