Utente:BeaulieuGabaldon889
I was enjoying our meal in a popular open-air restaurant around the main tourist drag in Panajachel, Guatemala, when some tourists about our age walked slowly by. Billy says "Hey, the food's great here, why don't you give it a try?"
The person looked interested, the woman looked horrified.
I chimed along with "Order the Amuerzo Economico and you'll pay half the marked menu prices."
The man took two seconds to select this good deal, making a proceed to sit at a table alongside ours.
Spousal opposition
"We're going to eat here?" The wife questioned.
Clearly she held potential to deal with entering this clean, brightly decorated eating establishment.
I'm suggesting it had been no dump. There was a set screen TV on the wall and lively Salsa music around the stereo system. Clean handwoven Guatemalan tablecloths covered every table which also supported fresh flowers. Original indigenous artwork adorned the walls.
The woman, who was noticeably beautiful and well-kept, had her hesitation distinctly written all over her scrunched up face.
"I hope they speak English here," she said by having an audible sigh as she flopped down.
"I desire a Coke. Have you got Coke? What do you need to drink here?" She demanded in rapid-fire English. The bilingual waiter maintained with her rush of questions pretty much.
"You have chicken or pork? I'll go ahead and take pork. Honey, they have chicken or pork."
Meanwhile, the husband and Billy were chatting away about retirement, finance and travel, having a grand ol' time.
The drama darkens
Bottles of Coke and empty glasses promptly reached the table and again, this poor woman looked stricken. Simply appalled.
I couldn't imagine what the problem was, so I attempted to catch her reactions out of the side of my attention.
Mrs. Visitor had personal drama going on and I found it mesmerizing. Apparently a few of the syrup had leaked out towards the top of the Coke bottle, causing a tiny dark sticky blob to look.
She looked at her husband, then at me, then in the bottle, then at her husband, then at me, then again in the bottle. She disgustingly ran her finger at the top of the bottle and now she had that tiny sweet dollop on her finger. She again looked at her husband (who had been ignoring her right now), then at me, then at her finger, then at her husband, then at me, on the other hand at her finger!
Right now I am thinking "She doesn't have Kleenex in her purse? If she has been blown off target by this small , common occurrence, what's she doing traveling in this country?"
If this innocent ooze of syrup upset her a lot how her meal would go?
No disrespect intended
Since nobody was rushing to her rescue to provide her a hot, clean, wet, soapy cloth or whisk her away to a Five star restaurant complete with apologies, eventually Mrs. Visitor looked to her left, then to her right, and rather guiltily, wiped the syrup off around the tablecloth. I don't imagine it ever occurred to her to ask the waiter for a napkin.
Part of me felt badly because of not coming to her deliverance. She was afraid and from her element, and I could see her frustration towards her husband to take her here to Guatemala. Lost in desperation with no the aid of her spouse, this well-groomed woman was face-to-face with the fringe of her safe place... also it wasn't pretty.
I was both stunned and completely transfixed. I'd forgotten that my twenty-two years of world travel had trained me to place a tissue in my purse for unexpected events exactly like it.
So here are a few quick survival tips for travel which i we do hope you find useful:
Bring baby wipes. Women have babies all over the world. If you are in a location with a semblance of civilization, you will find baby wipes in the supermarkets. Go to the baby section, find the wipes. Insert them in your purse. Then when you travel on buses, want to sit in a chair that has strawberry syrup on it or discover that you need mouthwash within the bathroom, you've got a clean wipe arrive at your aid.
Put napkin or wipes down soda bottle necks. If you're eating outside in warm weather and are having a soda, flies or bees often gather for that sugary syrup. Place napkins or said wipes on the bottle neck and you may avoid a nasty creature falling into your pop. When traveling overseas, it's commonplace to wipe off the mouth of beer and soda bottles even just in upscale locations.
Use sliced limes to wash your fingers. Platters of fish or shrimp are often served whole by the pool and eating seafood can leave your fingers messy. Utilizing a thin napkin at the table can be unsatisfying. Apply the sliced limes first then utilize your napkin. In this way you will not have tiny bits of paper stuck to your fingers to bother you further.
Say "Provecho!" When entering or leaving a restaurant in Latin America, say "Provecho!" to other diners. This basically means "Enjoy your meal" and it is a very socially polite thing to say. It shows that you are an experienced traveler and that you are an all-around-nice person.
Don't allow your safe place limit you. Life is for living. Grab a bite and relish it. Situations and circumstances aren't always just like they are "back home" and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Who cares if one makes a mistake? What exactly if a person lunch wasn't your preferred? A smile goes a long way for those around you even though you are at it give one on your own.