Friday

………I left the house shortly before 10am with my book in hand. Back to the Centro Market Area.
That is where all of the action is in Old Town. Having had a bowl of Natalia’s oatmeal at 8am I was not very long getting hungry again so I ventured to the second floor of the Market and sat at the first little stall restaurant I came to. I ordered Carnitas Asada, the same plate I had ordered at Stone Island that turned out to be so dried out I could not eat it. This meal was half the price and was delicious! I ate my meal, read my book and took a picture of a pigeon that had hopped up on the table next to me. There were two that I saw in the restaurant but this one wanted to get a closer look at me so there he was. There are usually a lot of the birds on the ground floor because the pickings are fairly easy for them down there but I was surprised to see them on the second floor also. After a very slow lunch I paid my bill and walked out on the balcony to look down on the city traffic. What a mess that is! You will not want to miss seeing my pictures when I get them posted on YouTube.
All of the streets other than the main street on the ocean’s edge are one way streets. Very few stop signs, very small one way signs that are not signs at all, just little arrows posted on the corners of some of the buildings and no traffic lights that can be seen properly. I was walking against the lights for weeks before I caught on to the fact that it is a good idea to search out a traffic light at the intersection! Sometimes you find one sometimes you don’t. Mostly not. After lunch I stopped by Ley Market [a true super market] and purchased another gallon of ice cream for 88 Pesos. The going rate is 7.84 cents today. The mighty Dollar is taking a beating, folks. Prices are going up! Watch out!...... The little girl upstairs, Jessica age 9, nailed Natalia as she was getting home last night or the night before and asked her if she could come in and have another ice cream cone from Cliff’s ice cream. She and Granddaughter Natalia had gotten some a few days before and she remembered it was there. Natalia invited her in and fixed her a cone and sent her on home. The next morning Natalia told me what happened so I decided to buy another gallon today so she will have some after I leave. I had only one serving left from the last gallon anyway and I did not want to run out before I left. When I returned to the house to put the ice cream in the fridge I discovered Olivia, the cleaning lady was still working so I said Adios and walked to the beach to read some more. Today was a strange day at the breach, all of the boats had been pulled up as far from the water as they have ever been or could be and all of the fishermen were seemingly extinct. I had the beach to myself except for some Pelicans and pigeons. Once I got down to boat level I could no longer hear the traffic above me so I sat in one of the boats and listened to the ocean for a long while. I think I am going to remember that experience for a long time, very relaxing. Love it! A while later I was back at the house enjoying a bread, bean, cheese snack that Natalia had left me from the night before and read for a while. The snack was great too! I like fresh bread and refried beans and when they are put together with a couple of slices of tasty cheese and baked to hot enough to eat, wow, what is not to like? Natalia told me she is going out after work tonight so I am on my own, my plan is to dive into that gallon of ice cream, read some more on my book and get some sleep. We will see what tomorrow will bring.