from Chero Extranjero (Foreign Friend) by Darren Howman

Published June 2024

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Scroll below for snippets of Chero Extranjero

22 U.S. citizens have been murdered in El Salvador since January 2010. During the same time period, 230 U.S. citizens reported having their passports stolen. from Introduction

My head torch startles two Jurassic-sized cockroaches that scuttle out from the hole and over the toilet seat. The prehistoric roaches disappear across the floor and into the dark. from Caught Short

The young ticket collector jumps up on the roof with the end of the rope while the three others at ground level struggle to push the now kicking and screaming pig inch by inch up the back panel of the bus. from The Mule

Tears flow as one by one the classes make their way up and hug the departing teachers. I’m beginning to realise the impact it’s possible to make as a volunteer. from Into the Fire

“¡A LA OFICINA!” I pick out the four most disruptive girls, sending them to Lola’s office. They whine, trying to change my mind, but I stand my ground and calmly march them out the door. from Disobedience

He pulls the squeaky sliding door shut behind me as I step in. The interior panel falls off as it slams, revealing frayed wires and the handle mechanism. He jumps in the front and pulls away with a jerk, but stops before we even leave the lay-by. from Departures and Arrivals

“Pyramid Tigre.” The forested silhouettes of the Tiger complex. He tells us Richard found skeletons at the top with arrowheads in their ribs. from La Danta

We are led single file through a warehouse holding area. Shrink-wrapped pallets of food are stacked ceiling-high behind locked, wire fences and wild dogs roam freely, sniffing us as we wait in line. Behind the fences, a 1980s Dodge van, a motorcycle, a life-sized statue of an Afghan hound and various industrial machines are blanketed in a thick layer of dust. from El Amatillo

“About two hours in, once we were out of the city, these guys all jump up, pull out guns and rob everyone,” Donna tells us like it was nothing. from Potential Candidates

This is the place where I’ll spend the next few months trying to fool my students into believing I know what I’m doing. I’m overcome with a mixture of intrigue, nerves and anxiety. from Inauguration

As the Suzuki lurches forward, I can’t quite believe the evening that has just transpired. If this is El Salvador’s way of welcoming me, then the next two months are going to be quite the ride. from White Men Can’t Dance

This whole time, he’s been on the bus, a few seats away, with a loaded gun. I wonder who else is packing. I begin to feel scared as we close in on the border with El Salvador. from The Brown Bus

Refusing to pay a gang territory tax, three drivers of our Number 78 bus to La Libertad have been shot dead in their seat during the last three weeks. from La Libertad

And just like that, I never hear from her again. Well, not until a year later when she tracks me down on Facebook. The message simply says she is ready to fall in love again and will wait until I return so she can bear my children. from The Return Of Monica

The rat splits, oozing blood all over the floor. This is the second rodent in as many weeks that I’ve seen meet its maker in this manner. from Malena

“Hurrummph,” he grunts and drops to his knees in the aisle, giving us another look at his arse crack, just in case we missed it the first time. from Lucky

“¡Bienvenidos, Chero!” he says, pulling away and sounding his horn. I’m not quite sure what ‘Chero’ means, but I take it as a compliment. from Bienvenidos Chero

Jacob’s description of our host reminds me of the rough salty old man known as ‘Captain Quint’ in the Jaws movie. A man I can imagine will make the German girls squirm with disdain. from Vegan

Golden bolts of sun beam through the red dust floating in the air where five weavers work at their hand-driven looms. A gentle creaking sound fills the space as they pump the pedals below their machines. from San Sebastian

Back in the room, I find that she’s gone. I instinctively check for my wallet and find the 600 cordoba that was in there is gone too. from Xiomara

Twenty minutes later, the bus is stopped in a sandstone canyon by six wiry men in camouflage military fatigues, floppy brimmed hats and AR-15 rifles. The soldiers do not board; instead, they just watch the bus. The silence is palpable. from Checkpoint

My worst fears become reality as I step into the dorm: it too has not changed. Soggy towels hang on anything that dares to stick out from a wall and a broken shower head in the bathroom drip feeds the floor puddles. from Flores

It’s as if we’ve travelled back in time. James is swatting flying insects while the rustling of howler monkeys among the upper branches of the canopy becomes louder. from The Jungle Hike

Brown pits of lava bubble and spit 120 metres below in the 700-metre-wide hole. from Volcan Telica

I leave confused and check the boarding time. It reads 6pm. I check my watch. I have seven hours to kill in the world’s emptiest airport. from Departures and Arrivals

“About two miles from the airstrip, the tail hit a tall tree, pitching the nose down and shearing one wing as it plummeted through the canopy. The propeller chewed a path through the branches causing it to cartwheel across the forest floor before coming to rest five feet up in a tree. from Wreckage

His veins look like they are about to burst out of his head while the hag drops to her knees with a towel, trying desperately to mop up what piss she can. from The Chavs

Off to our left, we look at Honduras’ small Pacific coastline while front left, the giant blown crater of Volcán Cosigüina in Nicaragua’s north stands proud. from Island Hopping

Through the exit, three imposing temples constructed of giant volcanic tuff blocks stand in the centre of an open field, their browning, stained concrete surrounded by green jungle, hills and farmland. from San Andres

The road cuts through dense jungle while he tells me about the freshwater sharks in the lake that swim up the Río San Juan from the Atlantic. “Uno se mato mi madre.” One ate my mother. He says it void of emotion. from Volcan Maderas

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