Turns out that it is too
noisy to hear Skype (sorry Paul, just couldn't hear you when you rang
in), as the speakers are very underpowered—we'll pack some earbuds
along next time. Carmen indulged in a milanesa (breaded thin
beef), which gave her jaws a good workout, and Dan had chicken leg
with squash-like chayote, which was very tasty. In Guatemala
Dan knew of this vine-grown vegetable as guisquil.
Next we did a bit of
shopping. We went to the Urbina hardware, which Frank had
recommended as having the best selection in town. Hardware stores
here have pretty much everything on display with a sample of each
item mounted on the wall or in glass-fronted cases. You must ask for
the product, then the clerk gets it from inventory in back to the
counter for you. You must go to each different department for each
type of item you want. When everything is selected each clerk has
written your selection with code numbers on a small piece of paper
(Carmen loves things to be written on petite pieces of paper), we
then go to the cashier station to pay the bill. Lastly we go back to
each department to pick up our paid for item. A couple needed items
this store did not have. No problem, we would buy them in Córdoba.
Also bought a medium-sized mailbox, which of course we have not yet
been able to find the part to attach it to our gate. Life is so much
easier when you have a good Lowe's store nearby. Come on Gurney,
build the next one here!
We next went to the Telcel
agency to purchase a cell phone. It was closed, and the clerk at the
store next door said they had just closed. Would not be open for
half hour, so we went down the street a bit more and bought a paleta
for Dan and an ice cream cone for Carmen. Walked across the street
and sat in the park. How we do love this park. Saw our favorite
“city” dog. She drank water from a faucet with a drain basin
where a man had just washed his hands and filled a jug. Dan walked
across the street again to see if Telcel was open yet. Nope. We
gave up on that for the day and walked across the park towards the
Super Ahorros grocery store and home. On the other side of the park,
we saw the workers getting out of the repair truck for Cablecom.
They told us the office would be open the next morning. Off to the
grocery store. We do enjoy this small town grocery, which actually
has good prices and most of what one would need. Home again, home
again! And yes, this is really feeling like home to us.
What a surprise we had when
we got home. Along the street out side the sidewalk, we have some
really nice plantings. Someone had weeded them out while we were
gone today. Now who would do that? We think maybe the city did it,
as the grass further down the block, along the road edge, was trimmed
also.
