Americana

Today I ventured out to Parque Kennedy- a beautiful outdoor area with shops, restaurants, and lots of opportunities for people-watching to take place. Before I left my hostel, I asked a friend how much I should NOT pay for a taxi so I wouldn't be a victim of gringo tax- something many taxi drivers do with people who are obviously not Peruvian; they'll tack on an extra few soles...so knowing that I shouldn't pay more than 6 soles helped. I was dropped off in front of a store called La Quinta which was recommended by my fellow female bartender and had nearly 30 bins overflowing with inexpensive clothing. I quickly learned that each bin or corner of the store had a designated owner who would give you the clothing to try on- up to 3 items. I took 2 pairs of jeans an a floral shirt as my quest for long pants has been ongoing for the last 3 weeks. I'm beginning to realize that with the seasons changing and getting warmer- I won't need jeans! I didn't even try on the 2nd pair. However- I did fall in love with the shirt I tried on and decided to purchase it for 45 soles- no bargaining here but I was willing to splurge. I was handed a receipt that I needed to take to a counter to pay for my shirt and upon returning with my receipt indicating that my item was paid for, I received my newly purchased shirt! I really surprised myself with the amount of Spanish I was both able to use and then understand- without giving away the fact that I have (mostly) no idea what I'm doing! I walked around for another hour going in and out of colorfully decorated clothing stores and admiring the goods that each vender had to offer. I also bought some underwear and talked my way into customizing the colors in my set! I continued on my journey to find a falafel and schwarma restaurant recommended to me by my Israeli hostel manager, Shalom. I browsed the Parque steering clear of the commercial chains like pizza hut, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks in search of this infamous middle eastern treat. I failed miserably. Upon returning to the hostel  and seeing Shalom and his 14 month old adorable daughter who is always full of smiles, I was informed that the falafel joint is next to Starbucks!! I know I'll be going back to Parque Kennedy- so no worries! I took a brief break to people watch in the park and boy did I see some interesting things! Among these sights included a plethora of stray cats, nuns, 6 Peruvians with Downs Syndrome on a field trip, sandwich and popcorn venders, plenty of couples of all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexual preferences locked at the lips, and of course- tourists. While sipping on my water sans gas, I was approached by 2 men, one significantly older than the other and missing more teeth than he had in his mouth. He exclaimed in Spanish that I was beautiful and proceeded to guess my country of origin. I avoided speaking so as to not give anything away with my obvious accent. After listing 8 countries beginning with Sweden, Germany, and Russia and shaking my head after each guess he finally pinned the nail on the donkey and surprisingly repeated, "Americana?" over and over with much disbelief. I was flattered that I looked so exotic to him! He smiled like a 6th grade boy who just scored a date for his first boy-girl dance and it made my day to make his day. I bargained with a taxi driver who wanted 8 soles to take me back to my hostel and I was turned down after offering 6! I asked the next taxi driver (with confidence) how much to Barranco and he said 5 soles! I guess when I don't look clueless I don't get the tourist tax. I have the day off and I'm looking forward to resting. This upcoming week is going to be fantastic!