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Week 1
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Sa., 8-16-08 - 10 a.m. - We survived! After two walks around the mall back home, a few calls, a last-minute concern about the availabilities of ATMs in Montevideo, showers, cleaning out the food, eating the left-over meals, and saying good-bye, John from Super Shuttle arrived on time at 12:20 pm. Pedro, our Uruguayan friend (wife is Alba) offered to shut off the water as we, carrying TWO coats each in 90+ degree weather and wearing warm clothing, made the one-hour trip to Miami International Airport, picking up an elderly Ms. Lopez on the way, heading out for a 9 week vacation on her own - 3 weeks in Israel and 6 weeks in northern Spain. John was a good driver and a good conversationalist. MIA was its usual madhouse, but, since we arrived early, we breezed through check-in and security, arriving at the gate about 30 minutes before scheduled boarding. Because we were 3 rows from the rear, we were the first to be called on (and, of course, the last to be unloaded), but we were pleased with the seats (that I´d chosen the night before). Our first seatmate was a young man who said nothing, but napped a lot. We watched a movie - The Leatherheads - which definitely helped pass the time. The meal offered was only (by the time it got to us) pasta with ten or so peas, salad, a huge roll, and a small chocolate bar. I managed to squeeze the salad dressing on top of the plastic wrapping over the salad, so scraped it off and gave to Philip. We both stuck to water.
At Panama City Airport, we chugged our way to Gate 29, where it looked as though they were loading up, one hour before departure! We joined the line, not really knowing what was going on. Finally, we determined that, in certain parts of the world, people do not queue up and wait patiently for their row numbers to be called. They just adopt the attitude of ¨first come, first served.¨ I turned my clock back one hour there, but then discovered that Montevideo is two hours behind; however, when we arrived in Montevideo, there was a two hours difference. Beats me! Our seatmate for this leg was a man who spoke no English, but we managed to have a chit chat with sign language, mostly about me giving him the elbow if he snored. In the seat directly in front of us was - GROAN - a small girl child with parents and a small dog in a tiny cage; we heard an occasional whimper, but nothing horrible.
The planes were packed, 3 on each side of one aisle, 1 bathroom at the back for the commoners and two in the front for the first class. Philip had packed some whiskey in carry-on plastic bottles, and we each took a few sips as dusk fell and a Walt Disney movie - Chronicles of Narnia - started. I popped 2 sleeping pills from Dr. Ans and gave Philip one; somehow, I slept the entire flight with NO restless leg jumping AND managed to eat my dinner (have no idea what it was, but I did end up wearing most of it on the front of my t-shirt). We landed about 230 (?) and staggered off the plane,finding the luggage and the car driver hired and paid for by Pedro. I showed him the email indicating that he was to drive us to Alba´s sister Noe´s home where she and daughter, Maria Noel, would take us to Pedro´s. He did make the stop, but they weren't there, so he drove us to Pedro´s, where the two women were waiting for us, about 4 am. They gave us the key, welcomed us warmly, and then left so we could take showers and then go to bed and practically die. So tired! We couldn't figure out how to flush the commode until we spoke to Pedro this morning. ¨It's on the wall over the toilet!¨ And so it was. Philip neglected to pack his robe and good slippers, a little problem in this weather, especially with such cold floors.
6 p.m. We woke pleasantly about 10 am, refreshed, and most grateful to the coffee that the women had already prepared for us in the new coffee pot ordered by Pedro and Alba (for us). Philip found some oatmeal, which he cooked up (was actually instant, but we thought it was old-fashioned), plus bread, which he toasted on top of the stove. We had the last of the Florida clementines, plus a banana that was part of a fruit, veggie, cheese, milk, etc. assortment left by Noe and her daughter (plus a bottle of wine!). I remembered that Alba had told me that the stores close at 1 pm on Saturdays, so we left about noon for our afternoon adventure after a surprise visit from a very handsome and personable young man. We heard the doorbell chime ¨Happy Birthday¨; Philip figured out what it was before I did. I was still in my nightgown! Eduardo spoke literally no English, so it was quite an interesting conversation. I thought I recognized him in a picture I´d seen as Pedro´s godson, and we soon established the fact that he repaired cars for a living, worked six days a week, and had a young family. Finally, we departed and, to our amazement, saw Eduardo washing the window in the front entrance hall of the apartment building! We came to a new conclusion (may be right, may be wrong); he works part-time here as the Saturday concierge (and is probably not Pedro´s godson). We observed what looked like squatters (reminded us of tent campers) on the roof of a nearby building.
