My Earliest Travels started early. I must have been 5 years old.
My earliest thought of traveling was lying comfortably in both my parents’ laps during bus rides visiting relatives, who lived a few hours away from our Mountain city.
I remember the distinct obnoxious petroleum smell from the bus and how it made me nauseous all the time. The bus zigzagged through the mountain roads to get to the lowlands fast and all I could do was lie down because I was just too dizzy to be upright.
Finally, upon reaching the lowlands, a huge throng of vendors boarded the buses. With a loud cacophony, they sold food items like peanuts, chicharron or pork rinds, boiled corn, quail eggs and myriad other things. It was a long arduous ride.
Arriving at relatives and friends homes, we would immediately be served a bountiful feast of newly prepared foods- both steaming and cold. In no time, we would be doing fun activities like climbing trees and eating new fruits and playing with cousins. We visited beautiful beaches and ate at wonderful restaurants serving local delicacies. Despite being uncomfortable because of the heat ( we were from the highlands/mountains), it was a treat. Traveling to me then meant going through difficult bus rides and then getting rewarded with new marvelous experiences that made long-lasting memories.
Back in the present, my love for travel persists.