I thought you might be interested in taking a walk with me and enjoying some of what I pass on a daily basis during my 20 minute walk to and from school.
It is 7 am and I know I need to be getting out of the house as soon as possible if I want to make it to school by 7:30. The other schools around here must start earlier than us because as I unlock the gate the swings are squeaking across the street and kids are filing into the school. I'm always a bit amused by the bright green and blue paint job the Villa Mora school has done. It definitely makes it noticeable! I only have to pass 3 houses before I make it to the corner. The one of the corner seems rundown and broken, especially compared to the fancy one across the street. However the kittens and cats that are always milling about their "yard" means my attention is always in their yard trying to spot then newest addition to their cat family. Oops, I need to pay attention to the ground. This rough spot has done my ankles in more than once in two years! The old water pump (?) on the corner is my landmark when walking home that I've reached my street. After all, there is no street sign on my block.
The majority of my walk is down Legion Civil Extranjera (unless that is you're going the other way and the road starts out as Garay, making it confusing to find anything in this city!) and I do mean down. Unfortunately that means most of it is uphill on my home when I'm tired. There are a lot of small businesses along the way. On the corner a group of three: hair salon, clothing store and what used to be an antique store then changed into a book store and is now something new which I haven't figured out yet. A small store selling school supplies half a block down gets plenty of business from the students across the street. It is beside one of my favorite houses. A very modern, and somewhat out of place, white two story house. On the corner one of the houses has a small shrine built into their wall. An antique store, a newly renovated children's store and a bright purple accessory store complete the block on the side that I walk. The bright green women's only gym across the street is next to what is my favorite tree the whole walk. The apartment building on the left is where I turn if I'm heading to the mall and agroshopping. For school it is straight ahead until the road dead ends. Pass by the ivy covered walls that stretch an entire block and then I've arrived at the next private school - Santa Clara. I know how late I am by if the doors have already been locked, and by how many parents are standing outside socializing. That brings me to Mariscal Lopez, a busy street where I always get struck waiting to cross the street. It gives me a chance to see what the headlines are in the paper, to check out the progress being made on the bank they're building on the corner and to see what new high school events are being advertised by the painted walls. Besides, I know I'm a third of the way done with my walk.
If it is raining I know the next stretch is bound to be the worst. The water rushes down to "stream" and if I'm not careful I could lose my shoe trying to wade through the water. They're doing construction to fix that, but I doubt I'll see it finished before I leave. Don't forget to wave and greet the guard by the House of Ties (you never know if you might need his help). Check the clocks on the English school and see if any of them are working today (the answer is usually no). Pass by some condos facing a couple of run down factories surrounded by chain link fences. The brightly painted wall of a nursery school that doesn't run anymore always makes me smile. Then comes the bright blue pottery barn knockoff store. There is always a bright yellow motorcycle parked in the corner and the contrast of colors always catches my eye. The comes the darker blue corner store where it is certain that I'll either be stared out while walking by, talked about, or both. I'm always a bit surprised that the building facade/restoration office doesn't have a nicer looking office. Next to that is my favorite door of the entire walk; it seems like it could be an entrance to a secret garden! Oddly this is next door to an industrial steel furniture business, and you can bet more cat whistles will come from behind that steel fence! Across the street are some nice houses, the white one and yellow one always catch my eye. Just beyond the steel shop is a high fashion boutique, and looking in the windows always makes me slow down my walk. Then on to the decorated Via Agusta, an events center which holds many parties and quinces on the weekend. The guard house on the corner reminds to stop and make sure I'm not going to get run over as I cross the busiest street in this neighborhood.
Almost there! Just another 7 minutes to get to school...and this is usually the point where I break a sweat and just wish I was there! A greenery lined section of sidewalk lies next, usually covered with blooming flowers. The university San Carlos lies across the street, although I don't see students in the morning the place is buzzing when I walk home in the afternoon. The come a few fancy houses, the rock wall I can't even see over. Of course they're across from a dirty rundown wall guarding ??? with homemade glass bottle protection cemented on top. The street dead ends at another huge house being built. Although the white one on the corner always captures my attention because of the rhea they have fenced into a small (small!) garden who just runs around in circles.
Finally, I can see the gate to the school. Just need to cross one more road and I'll be there. Walk through the mangoes (called that because of the mango trees) then past all the other classrooms to get to my room on the far side of campus. I'll turn on my air conditioner first thing and try to cool off before my students start trickling into the room. I've got nine hours before I'll have to repeat my walk in the opposite direction.
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