The Mercado sits downtown in a city block. Many small stalls with different items. (about 15’x15’ but varying in size) each vendor has their own particular item. (if there is a grocery store I have yet to find it)
Special thanks go out to the fruit vendor girl who patiently explained all the different fruit to me. (all the ones I had never seen before) I bought one of the ‘ugly/scarey fruit’ and plan to cut it up tonight.
Last night I had two small “like a peach” fruit. (might have been apricot family – the size of a large plum with color of mango skin) I served the fruit sliced in a bowl with a chocolate muffin from the bakers. Fabulous. (I still have: 2 peaches, a huge pineapple, ugly scarey, 2 banana, & a mango.) I’ll be eating some fruit. (I know the customs guy wont let me take it home!) In addition to the fruit I bought 3 little rolls and 2 pastry.
After my shopping spree I stopped on the beach at a shaded little restaurant for a taco. (I thought I was very ‘clear’ that “I wanted 2 taco’s only” but got instead a double order of fish tacos.) I ate my two, then invited two little urchins selling on the beach to join me. Ida and her sister, both 8 yoa.
Sister spoke good English “she learned in school.” (you can only assume that Ida took a different curriculum as she spoke not a word of English) they were so cute. At first when I invited them they insisted they weren’t hungry, then sister said she might have a bite. Ida appeared angry (visibly mad at sister) as she wanted to continue selling their trinkets to tourists. Ida stood fifteen feet away, arms crossed, scowl firmly etched. Sister slowly and methodically chewed through three tacos. When sister got down to the last taco she called over to ida who slowly drug her feet back over… scowl and pout glued on. Sister and ida have a dialogue I can only guess at. Ida slowly reaches over and picks up the taco. (this while standing over sisters shoulder at the table, refusing the empty chair) Ida opens it and asks sister to ‘fix it.’ (I assume that’s what she said.) sister, who ate all of hers plain – adds: sauce picanta, avocado, lettuce, tomato, salt and a squeeze-o-lime. The then hands it back to ida who finally smiles. Ida wolfs it down like she’s not eaten all day. They giggle like sisters do and continue to eat up all the chips, placing tomato and lettuce on them like little triangular sandwiches. Cute, cute, cute. Ida never sat down, never spoke English. When I got up to leave, they jumped up and the waiter was immediately at my elbow picking up the plates. It was clear the magic was over and they were no longer welcome at the tables. Ida and sister went back down the beach looking for a tourist with a buck.I went back and unpacked. Had a delicious nap, read my book and enjoyed the rest of my day. I can only read till sunset as the lighting is not adequate to read after dark. So I read till about 7pm, then worked on the computer viewing photos and watching TV till I got sleepy.
i hope your views are great whever you are. sunny and warm. 10am and leaving the email cafe for Playa La Ropa! (taking a cab $1)
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