Hinchada

Hinchada is the word for swollen, swollen anything but for me it's my feet and legs which are always a little swollen here in the heat. And do I get questions, advice and comments about this! As I was waiting for yet another meeting that didn't happen at the clinic the other day, an older woman sat next to me with questions about why my legs were swollen, questions about my health, blood pressure, etc. This has become pretty routine in my day.

And then there's the advice... I've been told many times to soak my feet in a bucket of salt water (to which I reply that I do this by walking on the shore in the water of the ocean), to put hot sand on my legs, put my legs up (which I do most days in a hammock after lunch). But today topped them all. My friend Sarah came for the afternoon from her neighboring town and we spent the afternoon walking on the beach, playing in the waves and talking. Afterward, I walked her to the highway to catch a car to her town. On my way back to my house, a woman in a tienda called out to me asking who I was, where I was from, what I was doing, etc.etc. Then she noticed my hinchada and was off on a roll. Before I could get away, I was sitting in her kitchen with my legs in a basin being bathed with canyasa (I don't have any idea how it's really spelled). But canyasa is Peruvian moonshine. One swallow and I'd probably fall over. But for a leg bath, not bad. I walked home with cool legs and realized I smelled like a town drunk.

There is no day without a surprise.

Sarita