Well we arrived home after breakfast to a busy courtyard full of activity at the apartment, and I announced that I had found the best coffee in town. Everyone asked the name of the place, and ummm… I don’t remember. It is right around the corner. An unlikely place, in my opinion. Not the lush garden courtyard scene that I am so drawn to for my large and elaborate breakfasts. Instead, this place was a storefront, with sleek lines, a cool guy behind the counter who said “que onda” when his cell phone rang, Manu Chao blasting from the cd player in the back, and impossibly young women from Australia who are en route to somewhere on the border with El Salvador to save the turtles.
The food was surprisingly good, but the princess was not hungry I’m afraid. I think I sort of liked the set up though. Low tables that she could reach from either her stroller or standing, as opposed to the whole high chair scene. I had my usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, black beans, fried plantains, and instead of fruit, I got a few slices of yummy fried tomato. The princess enjoyed her juice… orange/pineapple mix, and ate a couple of bites of plantain and bread, but that was it. A lot of beggars came in. I gave a slice of bread to one woman with two children who was asking for food. Another woman came in with a medical prescription that she was fundraising to buy, and I offered her a quetzal. An elderly woman who walked stooped over, with no story in particular got another quetzal. Another family came in asking for food, and I gave them a few slices of plantain. Apparently business was slow that day. It seems that many of the people who came in asking for food were accustomed to getting the scraps that customers leave on our plates, and there had not been enough of us that day.
Liana will grow up in a world in which it is almost a virtue to leave food one ones plate. We certainly don’t want to be fat. And already she enjoys the privilege. She was not hungry this morning. She will eat later. At her convenience. Food that appeals to her. If she does not want the left over bread and plantains, we will try cantaloupe. Or soup. Or refried beans. Or perhaps we will give spaghetti another try. We have unlimited options.
The food was surprisingly good, but the princess was not hungry I’m afraid. I think I sort of liked the set up though. Low tables that she could reach from either her stroller or standing, as opposed to the whole high chair scene. I had my usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, black beans, fried plantains, and instead of fruit, I got a few slices of yummy fried tomato. The princess enjoyed her juice… orange/pineapple mix, and ate a couple of bites of plantain and bread, but that was it. A lot of beggars came in. I gave a slice of bread to one woman with two children who was asking for food. Another woman came in with a medical prescription that she was fundraising to buy, and I offered her a quetzal. An elderly woman who walked stooped over, with no story in particular got another quetzal. Another family came in asking for food, and I gave them a few slices of plantain. Apparently business was slow that day. It seems that many of the people who came in asking for food were accustomed to getting the scraps that customers leave on our plates, and there had not been enough of us that day.
Liana will grow up in a world in which it is almost a virtue to leave food one ones plate. We certainly don’t want to be fat. And already she enjoys the privilege. She was not hungry this morning. She will eat later. At her convenience. Food that appeals to her. If she does not want the left over bread and plantains, we will try cantaloupe. Or soup. Or refried beans. Or perhaps we will give spaghetti another try. We have unlimited options.
