Almost......Almost made that mistake again. Call it what you will but the sense or ability to feel your way through life to know or at least explore opportunity is something of a developed art form. I'm not saying I'm good at it but I will say that I am pretty much always ready to learn. Ready for what could happen. So as I rolled over that speed bump and started to get back into the gas there was a reason that couple drinking beer on the side of the road caught my eye. I kept on with my throttle and ALMOST didn't think twice, but this time (as with so many others) I got about 500m down the road and did think twice. I turned my small two wheeler around and set on stopping to see what was pulling me in, why I was drawn to that particular restaurant out of the probably 75 I had passed in the last 100 km. Same old scene upon sitting down with this couple for a beer: he's drunk, she's getting there. I order up another big beer for the three of us and before you know it our party blooms to a half dozen, all with beers at the ready. Turns out this couple is family with the restaurant owners and seeing as it's Christmas they insist on me joining them to the town party that evening. We're talking a town of maybe 1500 people and this might possibly be the biggest party of the year. Arrangements are made for my hammock that night on the premises, a quick shower, much more beer, and off we set for the town square. I'd say the party was typical by Latin American standards but there really isn't such a thing, two live bands back to back, dancing into the night fueled by too much beer and food for any one four hour span. After all of the antics displayed that night and good times (short stories too numerous to detail) hugs were traded and our party drifted it's way back to the restaurant with a solid dozen or so in tow. I wasn't really that drunk but F I had eaten so much food between two families forcing plate after plate on me I actually felt sick. After maybe 5 or 6 more beers it really would have behooved me to make for a secluded area to vomit six or seven times, but in my state my hammock sounded like the proper solution. Now a better story would have been that I woke up in the mosquito proof hammock and couldn't get out in time and yaked all over myself (this almost happened), but no, I made my way to the outhouse just in time to realize that the window for puking had passed as the food was well on it's way out the other end. So I've finally achieved the purge I've been looking for on this trip, it's the first time so far on this journey that I've really had one of those good old fashioned explosive, grab the toilet, piss from the butt, make weird noises from your throat that resemble words yet have no real meaning past an expression of worried surprise kinda deals. It's actually a bit of a relief the time I've spent getting to know this outhouse, feels good, feels healthy, but dammit there's no time to dwell on my deep rooted affection for a good clean-out, my time with the family is growing by the moment...... I mentioned this is part 1 of 2 because as I was getting set to blast off this morning Manuel, the patriarch of the family, informed me that two days from now is the real biggest party of the year: His daughter's Quinceanera. It didn't take very much convincing and I'm here in Tapanala for three days and three nights doing my best to stave off drinking with this family; it began again at 8 am this morning..... I'll join soon enough, maybe one more session with the outhouse and a quick trip to buy another blanket (it was actually cold as hell last night). I'm half-way home on this two part pare, who knows what will happen tomorrow..... Who ever knows what will happen tomorrow?
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Part 2 of 2 (written 12.29.13)
Now that's an F'ing Quinceanera!! I guess I know this is part 2 of 2 and it seems like part 1 was dominated by a signature shit story but since I wrote part 1 I've been vexed by the fact that I somehow didn't get the real point across. Maybe I just needed part 2 to go ahead and take place so I would have a more clear picture of what exactly it means to come into contact with this family by chance and happen upon two legit parties in three days. I mean the chances of the whole thing are not only impossible but at times made what was happening in front of my eyes seem surreal. So I did my best to simply digest the material and really get an idea for what and why I was there. Part 2 produced fodder for my mental and spiritual. It made me understand that what I'm really interested in is the real and genuine emotion behind a life so different than my own that I am literally a spectator and have no real ability to take place in this game. I did, I drank and I helped prepare everything from literally a truck full of meat to the decorations to setting the tables, filling holes in the parking lot, digging post holes, setting the cake display, serving beer, taking pictures, and collecting trash. In all of those respects I was a "part" of it, but most of that shit lacks the emotion that I found so intriguing. I lack the words and expressive ability to say how it all made me feel; it made me feel like not getting drunk, it made me want to see and do everything in the world. The pure emotion that took place last night was that of dreams, books, make-believe, etc, it will not be soon forgotten. An exercise in life so vivid and real it trumps anything I've read or dreamed. It's purposefully contradictory and I know that but that's what it was, the whole thing. I'm not saying the three days in Tapanala changed my life or anything but I will raise a toast to Manuel, Rosi, Julissa, Guillermo, the people of Tapanala and say here's to life!
Now that's an F'ing Quinceanera!! I guess I know this is part 2 of 2 and it seems like part 1 was dominated by a signature shit story but since I wrote part 1 I've been vexed by the fact that I somehow didn't get the real point across. Maybe I just needed part 2 to go ahead and take place so I would have a more clear picture of what exactly it means to come into contact with this family by chance and happen upon two legit parties in three days. I mean the chances of the whole thing are not only impossible but at times made what was happening in front of my eyes seem surreal. So I did my best to simply digest the material and really get an idea for what and why I was there. Part 2 produced fodder for my mental and spiritual. It made me understand that what I'm really interested in is the real and genuine emotion behind a life so different than my own that I am literally a spectator and have no real ability to take place in this game. I did, I drank and I helped prepare everything from literally a truck full of meat to the decorations to setting the tables, filling holes in the parking lot, digging post holes, setting the cake display, serving beer, taking pictures, and collecting trash. In all of those respects I was a "part" of it, but most of that shit lacks the emotion that I found so intriguing. I lack the words and expressive ability to say how it all made me feel; it made me feel like not getting drunk, it made me want to see and do everything in the world. The pure emotion that took place last night was that of dreams, books, make-believe, etc, it will not be soon forgotten. An exercise in life so vivid and real it trumps anything I've read or dreamed. It's purposefully contradictory and I know that but that's what it was, the whole thing. I'm not saying the three days in Tapanala changed my life or anything but I will raise a toast to Manuel, Rosi, Julissa, Guillermo, the people of Tapanala and say here's to life!
I suppose I didn't even talk about what "exactly" was going on in those three days but it's filled with all of the stories and good times allowed by law. Not governed law but the simple laws of nature, it shouldn't get any better than this, but I know it will, it always will. My hangover driving away from Tapanala this morning had nothing to do with booze or sleep, my soreness and sadness I bore with a smile because I understand what it takes to feel this way and it simply makes me happy.
Oh and in case you were wondering, the open fire hydrant that was my ass has subsided and we're back on a semi-normal schedule, back on the moto, and back to finding the Nettles'.....
Merry Christmas everyone, lots of Love to you all-
Merry Christmas everyone, lots of Love to you all-
Will
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