The Guagua Diaries (written 11.11.08)

I never feel more like I live in developing Latin America than when I'm riding along in a guagua, headed to my site. I look out the window and see Haitian workers chopping weeds, Doñas carrying buckets of water, and trash fires at every glance, all to a background of merengue tipico. I feel as if I am simultaneously in a movie and observing one. I could be filming these scenes, or be the one on film from the outside of the bus, my head pressed against the smudgy glass. It is a serene and beautiful experience.