Running in South America: An Experience

I am training to run the half marathon with Andrea again this October. Not only that, I just enjoy running in general. I've always thought of it as my type of mediation. Minus the mmmmmmm. And sitting with your legs all crooked like that. As I alway do with running, I like to find a route and stick to it for the most part. I started running up a main street all the way down to the centro then making a big u and coming back up to my house on another main street. I mainly did this because I thought it would be safer. I didn't exactly feel comfortable running alone in Arica. Although mind you, I would be running so if someone would try and harass me, I could assumebly (I think I just made that word up, my English is becoming worse, but you get what I mean) just run away from them. However this is assuming the assaulter would be unarmed and with out locomotion. Whatever the hypothetical case would be, as I went on more and more daily runs, I realized the harassment would always be existent. I mean harassment in a very non-harming sense. I don't want to sound like I am going through battle each time I run. Doing exercise in public here is a very odd thing, and being a woman, alone, makes it three fold. I do it anyway. I changed my route to a more rural way. For the most part, I get less looks but I have a hard time dodging the body shops. Body shops seem to be the worst for bringing out yelps and hollers from the men folk. If there are say, five men working outside the body shop, when they see you come they will literally stop what they are doing, lean back on the cars, and just watch you run by. Talk about awkward. I thought people honked a lot in this country, especially when they were by me, I've now realized they are honking at me. And if I don't hear a whistle from a man's mouth again in this country, it will be too soon.