JohannaDugger640
We were enjoying our meal at a popular open-air restaurant around the main tourist drag in Panajachel, Guatemala, when some tourists about our age walked slowly by. Billy says "Hey, the food's great here, why don't you give it a go?"
The man looked interested, the girl looked horrified.
I chimed along with "Order the Amuerzo Economico and you'll pay half the marked menu prices."
The man took two seconds to decide on this good deal, and made a proceed to spend time at a table next to ours.
Spousal opposition
"We're likely to eat here?" The wife questioned.
Clearly she held resistance to entering this clean, brightly decorated eating establishment.
I'm suggesting it had been no dump. There was a flat screen TV on the wall and lively Salsa music on the stereo system. Clean handwoven Guatemalan tablecloths covered every table which also supported fresh flowers. Original indigenous artwork adorned the walls.
The girl, who was noticeably beautiful and well-kept, had her hesitation distinctly written all over her scrunched up face.
"I hope they speak English here," she said by having an audible sigh as she flopped down.
"I desire a Coke. Do you have Coke? What do you need to drink here?" She demanded in rapid-fire English. The bilingual waiter kept up together with her rush of questions pretty well.
"You have chicken or pork? I'll take the pork. Honey, they have chicken or pork."
Meanwhile, the husband and Billy were chatting away about retirement, finance and travel, having a grand ol' time.
The drama darkens
Bottles of Coke and empty glasses promptly arrived at the table and again, this poor woman looked stricken. Simply appalled.
I could not imagine what the problem was, so I attempted to catch her reactions out of the side of my attention.
Mrs. Visitor had personal drama going on and that i found it mesmerizing. Apparently a few of the syrup had released towards the top of the Coke bottle, causing a tiny dark sticky blob to appear.
She checked out her husband, then at me, then in the bottle, then at her husband, then at me, then again at the bottle. She disgustingly ran her finger towards the top of the bottle and today she had that tiny sweet dollop on her finger. She again looked at her husband (who was ignoring her right now), then at me, then at her finger, then at her husband, then at me, on the other hand at her finger!
By now I am thinking "She has no Kleenex in her own purse? If she has been blown off course by this small , common occurrence, what's she doing traveling in america?"
If this innocent ooze of syrup upset her a lot how her meal would go?
No disrespect intended
Since no one was rushing to her rescue to provide her a warm, clean, wet, soapy cloth or whisk her off to a 5 star restaurant filled with apologies, eventually Mrs. Visitor looked to her left, then to her right, and rather guiltily, wiped the syrup off around the tablecloth. I don't imagine it ever occurred to her to ask the waiter for any napkin.
Part of me felt badly for not coming to her deliverance. She was afraid and out of her element, and that i often see her frustration towards her husband for taking her here to Guatemala. Lost in desperation with no help from her spouse, this well-groomed woman was face-to-face with the edge of her safe place... also it was not pretty.
I had been both stunned and completely transfixed. I had forgotten that my twenty-two many years of world travel had trained me to put a tissue in my purse for unexpected events such as this one.
So here are a few quick survival strategies for travel that I we do hope you find useful:
Bring baby wipes. Ladies have babies around the globe. If you are someplace that has some semblance of civilization, you will find baby wipes within the grocery stores. Visit the baby section, discover the wipes. Put them in your purse. Then when you travel on buses, wish to sit inside a chair that has strawberry syrup on it or find that you need mouthwash in the bathroom, you have a clean wipe arrive at your aid.
Put napkin or wipes down soda bottle necks. If you are eating outside in warm weather and therefore are having a soda, flies or bees often gather for the sugary syrup. Place napkins or said wipes on the bottle neck and you can avoid an awful creature falling into your pop. When you are traveling overseas, it's commonplace to wipe from the mouth of beer and soda bottles even just in upscale locations.
Use sliced limes to wash your fingers. Platters of fish or shrimp in many cases are served whole at the beach and eating seafood can leave your fingers messy. Using a thin napkin at the table can be unsatisfying. Use the sliced limes first then utilize your napkin. In this manner you will not have tiny items of paper stuck for your fingers to annoy you extra.
Say "Provecho!" When entering or leaving a restaurant in Latin America, say "Provecho!" with other diners. This basically means "Enjoy your meal" and it's a very socially polite aspect to say. It shows that you are an experienced traveler and you are an all-around-nice person.
Don't let your comfort zone limit you. Every day life is for living. Grab a bite and relish it. Situations and circumstances aren't always the same as they are "back home" and that is not a bad thing. So what if one makes an error? What exactly if a person lunch wasn't your preferred? A smile goes a long way for all those around you and while you are at it give one on your own.
