My first day in Central America was unexpectedly happening - from being questioned by immigration for smuggling to lessons and feeling at home
The first 24-hours in a new country are quite special, particularly as a solo female traveler.
Apart from taking the leap, hopping on a flight and getting myself to a foreign land, I don’t experiment too much. The first day is about finding my footing after being thrown into a foreign land where I don’t speak the language (only broken phrases) and ask people to slow down and repeat for my brain to map Spanish words to their English counterparts. I try to constantly challenge and place the information I have gathered - reports, news, how its not safe. And so, I observe, read the body language of people, enjoy the hustle bustle, adjust my ears to the accent and get a sense of the place before being more adventurous.
But I was surprised at how low my guard was on the very first day even though the day was not super smooth. For starters, I almost crossed towards the Guatemalan side and saw the immigration official seem somewhat convinced of why I was here and stamp my passport. Less than five minutes later, I was asked to step aside and was questioned for smuggling substances from the US. Of course I had forgotten to eat two mandarins on the flight and not declared them on the declaration form. I was just thinking about the level of complication I had gotten myself into as I was taken aside. However, unlike scary US immigration, the officer was so disarming and helpful - he just took the smuggled fruits, noted down my details and as I looked on apprehensively when he noted down my passport number, he assured me that I was already through immigration. Phew!
That was the first and after that one after the other - whether it was people at the bus stop I asked directions from, the drivers, getting into a bus that I didn’t have a card for and figuring out my way to another city by taking two more buses or finding vegetarian food. And how can I forget the friend I made on the flight from the US - she was so excited that I was visiting her country, was so helpful and even offered to visit her family.
What really stuck with me was how they all had the brightest smile when they said “Adelante” which means welcome or go ahead. Beaming with warmth and embodying the word in every way, the Guatemalans gave me a good lesson in how to welcome someone into your country or a new space :)
Along with the warmth some had their share of fun too. I unsurprisingly drew attention as I noisily dragged and sometimes lifted my small suitcase across uneven narrow footpaths. When I insisted I was going to take the bus, not a taxi, some guys and taxi drivers sniggered. I let them have their moment - it was part of the experience, they were being entertained and the women helped me anyway! But after getting myself and my baggage across three foot-over bridges, I was also smiling to myself - I learnt another lesson, next time only my backpack was accompanying me.
All in all, I was warmed up after a good workout and more importantly by the gestures of the wonderful people of this country. I might have felt lost, but not anxious at all!
My appetite for food and adventure got a good boost - I treated myself to a good dose of the former, the latter will follow in the coming days. Vamos!
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