Mar 4 - hanging out

I'm so proud of myself.  I actually hung out on the beach for hours.  

Lo had rented a "tent", actually just one of those four-poled-with-fabric-roof kind of things, for the day.  After a walk to the market in the a.m. we went down and hung out.  I read a book, walked into the ocean at one point to cool down (I'd gone swimming the say before) and we "feasted" on empanadas at $1 each, deep fried plantain, at $1 each ... you get the idea.   Late in the day we checked out what would be a straw market anywhere else; a very small one.

Having recently been to Costa Rica, Jason rates Ecuador higher.  CR is more "Americanized", for one thing, or at least in a limited sample.  I think that the cost of living (i.e. food) is less here.  Mind you we are in this isolated enclave, but we'll be able to provide a better comparison once we get to Quito. 

While at the market in the a.m. we picked up a sizable chicken ($7).  It still had feet and head, naturally, and innards -- attached, of course, not in a bag -- and later on I quartered it and used the little barbecue.  Jason did some lamb chops.  Lo grilled potatoes in the oven.  Sandy had the night off :).

We went for a stroll after dinner -- a very pleasant time of day -- over to the supermercado -- and we picked up ice cream.  There were street vendors selling dinner, very busy, hambourgesa, some sort of strip steak or barbecue and a variety of accompaniments.  If we weren't concerned about picking up Montezuma's revenge, we'd probably eat there.  It's not exactly sanitary and you don't exactly know what you're eating, place of origin etc, but it probably tastes good !

Kim said that it took almost two months for her to get past the Montezuma stuff.  That's a long time for stomach ills ...

The workmen were here all day fixing the two A/C units, or rather replacing them.  The setup is a bit sketchy, poke a hole in the concrete wall and dangle wires and conduit etc outside from indoor unit to outdoor unit.  Even though we chafe at some of the rules sometimes in North America, they do give you guidance, from a safety standpoint, even if you don't follow them exactly.  Here, you don't have to worry about permits, inspections, liability ...

Dogs run on the beach and on the street, mostly mutts.  A twisted paw here, some mange there, it's all part of life in this world.  There's trash everywhere, glass, paper, other garbage.  All this makes it sound ugly, but it's not.  Americans just move faster so their trash is more spread out.  This is a very concentrated little area.

I've got lots of pictures on my camera.  It will take some time to sort and cull.

Fascinating, always fascinating ...

Onward !