I remember
three things from my childhood about Strathaven Gala Day. One, schoolchildren
on floats (lorries in fancy dress) caused riots by throwing sweets into
the watching
crowd. Two, a school friend vomited on my lap one year whilst we were on
the Octopus
fairground ride. And three, it mostly rained.
San Pedro’s
annual Feria is taking place this week, and mostly it has rained.
I feel
really
sorry for the local businessmen that have set up food stalls, a ferris
wheel
and other fairground amusements in the streets, as unfortunately the
three
inches of rain water flowing freely through everything in the town has largely
dampened the
party atmosphere. Almost everyone has a dejected
look on their face, as they tiptoe through puddles and peer out from underneath their umbrellas. Earlier, I
walked past a corn on the cob vendor with his head in his hands, looking
like
he was crying. And f
Felipe my
homestay host tells me that it rains every year during the Feria, and it
should hardly be a surprise to the depressed corn on the cob merchant given June is right in the middle of Guatemala Central
America and is due to reach hurricane strength later on today.
Last night
as the wind howled and the noise of the rain battering off my
corrugated-iron
bedroom room sounded like a eighties heavy metal drummer in a bad mood, I suddenly woke up
in a cold sweat. If a large branch could fall onto my bedroom roof when there
was no
wind whatsoever, could the entire avocado tree not fall into my bedroom
at any
minute during a tropical storm?
