Back in Business... (the business of SHOPPING)

Happy Monday! Lunes feliz!

I woke up this morning feeling a lot better... not quiet hungry but definitely better. I lost a lot of time this weekend in bed, and I was ready to jump back into the game. My mom and I went to our favorite neighborhood restaurant, La Olla, and had a small breakfast. I tested out my stomach with some plain pancakes, and some tea. So far so good, but by the time the meal was over, I was ready for a nap. We went back to our hotel up the street, and I laid low for a couple hours while mom went and did some shopping on her own.

Later in the day, we had a plan to meet up with Susan, my former housemate over at Perla's place, for lunch. We met and I was feeling a bit hungrier then, so I had an egg sandwich ("oh yawn" you're probably thinking...). Basically I was feeling better, and was up for some shopping and that we 3 did! I took some photos along the way.

This is a photo of a beautiful entrance to an English bookstore called Amate books (duh?). The whole front entrance is covered in dried flowers and is so inviting!













Susan took this picture of me outside of another shop. It's some kind of freaky wood sculpture of a skeleton. It was creepy taking a photo with it, even though it wasn't bones.






At some point in the shopping excursion, my mom started to feel a bit "stomachy" so she left and went back to the hotel. Susan and I pushed on and persevered through the shopping. I bought a few more things (some magnets, an alebrije, a cute pin, and some decorations for Jenn's 30th Birthday party (shhhh don't tell Jenn!).
Susan and I rushed back to my hotel when it started to rain, and we found mom with Mieka (from Belgium) sitting in our room. So then we choreographed a group photo using the timer on our cameras and we took this picture 4 times. Very fun!!! We call it "Four Blondies". (From left to right: me, mom, Meika, and Susan)Later we all went out to eat at an Italian restaurant (as much as I LOVE the Oaxacan food, my stomach has decided that it needs a break from it). Pasta with olive oil and garlic was just delicious!


On the way home we saw 3 adorable dogs, 2 golden retrievers and an Airdale terrier, and I had this strange deja vu about someone telling me about their 3 dogs of the same breed... Thinking... thinking... thinking... GOT IT! It was Oscar, our guide from our Saturday trip to Monte Alban and alebrije shopping. He had told us that he had the 3 dogs and that they go running at night. They were all out in front of Santo Domingo Church so we stopped him, met his dogs and we all posed for a photo together (minus one dog who refused to stay for the photo). Oscar told us about how his dogs are currently being trained to assist the airport workers in drug sniffing, and also in search and rescue. Cute, cute, cute... perros lindos !

Later, back to the hotel where we are now. Tomorrow is really our last day here in Oaxaca. Mom is leaving EARLY Weds. morning, and I am leaving later in the afternoon. We have a cooking class planned but we're not sure if we're going to make it. We have to check and see how her stomach is doing. We'll probably do it... and we'll take lots of photos. Check back tomorrow! Buenos noches!