We need to learn spanish!

Today was an adventure. We went out to town to do some errands, which was fine until we went looking for a specialty item. We ended up walking down the main drag and stopping at nearly every store to ask if they had it. FINALLY, someone knew where we could get the item. Thankfully, they wrote down the name of the shop so we could show it to the taxi driver to get there. We found exactly what we needed, which was great, but then we had to take a taxi home. That's when the trouble began. We got about 2 minutes down the road, when we realized we forgot our umbrella at the shop. So we told the driver "take us back"- he didn't get it. We told him the name of the place- he didn't get it. We told him the name of the restaurant next door- still no luck. We showed him the paper with the info- he took us downtown. We pulled out our phrasebook and started telling him we forgot something and go back, STILL didn't get it. We ended up using hand signals and directing him back to this place we had only been to once. How we got there again, I don't know. On the bright side the umbrella was still there.
Then we had him take us back to the hotel. We told him "Pollo Norteno" which means the North Chicken Factory. That's right, our hotel is next to a chicken factory. No, it doesn't smell. So where does he take us? To a pulperia downtown. So we told him, "no, aeropuerto, aeropuerto" then he tried to go further into town- cause you know, that's where the airport is. So Zach's giving him directions AGAIN. Why doesn't the cabbie know his own town? I'm so glad we've done all this driving around already- we woulda been hopeless today.
Finally he got it and took us to the right place. But of course, with all that extra driving around, he wants more money. I know it's only like a buck US, but that hurt!
So the point of all this is that we need to learn better spanish. Phrasebooks are only so good, ya  know?

It's funny how we have already gotten used to the prices here. When we go food shopping, it's not "o this is only 50 cents" it's "why is this 20 lemps more, let's get the cheap one" I did splurge today though, I got the jar of Prego pasta sauce instead of the baggie of no name sauce. I bet it'll taste the same though, and then I'll feel stupid.

Right now we're eating a fresh pineapple we got at the market. Fruit here is waaaaaay better than at home, since it's picked like 2 miles away. Of course, at home we don't have to soak everything in a bleach wash. Ah well, small sacrifices. Zach has a new favorite drink "guanabana." Not only does it taste good, but it's fun to say! I made up a little song for it, but if I don't sing it you won't understand, so sorry, you don't get to know what it is. My song isn't very good anyway.

Ok, bye for now.