Out of the Apartment!

Today, despite my being 'incapacitado', I showered, dressed, and hobbled down to the street where I caught my cab to get to the hairdresser that my friend Marsha recommended. I knew it was against the rules, but staying inside was making me crazy!

Norbeto's salon is quite a ways from the apartment and so I had plenty of time to practice my ever improving Spanish on my driver (they love it when you do that!!) In fact, this guy actually did seem to enjoy my attempts at conversation, and tried to explain what the various buildings, universities, and trees were. On one street, where we were stuck in traffic, there were vendors wandering the street with their wares. I asked what one man was selling (it looked like a grape-like cluster of limes). Oh, my driver informed me, those were 'mamons' and they were delicious. He started to call out to the vendor so that I could buy some but I told him, no no, it was alright, I was just curious. "Tranquilo, tranqilo" he told me, and he called the guy over, bought a bunch of mamons and gave them to me to try. What a nice guy!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt that cab drivers anywhere else would buy fruit for their passengers!

Well, he was right. The mamons are delicious!!!! They do look like little limes, and to eat them you have to 'crack' open the rind by biting it until it 'pops'! The fruit inside reminds me of jellies (aka jellyfish) because the light peach colored meat slings to the seed and yet sort of 'floats' away from it all at the same time.




It's hard to explain, but to eat it you pretty much just suck on it like candy until all the fruit eventually comes off the seed. Sounds gross, I know, but trust me, it's great! And everyone here seems to love them as much as I do. I had fun sharing them at the salon.

The salon...... wow! I didn't have an appointment to get my hair done. I had called this morning for an appointment, but they couldn't find Hugo, my friend's hair dresser, and they said they would call back, but telephone conversations are so hard for me since I can't act out the words I don't know... so I decided that taking a little jaunt out to the place would be a better idea. Besides, I liked the idea of seeing the salon before making an appointment. Here in Colombia you never know what you may find. So, I hopped out of the cab (my ankle feeling so much better not having to be stuck in the apartment all day again!) and made my way into the salon. It was very pretty. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers, lots of pretty people. Not the kind of place I would EVER go into in the states for fear they would charge me just for looking!!! I was about to back quietly out the door, when a lovely woman came to ask if I wanted a manicure. Well..... what's a girl to say????

I explained, in my Spanglish and sign language, that I was there to make an appointment with Hugo. The older, more severe woman behind the counter remembered my earlier phone conversation with her and she commanded that two ladies (the manicurist and a sheepish young thing who spoke some English) take me to Hugo immediately. Well, they did and he was there and he happened to have the afternoon free so he sat me down and they all started in. He matched my hair color to a swatch, the manicurist started to remove my old polish, and the sheepish young thing offered me a myriad of drinks. It was all just a bit overwhelming. And even though I paid more than I had planned, my hair isn't fuschia and I am feeling very relaxed and lovely!