When we got to Valle we had lunch first in a cute restaurant right on the plaza. And, our driver, Hugo, parked right there! That was so convenient to have the van so close so we could drop off our packages. Hugo was a dream, following along to gather our purchases and take them back to the van. The lunch was delish! All our lunches included rice, beans and plaintains. YUM. Our first shopping stop was at my new best friend, Juan's. James was very good again at monitoring my spending. Next was a leather shop, James, ever vigilant kept track of my running total.
Then we got to my favorite shop. This is the one where the owner jumps up and gives me a hug whenever I walk in! I have to say, it is not my fault that I blew out the budget. James was worthless as my accountant. He was like a kid in a candy shop looking at all the beautiful crafts. Wily me, I took advantage of his inattention and went to town. He tried to redeem himself by attempting to keep me out of any more shops but that horse was out of the barn. It was exhaustion that finally brought the spree to an end. As we drove away, I saw them changing the name of the town to Valle de Amanda.
On the way back to Erika's we stopped at a nursery (floral nursery) so Marilyn could get an orchid, the national flower, to take to SBV school tomorrow for her lesson. Jan bought 30 small plants to put on the tables tomorrow night for ladies night out. I know the CAP ladies will be thrilled to have what will certainly be their first plant!
Tonight is the sorting night to unpack all the items from ingathering and figuring out where they go.
Hasta luego!
Cesia Maria - US bound!The school at SBV
