A culinary adventure:)

I can read a small amount of Spanish. Understanding what someone is saying when they are speaking Spanish at a regular speaking rate though? Forget it. The poor person who is trying to talk to me may as well be speaking Chinese for how much I'm going to understand. It was when we were going out for lunch today that I really wished I could understand a lick of what was being said to me:) I have GOT to learn more Spanish!

We went into town to shop at some markets and have lunch today. Shopping was fun:) Ena scored a few treasures and John got one of those cool Colombian cowboy type hats that he's been wanting. We decided to get some lunch before heading back to the resort to spend the afternoon swimming.

There was a security building on the beach with police men and security people in it and Mary had a good idea to ask them if they had any suggestions of a good place to go. The police officer we spoke to immediately yelled something at an old man who was sitting on a tree a little ways down the beach. The old man came running over and started to lead us down the beach. We ended up at a beach restaurant where the old man then yelled something at a couple of other men who started scurrying around grabbing chairs and tables and setting up a place for us on the sand. They were so accomodating and nice. Stacking up chairs for make-shift boosters and picking up the kids and plunking them into the chairs for us. When we were all finally seated, they brought out the 'menu'. Lauren wouldn't look at it, but Mary and I of course immediately grabbed our cameras:)

The menu:)

The man who seemed to be in charge picked up each of the fresh fish and rattled off what each one of them was. As he was attempting to take our order, I was somewhat intimidated at this point not knowing what he was asking of me and how the heck or what the heck I should order. John finally just went ahead and pointed to the fish that happened to be nearest to him and said he would take that one. Athena said she wanted fish, but "without eyeballs". The man pointed to Athena and 'fillet para ninos?' Yes, that I understood:) Fillet of fish meat for the child. Yes, please! As he went around the table figuring out what everyone wanted, Brain asked for pollo (chicken) so I knew that chicken was also an option. When he got back around to me, I also asked for pollo.

When the food came out, it was delicious! John's fish was really good! Dredged in some type of coating and then the whole thing was fried & served with coconut rice and plantains. If I would have seen ahead of time what it would be like I would have probably gone ahead and pointed to one of the fish and had it fried up too:) The chicken was really good too though. Dredged in a yummy flour mixture and pan fried and served up with coconut rice also. Athena's fish fillet was beautiful and huge & it came with french fries instead of the plaintains. She liked it and ate quite a bit of it.

John's yummy fish.

Athena eating up her fillet para ninos.

Alton got to enjoy of few of sissy's papas fritas (french fries)

Our table for 9 by the beach. Complete with an eccentric local trying to wow us with his mad guitar and singing skills:)

The view from our table. I took this picture from my seat.

After we got done eating, we needed to stop at a store to pick up some supplies before heading back to the resort. We needed more bottled water and Jaenesch's needed some baby supplies. Mary again grabbed the bull by the horns and used her best Spanglish to ask the man in charge at the restaurant where a store was nearby that might have these things. The man yelled to another worker at the restaurant to come over and walk us to the store. He started heading off and gesturing for us to follow him. He walked us right up to the front door of a large convenience store that did in fact have everything we needed:)

We certainly didn't look like American tourists. I think we blended right in, don't you?

It was a fun experience and a yummy lunch that I'm sure our family will never forget:)