Page 115 - Exile-ebook

114 AN EXILE OF THE MIND A BOXCAR TO PALENQUE 115

On reaching Costa Rica we
planned to make a U-turn and head
back. An English girl about to travel
alone to Mexico was persuaded to
hitch-hike with us for safety. David
and I took it in turns to hitch-hike
with Anne until we reached Mexico.
It was a definite advantage to travel
with a pretty redhead. Cars and
trucks would screech to a halt, vying
with one another to offer us rides.
Truck drivers plied us with tequila
at a roadside taverna to get us tipsy
so they could flirt with Anne. They
would croon love songs, get into Anne and David in Central America.
an argument, take a swing at one
another and then shake hands and crucified haze. He had just showered
drink again. One by one they slid in his clothes and stood steaming
off their chairs in a drunken heap. dry like damp ginger shag drying its
Anne patted them on the head as we wings under the hot midday sun.
walked out. She was quite relieved A frosty reception awaited us at
we were travelling together and more the consulate and we were surprised
thankful we could hold our drink. to find we had been denied visas
We made rapid progress towards for Guatemala. David had lost his
Mexico with this new arrangement. temper with the consul earlier
Sitting astride a freezer in the back and was told to come back a week
of a ute, we helped ourselves to ice later. We stayed at the crater lake
cream as we drove through the swel- of Ilopango where a volcanic island
tering streets of San Salvador. David rose majestically from its centre.
was spotted by the side of the road Like many of the little-known places
with arms outstretched, his beard- we visited, it was soon to become a
ed face turned towards the sky in a popular tourist resort.
With our passports grudgingly
Street market, Antigua, Guatemala. stamped we crossed the border