I seem to be getting attached to a lot of people here in Nicaragua. First, it was the entire extended family I stayed with in Esteli. I still get a bit choked up thinking about Jose, my 4-year-old buddy.
And on the Isla Ometepe this weekend, I got adopted by a dog.
On my first day, I went for a walk through the village. On my way home, I was greeted by what looked like the typical Nica dog: brown, somewhere between a greyhound and a chihauha (imagine that union!). Skinny, but not emaciated like some.
I reached out my hand for her to sniff. Most Nica dogs are used to abusive and/or indifferent behavior and cower from human contact, but not this dog: she got up on her hind legs an immeditely started pawing me playfully.
I started walking again, and realized after a few moments that she was following me. She actually followed me all the way home.
And everywhere else I went for three days.
That night, there was a dance in "town," a fundraiser for the local school. She followed us there and slept in a corner, loud (and bad) music, bright lights and all. When we left, she jumped up and led the way down the dark path for us.
If I was reading a book in the hammock, she would curl up under it. If I went to he bathroom, she would follow me and wait outside. At meal times, she would sit under the table and wait for scraps (which I imagine was the glue of our friendship). At night, she slept on the dirt floor of our dorm.
This dog was smart to pick a gringo for a friend. I and the other people staying at the hostel really coddled her, and she loved it. I knew I'd have to leave without her, and hoped she would get attached to one of the other backpackers. But it was still me she followed (maybe I gave her the best scraps?). People in te village would grin and ask if she was my dog. Everyone at the hostel was teasing me about my new pet.
She would look up at me with her enormous, trusting eyes, and I started to have fantasies of taking her with me. How great would it be to travel through Central America with a dog? A faithful traveling companion that never argued with you. Security on the streets at night. A great conversation starter. And then I could write a book about traveling through Central America with a dog.
But of course, I've never seen a dog on a bus here (chickens and pigs, yes, but no dogs). Or in a hostel. And then, what the hell would I do with a dog when I got home? I don't even know where I'll be living.
And really, why should I take her away from her island paradise? She seemed healthy and happy on the island. And the healthy part was the clincher: no one seemed to know who owned her, but she clearly wasn't a stray. For her, this was probably a little adventure: hang out with some gringos for the weekend, get some good food, then go home when we left.
She gave me an awful look when I left, but mercifully didn't follow me to the bus stop. There were still other travelers at the hostel, and they were eating breakfast. I think she may become a regular there...