Day 7

I am going to attempt to keep it short and sweet this evening as it is now extremely late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.  The plan is to purchase a couple of vehicles tomorrow, barring any international incidents.  I am feeling a little less like a tourist today.  Maybe the honeymoon phase is wearing off and it is starting to sink in that this is not just a vacation, or perhaps it's just the result of the retail high that I am on from the purchase of a jazzy new grocery cart we bought today to drag our groceries back to the hotel by foot.  It is a neon green nylon affair with a couple of wheels and a handle.  It looks a little like a laundry hamper on wheels.  Perhaps not the statement of male virility that I was hoping for, but after lugging 735 lbs of groceries the two city blocks from the closest grocer back to our hotel with a Victoria's Secret sack, I am not gonig to complain. 

After my routine morning dung collection, the kids and I hit the streets in an attempt to commune with the locals.  Sunny day today . . . the first we have had since we landed.  The fair skies brought out sunny dispositions.  We encountered an elderly couple on the street and the 3 year old dazzled us all with the apparent firm grasp he maintains over the local language and cultural practices.  As we past, I did my usual . . . which is to say that I did my best not to draw attention or make any undue eye contact.  My youngest son evidently has a different approach.  With beaming eyes and a swagger in his step he lays his best "Bon Jour" upon them as he gallops past.   The hillbilly accent, rubber mud boots (that he won't take off) and sagging jeans proudly exposing his Iron Man underpants pegged us as Westerners.  This of course if of no concern to our youngest because today he was a man of the people.

After a half hour of co-mingling with some local children at the nearest playground (still affraid to test the water on our recent ban from the larger park) the eldest son proclaimed a serious hunger, ending our three hour tour.  Once back at the hotel we finally swept the back of the cupboards clean by testing out a can of raviolli which to be honest is not going to make Mr. Boyardee loose any sleep at night.  Given our immediate need for supplies we decided to hit the grocery store yet again this evening.  This is beginning to be a daily task which we are reluctantly becoming accustomed.  It is the way of things here and we must come to terms with that fact.  This pain is somewhat lessened by the acquisition of my heretofore mentioned (bad ass) grocery cart.  Now with the shelves stuffed full, I bid you all a fond adieu.