Then we started our search for an ATM and a place to do some food shopping. This turned into quite the adventure! We found a close-by ATM, but it didn't accept either of our cards. We trudged straight up our street - Libertador St. - not having a clue of our destination, but positive we couldn't get lost. (I have just spent at least one hour trying to figure out how to insert the @ symbol in my email address AFTER spending ½ hr. on the phone with Pedro about it and also how to get online on his computer! The keys are different on this keyboard, most frustrating.)
The walk was lovely, except we both got too hot, me wearing my hooded pink sweatshirt and Philip wearing his jacket. When we took off, I was wearing my leather passport holder around my neck on top of my t-shirt; Eduardo ran out to gesture to me to hide it, so I put it under my zipped-up sweatshirt until I got too hot and then put it under my t-shirt, which made me look as though I was pregnant and carrying a very high 4-pointed fetus. We found an ATM at a bank, but had to wait for about 10 minutes, while a Brinks truck (Montevideo-style) transferred money, with two men with AK-47´s or shotguns standing guard. Philip took out 5000 pesos (the exchange rate is 19 pesos to $1.00, making for VERY complicated bookkeeping). ATM charge is unknown at this time and not on the slip. We then found our way to a decent store, where we bought a few items; we returned the onions when we realized that we'd not weighed them in the produce department, as required. Philip put most of the items in his backpack, I carried Alba´s cloth market bag, and we strolled along, heading back ¨home¨. We also purchased a calling card to the US to use for emergencies. Unfortunately, our internal GPS got terribly mixed up, and we ended up not knowing where we were, PLUS we didn't bring a map with us (VERY bad in a new city, especially since Pedro had left a guidebook for us). We walked and walked, until finally Lorraine (isn't it always the woman?) asked a young man if he spoke English. "Yes." "Can you please tell us how to get to ....."¨ "Oh, I'm not from around here¨ whereupon Lorraine spoke to the NEXT young man walking by, ¨Do you speak English and can you direct us to ......?¨ ¨Si.¨ So, ended up with two young men helping us, one familiar with the area and the other speaking English. We paid attention to the directions -¨four blocks that way and then two blocks to the right¨. Philip made the unwise suggestion that we go ¨two blocks to the right and then four blocks the other way¨ and I'm afraid that I answered him rather curtly. ¨I'm going to get pissed off if we keep getting lost!¨ and he quickly agreed to follow the directions. We were amazed to see young man #2 catching up with us to correct his directions and to accompany us to make sure we were on the right track! We communicated, struggling in Spanish, and learned that he works at the local Radisson Hotel and has an 11-year-old daughter. He reassured us that we were very safe walking about with our backpack and passport holder (still stuffed into my t-shirt). Finally, we were certain that we could find our way back to our starting place on our own and actually started recognizing landmarks. When we just happened across the market where we'd shopped earlier, we decided to find some mayonnaise. I, for some unknown reason, remembered Pedro and Alba telling her the Spanish word for ¨mustard¨ (sounds like ¨moustach-a¨) so that the young clerk helping us actually understood what we wanted and led us to the right section! We also were gently reprimanded by a very young woman, all in Spanish, but very easy to understand, that we were supposed to leave our bags and backpack in the lockers at the front of the store. This is certainly a learning experience! Our two errands ended up being a two-hour trek, but full of interesting sights and helpful people.
Back at the apartment, I decided to get online, which became a huge challenge. Then the telephone card refused to work because neither of us could understand the recording in rapid Spanish explaining what number to press for English instructions. I called Maria Noel, but she couldn't help with this one. I ended up calling Pedro twice on my cell phone, and he immediately called me back on his telephone card. Twice I called on my cell, without the country code and ended up talking to a very irate Spanish man, somewhere in So. America, definitely not Pedro.
Philip struggled with the TV. The satellite may have been roaming or something, because he got nothing for quite a while. I spoke with Noe, who had Maria Noel call me back. They try, and I am so grateful! P is enjoying a couple of mixed drinks and watching a lovely movie that we saw together about women just before WW2 having a lovely holiday in Italy. He can not understand why I´d rather write in this journal than watch the movie, but, believe me, I can hear it just fine!
7 p.m. We did manage to eat a delicious sandwich (ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce) with an apple and some pretty bland cookies for dessert and then a bit of the BBC. The shower was easier to negotiate this 2nd time around.
