last bits

4/04/12

I got into Masaya in the late afternoon. The hotel room I had reserved, it turns out, is in Managua. So I went to another. After dropping off my things, I went to find somethingto eat. My "Last Supper" in Nicaragua. On offer at the Central Park were expensive meals, pizza, and different forms of fried meat dishes. I sat down with a bag of cut mango to consider my options. On the bench next to me sat a young woman in very shabby clothes. She looked very dirty, quite pitiful and smelled incredibly bad, a mix of sweat, dirt and urine. An older woman sat down next to me. I offered her some mango. She accepted. I then took a chance and mentioned that I was looking for somewhere to eat. She said she knew just the spot. 3 blocks away and she would accompany me as she was heading in that directions. The smell of our neighbour was now very strong as we headed off together, me with my stick, she limping beside me. 4 blocks later, we are still walking. Eventually we reach a small plaza with many food stalls. Yes, she was right. The food here is more than adequate . Cheese dumplings, plantain, vegetable patties all deep fried with a coleslaw salad on top. I invite her to eat with me. We sit down at a table. The vendor brings us our drinks. Mine is a spicy ginger drink. I finally ask her her age. I figure she must be between seventy and eighty. She says that she is sixty years old. She was sick with arthritis but now she is cured, she says. She wraps up 1/2 her meal with the 1/2 plantain that I can't finish for her breakfast tomorrow. When we are done, we part ways.

My hotel room is a sweatbox. The fan on the wall seems to be going fast enough but the wind never seems to reach me. I lie awake most of the night soaking in heat for the return. I will be in Montreal tomorrow night.