Galleria and lazy afternoons

Was invited to join the weekly shopping trip to Galleria. The temple hosts many people each week, which mean that we have to get plenty of fruit and veg at rock bottom prices. YaYaChuta is the man for this task. Equipped with a long shopping list - approx 50 items - we set off. We take three crowded buses to the other, more ghetto, end of town. 

Galleria is a large street market, selling all sorts of food. Although there is a lot of activity, there are no "hard sellers", even when they see this gringo. We meander through the endless stalls and small shops, comparing prices and haggling. Mangoes and some other items have increased in price considerably, so YaYa makes many phone calls back to the temple for advice of whether to buy. Approx 40 big mangoes costing 10€ gets many shakes of the head and comments like "que caro", to which the vendors agree but insist its the best price. We sample before we buy, a very good policy when the fruit is this delicious - my ever-growing mango addiction is going to cost me a lot when I get back to Berlin. After 5 hours we have crossed all the items off the list and amassed enough food for a medium sized vegetarian army. On the way, I proved a curiosity to some local women, who promptly questioned my martial status and then tried to insist that I take various women as a wife. I countered their offers with talk of Germany being "demisiado frio" (too cold) and that they would not find a vegetarian diet (ni pollo, ni pesce!!!) difficult to adopt. 

We filled up a taxi with food and made our slow journey home, partially due to traffic but mostly due to the overladen suspension which dragged the undercarriage on the road on each bump. 

Spent the afternoon swimming in a local pool. Seems like I am nearly the only one who swims here during the week. 30m pool all to myself as the sun bakes down - no other way to fly.