No blues in this Marketplace!

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Today was a shopping paradise as Jill is still grinning ear to ear. We began by touring the plant where they manufacture "Panama" hats, an Ecuadorian creation. We partnered up with a couple from Britain (the girl is a native Ecuadorian visiting home for the first time in 3 years, he is the golf pro at a club just south of London), and following the tour they gave us the grand tour of Cuenca in their car. Women still wash their clothes in the river and lay them out to dry on the banks. During the hat tour we were served hot, strongly alcoholic sugar cane drinks with much saluding (a sales tactic I'm sure--the drunk Americans are great shoppers!) It worked! Jill bought a hat with finely weaved construction and looks great in it. Then, off to one of the biggest native markets we had ever seen. I estimate the building was 100 ft. wide by 500 ft long with two full stories--fruits and vegetables beyond belief, meats, shoes, hats, food, drink, couple of stray dogs and boatloads of Ecuadorians. I bought a plate full of food (Roasted pork, lentils, salad, vegetables and rice) for $1.00! Who says the old buck is worthless. Being the total cheapskate that I am this country could get down right addicting. Jill bought corn nuts made from hominy corn and two big pieces of nutty looking fudge (.50). Well, off tomorrow for Vilcabamba where we will be staying at a bed & breakfast owned by an American gal who use to work as a scientist at NASA. They raise all their food organically on site and serve breakfast and dinner family style as part of the price. Our daily tab for room and board for both will be $25!!! See ya tomorrow.

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