Apartment Description: The front main door is locked, and the lobby is simple, but attractive. The elevator is European styled with an accordion door that must be closed before it works. There are two apartments per floor, and the inside door to this one is heavily double-bolted. The (only) door opens directly into the living/dining room, with the narrow wall on the left mirrored from ceiling to floor. To the right is a very comfortable dining room table with four chairs and a wall-mounted TV unobtrusively overhead. Two brown leather couches (one regular size and one love seat size) are in the living room, with a couple of tables. An interesting smallish cupboard also lines the wall. The kitchen is tiny, but perfectly adequate. They have nothing in excess; counter space is about the same size as our RV, but is made of granite with a drop-in sink. The refrigerator is minimal, and the doors open the wrong way! The only light is one overhead ceiling light. The stove is fascinating: three gas burners which require a match and also the gas turned on from under the sink area, plus one electrical burner which requires a breaker (directly over the stove) to be turned on. There is a conventional oven, microwave (in Spanish with one label - ¨start¨). Appliances are as we're used to. A table is folded against the wall opposite the sink and appliance wall, along with two stools. Off the kitchen is a small porch with a tiny washing machine (which we dread using, after an experience years ago in East Berlin), miscellaneous items, and windows that open up to a clothesline. Two bedrooms and a bath complete the unit. One bedroom is used as an office with computer, futon, set of drawers, CD collection, good-sized closet, and a shelving unit. The other bedroom has a queen bed with one of the most comfortable mattresses I've ever slept on, two dressers, TV, 2 night stands, and another closet. The bathroom is unique in our experience. The shower is almost as small as the one in the RV and has sliding doors. The pedestal sink serves the purpose, the toilet reminds us of European ones, and the bidet is yet to be tested. The neatness and efficiency of such a small space is something to be admired, plus it is decorated with a slightly whimsical air.
I do hear a dog barking nearly. And we saw a few strays in the city today.
Su., 8/17/08 - 1:30 pm - Day 2 - Some things from yesterday: We saw horses pulling open buggies in the city and thought they were collecting garbage. We thought ¨like Mackinac Island!¨ (right.....) Philip: If I had a gun, I´d shoot them all to put them out of their misery.¨ They didn´t look that miserable to me, but I´m always the optimistic one, plus surely the owners, all youngish men, would want to keep them relatively healthy. The weather turned very warm yesterday, but everyone still seemed to be bundled up. I could have worn shorts and been comfortable, but saw only one young man on a bicycle in shorts. Everyone, especially the women, are in winter colors, some with boots. I keep forgetting it really is winter here. We saw many people drinking mate (an infusion of mate grass on the traditional ¨porongo¨ made from small natural calabash) out of their straws and carrying extra (or perhaps just hot water?) in their thermoses. Slept very well, until 7 am. Philip, of course, was awake earlier and listened to American music, but no news. I made oatmeal (with raisins and brown sugar from our shopping trip); Philip manned the toaster for whole-wheat toast that kept falling apart, but tasted just fine. We had no idea of the temp outdoors, but left about 9 am, Philip wearing his long-sleeved shirt over a t-shirt and me wearing my pink hooded sweatshirt. We both left our passports home today, but carried ID, just in case.
