Happy End-of-April!

Today actually feels like summer is past (if I conveniently forget to look at the calendar and at all the flowers in bloom).  It's sunny and beautiful as always, but instead of being super-HOT in the sunshine, it's just very pleasant.  I really do prefer the cooler weather, and one nice side benefit is that our church meetings will begin at 9:00 am for the next four months instead of 8:00 - just because it is so cool in the mornings.  (The natives say "cold" but to me that's a slight exaggeration, at least right now.)

Anyway, there hasn't been a lot going on this week, but I did take a few miscellaneous pictures.  For one thing, we went down to the Cine Center one afternoon just to get a hot fudge sundae!

Above is the Cine Center.  The theaters are on the top floor; 

the bottom floor has a food court and several small boutique-type stores.

This is the one where we get the hot fudge sundaes.

I find it interesting that the sign is in English, don't you?

It's the only good ice cream in Bolivia, as far as we know - 

and if the sundae just had nuts, 

it would be as good as Dairy Queen! YUM!

Another day we went down to La Cancha to pick up some yarn.  Near the yarn store we came across this man who sharpens knives for a living.  Farron offered to pay him to let us take his picture, but he adamantly refused.  You can see from this picture that the grinding wheel is foot-propelled like a treadle sewing machine.  (His foot is on the pedal in the picture.)

I know you can't see the expression on his face,

but it is unfriendly to say the least.  Oh well . . .

After we got on the bus and started home, I decided to snap some pictures of the street sellers which are everywhere.  There seems to be no regulation whatsoever; you just pick out a piece of sidewalk, lay down a piece of cloth and set out your wares - or, if you are a little more prosperous, you may have a little "stand" or cart as you can see in some of the pictures below.

Selling bread and rolls . . .

Selling candy . . .

 Selling children's toys (can you see the English labels?)

Selling apples and oranges (yes, the oranges look green but they taste orange.)

Selling (for want of a better description) junk food, as well as prepaid cell phone cards.

Selling toiletries (shampoo, lotion, etc.) and cosmetics.

 Selling (I think) plastic goods.

Selling bras, camis, and corsets (!) among other clothing items.

Selling hand-crocheted and hand-knit items.

This florist shop is a permanent store, not really a sidewalk seller.

They have GORGEOUS flowers down here; 

in fact, they export roses.

And lastly, just a couple of shots of bougainvillea - which grows everywhere here - that we passed as we walked through the Recoleta the other day.

I've never seen purple bougainvillea before, only the fuschia color we have at home.

Here they have purple (above), orange, and this bright red (below) - 

and I'm not sure how many other colors.

Okay, that's it for today.  Have a happy, healthy, safe week . . . y vayan con Dios!