Cycling in Central America

Here's James's first blog entry on one of his favorite topics of conversation - cycling: The Salvadoran equivalent of the Tour de France rolled through the country recently. This sporting event received more hype than any other since I arrived here last July. I have been a cyclist for years. (Last Fall I purchased a bike from a fellow teacher. I cycle in the neighborhood and, on weekends, I climb the Paseo, San Salvador's main drag, all the way from the Plaza Salvador del Mundo to Calle del Mirador. )

Needless to say, I followed the cycling event with great interest. The race had seven stages which took the riders through every department (or state) in El Salvador. There were 150 riders from 10 countries. Two of the stages were criteriums, 20 laps around a 5.1 kilometer closed course. The start/finish line was at the Multiplaza, the fanciest shopping mall in country (and near our campus). When I saw the route published in the newspapers, I was astonished to see that the riders would pass right by our house. I have never been that close to a professional "peloton" and couldn't believe how fast they went and how close together they were.

I found out, too, how difficult it is to photograph a bicycle race, especially with a digital camera that does not shoot in "real time." I had numerous exposures where I had missed my subject entirely! I had a great time riding my bike to numerous vantage points along the course. I spoke with several members of a Canadian team. (They were "too cool" to talk with me. I knew that when I saw their sunglasses.) The American team (all amateurs), and especially the team manager, were nice guys, though, and very happy to hear from a local "gringo." They had a good overall experience but had hydration problems.

The race occured during the hottest, most humid week of the year. One stage finished on "El Boqueron," the crater of the volcano overlooking San Salvador, and some of their guys had difficulty completing the climb. In the countryside, one American hit a cow crossing the road. (Here, cows have the right-of-way.) The final stage was a criterium. A young American led for 19 of the twenty laps and had a lead of more than a minute and a half. He was chased down on the last lap by three Colombians. They won the stage and were also one-two-three in the overall standings. I have never seen such a display of power and speed so "up close."

The Vuelta Ciclista de El Salvador was, on the whole, a great spectacle and a boon for the image of the country. Next year, I'm taking the day off to see the finish at the volcano. James

Remiss

A friend wrote that I had been remiss in blogging. Certainly from April to May, she was right. We are one week away from exams here, which means I just have to update the Dunlap blog (anything distracting is a temptation today, so I don't have to face grading essays).

I think I might clean out my closet (another disctraction). The question looms - do I give away all the clothes that no longer fit? Can I keep all this weight off when we go back to South Carolina? I'm going to think positively and pitch my big clothes. Now it's simply a question of whether or not I can take my new lifestyle home with me. James and I were talking yesterday about how we'd lost so much weight. The walking has got to be a big part of it. I've completely worn out my favorite pair of shoes - they can't be fixed at this point. Maggie is on her third pair of school shoes. We just walk a lot.

When we come home in the afternoon after school, whatever Mila has cooked for dinner is on the stove. That removes any temptation to call for a pizza or run to the nearest drive-thru. And it is cheaper to buy fruit in the grocery store than to buy junk food. A pineapple is always 89 cents. Mangoes are four for a dollar. Bananas are 18 cents a pound. Why would I ever buy a $5 bag of American Doritos? It just doesn't make sense.

But I have really gotten spoiled by having so few household duties. When I come home to a clean house with all the laundry already done, it's so easy to go for an afternoon walk. The extra time is a real luxury. I've made some good walking friends as well. During the week I walk with the head of purchasing from the school. On Saturdays I walk with a girlfriend while her son plays soccer. And on Sundays, James andI hit the track together. Every once in awhile I can get Maggie or Will to join me. One afternoon, I walked with one of my favorite students. She kept me entertained for an hour. For some reason, walking has gone from being a punishment to beng a nice outing. Maybe it is because there is an amazing view of the volcano from the track. So those are my Salvadoran weight loss secrets. Can I keep it up in SC? Remains to be seen!

We went to the mall yesterday to have lunch in the Food Court. Will's Spanish has been a struggle for him, but he really impressed me when he ordered his own lunch. I'm still working on the one word technique when I shop. Maggie needed a birthday present for a boy, so I ventured into a clothing store. I asked for a camiseta negro mediano (medium sized black t-shirt) for an hijo de catorce anos (oops - called him my son). But it worked!

While we were eating lunch, there was a small earthquake. It was just a 4.5, but I'd never been out in public when a quake hit. We are usually at home in our little cement house built to California codes. Across from us was a Salvadoran family. The father and I immediately began to watch each other. I think he wanted to see if I would panic. I wanted to see if he would grab his children and run. It's amazing how many thoughts you can have in 8 or 10 seconds. But the quake ended and no one moved and we went back to our lunch.

Such is life in Central America! We'll be back home in less than three weeks. On to final exams... Susan

Mothers' Day

How could another month have gone by for the Dunlaps in El Salvador? So many times I remind myself that I must write about this or that on the blog, and then I realize I can't remember the last time I wrote anything at all.

The rainy season is back and it is hot and humid. But still we survive sin (without) A.C. James and I continue our Spanish lessons with our dear friend, Sergio. We hope he will teach us again next year as well. I went shopping last week and found a charming sales lady who would speak in one word sentences. Vestido? Blanco? Violeta? Regalo? meaning "You'd like to buy a dress? Do you like the white one or the violet colored one? Is this a gift?" I understood her perfectly. It's when they start rattling off these long sentences that I literally understand nothing. Hopefully over the summer we can learn more Spanish instead of forgetting the little bit that we know now.

The Junior Senior Prom was last night. We went with Kathy Gordon, an Upper School math teacher. No one told me about the receiving line. I stood for an hour and kissed every student who walked in the door. My cheek and jaw were sore - there were hundreds of students at this event. And hairdressers in San Salvador made a fortune yesterday. Those girls all were dressed to the nines! We lasted until 11:00 p.m. - an accomplishment I was proud of.

Maggie was the social butterfly of the family this weekend. She missed her first quinsinera (big celebration for girls when they turn 15) to attend a Salvadoran wedding. Weddings are different here. Dinner is served at midnight. The whole party can go on till 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. At some point they hand out funny hats for all the guests to wear. Mags brought home a giant pig and giant duck hat. Supposedly Tony Saca, the President of El Salvador, was there. But out of 500 guests, Maggie never ran into him. Here's a picture of her before the driver picked her up to go.

She did manage to squeeze in two birthday parties on Saturday. We need to buy lots of fancy dresses for her this summer to get through next year's events. We are headed home on June 7, back here on July 24. Then we move across the street to yet again a bigger house (our last move in the complejo), and get ready for school to start again. It's exam preparation time at EA, so I need to get back to creating my final.

James promises to post a blog entry about an international cycling race that went right by our house. Between that and local soccer, he stays busy as a Salvadoran sports fan. Happy Mother's Day (although technically Mother's Day here was Wednesday, May 10... a holiday to rival Christmas). We'll keep working on our tans between rainstorms... Susan