Bad News

 As you've probably guessed from the title, we did not get the negative results from the Covid tests that we had hoped. Chris was negative, but Jim was still positive. We've been hearing that the PCR test can stay positive for a long time, but if anything, we thought Chris would be still positive and Jim would have turned negative, because I (Chris) only turned positive on Monday. 

Today is Jim's birthday - it was supposed to be such a cool birthday. Now, not cool at all. Our reservoir of good cheer is running low.

We still feel fine. Our OAT liaison, Marvin, gave us a pulse oximeter and asked us to report our blood oxygen levels twice/day all week. He asked us to take a picture with our finger in the device and send it to him via WhatsApp. Our numbers were always good - blood oxygen levels between 94 and 97 every day.

Jim

I'm really not sure why they had us do this - maybe for the possibility that our test would be negative, but they wanted to be sure we were actually healthy? Don't know - but it's a very interesting way to report don't ya think? The photo proves the numbers and sending it via WhatsApp gives a date and time stamp.

So what now? We really don't know.  Wait a few days, take another test, hope for negative, then catch a flight home? The trip leader, Walter, has been wonderful - staying in touch with us every day via WhatsApp and sending a few photos of what the group has been doing. He kept encouraging us and believing that we would test negative and be able to join the group today. He said he was looking especially looking forward to getting to know us because he is in process of building out an RV and he plans to drive it down to Tierra del Fuego! He wanted to hear all about our RV lifestyle. He is from Guatemala and I was especially looking forward to the tour at Lake Atitlan because I visited there with my parents in 1962.

10 year old Chris, sitting on the shore of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala when my family traveled there in a truck camper.

My Mom buying ponchos? from local artisans at Lake Atitlan

We met a family (Hansteins) by the lake who invited us to come stay at their coffee plantation in the nearby hills. See our camper in the driveway?

Me by the pool at the Coffee Plantation - Finca La Paz

I was so looking forward to going to Lake Atitlan and remembering 1962.

S I G H ....

In Search of Pupusas

 

As you heard in my previous post, we are isolating in our hotel room and limited to eating from the room service menu. Everything has been good, but we've been hearing so much about Pupusas, and there are no Pupusas on the Room Service menu.

We contacted our OAT liaison and asked for help with acquiring some Pupusas to eat. He told us about the Hugo app. Kind of like a Uber Eats and Walmart app combined with payment processing. 

The first day I tried, I did not have any success. I downloaded the app, but when I went to the page for the recommended restaurant I could not find Pupusas, I tried a couple other options but got too confused. I think some of my confusion was because I was HUNGRY. So, I gave up and ordered from Room Service.

But, I was determined, so the next day I tried again. Opening the app and going to the restaurant and searching for Pupusas still yielded "No Results." But I hunted piece by piece thru the menu and found it. Once I did some translating to figure out what selections to make, I went to order and was prompted to set up an account. Not surprising, but still a hassle - and should I really give my email and credit card to an El Salvadoran app? Yes - I'm hungry, and I want Pupusas! I did give a secondary email and credit card. 

Once I had successfully ordered, a tracking screen appeared letting me know when our food would arrive and be delivered to our room. Once the order was out for delivery, we could watch the delivery vehicle as it got closer - just like Uber.

Three Pupusas (and a Tres Leches) came to $6.55! And, they were delicious. What the description above does't mention is that the cornmeal griddle cake is stuffed with pork, refried beans and cheese. Kind of like an empenada but flat so not much filling. 

One more day until we take another Covid test and then we'll know whether we will be released into the wild, or we need to stay put.