It was pretty nippy, to our surprise - 8 degrees C = 46F, but it did not seem that cold to me. The wind didn´t help, and Philip kept saying he didn´t need to return to the apt. for his coat, but he did eventually put his red neckerchief on. After figuring out where the building's trash bin was (in front on the side of the street), we wanted to walk to the ocean, only a few blocks away, per the map that we figured we´d better use today. However, when we ventured across the street, past a School for Life building (very old), we were uncomfortable in the neighborhood and changed the plan. Only the port is at this part of the coastline, not worth walking nervously for. There were not that many people about, which was good in some respects and bad in others. Instead, we walked the same way as we did yesterday, but not off the main street Libertador, discovering a Tourist Info place that we must visit tomorrow, when it´s open. We took a right at Av. 18 de Julio, an important street (main and long) and entered the Ciudad Vieja (the Old City). At the Plaza Indepencia, there was the Radisson Hotel (25 stories high), and we stopped to try to find Gustavo, who was so helpful to us yesterday. The desk clerk, a young woman, took one look at us and said, ¨Hello. May I help you?¨ It is amazing how people know right away that we are not natives! She tried her best to find our man (they employ 450 workers there), and we left a thank-you note for Gustavo with her. It is a lovely hotel, with exceptional baños. After checking out the Teatro Solis, the main theater of Uruguay and the oldest, with the first performance in 1856. Some parts of it are being renovated, and tours are offered daily. Just a few blocks away was the ocean (or maybe the Plate River - they seem to meet somewhere around there), not the familiar blue-green clear waters that we´re used to in Florida, but dark and COLD-looking, with many whitecaps. BRRR! A number of high-rise apartments lined the coastal street, and we walked on a side street to return to the Av. 18 de Julio, where we stopped in at a Ta-Ta store (making sure to put Alba´s shopping bag into a locker this time) and browsed around the compact department store that sells food, too. Many clerks were on guard, watching for shoplifters. We could not figure out the Spanish word for peanut butter, and it is not in the dictionary that Pedro left for us, so I have emailed Pedro for assistance. Saw a jar that looked like it, but with words ¨leche¨ and ¨vachon¨- milk and cow - which made me think ¨no.¨ Philip stopped at one newsstand and asked for a USA Today, with no luck. When he asked a valet at the Radisson about one, the man actually laughed and said, in effect, ¨not here. Maybe in Buenos Aires..¨ On our walk back, Philip started to walk in front of a taxi cab, and I called to him ¨Stop!¨ Philip: I thought he´d stop for me. L: And then offer you a USA Today? Doesn´t take much to amuse us most days.
The streets and sidewalks are full of litter; apparently, there is no law about cleaning up after your dog, either. Many of the buildings are downright decrepit, but, once in a while, we see one that is painted and cleaned up to look beautiful. We´ve seen some very old vehicles, including a Morris Minor and a Chevrolet truck that reminded me of my father´s from the farm days. Elderly people seem to be downtrodden and walk around with very sober, almost sad expressions. We passed one street person sleeping in a makeshift bed next to a building, and then enjoyed a little boy learning to ride his new bike with training wheels on the sidewalk. Everyone was dressed very warmly today, including scarves and gloves.
Our most interesting encounter so far was with a young (aren´t they always young?) woman who took one look at us and made a point of asking, in English, ¨Can I help you?¨ When we said that we were (today) OK, she, Carmen, carried on an animated conversation with us, asking her 13-year-old daughter for help with English words and getting very little. C: I pay a lot of money to send her to school to learn English to be my dictionary, and she´s not helping me today!¨ Carmen is a lawyer, lives on Libertador St., has only one child because it is so expensive to send kids to private schools, etc., explained how she leaves all her rings and other jewelry at home because they were going to what we think is a flea market. Philip asked about the litter. Ten years ago, the trash and rubbish policy changed. They used to pick up once a day, and people would actually bring their bags to the sidewalk to be handed over to the collectors. Then someone came up with the idea of the rubbish bins. Now, the 6,000 men driving the 6,000 horse and buggies either collect or go through the rubbish (to get what they can resell?? This got a little confusing) cause trash to be all over the streets. This doesn´t make any sense, but perhaps Pedro and Alba will explain it to us. We finally went our separate ways. The next chuckle was seeing a tiny white booth on the side of the sidewalk with a man inside, drinking some mate. L: Are we ready for the question of the day? Philip: Just what is that man doing inside that little booth? We never could figure it out.
Back home by noon, pretty walked out and hungry! I made grilled ham, cheese, onion, and tomato sandwiches, with the end of the potato chips (which we never eat, but which Noe and Maria Noel bought for us, and they tasted delicious). Philip watched some documentary on the first mission to the moon.
We think that the hose hanging over and into the kitchen sink is from the washing machine, which we absolutely dread using, but we haven´t discovered a close-by Laundromat. Forgot to mention that the apt. walls are painted, the bedroom and living floors are covered in a parquet-style wood, but with five separate pieces of wood in each block. The bathroom floor is very cold all the time. We opened the windows when we got back today, but then it cooled down quickly.
7 p.m. - Philip watched TV while I typed about our adventures. We decided to walk the other direction on Libertador St., per Pedro´s suggestion, and what a great idea it was! Pharmacy, Laundromat, restaurant, bakery, and Palacio Legislativeo (the top of which we have been using for one of our landmarks). Pedro told us to ask for their niece, an Officialle, chief of security, but, instead, we just walked around the perimeter, admiring the beautiful building and looking for the restaurant he recommended. Found it! We picked up two rolls at a bakery after a quick food shop stop for eggs, cereal, and two unknown croquettes for supper. Pedro also gave me the Spanish word for peanut butter - ¨manteca de mani¨(man TAY ca de man EE), but we haven´t found it yet. We didn´t know what the croquettes were stuffed with when we purchased them, and we still don´t, even after eating them.
