A post by Mack:Antigua is definitely the place to sponsor a kid, because the city has NO BIG MALLS! On the one hand, it's fun for the children to visit a modern shopping complex, where they probably don't often buy things, but money goes SO much further in the local marketplaces.
First, I asked that we stop at a grocery store. I had brought Nicty many "fun" items, and wanted to invest some money into useful life necessities. Our driver, James, pulled us up to the back entrance of a supermarket, and as we entered, Sam and I recognized it as the same place where we had bought our dinner (peanut butter, jelly, and bread) the night before. This was good, because we already knew our way around + what cool stuff was on sale.
I lifted Nicty up into the shopping cart so I could push her around the jam-packed aisles. It was very hard to maneuver as a group in the crowded supermarket, so we all scattered in different directions to collect the things Nicty's family needed. We filled up the cart with beans, pasta, rice, sugar, cereal, powdered milk, laundry soap, diapers, toilet paper, etc. Nicty was pretty much buried alive by the time we were done!
At the end, I wanted to hit the cookie and candy aisles for some treats, but it was difficult to convince Nicty to choose anything sugary and fun. I don't know if she felt overwhelmed by the options, or if she simply couldn't breathe underneath all of the other groceries! Heidy helped me find a few things that she knew her sister would like.
We headed for the check-out counter, where I was able to pay with a credit card and save my cash-on-hand. The total for all of the groceries and supplies came out to just slightly more than I paid last year to buy each of my two boys a single pair of shoes at the mall in Honduras.
James pulled the van up to the front of the store, so that we could load the boxes and climb inside. We started off, then stopped aburptly because the women realized that they had forgotten their purses at the bag check counter at the other side of the store!
Next, I wanted to visit the sprawling local marketplace to find some clothes for Brian and Heidy. I'd brought numerous outfits for Nicty already, and I was surprised at how well they all fit her. I bought her size 6 (because she is almost six) on the advice of an employee at Wal-Mart … but I was very dubious. The clothes were so tiny, and I just couldn't imagine a person being that small! Shows how much I know about kids.
We entered through the artisans market, where locally made crafts are sold to tourists. What a coincidence, the mother of one of my CI hostesses was the proprietor of a booth in the main square! After we were introduced, I said I would buy some goods from her stand (I wasn't asked to do this, just to make it clear that the CI staff aren't coercing visitors to support their family members!). I thought it was cool that the woman (sorry, I can't remember her name!) was able to visit with her mom in the middle of a work day. The only problem was that the booth only sold touristy stuff, and the last thing I needed was souvenirs to add to my overloaded duffel bag. Fortunately, Nicty's family was able to find some things that they could use … Heidy got red earrings to match the Zoo York t-shirt I had brought her (which she was wearing), Nicty fell in love with a backpack shaped like a turtle, and I bought Brian a toy drum to bang on. Brian, by the way, loves to make noise. Every time we got back into the van after a stop, he would scream his silly little head off!
We wandered away from the "touristy" part of the marketplace, into the area where the citizens of Antigua buy their clothes and such. We shopped for Brian first, and then for Heidy. At one stall, Nicty found a pair of jeans that she really, really wanted. According to her mother, the pants cost too much, and she wouldn't allow me to buy them. Nicty refused to give up the jeans, until Gladys told her about the surprise that I had planned – I was going to let her pick out a piñata for her 6th birthday party the next month. Gladys told Nicty (paraphrased): "Hand over those jeans, or no piñata for you, young lady!" The choice was easy for Nicty, and we departed in search of piñatas.
I guess beating cute animals with sticks is a huge deal in Central America, because the piñata selection was plentiful and impressive! I steered Nicty away from the ones that were twice her size (who needs THAT much candy?) and encouraged her to choose one only 2/3rds her height. She spent the rest of the shopping trip 'bonding' with this giant yellow rabbit. I wonder if she will have the heart to bash in her new friend's head with a stick when her birthday arrives? I also wonder if the kids will be able to resist eating the filler candy before October 6?
Next, we meet up with Steve's child, Blanca, and Robyn's child, Wilmer …
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