free time

Friday we did not go to the office. Jays hair was looking scraggly, and mine was way out of control. We walked the three blocks to the Caracol. This means snail. It is an indoor minimall that consists of many little shops that wind around and around from the bottom to about four stories above. Jay got a good haircut from a lady who says she cuts lots of missionaries' hair. I got my first foreign color and cut. I showed the lady the pictures I took of my last cut in Smithfield, and she did a really good job of duplicating it. Since we looked so good, we didnt want to just go home. We walked the entire caracol just to see what they had to offer. Probably half of the shops were hair salons with three stations. I wonder how they stay in business! We found a little yarn shop with a fair amount of yarn, and she sells knitting needles and crochet hooks. I didnt buy any. Yet. She doesnt have patterns. We found a few more things we were in need of, then had a nice sandwich in a cafe that had six tables about 18 inches square. Since Lider was just next door, we also bought a few things like milk and chips, etc. In all, we probably walked two miles. That's more than Jay has walked in years. Today 11 missionary couples (Sister Memmot is single) took a bus and subway to a place called Santa Lucia in another part of Santiago. At one time long ago, this was just a steep hill that Pedro de Valdivia used as a look-out for bad guys who might threaten his little town. Later, as the city surrounded the ugly little hill, someone decided to beautify it with a "building" and paths, and plazas. We climbed about 100 steps to a nice shady plaza with park benches around it. Jay and I and Sister Memmot sat and watched a class of karate, kata, and fencing students while the others hiked the steeper part of the hill. Jay got up and walked away, and I didnt see where he went, but knew he wouldnt go very far. When the others came back, we couldnt find him anywhere. The brethren all went different ways to find him, all armed with cell phones. (We dont have a cell phone because the area president (?) doesnt think we need one. We are the only senior missionaries without a phone). Jay was found "just around the corner." We werent ready to go home yet, so crossed the busy intersection, underground, to a large open-air market of clothing, jewelry, etc. I bought a panflute, occarina, and a pair of silver and lapis earrings. Jay bought an apron. We were getting hungry at this point (it was 2:30) so we took the subway back to familiar territory and found a Burger King. As if this werent enough calories for a couple days, we then walked a couple blocks to the best heladeria (ice cream store) in town. They served us each a little glass of carbonated water for a chaser. I was thirsty and drank it all in one breath. BURP.