Funny story about my raincoat: As I looked in the closet where Philip has hung up his clothes (master bedroom), I noticed a raincoat that I assumed was Alba´s that was exactly like mine! Later on, I figured out that Philip had hung it up for me that first morning when we arrived, and it WAS mine!
Day 3 - Mo., 8/18 - 2 pm We sleep until 7 am, no matter where we are or what time zone we´re in. Very interesting. Philip offered to make an omelet and toast for us this morning - both delicious! He´s having a difficult time adjusting to the different electric stove; we haven´t yet tried the gas burners. To determine what to wear, we look outside at the passers-by and see what they are all wearing. This morning, there were a lot of scarves pulled over faces, so we bundled up, too, with gloves and heavy coats. I called the American Embassy to let them know that we are here, but I have to call back between 11 am and 12:15 pm and speak to the American citizen office (something like that). We bagged up our dirty clothes and headed for the Laundromat a few buildings away, only to find it closed up tight, with a sign on it referring to another day of the week and 1800 hours. Whatever. Philip chose to carry it, hoping to find another close-by one, but it was still with us when we entered the Tourist Information Center. Our clerk spoke very little English, so I asked him only the most important questions:
Was my wristwatch time correct? Yes
How could we go on a tour of the city in English? He suggested the Transhotel, but we ended back at the Radisson, where we discovered that the daily tri-lingual tour starts at 2:30, is 3 - 4 hrs. long, and costs $20 Am. each.
I tried to explain the problem with the telephone card. He suggested that we ask an Antel shop, an official telephone place. Where to buy postcards and stamps? At the ¨correo¨ (post office) across the street. (But I wanted picture postcards.) Library? He marked it on the map he gave us.
Post Office? The ¨correro¨.
Bus schedules? Get a ¨guia eureka¨ (bus schedule) from the library.
Laundromat? Closest was 1194 Mercedes.
We didn´t try to find out about a rec center for ping-pong or pool, or thrift shops, or book stores.
Off we went, still with the dirty clothes, to the Ipso Wash, where Grisel, whose daughter was born in NJ and, therefore, is an American citizen, helped us, with a smattering of English and lot of heart. She, not we, did the laundry for us, and we returned in 1 ½ hrs. to pick it up, clean and folded. What a treat! It cost us about $7. We then walked to the Radisson for info about the bus tour; we must make reservations. Along the way, we stopped first at the agency that sells tickets for the Seacat that transports people to Buenos Aires. It involves a bus ride to Colonia and then the boat. We would have to catch the bus at 6:30 am, ¨salida¨or departure from Colonia at 9:45 am, and ¨llegada¨, which I can not find in the Sp. to English dictionary, at 10:45 am. So it´s four hours ONE way to get there. We would return at 11:15 pm. This is a very long day. On our trek, we saw an ad for 3 days and 2 nights in Buenos Aires (which I mis-pronounced and was corrected, in a rather patronizing and smirky manner - Bway nos I reese, not Bway nos AYE reese), so talked to Sandra, who spoke English. She gave us a print-out with a list of hotels and prices based on them. Looks like $111 each for double occupancy, plus we would add $44 if we did NOT want to take the very slow overnight boat. Sounds like a possible. The Radisson was its usual elegant self, with excellent baños; we actually found picture postcards nearby. I asked at the Ta Ta shop for peanut butter (in Spanish, of course); they don´t carry it. It was time to pick up the laundry, and Grisel tried to help us with the telephone card. Philip gave her a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin as a little thank-you souvenir. We trudged back, stopping to pick up a couple of sandwiches, one with ¨jamon¨ (pork) and one with ¨carne¨ (meat), getting back about 12:45. I ate an entire can of tuna, with celery and lettuce, plus crackers, for lunch; Philip had 1 ½ sandwiches. Eduardo rang the doorbell to check on us. He speaks absolutely no English and couldn´t understand that we had the porch window open for some fresh air. Apparently, this weather is very cold to them.
Impressions of the city: Graffiti is everywhere. I have never before seen a man pulling a wheeled cart so heavy that he was bent over. We also saw a man pulling a rickshaw arrangement. There are many street people. Today must be a school day, for we noticed many children out and about at lunch time, some with uniforms and all with back packs. On the plus side, flowers are blooming! Pansies are holding their own, and the palm trees in various plazas help beautify the areas. We actually visited a tree that looked very old, in amongst a few buildings; it looked as though they´d built the structures around the tree to keep it. How unique! The sidewalks are all broken up. I will think twice before complaining about Hollywood´s sidewalks again!
