Gringos in Machala!

Just when I was convinced I was the only one...

I found other gringos in Machala! I had heard there were a couple Peace Corps volunteers somewhere around here but had yet to spot them. I have constantly had my eye out for some obvious gringos, but until now, the only one spotted wandering this city was me. But, today, I started off my day in my typical routine way by getting up early and making my way to the nearby stadium for a run. Upon entering the stadium, I noticed to gringa-looking girls doing some stretches on the grass. We exchanged glances and I continued running around the track.

While completing my first lap around I was considering all the possibilities. Could they be tourists? Not likely. I doubt tourists come to the stadium to fit in some exersize. Could they be from a country that doesn´t speak English? Possibly...Well, by the time I was nearing them again I decided to go for it and just find out (I have been waiting for the Peace Corps gringo encounter for the last 2 months and did not want to pass it up). I slowed down my pace, walked towards them wondering how to say hello..Spanish or English? Before I said a word, one of the girls said hello first, in English! Just the one word in an obvious American accent, lead to a flood of English coming out of my (our) mouths.

It´s amazing the connection you can make with a stranger when you meet in a foreign country where no others like you are around. We began with a rapid-fire question and answer session to set the facts straight. ¨Are you in the Peace Corps?¨ Yep! Just as I thought. I had found the long-lost Peace Corps girls past volunteers had mentioned were living in Machala! I told them who I was and it turns out they had been looking for me for the past two months as well! It was this incredible reunion, so to speak, with two complete strangers. But, I am happy to have found some fellow Americans who have been taking on this city for much longer than I have. They regularly get together with other Peace Corp volunteers who live in nearby cities and I hope to soon meet them as well.

What a start to my day! They were just as happy to meet me as I was them. One girl was so excited she predicted to find $100 today to follow-up the luck she had already had.