The Stroll

Instead of running today, I decided to explore a bit.  I started off going north, but all I found was a little convenience store and restaurant before the sidewalk ran out.  Heading back toward the normal grocery store I usually frequent, I kept walking past it and ran into all the night life in a crowded intersection of town.  This wasn't a touristy area...at all.  In fact, I would like to return and take pictures, but I'm not sure bringing my camera is a good idea.  I never felt unsafe, but I would prefer to get more of a feel for the place first.  

Anyway, while ambling along, I bought some pears and bananas from a fruit vendor.  The bananas were the least bruised ones I have seen while in Cartagena, and I appreciated the fact that they weren't covered in dirt and that sticky black banana stuff.  I realize this sounds trivial, but having yellow bananas is a treat.  

After checking out a street performer who was wearing a Michael Jacksonesque costume (full of glitter) and dancing, I bought an arepa con queso and a lemonade.  An arepa con queso is this thick, doughy, fried-on-both-sides bread stuffed with cheese and a surprise piece of ham.  It's quite good, but if I eat too many of those, I will have a heart attack.  The lady selling the lemonade squeezed a couple limes into a glass, poured sugar water into it, then ladled her concoction to the brim.  It was so refreshing and delicious!  I realize a walk isn't enough to burn off all those calories, so I just finished a salad because what better way to fight obesity than to eat more?  

On a completely different note, I have now lost two items (that I know of) to the wind.  A couple weeks ago, the cover for my air conditioning unit magically disappeared.  Looking outside today, I noticed that the thick comforter on my bed was missing from the line.  My maid seems to pick the rainy days to come, so nothing was dry last night when I went to bed.  Having learned that sheets and clothes banging against the windows can cause sleeplessness, I took everything but a huge sheet and the comforter down.  The comforter wasn't even blowing in the wind since it was weighed down by its own weight.  Running behind as usual this morning caused me to forget all about the stuff on the line.  It was raining anyway, so I just figured they wouldn't be dry.  Well, that was a mistake.  At this rate, I will be paying a butteau-load of money on replacing all the items I have lost.