5:15 pm - Philip watched some Mission Impossible movie while I typed and computed away. I signed up for a few FREE Spanish language lessons online, and P joined me as we learned how to say ¨I want to whatever....¨ We went out mid-afternoon to walk to the Palacio Leg. and asked a security guard to radio Officialle Monica. She showed up, a petite, slim, trim, young woman AND a Lt. Cmdr., per her stripes, head of Security, per Pedro and Alba. She said something, in Spanish, of course, about looking for us yesterday, but glad to see us today. We trotted off behind her as she assigned someone to accompany us as we joined a group of school children on a tour. The docent asked if we understood Spanish. ¨Pocito¨ (little). ¨Ask me to repeat anything you don´t understand.¨ Since we didn´t understand 99.9%, we made a graceful exit, but did enjoy the beauty of the main hall of the building. It was very windy and COLD! Our last interaction occurred at the local farmicia when we tried to communicate our desires: body lotion, mouthwash, and powder for a man. With slow speaking and lots of body gestures, we ended up getting two out of three - not bad. But the price! $22 for lotion and mouthwash - not exactly Wal-Mart prices. I´ll make us some stir fry tonight. Philip is listening to a classical CD of Pedro´s.
7 p.m. - Stir fry was good, with mostly the veggies that Noe and Maria Noel bought and left in the refrigerator for us. FOOD THOUGHTS: The cookies and crackers are very, very bland, but perhaps we are just used to the sweetened and salted ones in the U.S.
I remember, years ago, when the couple from Germany stayed in my apt. in Hollywood (before I moved to my condo). They felt terrible because they broke a little juice glass, and I tried to reassure them that it was very old, but not antique, and that I had enough others. It is very difficult being in someone else´s home for an extended time like this, but we are doing our best to keep things the way they were and not to break anything really major (or minor).
Day 4 - Tu., 8/19 - 9 am - Forgot to mention the guards in the Palacio Leg. yesterday. They were dressed in green and white uniforms, a style from a century or so ago, and they stood like the guards at Buckingham Palace. So stiff and on duty.
Slept the best so far last night and woke about 7:20. Cold cereal, fruit, and toast for breakfast, and Philip is shaving and then doing the washing up. I've put on the long-sleeved soft cotton t-shirt from Alex and L L Bean. Feels so good!
2 pm - We departed a little later than usual, and it was a bit colder than the previous days, as well. Our first destination was the Radisson to reserve our spots for tomorrow afternoon's tours. I suggested that I pay from my stash of American money, but Philip insisted on putting it on his credit card; when we finished with the arrangements, we learned that they don´t take credit cards, so Philip had to pay the almost 800 pesos in Uruguayan money, which meant another trip to the ATM later on. Our next stop was at what we thought was the library (per the info man yesterday), but, instead, it was a lovely bookstore, where Paulo helped us enormously. I still want a phrase book, but they really didn´t have what I needed. He said that many Uruguayans are writers, and that there is one reader for every writer (his own theory that he chuckled at). It was a good place to donate the paperback book that I finished - Running with Scissors. They can resell it as a used book, and they were very appreciative. He directed us to the National Library, the largest in the country, 12 blocks further. I told Philip that I didn´t mind walking to it, but, since it was getting late, we´d have to eat lunch out. ¨OK.¨ Our walk on the sidewalk was very much impeded by many street vendors, selling everything from food to rubber feet for chairs. We played ¨chicken¨ with an occasional taxi driver. Pedestrians do have the right of way in the crosswalks, but, sometimes, when the cars are taking a quick right, it becomes a battle of who is the braver. We made one mistake and walked against a light; what a dirty look the scooter driver gave me! The library was a magnificent edifice, but not what we are used to, with cozy chairs and inviting seating encouraging us to sit down and read a paper or magazine. This library still uses the old system of cards in tiny drawers, plus the patrons request books, which are sent down via a dumbwaiter arrangement. After a quick trip around the (we think) city hall, I chose a place for lunch, with a huge Pilsner sign. Unlike Mexican menus, we understood very little of what was available, but focused on pollo (chicken) and Milanese (Italian, we guessed) and pure (per the little dictionary means mashed potatoes), which we shared. My hot tea was excellent, really, really hot water! The food (really flattened chicken deep-fried covered with cheese and tomato sauce) was great, except for the instant mashed potatoes, but we ate them up anyways. Total was $10 Amer., not bad. Philip had a beer, and that gave us enough energy to stop at Ta Ta for some olive oil, wine, 1 big bottle of beer, real (not instant, which is here, and which we´ve been trying to cook as regular) oatmeal, peanuts, prunes, cheese, and lunch meat. Asking for the lunch meat was a challenge, which I encouraged Philip to tackle. First he asked for ¨turkey and actually said, ¨Gobble, gobble¨ and then he asked for ¨pollo¨, with a negative reply. We ended up with more ham, which is fine. The walk home was tough, because of the heavy load in Philip´s back pack. It got much windier and colder, as well, so it was good to reach our little cocoon. From Pedro (about the peanut butter): If you like to go and visit a big super market like Publix , take a taxi asking to go to 'TIENDA INGLESA" located at calle " BOULEVARD PROPIOS " near "GENERAL FLORES " street .The cost of taxi will be around $ 150.00, which is about $7. American.
