Vinales 7/7

7/7/09
Vinales

In the morning, there was packing to be done.
And I was sick. Again.
So I packed, dozed, packed, dozed.
2pm. We boarded on to a 3 hour, air-conditioned bus ride.
Miquila and I chatted then fell asleep, uncomfortably being rocked to and fro by the windy roads.
I felt my life entrusted to the driver.
I opened my eyes to flat terrain dotted with mounds of fresh green.
We drove through a casa-filled town – Doña Castillo, Casa de Juan, and on and on.
Then hopped off into the heat.
We looked around for the woman with the white flowers as Sra Oralia had told us to do.
Immediately, there were advertisers of Casas pushing and pleading their cases.
Come here! This one has rooms! Stay here! Do you need a place for the night?
Still, wandering, looking, searching…there she is! Señora Oradys.
So we walked. And Walked. In the wet heat.
On the sidewalk.
Along the street.
Through a fence.
Up a paved driveway.
Along a dirt path.
And then – ta dah!
Green yard, rocking chairs on a porch, wooden-slatted windows, low ceilings, flowers abounding.
As La Senora welcomed us into her home, Vinales welcomed us into her countryside with a flash of lightning followed by the sound of the sky being ripped apart and birthing cascading rain.
And I grin from ear to ear.

- Aileen