Live high

I suck at saying goodbyes. I've perfected a please-do-not-touch-me-much-less-hug-me dance routine at airports and public places in general which involves some back patting, side stepping and more back patting. Sometimes even head patting but that's reserved for those with heights below my eye level.

Por eso, it's going to be interesting tonight when Melissa, Bob, Mariano, Joachim and I leave Huanchaco for good. It's been 2 and a half months since I first got here to this beach town where gringos come for the waves and stay for the lines. Drugs, sex, surf and volunteering seem to sum up Huanchaco in a rasta striped nutshell, openable only if reggaeton music plays in the background.

For me though, this town is something special because of the people. Not the bricheros who are looking to hook up with the female tourists. Neither the men who make wolf whistling and cat calling their collective special talent. But the genuine friends I found who will make my goodbye dance tonight a wee bit difficult.

Louise, my dear French cherie/skate ramp buddy who made me banana milkshake and sweet coffee though I don't drink coffee, who also lent me cash when I was so pathetically broke I couldn't even afford to take the bus. Lisa whom with I took a 1 hour bus ride just to have a drink at Starbucks where we spent 4 hours talking, talking, talking. Bob, the smart, creative younger brother I always wished I had who's going to be my furniture business partner. Delphine, Ellen and Annaleen, who taught me that you do not want to mess with Belgian females :P And Mariano, Joachim and Melissa for whom I will reserve all sentimental comments until we actually say goodbye...if we don't end up killing each other first after traveling together for the next week.

Then there's Maricarmen whose house I've been living in for the entire time I've been in Huanchaco. Thanks to her, Mimosa has a good home and will be guaranteed everlasting love. Thanks to her also, I had a good home myself for 2 months with a wonderful housemate and friend who always tried to make me feel comfortable. Te extranare, Mari.

And of course, the person who I can't thank enough for waiting up for me the first night I got here just so I had a place to stay, who also took me out to the beach bonfire on that same night which gained me a cool rep (at least for awhile) - Carmen, Facebook stalker and all round awesome human. You and Mari are the reasons why I would be mad enough to think of staying in Huanchaco permanently.

Before I coming to volunteer in South America, I thought I didn't have any expectations. It was only when I got here that I realised how naive and disillusioned I was about the world. Of course I had optimistic expectations and to be perfectly honest, teaching English these past couple of months plus volunteering at the blind school and skate ramp has not been what I thought it would be. I had a choice though - either dwelling on my initial expectations or simply making new ones. And I picked the second. And it's been really good.

I'm really thankful for the wonderful people I've met and the amazing time I've had here in Huanchaco. Yea I barely went into the water but I made up for that by spending extra time on the next closest thing - the sand. Sure I lost some money, my iPhone and my bank cards but at least now I have to worry about fewer things getting stolen. And I might not have visited the ruins of Chan Chan but I think my everyday view of the site from the bus was better anyway.

I will miss you Huanchaco.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - some random saint