Saturday

Saturday. Slept in till 8.30. I am a different person here! Ponced around not really knowing what I wanted to do (having spent many an hour occupying myself like an Jane Eyre last night). After washing my smalls and going to the super market, I came back and started painting a portrait a la Picasso. Around 1 ish I got the bus into town – a man hopped on the bus with a guitar and sang (I gave him a peso) and hopped off again – with an urge to buy a pair of boots. I saw a nice, cheap pair while wandering one time before, but of course couldn’t find them today. Instead a found a prezzy for mum and some paint (to help complete the mural) which was surprisingly expensive I spent about £15 on 4 small pots of acrylic in a Papeleria (stationers). That seems like a lot of money when you consider how cheap things like food and bus fares and rent are. Stuff like mobile phones and computers are on a par with American prices, so it’s surprising anyone can afford them at all. Bumped into Ramon (Lucia’s fella). As previously only know about 0.00001% of the population in Peubla (or Mexico for that matter) but have bumped into someone each Saturday), had the briefest of chats and he mentioned possibly meeting up later, but I haven’t heard from them and am not that bothered, having spent all afternoon in company.

Met up with Eva around 3 o’clock and we went on search of typical Pueblan food. Got directed to El fonda de santa Clara where we ate chicken with mole poblana – the famous sauce made with chocolate (and originally from Puebla – hence the poblana bit). Very, very delicious, and very rich (a bit like hoisin sauce, but not really), served with rice and a kind of weak sangria. Walked it off looking at everything and nothing and putting the world to rights (mostly in English – I think I’ve given up!). People selling puppies on the streets. With dia de la muerte coming up there are loads of skulls and things in all the shops. In El Parian (the slightly tacky art market) I saw a black hanging cloth with a female skeleton and La Caterina spelled out in cross-bones. Caterina is the embodiment of female death for dia del muerte, and just a bit too close to my name for my comfort. Just got back around 7pm. No internet today, again. I do have beer though, so no matter!