What's on the Lettuce?

Today, everyone in my house decided to go to an organic market in a nearby district of Lima. Rebecca, who had been there before, told us it was pretty small, so I wasn't expecting much. When we arrived we walked into a beautiful park, in a cute neighborhood with great colonial style architecture. There, we found the cutest best little market! I think it maybe the best thing I have encountered in Lima yet. 

There were soo many vegetables (all organic!) and things like organic perfume, homemade jewelry, picture frames, cakes, etc. I was in heaven. Everything is so cheap too! I got a beautiful bracelet for 5 soles, made out of seeds that are red and black. It is supposed to offer protection. Hopefully, it protects me from getting sick because I ate a wrap from one of the vendors that was delicious! You're not supposed to eat anything from the street here and especially not vegetables because the water here has some bacteria that foreign stomachs often cannot handle.

I also bought some delicious goat cheese and lettuce (to wash at home) for 7 soles!!! That is like $2.50! I can't get over it. Mari and Rachel then bought tamales from some nuns and we sat in the park eating them, contemplating profit margins.

Later, we walked back to Parque Kennedy looking a little again for shoes and stopped in a La Quinta. La Quinta is kind of like bargain barrel. There are piles and piles of clothes and you just have to search for what you want. Here, it is all new and they have a ton of different brands. I don't know if they are extras from the factory, or knock-offs but they are CHEAP. I only bought yoga pants, because this many clothes turned out to be a little intimidating. Upon entering, I immediately felt the urge to run. But, if you have more patience then I do it could be a great store.

Next, we decided ice cream and some french fries were necessary to regain energy lost in all the shopping. While eating our ice cream, Erin leans forward and asks what is on our lettuce. It is then that we notice, THERE IS A SNAIL IN OUR LETTUCE. Now that's organic. I personally, was completed freaked out, because it was gooshy, and moist and vaguely reminiscent of a leech. But Mari saved the day ripping off the plastic and putting him in the empty fry container. We then preceded to transport him to a nearby flower pot. Only gringas would do this.

His name is bembo (after the restaurant we were in) and I didn't like him at all.

After the snail, the day was pretty uneventful.