What Americans Should Appreciate
After three months of travelling in third world countries, I surprise myself about the material items and cultural aspects that I DON’T miss from the States. I thought that I would have missed my luxurious bed, soothing Jacuzzi and cushy chaise lounge in front of the big TV. However, I realize that the so-called everyday amenities are what I miss the most. I will get on my “high horse” and convey my short list of items that we, as Americans, should be thankful for:
1) Purified water: In the States, we can drink from a kitchen sink, bathroom faucet and even a garden hose. If we are thirsty, we can easily drink water. Besides Panama, all of the Central American countries require drinking bottled water. No big deal except for the cost and inconvenience of purchasing water. But I have come to realize the many ways that we need purified water: washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, swallowing a pill or just taking a gulp of water while showering. Those little bottles of water run out really fast…
2) Hot water: Still on the water hype, as Patrick would say, hot water is essential for washing dishes, showering and for Paul, shaving. Even nice hotels do not always offer hot water here. Although a cold shower can be refreshing on a hot day, it can also be very uncomfortable if you need to wash hair or scrub excess sand/dirt off. Some hotels have “suicide showers”, Italian devices that heat the water just before it comes out of the shower head. But I find that suicide showers are flaky and even worse, can cause a nasty electric shock (thereby the nickname). I swear that I will forever appreciate hot showers from this trip forward.
3) Sidewalks, cross walks, stop lights: I fear for my life each time that I cross the street in Panama City. Same is true in the other countries that we have visited. I greatly appreciate that I can walk, run, and bike at home in a controlled situation, where motorists actually stop if I have the right of way. Crossing the street here is as follows: 1) stay together and hope to find a local person to cross with, 2) look both ways again and again, 3) wait, wait and wait for no cars, 4) sprint across the street, 5) run faster as a speeding car approaches, 6) arrive at the median safely if you are lucky, and 7) start again at step 1 to cross in the other direction.
4) In NoCal, lack of biting bugs: Yes, we have some mosquitoes, bees and fleas. Yet I do not recall ever scratching bug bites incessantly except maybe after a camping trip in the mountains. We can spend an entire day and evening at the beach, and leave without one single bug bite. Here, I carry 98% DEET in my purse, as I never know when those nasty beasts will start biting. I can be sitting in at a restaurant or store, and feel myself being bitten. Yesterday, Connor pulled a bug out of my hair! “Mom, there is a black thing in your hair – I think it is a tick.” Nice.
I suppose that one of the best things about travelling is learning to appreciate what we have at home. I certainly appreciate several things in Latin America that we don’t have in the States – that will be the subject of another blog post…
Tags: Panama
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