heading west, the only place I haven't been this weekend

Friday I decided it was time to check out the far east side of Caracas- Petare- the ever dreaded-Petare- Getting a bus was a cinch for Delia, it was me, the 3rd and last one to get on that had to run along side until they made enough room for me to squeeze into the door frame. But give and take, right? Delia and Guillermina who got into a stopped bus, were now smooshed against other bodies inside- I had the comfort of hanging outside the door with a fabulous breeze waving me in the wind. If only being stuck there in the door could've allowed me to reach for my camera I would now have first hand close-ups of my memories seeing raw markets and streets of South America packed with people and goods of every kind. I think I may go back, it reminded me of the 7 kilometer market outside Odessa. Better than Target... ok, that's a lie. But the produce looked amazing.
Saturday I felt the wrath of Karen. Well, not really- I pretended I didn't really know what she was saying to me at 730 in the morning and honestly was to cool to care. Something about not being a hotel, you can't have guys over... blah blah blah. Now this sounds a bit racy so I will explain for the sake of my parents: the "guys" as I call them work with me, both of which have recently been kicked out of their apartments for insane Venezuelan circumstances. The good friend I am, put a roof over there head during the pouring rain, kept their bodies hydrated and fed, accompanied them with intellectual conversation, and we even got into a deep decipherization about my favoite wall poem- until I went to the beach the following morning with my roomate, Karen. I think it was the right thing to do. She only has to put up with my accomodating ways and humanitarian efforts until the end of the month.
I slept on the beach and it started to rain big drops but scarcely, I came out of my coma to feel them more and more. Comfortably deciding that it felt really good on my super hot skin I went right back to sleep in the rain. The ride home after a vital Wendy's stop found me sleeping to loud music in the back only to get my head jolted by the car next to us who was trying to pass. Monica wasn't pleased, her car is quite new and now with a thick, dark blue streak that covers the back door she was in no state to see or hear what she was causing all around us. She stopped there, in the left lane of 2 going the same direction in heavy traffic- the dark blue car stopped behind us. The backup of cars had to reach many, many kilometers by the time we were on our way again. A hot-headed bus driver was passing us on the right side when simultaneously a walking ice cream vendor passed in front of us. The ice cream man almost got himself stuck between the our car and the bus, I was scared for him. The evening brought us safely home through more rain and I was able to find a good size arm of aloe on the 6th floor to help heal some areas of my red skin. Success at a beach in La Guaira!

shirt saying sunday: LOVE DANCE FLOOR


CONGRATULATIONS SHALON & JAKE!!!!!!!!! I think it will be a boy!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!