In order to get exercise, I often walk to the Internet cafes or other places I want to go. It's a good way to get some exercise. But I did bite off more than I should have on Sunday. Remembering the little Internet place I went to last year, I set off on foot. I had forgotten how far into the city it was, and before long I was getting really tired. And lugging 15 pounds or so of computer and associated materials along with me didn't ease my task. I passed by an Internet cafe actually quite close to my hotel (about 20 minutes into the walk), which was open, but I passed it up for the favorite spot from last year. You know what's coming, right? I got to my destination only to find it closed. Bummer! That was after about 40 minutes of walking. I was exhausted and was reminded that I need to get on the Nordic Trak machine for a month or so before I take off on trips like this!
So I headed even deeper into the city. A secondary destination was an instant cash machine, and I found that. After getting my cash and catching my breath, I took off again, this time quite leisurely, taking time to look into the shops. I came accross a little food store that is a cross between a convenience store and a small grocery store. I bought what remaining items I needed, and set off again. Eventually I ran out of gas, which is embarrassing for me, because I pride myself in being able to walk about when I travel. But, I gave in; enough was enough. I hailed a pulmonia, a kind of open-air taxi (like the one in the picture), and paid for a ride back to the condo.
Then I took a nap.
So I headed even deeper into the city. A secondary destination was an instant cash machine, and I found that. After getting my cash and catching my breath, I took off again, this time quite leisurely, taking time to look into the shops. I came accross a little food store that is a cross between a convenience store and a small grocery store. I bought what remaining items I needed, and set off again. Eventually I ran out of gas, which is embarrassing for me, because I pride myself in being able to walk about when I travel. But, I gave in; enough was enough. I hailed a pulmonia, a kind of open-air taxi (like the one in the picture), and paid for a ride back to the condo. 
2 comments:
Th pulmonia (is it Spanish for golf cart?) reminds me of the tuk-tuks in Thailand and the small, efficient motorized vehicles in so many other countries. In places where incomes are low, gasoline is relatively expensive and no one is too hung up on automative safety, such little putt-putts are a godsend.
Claire--believe it or not, pulmonia actually translates as a sickness of the lungs. I just asked Javier, the guy who owns the Internet cafe that I'm using. Evidentally, when a person is in the open a lot, as at sea, they are susceptible to contracting some sort of pulmonia. As Javier explained, the little golf-cart-like vehicles are called that because they are open and it's riders are subject to the wind. I was completely surprised!
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