Forgot that they’re missing
I saw the strangest thing in Asunción today. Something I haven’t seen in months - a commercial airplane. I still haven’t seen a comtrail crossing the sky out here. It’s plausible that I never will. The only time I can ever remember seeing a bare blue sky in the US was in the immediate wake of 9/11 when all the flights were grounded. Next time the weather’s clear, go outside, look up, and then tell me how many comtrails you see.
On the way to Encarnación for Thanksgiving, I saw evergreen trees for the first time in months. Equally wierd.
And this entire country is completely devoid of squirrels. I can’t imagine why - Paraguay seems like it would be a pretty squirrel-compatible ecosystem. The rats, bats, and birds like the trees here well enough.
When I leave my site for volunteer events in the big city, traveling over asphalt and speaking English, sometimes it seems almost possible that I’ve just landed in Central Florida, circa 1966. Then some odd realization like the above comes along, and I realize all over again exactly how alien this place can be.
The Guaraní words of the day are hi’a cheve, meaning “it seems to me”. Hi’a cheve that I was well and truly due for this last excursion but hi’a cheve that it will be a good while before I’m ready for another.