Four to five days per week, I buy tacos and a juice from the ladies pushing the wheel barrel down my street. It all goes down at 10ish. Five tacos are two bucks. One 32oz juice is a buck. The juice changes everyday. Sandia, Melon, Coco, Horchata, Tamarindo etc. The juice comes in a 32 oz Styrofoam cup. Good ol Styrofoam. Styrofoam is nice in the hot tropics because it keeps the juice cold for hours. The ladies run a clean operation. The lady making the tacos never touches the money. The lady preparing the juice never touches the tacos. Here’s a cute story. From the hotel, I always yell down Cual Jugo? One time she shouted Melon. I shouted down Manana. The next day I tried to explain that Orange Melon(Cantaloupe) is one of the few fruits that I have an allergy to. Here’s where the story takes a turn towards cute. My favorite of all the liquids is their Horchata. They leave floating pieces of Melon in the Horchata, and it makes for a wonderful touch. I noticed Shorty scooping OUT the melon chunks. OMG!!! NO NO NO!! I knew why she was doing it, but couldn’t believe she had the care-with-all to do so. Perhaps I’m an A client? I tried to explain that I love the small melon chunks in my Horchata, but that a full 32 oz Melon drink always gets my throat and nose itchy. She finally understood when I clutched up and said, “Mi throato no likee and lo recibo itchy and scratchyo cuando i drinko el melon, pero mi likee el melon chunkos en mi Horchata.” Just a joke Yo. I always bring my used cup down to reuse over and over and over. And over. That would be the definition of an unheard-of-practice down here. Trying to do my part. Probably saving them two cents in the process…
Just When You Thought