Bath Time

I have never taken so many baths in my life!  At first I wasn't sure if I should be offended or not when everyone kept telling me "take a bath!"  I had already "showered" early and was pretty sure I didn't stink, yet. 

 

Later, Papi's Mom pulled out a heavy plastic tub, and started filling it with water in our front yard.  She pointed and said "get in."  I looked around and figured I have never bathed with an audience of a dozen people before. Obviously she did not mean naked, so was I supposed to change into a swimsuit?  When she noticed my hesitation, she said "clothes on, just like that, get in."  I obeyed.  (She is not a woman I want to mess with.  She is sweet and generous, but she raised all boys, so I don't want to take my chances... haha.)

 

 

Here, most people do not have drains inside since their houses were made long before running water arrived, so (with a small bucket dipping into the large bucket... as you could have guessed from my last post) they bathe outside with clothes on, then go inside and change.  Or at night when it's dark since there are almost no outside lights.  Also, when coming home from work or doing work in the fields or anything dirty, or when it gets really hot.  This adds up to multiple times a day for me!  I thought for sure I would miss hot water by now, but I really don't.  It doesn't come out as 'cold' as it does in S.C. and the coolness actually feels refreshing.  But here, baths are not hot and bubbly. They are cool and quick (unless you take a dip in a tub for a while... then it's cool and long)!  However, I might change my mind in Winter.

 

Wow!  It felt wonderful!  Now I understand what they were trying to say.  It's not good to get hot and stay hot... it wears you down.  Take time to refresh yourself.  They know by now that I'm not a complainer. Thankfully, they look out for me anyways.