We arrived last night at 6:00 p.m. The sun had just set, but the air was clear. We picked up our luggage and headed out to the parking lot to find the expected shuttle to the hotel. Instantly we were swarmed by taxi drivers wanting our fare. The shuttle was late, but we assured them we would wait for it. Behind me, a person was so anxious to get to her car that she ran into me with her luggage cart, pushing my feet out from under me so that I landed on her suitcases. Thankfully, I was not hurt.
We waited for about a half an hour for our ride. The hotel van eventually drove in, but the driver was unaware that we were waiting, so he pulled into the departures section of the airport rather than the arrivals. We took our luggage to him and we pulled out into traffic a few minutes later.
On all sides we were surrounded by motorcycles and motorcycle-cabs. Palm trees lined the main road. We passed a plaza, and I thought we might be getting close since our hotel is near the plaza. However, it was only the first of four plazas that we passed on our way to the hotel.
We settled into the second floor of the hotel. Our room overlooks the main road, so traffic noise is fairly constant. We could not see much in the darkness, so we decided to head out and find some supper. Our colleagues at IPM had suggested a restaurant, and it did not take long for us to find it. Obviously a popular place, it was filled with customers. Judging from their appearance, almost all were tourists.
Charlie ordered roasted garlic chicken with a side of plantain chips. I ordered a burger with a side of french fries. I love the freshly squeezed lemonade they have here, so I ordered that to go with my meal.
When we were finishing our meal, I noticed that one of my earrings was missing. Oh well. It had fallen off once before, so it was to be expected that I would eventually lose it. Then Charlie noticed a little girl trying to reach something under my chair. It was the missing earring.
We thanked her in Spanish. Then her parents spoke up.
"Where are you from?" they asked in English accented with German flair.
"The U.S." we replied.
"We were trying to guess," they replied, "and we both guessed wrong. He thought you might be German and I thought you might be French or maybe French Canadian."
On our way back to the hotel, we walked through the central plaza. Children played. Couples held hands and talked softly. Tourists gawked and took pictures of the fountains. I think I could get used to living here, I thought.
This morning we woke to cloudy skies, but I could see the water of the Amazon River from our room. We have to get out there, I thought. A few minutes later, the phone rang. Aladino, was one of the men who will be in the classes next week was here to greet us. Charlie went down to meet him. They walked down the road a while, taking in the view of the bustling city - the boardwalk along the river, the fish market, and people hurrying off to do their business of the day. Later they returned, and we told him we would meet around 11:00 andto take a walk through town.
At breakfast, there were four choices of juice - papaya, cocona, camu-camu, and chirimoya. I knew what papaya was, so I tried a couple of the others. A buffet of scrambled eggs, fresh bread, various meats such as sausage and bacon, and fresh fruit gave me plenty of food to choose. I savored the excellent coffee. We may be in a coffee producing country, but often instant coffee is served, so I really appreciated the brewed, flavorful coffee.
At 11:00, we headed out together. We continued our walk down the boardwalk in the opposite direction from which Charlie had gone that morning. I stopped to take a few pictures of the river. Eventually we found the main market. Teeming with people and produce, I was glad that we had a guide to maneuver through the stalls. I saw fruits I had never seen before. Aladino gave us the names of those we had not seen before.
Charlie also needed a hat to keep the sun off his bald head. We found one that could work in a small department store, but the price was higher than he wanted to pay, so we kept looking. A few blocks later, on a stand at the side of the intersection, a woman had a rack full of men's hats. He asked her price. Satisfied with her prices, he began to look. A little while later, he had his hat. He offered five soles less than she requested. She accepted his offer, and he walked away with a new hat.
"May we take you to lunch?" we asked Aladino. "Perhaps you know of a place nearby?"
We walked some more and eventually came to the place he had in mind. We ordered a plate of fried chicken with rice and beans, and a side of fresh fruit. The meal came with a drink. One of the drinks was "Cebada" which we had not had before, so we ordered that. We were unsure what it was when we tasted it. Later we found out that it was a drink made from roasted barley with added lemon and sugar. Tasty!
