Atlantic Rain

At the Isthmus of Tehuantepec someone pinched the North American Continent until a mere 200km of land separate between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The isthmus is infamous for its strong winds. The wind blew dust in our eyes when we walked the streets of Tehuantepec in the evening, and it was still blowing when we left in the morning on our way to the Guatemala border.
As we drove east across the isthmus, the height of the mountains separating the two oceans gradually diminished, while the north wind gradually increased. At first the wind was only an annoyance. Its howl hit the side of the pickup and made listening to music impossible. Adi switched the ipod off. Then Nemo started swaying. I reduced our speed, yet despite my concentration and effort, the strong gusts often pushed the car across the lane. Luckily, there were almost no other cars on the road. I saw that trucks were stopping under the overpasses, but I was too focused on driving to register the significance of what I saw. I finally 'got it' when I had to stop on the road behind three other cars. An overturned trailer-truck lay across the road like a dead cockroach. The tow-truck crews have clearly done this before. Within minutes they hoisted the big-rig back on its wheels and moved it to the shoulder. I continued on the deserted road, much slower, and much more afraid. We passed one more overturned truck before we reached a long line of trucks heading west, that stopped by the side of the road waiting for the wind to subside. From that point onward, the mountain range grew, and the wind slowly diminished.

During the drive through this wind tunnel, a light drizzle spread across the windshield. The knowledge that these raindrops rose out of the Atlantic Ocean to come down here, on the Pacific Coast, evoked in me a strong exotic emotion. For the rest of the drive to the border, I could not forget that emotion, nor did I understand its source. Did I envision myself to be Hernan Cortez, who after landing on the Atlantic Coast saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time here? Or was it the sensual excitement of embracing a continent by its slim waist? I hoped it was the second. Cortez is not too popular in this region.

P.S.  Just prior to publishing this blog, Jim C. informed me that the winds in the isthmus can reach 50 knots.