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We went early to the giant open market at El Arenal, commonly called Feria Libre. Wednesdays and Saturdays this market doubles in size and a person can but anything from ducks to clothing to cel phones, and anything in between. Dawn was able to find gift items likely unavailable anywhere else. I found some gloves to wear on the new electric bike, still unused...
Upon leaving, I enquired to a man who hppened to speak English how to obtain a pass to use on the buses. He kindly walked us over the bus terminal next door and we were about to get a pass to allow us to ride anywhere for 30c when they insisted on a copy of my Cedula identity card, which meant running somewhere else for a photocopy... Grrrr
We caught a cab across town to my old neighbourhood and I got to see my old house, unchanged, except it is for sale, but nobody was home. I talked to the neighbour in theback and to a few merchants that remembered me.
Dawn visited with Adriana, a sweet girl down the block who she had started to teach English back in 2018. We had lunch and then went up the hill to Coral to get some groceries that Dawn wanted, sos she can cook a couple of meals for Teresa and Billy. Then the sweetheart Adriana drove us home again, and she was a very good driver!
I was exhausted and crashed for an hour until we had to go pick up Dawn's dry cleaning at 5pm. We crossed the street and ordered chauluafan, a rice dish with shrimp, while I went down the street to Banco Pichincha to try to get money from my credit card. I finally figured it out and did manage to extract $200 USD, which, with the bank charges and high exchange rate, was almost $300 Canadian.... Grrrrrr, but I am glad to have a source of cash for emergencies.
The power went out in our sector at 5pm so we ate some of the chauluafan and brought 1/2 back for Teresa and Billy, who were very appreciative. The dish was easily enough for 4 people!
Then we passed the time until 8pm, yakking and munching and drinking beer in candlelight until the power came back on at 8pm.
In the meantime, I was in contact with Cristina in Colombia, Rick in the USA, Alex in Italy, and several friends in Ecuador. Then I crashed at 9pm...
Oh, and I have given up trying to work on the internet in the casita... The signal is just too weak and frustrating, so I am sitting on the couch in the main house and the internet is stronger, and not dropping every 5 minutes.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.
Al
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The Feria Libre market is bustling 
I wish I could buy it back! 
Candlelight vigil, lol 
Kinda romantic, lol
