Well this morning on the way to breakfast we knew SOMETHING was going on. Streets were blocked off to traffic, and as we approached 5th Av., the crowds were lining up on the streets. We asked what was going on, and sure enough! It was the annual Watch-Local-Waiters-Run-Down-Cobblestone-Streets-Carrying-Trays-Of-Drinks Day!!!!! Actually it was called something else in Spanish. But one cannot overstate the importance of this event. Nor the difficulty! Regular readers are already aware of the challenges of getting a sturdy stroller down the cobblestone. Imagine running with drinks! Shortly after we arrived, vans blasting music and announcing the event sped down the street. And then they started coming. Hundreds of them! Yes! Waiters! Carrying drinks on trays! Down the cobblestone! Who knew?
We joined the excited onlookers and clapped and cheered, and then as the last runner stumbled sadly by in clear defeat, we went to a restaurant and attempted to order breakfast, only to learn that....ummmmm... ALL the city's waiters had participated in the event, including the staff of that restaurant. The cook attempted to wait the table for us. Eggs were cold. Bread came half way through the meal. Took 20 minutes to find out they did not have the hot chocolate my friend ordered. Fried plantains arrived just as we had about finished everything else. But hey, they guy was cooking and waiting tables, and clearly waiting tables takes a little getting used to. The whole event was followed by an extensive awards ceremony, which seemed to name every participating institution, with applause and much merriment as each one was named.
In other news... the princess's many journeys around the table yesterday certainly did some impressive skill building. Last night while waiting for dinner, she, for the very first time, did a bit of walking holding ONE of my hands, not both!!! Today we tried to replicate the success, but today we've been just a little cranky and clingy, in spite of the local festivities. Perhaps this evening or tomorrow. But we did find another suitable table to entertain ourselves around briefly.