Now P has found a Western movie to watch on the Retro channel. I may join him because it shouldn't be too violent.
5 pm - The movie was pretty dated, but OK; I also read a Readers´ Digest while reclining on one couch. We took a stroll to check out the bus station, making sure we avoided the bad area, and had to ask directions. It´s right opposite the port area. This station handles all the buses, local and inter-city; one information young woman spoke English and wanted to know, ¨Where do you want to go?¨ She couldn't understand that we just want to be able to take a bus wherever we decide to go, so I picked a place that looked green and pretty. She figured it'll take us SEVEN buses to get there, and I understood her to say it´d cost 17.5 pesos for EACH bus. Philip says ¨no way should it cost that much; there should be an all-day pass, etc., etc.¨ I'm all for taking a taxi! The wind is just a-howling! My Hermes scarf blew off from around my neck at the bus station, and I didn't even know it, but three people called to me, so I turned around and rushed back to pick it up. Philip was tempted to try to use the gas part of the stove to boil some eggs. NOOO. Too complicated!
Day 5 - We., 8/20 - 9:30 am - We awoke to rain and were glad our morning plan included staying inside, cleaning the apartment. Philip cooked the old-fashioned oatmeal that we bought - much better! - and I polished off the last yogurt. I used the hand-held vacuum cleaner for the rug and that part of the wood floor while P dusted and dry-mopped; I swept out the office room and scrubbed the bathroom. It´s fun when two of us do this.
Food shopping, as I highlighted in my postcards to kids, is challenging when there are no pictures on the cans or packages. The mayo comes in a stands-up-by-itself package, as does the olives. Quantities are usually miniscule. Philip had a difficult time yesterday with prunes, which looked like raisins to me, some were with something (seeds? pits?) and some were without. Reading menus is another problem, as well.
11:30 am - and we are both chilly. Should have put on another layer of sweater. I´m making progress with updating the online email Address Book, but heard from Pedro this morning. He reported that the garbage collectors are on strike for one week. Not nice.
12:45 pm - While I notified via Internet (which I could have done Monday, but the man who told me to call didn´t mention it) the Embassy that we are here, Philip made us a tuna salad, which we demolished, plus the left-over soup from last night. I put on another sweater and finally warmed up. P is wearing a suit for this tour around the city. I´m wearing my heavy black slacks and warm tops, in layers. It´s stopped raining, but looks very, very raw.
