Chilly Open-Air bucket baths

So this is how my first morning in my new host community went down.

I woke up and there was a flurry of activity in the kitchen. My host mother is a businesswoman in the community. She owns a pupusaria but on this particular morning she was making sopa de tortas de pescado… (a traditional semana santa dish) essentially they are huge nugget shaped fish and masa fried up and set in a soup. I tried a little nugget and it was pretty tasty. But most everything is scrumptious once fried. Right? She was taking it to the food fair later that morning.

Regardless, the house was a bustle with the family, the extended family tios, tias, primos TODOS plus neighbors etc…

My host mother asked me if I wanted to banarme pronounced: bon.yar.meh. Since its culturally unacceptable to NOT bathe one’s self each day I said “SI” I would love to if she could just show me where and how.

She said follow me.
I followed.
As we walked about four steps outside the kitchen door into the side/backyard area, she showed me a tall blue plastic barrel full of water.  Next to it a large bowl or what the Salvadorians call a : Huacal pronounced:Wah.Call

If you may have noticed I have not mentioned any walking into another facility…simply walking outside.  YES folks that’s right. I was to bathe in the open air. In eye view of the street, the neighboring houses and well… she saw my fear and admitted that she too had some embarrassment and would sometimes duck down behind the barrel so people couldn’t see her. She added that she would have everyone go into the house to give me some additional privacy. 
The fear in my eyes did not dissipate.
She then offered her mother’s house down the street where there was more privacy.

Needless to say...I walked my scared little Peace Corps bottom over to try my hand at grandma’s set up.

It was better.
Not by much.
That story is for another day.

I would like to add that my host family, and all the folks over at grandma’s house are wonderful beautiful people.  Muy Buena onda

Update: As of yesterday I saw that a bathing area has been constructed out of wood posts and black tarp.  The cement slab that was laid was not fully dry so I walked down to grandmas again for a wonderfully cold bucket bath that hit the spot after a long day of hot bus rides and hours under the hot Salvadorian sun at the beach.

*stay tuned. photos to follow*

Current status: Bathed.