Party Like The Locals

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I had a bad nights sleep, it felt like Montezuma's Revenge & it was the first time I had been properly ill in this world trip. So I was relieved that we didn't have much to do today. Sam was first up & in the shower & I heard the water go on & a tinkle metal on the shower floor, then another tinkle & a moan. I went to investigate. Sam was standing in the shower with the hot tap in her hand & a jet of scalding water coming out from where the tap should have been. I tried putting the tap back on but I hardly had the energy to lift my arms & the water was burning my hands. I found the stopcock & turned off the water & finally got the tap back on the wall so that Sam could finish her shower & I returned to bed very wet.
We were meeting our Lily our spanish teacher in the Plaza de Armas & then we were going to her house for lunch. While waiting in the square someone came up to us selling sunglasses, he only had one pair & said they were genuine Oakleys & sold for $70. I pointed out that they actually said Oakey on them! To which he said that Oakey is pronounced Oak-Ley. He wanted to sell them to me for $40 but they were ugly grey ones & I already had a nice pair of black ones which cost only $8. I told him they were only worth a maximum of $8 but he didn't believe I had got mine so cheap & kept lowering the price until he decided I wouldn't buy his glasses & then he wanted to swap his rubbish ones for mine. In the end he walked away smiling & shaking his head saying $8 I don't believe it.
Lily met us after her morning lessons & we caught a cab to her house. Lily lives in a lovely house by the airport & we met her whole family including her mother who normally eats upstairs watching her favourite soap opera. We had green soup, fried plantains, dried corn, vegetable fritters, potato, olive & cheese pie & loads of Inca Kola & red wine. After lunch & herb tea from the garden we caught a cab back home for a rest before the evening.
We caught up with Ges who had been promised a local night out by her jungle guide Jaime (not easy to say in spanish) & we set off into town. Ollanta one of the two presidential candidates was in town & we had to walk past his hotel to get to the Plaza de Armas which wasn't easy as hundreds of people had gathered outside to catch a glimpse of him. We managed to squeeze past but things were no easier in the Plaza, Ollanta was holding a rally here & riot police were posted on each corner in case of trouble. The whole front of the cathedral was covered in Ollanta banners & a band was playing. We met up with Jaime & Emma & headed up to San Francisco where we needed something to eat before hitting the club. A pizza place promised us free Pisco Sours that never materialised but the pizza was good & then we went to Discotec Las Vegas. Once you had been frisked by the bouncer you paid your two soles to get in & also paid for any beer that you wanted for which you were given a huge receipt. Inside the club everything was lit with UV, the centre was the main dance floor & there was balcony above the bar which also had dancers on it. We headed upstairs & found a table looking over the main floor. A waitress came round, collected the receipts & quickly came back with our beer & glasses which contained paper towels so that you could clean them. Everyone in the club could dance really well & as the music changed styles Jaime could name each one & everyone switched dances. I was still feeling ill & a bit subconcious with so many great dancers so I didn't dance but Sam, Ges & Jaime all did. The taxi driver on the way home dropped us at the bottom of the hill & we were exhausted by the time we got home.

Drink of the Day: Pilsen Table Beer

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