Pictures coming soon...as soon as I catch up with all the words! I really will finish Wednesday and fill in Friday.
Today, Ellen and Bob came to join us for breakfast. Then most of us went off to the market to seek out a few 'treasures' as mementos of our journey this past week. The mercado, which is perhaps a half mile or more from the hotel, is located inside an old food market building, not unlike the one that used to be in downtown Savannah in the Old City Market. There is a balcony area that we found which still harkens back to that time with some vendors carrying pigs feet and some other butcher delights. We didn't spend much time upstairs.
Downstairs, as someone described it, is like being in Big Lots, full of thousands of replications of the same Dominican and Haitian arts and crafts, most rather schlocky. Lots and lots of everything. And people hounding you to come into their stall. Prices are negotiable, especially when you start to walk away. Something I was interested in was 350 pesos (or RD dollars). But I indicated I was going to continue looking around so it came down to 200. I was only to get one as a gift, but then decided to get a second one for myself. So I had a 500 peso bill out. She looked at me and said it wasn't enough, it was 700. I reminded her that 200 and 200 were 400 and that was the price she had agreed upon and I wasn't budging. She eventually gave me the 100 change, but she wasn't very happy. I don't like to negotiate prices - I'm too American that way, I guess. I like having the price marked being the price you pay. Anyway, I got out of there with just a couple of small items because I really didn't like most of what they were offering, and it doesn't take long to get overload there.
Then we walked back to the hotel, dropped off our purchases, and continued on to the Roman Catholic cathedral and its book store. The Cathedral dates back almost to Columbus , 1524. His descendants are buried in one of the crypts. There is a window in that area that looks very Marc Chagall like, but there is no mention of Chagall's name in relationship to that chapel's description. Michael and Laurie had to go back to the hotel because the guards told them their shorts were too short; they were above the knees. They change and come back. However we notice several other people who all have shorts above their knees. Perhaps it is a coincidence that they are all Hispanic and happen to be with paid guides.
We stop in the cathedral book store, but most of us don't find anything of interest there, or at another religious book store nearby. Before we go back to the hotel to stay, some of us go to a store that has photograps of cave paintings from the Taino people from thousands of years ago. The man who does the work is fascinating to talk to. We then head back to the hotel for lunch and an afternoon on our own. I try to spend it catching up on this blog!
Dinner tonight is down the El Conde back to the Italian outdoor cafe. It's wonderful. Tonight, I have canneloni in a bechamel sauce with a delightful pesto. It happens to be happy hour all evening so we enjoy a few El Presidente Lights as well. A nice stroll back down a couple of blocks and we're done for the night. Tomorrow is an early call to go to an early Eucharist and then working at a food pantry.
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