When we finally returned to the hotel, we said goodbye to Aladino. "We'll see you tomorrow," we told him. I headed upstairs for a nap. After the busy weeks we have had, I needed some rest. Today was a day for rest. Tomorrow the work starts.
We waited for about a half an hour for our ride. The hotel van eventually drove in, but the driver was unaware that we were waiting, so he pulled into the departures section of the airport rather than the arrivals. We took our luggage to him and we pulled out into traffic a few minutes later.
On all sides we were surrounded by motorcycles and motorcycle-cabs. Palm trees lined the main road. We passed a plaza, and I thought we might be getting close since our hotel is near the plaza. However, it was only the first of four plazas that we passed on our way to the hotel.
We settled into the second floor of the hotel. Our room overlooks the main road, so traffic noise is fairly constant. We could not see much in the darkness, so we decided to head out and find some supper. Our colleagues at IPM had suggested a restaurant, and it did not take long for us to find it. Obviously a popular place, it was filled with customers. Judging from their appearance, almost all were tourists.
Charlie ordered roasted garlic chicken with a side of plantain chips. I ordered a burger with a side of french fries. I love the freshly squeezed lemonade they have here, so I ordered that to go with my meal.
When we were finishing our meal, I noticed that one of my earrings was missing. Oh well. It had fallen off once before, so it was to be expected that I would eventually lose it. Then Charlie noticed a little girl trying to reach something under my chair. It was the missing earring.
We thanked her in Spanish. Then her parents spoke up.
"Where are you from?" they asked in English accented with German flair.
"The U.S." we replied.
"We were trying to guess," they replied, "and we both guessed wrong. He thought you might be German and I thought you might be French or maybe French Canadian."
On our way back to the hotel, we walked through the central plaza. Children played. Couples held hands and talked softly. Tourists gawked and took pictures of the fountains. I think I could get used to living here, I thought.
This morning we woke to cloudy skies, but I could see the water of the Amazon River from our room. We have to get out there, I thought. A few minutes later, the phone rang. Aladino, was one of the men who will be in the classes next week was here to greet us. Charlie went down to meet him. They walked down the road a while, taking in the view of the bustling city - the boardwalk along the river, the fish market, and people hurrying off to do their business of the day. Later they returned, and we told him we would meet around 11:00 andto take a walk through town.
At breakfast, there were four choices of juice - papaya, cocona, camu-camu, and chirimoya. I knew what papaya was, so I tried a couple of the others. A buffet of scrambled eggs, fresh bread, various meats such as sausage and bacon, and fresh fruit gave me plenty of food to choose. I savored the excellent coffee. We may be in a coffee producing country, but often instant coffee is served, so I really appreciated the brewed, flavorful coffee.
At 11:00, we headed out together. We continued our walk down the boardwalk in the opposite direction from which Charlie had gone that morning. I stopped to take a few pictures of the river. Eventually we found the main market. Teeming with people and produce, I was glad that we had a guide to maneuver through the stalls. I saw fruits I had never seen before. Aladino gave us the names of those we had not seen before.Charlie also needed a hat to keep the sun off his bald head. We found one that could work in a small department store, but the price was higher than he wanted to pay, so we kept looking. A few blocks later, on a stand at the side of the intersection, a woman had a rack full of men's hats. He asked her price. Satisfied with her prices, he began to look. A little while later, he had his hat. He offered five soles less than she requested. She accepted his offer, and he walked away with a new hat.
"May we take you to lunch?" we asked Aladino. "Perhaps you know of a place nearby?"
When we finally returned to the hotel, we said goodbye to Aladino. "We'll see you tomorrow," we told him. I headed upstairs for a nap. After the busy weeks we have had, I needed some rest. Today was a day for rest. Tomorrow the work starts.
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