Downtown....ALL ALONE!!

I had the greatest time on Saturday shopping! However it didn't start out that way I was very panicked as I watched the bus bypass my usual shopping market, it goes like this....

Jacob and I woke up on Saturday morning and I was so excited to get out of the house that day even if it was to go shopping, we spent a lot of time in the house last week due to the large amount of rain we got last week and since the storms come up really fast it is hard to take the babes out.

Jacob says too me why don't just one of us go shopping and the other stay with the kids and let them keep sleeping. I may have kind of snapped back "I am going!" and his response was a small giggle and an "okay sounds good".  So I jump out of bed and start getting ready to go!

The van came to pick us up a little after 10, Jacob comes in and says "Have fun see you in a little bit." I just smiled and said "okay, love you" it never dawned on me to get cash from him because I don't usually have any EC money with me, he says to me "just jump in the van  they will take good care of you, don't forget a phone."

I get on the van and we wait for a couple more people and we were off! We drive down into Arnos Vale (this is where our "normal" markets are located) we pass by the Super J which is normal because we always stop there last.....we keep driving and then my heart stops...we drive right past Sunrise Market! Panic sets in because I have just realized that we are going in to downtown Kingstown to shop today!

I am doing everything possible not to burst into tears at this point, of all days for me to go shopping alone why.... WHY did this have to happen today! We get into downtown and I have convinced myself that I am going sit on the bus the whole time we are down there I knew I would get lost if I got off of the bus!

We pull into the parking area and as everyone is filing off of the van I say to the driver "can I just wait here I really don't think I need anything from down here" he just laughed at me and said "you will be fine we won't leave you."  So I get off of the bus and there are 2 other girls that I known Nina who is in Jacobs class and Courtney who did our tour of the island! I can see that they are aware of how nervous I was and they are kind of hanging back waiting me to get off of the van, so I get off and they both say "just come with us" YAY!! Instant relief!

We begin walking down the street and I have absolutely no idea where we are going and then all of a sudden we are in front of Save a lot Market (its like the Costco or Sams club of the Caribbean except you don't have to have a membership) I walk in and was taken back a little they have EVERYTHING! Stuff I have told people we couldn't get here THEY HAVE IT! Not everything but they do have a lot! I was so excited so I picked up a few things that were on my list and then a few more things that we were missing from home and I couldn't help it I had splurge so you will never guess what I bought .......wait for it.....wait for it........BEEF!! GROUND BEEF!!! I could only bring myself to buy 1 one pound package but I didn't care it was BEEF! Best $5.00 I have spent here on St. Vincent!

I kept strolling through the store keeping a close eye on Courtney and Nina so they wouldn't be waiting on me and I found another pot of gold....are you ready for this......STRING CHEESE I knew I was getting extra kisses from Kohl if I brought home this gem of a find!

Enough of my grocery list.....after we finished up at Save a lot we were the first ones back to the bus so we ditched our grocery bags and Courtney took us on another tour! We visited the fish market which is not for the faint of stomach but if you can choke down the smell it actually is a really cool thing to see! We also went to the Open Market which looks like a parking garage but it is full of vendors selling fresh fruit and veggies and then there is clothing and all kinds of stuff! It was really cool! We went into a couple of places just too look around and see everything and spent some time taking a few pictures. Courtney was even offered a husband, it was awesome! I bought my first mangos on this trip (this is where the EC would have come in handy) but it worked out and I have decided to buy more fruit from the local people selling it on the street it is cheaper and tastes better!

We got back on the bus to head too our last couple of stops and there were only 5 of us that ended up going back in the van so we had some good conversations going and I got to know everyone a little better. Our driver even game me a new recipe to try with plantains and eggs. At this point I figured I had better text Jacob and tell him that we had went downtown and that is why I had been gone for so long, he immediately apologized because he had no idea we were going downtown and I told him it was okay cause Nina and Courtney stayed with me the whole time and I was able to see a lot of things!

Lesson learned for the week...Jamie needs to go with the flow and not stress when something new is thrown at her....its all going to be okay! This weeks picture of paradise......

                                            This is the Kingstown Police Station

                                                This is the open market

                                                This is a sign......

                                            Want some Red Snapper???

                                          The biggest Tuna fish I have ever seen

This picture does not do these fish justice they are

florescent purple!