Disappointed no mas (Micro Fiction)

Posted on by Prior...

Happy Saturday everyone.

Today I am joining in with “What Pegman Saw,” which is a weekly 150-word flash fiction challenge and the location this week is Uruguay:

Here is the photo prompt:

 

 

Disappointed No Mas (word count: 150)

What a disappointment!

I am using up a visa in Paraguay when I meant to visit Uruguay. I guess this is what happens when you hurriedly book with a cheap, online overseas travel company: lost in translation.

I planned to explore Montevideo and write a report about the unique lack of extreme poverty across most of Uruguay. I was going to film parts of the old city, Ciudad Vieja, and photograph the art deco, steak eateries, and vendors.

Instead of Uruguay’s beach-lined coast, I’m near a shallow river writing about culture.

However, I will be getting a big splash of Uruguay. Turns out, my roommate is a Gaucho. He invited me to steak dinner and said he’d love to share stories about living the Uruguayan countryside. 

Sometimes things work out just the way they need to happen. Often, the best experiences come from detours and mistakes.

Disappointed no mas.

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Thanks for reading Priorhouse fiction today.

If you’d care to join Pegman writing challenges, the info is here and today’s location is here.

Author Notes:

I wanted to do a case of mistaken travel place because there are some relatives in my family (on my mother’s side) who make small little mistakes often. I recall my dad talking about it when I was little, but I did not understand. Later on I did. I guess some people are just prone to mistakes and sometimes it is genetic – or my dad would say…- hah!

I also wanted to remind us all that quite often the detours in our lives – or the mistakes – can lead to great things. And for me, the detours (and constant delays) have become a beautiful part of the fabric of my unique story. 

Lastly, the summer I met my spouse, I lived in Arvada, CO (outside of Denver) and my housemates were two men (all platonic). One of the guys was a cowboy from Wyoming. I was actually moving out when he moved in and so we only lived together a month, but he was a true cowboy through and through. The gaucho that came up with my Uruguay searching reminded me of my old pal.  When I moved out, I bought this little pack of mini cowboy hats and decorated his room. Ahhh, good times. 

 

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Uruguay Gaucho

A little closing info:

“The Uruguay Gaucho has held an important and symbolic role in the hearts of the people of Uruguay. To many of fervent nationalists the independent and loyal gaucho is the one symbol that sums up how they view themselves. These range riding, cowboys are perceived as having the freedom and courage to make their way through life by holding fast to their own ideals and beliefs.  These horseback riding men are heroes. The gaucho has frequently been used by writers to give a human face to the fight against corruption.”

Read More here.

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32 thoughts on “Disappointed no mas (Micro Fiction)”

  1. I like how you were able to weave in some of the interesting tidbits about Uruguay. When I picked this location, I knew nothing about Uruguay, and was fascinated to discover how unique it is among other South American countries. You really brought that out!

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Great story. When the Olympics were on when I was in Primary school, the flag I picked from the bucket was Uruguay. I did a great little project. My favourite travel mistake was an American couple wanted to fly to Oakland Cal and ended up on a flight to Auckland New Zealand. Some folk manage to get to Sydney Canada rather than Sydney Australia too 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Very cool that you had the project for this country – what a nice connection/ my son had Macedonia one year and we ALL remember it! And your examples remind of Paris island in South Carolina and Paris Texas – both are nothing like France’s Paris !

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I like the way you cleverly tell us about Uruguay by going to Paraguay! And you do a great job of highlighting the human message that mistakes often bring unexpected benefits.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Chance, coincidence, mishaps, serendipity, meant to be — NEVER any of it a mistake, I say! Nice tale and quite a tribute 🙂
    We talked about cowboys just yesterday.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi – well said but often going through the detours and adapting to mistakes well it takes endurance and grit until we start to see things turn a bit
      And then suddenly dinner with a cowboy baby-

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Oh, now i want to see the art deco in uruguay. It seems to me that one or two BBCs poirot series were set in south america, but where? (Poirot is full of art deco references and architecture). Travel is all about making themost of the current situation. Enjoyable read.

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