The Apartment

Front View

Just a few words about our humble abode. There are five of us staying in the teacher’s apartment this semester, which is located right downtown just 2 blocks from the main plaza. We’re located between a night club and a church so when the music stops blaring at 4 am on Saturday we have until 8 am when the church hymns start blasting on their amplifier. So, not much sleep expected on the weekends, but the location is great for getting errands done in the afternoons and for walking back and forth to school, which is about 20 minutes away. 

Laundry-line next to the kitchen.

Some definite pluses here include consistent electricity, (mostly) drinkable tap water, and a boiler for hot showers.  On the other hand we’re pretty much doing laundry by hand and we’re vulnerable to all manner of pest invasions since there are so many open spaces for crawling inside. We’re not infested by any means, but waking up at 6 am to find a cockroach in your kitchen is never pleasant.

By far my favorite part of our apartment is our rooftop. Even though our building is only 4 stories tall, it feels like one of the tallest buildings in town. You can see over the town to the hills surrounding us and get a feel for the valley we’re centered in. A great place for a lunchtime nap, a good book, and a nightcap.

Things I learned this week:

1.       Gutters are a luxury

2.       Toilet paper doesn’t go in the toilet

3.       If there’s a river 8-inches deep running down the street, school isn’t cancelled

4.       Always bring a towel

5.       4-months is a long time to wait for good beer