7 pm - Quite the afternoon! We departed, on foot, about 1 pm, hoping to buy some stamps from the ¨correo¨(post office). When we arrived, they were closed. We asked next door at the farmicia, but he directed us to another place not in the direction we were heading. We happened to find a farmicia on the way, which actually was able to sell us 15 peso stamps for the postcards. Minor miracle! We also stumbled across Remsis car service (they picked us up from the airport) to ask them about hiring a car and driver for one day to go someplace out of the city. So far, it´s up to 6000 pesos, about $300, a bit much. We arrived early for the bus tour and waited for quite a while. Finally, a bit late, it arrived - a VERY SMALL bus, van really, with 15 capacity. Estella was our guide, and she did a great job, in both Spanish and English. We couldn´t sit together and were packed like sardines. It was well worth the money and the tip, almost a 3 ½ hr. tour over a large area of territory. I sat in the very back with a cute couple from Brazil and their 2 little boys, one of whom fell asleep. We saw a lot and now have destinations in mind. The weather deteriorated quickly, and it became difficult to see out of the foggy and wet windows. It was getting dark when we were done (about 6 pm), so we stopped at the Madison Restaurant, near the Radisson, where the waiter not only spoke English but also offered us an English menu. Bonanza! We shared beef stroganoff, which was excellent, plus a small bottle of wine, total $20. Restaurant notes: In the two where we´ve eaten so far, the only napkins offered are the size of one sheet of toilet paper, and we have not discovered any pepper for table use. When I used the rest room to wash my hands, I couldn´t find the light switch! P went to the men´s room and returned to inform me that ¨it´s on the door frame.¨ It was and properly labeled - ¨luz¨(I think). We considered catching a cab for the ride home, but took a chance and walked back, with no real problems, except for a couple of men asking for money. We really trotted along, seeing our breath along the way. Home to a cup of tea and cup of coffee and ready to hit the sack! http://gosouthamerica.about.com/library/weekly/topicsubUru.htm
Day 6 - Th., 8-21 - 5:40 pm - Because it seemed so nasty this morning - windy, cold, and damp - we stayed in and watched the Olympics and worked on the email Address Book. Finally, once again, I thought to put on a sweater because it was really cold in here. I warmed up the beanie bag for Philip´s toes, which he really appreciated. After lunch (grilled sandwich and lots of hot tea), we struck off, destination Main Tourist Information Office at the Port. We stopped at Sandra´s travel agency on the way, but they were closed until 2 pm. We so enjoyed the pedestrian walk! What a relief to walk with NO noisy and smelly and dangerous traffic! It took us to the plaza where we stopped yesterday at the church, and then we muddled about, trying not to look at the map, but going backwards by mistake, compounded by the fact that very few streets have names posted. We finally found it, after walking through the banking district (another money pick up guarded by men with shotguns) and talked with a lovely young woman who spoke good English. She showed us on the map a shopping center that, on an upper floor, has a pool table, etc. and even wrote down the numbers of the buses to get there! We used the baños; the ladies´ had no toilet paper, and neither hand dryer worked. Many people seemed to be ¨working¨ there.
7 pm - We are starting to droop. The walk back to the travel agency was easy, and we are trying to make our arrangements for the 3 days and 2 nights in B.A. next week. We will confirm all tomorrow. The walk back was difficult, because we made three stops at three different stores. We bought most of our stuff at the first store, including some small slabs of beef to add to the stir-fry for tonight. Buying the lunch meat was really tough because none of the six or so uniformed (in really cute uniforms - white trimmed with blue) young women working in the bakery and deli spoke English. First we ordered some croissants for tomorrow´s breakfast, plus a couple of lemon or pineapple squares. The bakery girl said a whole lot to us in Spanish, none of which we understood. It MAY have had to do with the fact that we could have gotten more squares for the same amt. of money, but we were totally in the dark. So that provoked a few smiles. Then we tried to order lunch meat. Philip asked for turkey again with its correct name - ¨pavo¨- and she tried to send him back to the meat dept. for some real turkey. We discovered chicken in the deli and ordered 8 slices of it, followed by 8 slices of cheese. Well, the entire dept. was in hysterics by the time we left, and I suspect that, then next time they see us coming, they will all run and hide so they don´t have to wait on us. On the other hand, a sweet young girl, dressed in a green uniform (to match the packaging) was giving away samples of the new Knorr soups - QUICK to make. She spoke a little English and chatted a bit with us as we bought some of the old-fashioned Knorr soup. The next store is where Philip buys his bottles of beer - really BIG bottles of Pilsner dark, almost a stout, which he really enjoys. Plus we picked up some milk. The last place was right next door and was for 2 bottles of water. She, too, sells deli stuff and, I think, was offended because we stopped in carrying all these grocery bags and wanted only to buy water from her. We were really loaded up by the time we got back, plus we were tired from walking so far.
9 pm - Well, we are still awake. The stir-fry came out great, plus we enjoyed one chocolate sweetie each for dessert. As Philip took the trash out to the stairwell, he thought he heard gun shots in the street. When we looked out, a group of people was marching up the street towards the Palacio. They were very quiet, but we do wonder what it´s all about. Then we watched the news for a bit and saw that the trash collectors have been on strike here for five days. We´ve been here six days. Oh, well, it could have been the water dept. or the electric co. P is flipping the channels, very loudly.
Where I stayed:
Friends'apartment, Libertador Street
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