The bus pulls up to the tube, drops a "drawbridge", opens the doors, and everybody rushes in and out, and since the Brazilians are not a patient people it's usually all happening at once. (To get on the bus, you pay someone sitting just inside the tube and then wait in the tube for the bus to come.) We were on our way home, and despite the fact that my companion and I had worked our way right up next to the door so we would be the first ones off the bus at our stop, it didn't quite happen that way. When the doors opened, my companion pushed against the people trying to get in and exited the bus. Although I was practically holding on to her skirt, I was not as fortunate...the doors slammed shut right in my face. So there I am, my face and hands pressed up against the glass, watching my companion as the bus pulls away. I looked something like this...
...except this man doesn't have enough fear in his eyes. My companion panicked and started yelling instructions to me, as if I could hear anything over the roar of the bus pulling away. AAAAHHHH!!! So there I am, a fresh little greenie who can barely say "Hi" in portuguese, surrounded by Brazilians, on a bus headed to Who-knows-where. Luckily, there was a member on the bus whom I had not yet met, but who had seen the whole thing. She pushed her way up to me and stayed by my side, pointing to herself and saying "W;l;werlaksdfjereoraseroweirjsdfj;slwewrjdf...Mormon". At least I recognized something! We got off at the next stop and waited for my companion, who caught the next bus and met up with us there. All in all, I suppose it was a relatively harmless experience. Harmless??? But just imagine what could have happened to me! Anyway, because of that I'm extra careful, even now, to make sure I'm standing by the door for my stop well before I have to exit.
7 comments:
Bobbi-Sue, you are too funny and you bring back too many fun Guatemalan bus memories.
That is too funny...yet, all together, quite traumatic! Last time I took the bus in a foreign country I sat next to a dirty old mexican holding a bag full of his own urine from a catheter. Needless to say I didn't enjoy the ride too much either. But atleast I wasn't alone.
That is too funny...yet, all together, quite traumatic! Last time I took the bus in a foreign country I sat next to a dirty old mexican holding a bag full of his own urine from a catheter. Needless to say I didn't enjoy the ride too much either. But atleast I wasn't alone.
Thanks for these fun memories. I laughed and laughed. I was thinking I should follow your example and write some things from my past. Maybe
Janelle, please do!!! I would love to read your memories!
Love the memory and the picture to go along with it.
I loved this post! This is too fun to read! Keep the memories coming!! (Oh and thanks for the Wicked playlist, that made my day!)
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