Thursday, April 18
Today, I have gotten lost for two hours in the Central
City. Even with a map I am lost. Keep
looking at the names on the buildings and streets, there are
two names really and I believe
I find my bearings only to go around in different
circles. I have blisters on the bottoms of my
feet which is a new experience that makes it that much
more painful, to be lost.
I find a Cathedral and go and sit down in the cold, out of
the sunny heat. I am tired and
frustrated and feel kind of stupid. I feel I should be
able to find my way. To make matters
worse this particular Cathedral is not on the map. I
wonder, how can that be? I think about
what it means to be safe?
It is an interesting thing to be in a situation where you
have absolutely no choice but to
keep trying. I cannot "phone a friend" as it
were and ask for the answer to my question.
I cannot speak to the police as most do not know
English. I have seen no offices of
Tourism or "help" desks, so after my rest in the
church, in the cold, I have to go back
out into the sun, the heat, my blisters and being
lost. I stubbornly refuse to panic.
And I keep hearing Gail in my head, "Vaya con
Dios", go with God. I remember that
I am not, even now, alone.
After two solid hours, I find the bookstore and the
Cathedral that I had set out to find
in the beginning. I am elated. I want to sing
and dance but cannot do that in public
here without getting arrested as a crazy tourist. I
enter the town square and realize
that I am one of thousands of tourists and pilgrims in the
Centre City, finding my way,
looking at art, soaking in the culture, hot, sweaty and
tired. But still I learn.
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