Independiente

Yesterday was quite the day! I was expecting to spend most of the day around the house because Katie was unable to take me places. But pretty much as soon as I appeared downstairs, she handed me her house keys, a map, and her cellphone and told me to hit the town. So, I did!

I set out thinking I would just walk to the supermercado (super market) because I had already been there with Katie and so I knew what to look for and what to expect. My walk there was very eye-opening and the time alone gave me lots of time to process and absorb the sights of the town. Only calling this place a town is somewhat inaccurate, I feel like it is more city-like than I expected. There is quite the diversity of people, for one thing. There's a large Mennonite community here, so we have the white, blue-eyed blondies and then there's also the indigenous Quechua people as well, whose women always wear brightly colored skirts and have two long, dark braids down their back. And then there's me, who despite the variety of the streets still manages to stick out.

So there I was, out on my own in a foreign country, INDEPENDENT for the first time. It was really neat. There are a lot of contrasts here. Some houses are beautiful, with courtyards and fancy cars, while others have burros and countless dogs and garbage all over. But the diversity made the walk interesting. I'm trying really hard not to look like a tourist but sometimes I just couldn't help but pull out my camera while trying to close my wide open jaw.

One of the best parts of the walk was finding an evangelical church. I had just been praying that morning that God would provide a church community for me here and hadn't found anything by using "the google." And then, not even three hours later on the main street of Montero, is a white iglesia with the words "evangelico" in big blue letters. I am excited to try it out next Sunday! Praise God that He provides so completely.

Once I arrived at the supermercado, I wandered around and looked at all of the different products. One of my favorite things is seeing American things translated into Spanish. Like Herbal Essence shampoo with the titles "adicta al color." Eventually, I decided that buying some bread, jam, and peanut butter would be a great thing -easy to pack for lunches! Only I could not for the life of me remember how to say peanut butter in Spanish, nor could I find it. I knew how to say butter though and eventually the store manager figured out what I was trying to say ("brown, salty, butter -hahaha). But they were all out. So next time I will have to go back and ask for "crema de mani."

After my shopping trip, I headed to the plaza, where I drank my newly acquired pineapple juice in a bag. You partake in the sweet goodness by ripping a corner off the bag with your teeth and sucking out the juice. It's real, real good. Right up there with drinkable yogurt.

I arrived back at the house, feeling pretty proud of my new found independence! Once my groceries were put away, drunk on my new freedom, I decided to walk all the way to the open air market, which is close to ten blocks away. This was WAY too far on 100 degrees day but I was determined to go. I had to ask for directions once but I finally made it.

Folks, the open air market is just the Coolest. Thing. Ever. There's EVERYTHING there and it's all over the place. There's whole butchered chickens, shoes, school supplies, veggies, and an entire tienda (shop) of pink Valentine bears. Yup, the entire store is just pink bears. I bought a tomato from a woman and her daughters. I'm going to try to be one of their regular customers because I like them :)

The walk home was really long and hot. I had to stop at the supermercado to buy a soda because I was going to pass out. The employee that had helped me with the peanut butter recognized me and waved, probably thinking what a crazy gringa :)

I was exhausted once I got back to the house. By this time I think I had been gone somewhere between 3-4 hrs. And I hadn't eaten lunch and it was four. So I started to make some beans and tortillas but Guillermo (or Yermo as we call him) made ceviche, which is raw fish, soaked in lemon juice and onions. It sounds gross but it was so good. I ate two plates. We''ll see how the tummy does with that! I keep praying for a stomach of steel. But so far so good! So far so good, where everything is concerned here, in my opinion :)