My Less-than-Favourite Task

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not really a city person. Ok, I admit it, crowds actually turn me into a crazy person pretty quickly. I am perfectly happy spending 90% of my time in our beautiful, tranquil yard.(And about 8% of my time on the beach!) Don't get me wrong, I am not a hermit. I love hosting people here. Our kitchen is the perfect place for whipping up tasty meals, and there is nothing better than chatting with friends around the pool. But every now and then I must leave this paradise and take care of a necessary task... Shopping. In Caucaia (where I do pretty much all my grocery shopping), it's not usually too bad. I can be in and out within an hour or two. But there are times when small town shopping just doesn't cut it. Not when there are better deals to be had in downtown Fortaleza (a city of roughly 3 million people). And we are shopping for our business, essentially needing everything a small hotel, or pousada, would need. So this morning, I am psyching myself up for a day downtown. When I say downtown, please, do not picture Manhattan, or any other high powered, North American urban centre. I'm not talking about incredible high rises and people strutting around in business suits. I am talking about gritty cobblestone roads jam packed with cars, trucks, horses, donkey carts, pedestrians, motorcycles, stray cats and dogs, street performers, family run shops overflowing with merchandise, street vendors selling all sorts of goods and snacks, horns blaring, people shouting, church bells ringing, and donkeys braying. The kind of city where every one of your five senses is assaulted. We are on a mission with a shopping list that would realistically take us a week to finish checking off. Off we go with high hopes, nerves of steel a quick prayer for an extra large dose of patience today, and a stack of cash. The day will be full of asking prices, making a surprised/disappointed expression upon hearing the price, then waiting to hear the new offer as we politely make our way to the exit to repeat the process next door. Then we know we can start bartering from there. How do we choose a store to buy from? It is a precise calculation of: Original price offered, Percentage the original price drops in the first few minutes Availability of stock, and a gut feeling of "I like this sales person". Now in a way we are fortunate, because as chaotic as the city seems, there is a distinct element of organization to it. You see, first, we will go to the kitchen district, where 99% of the stores within a couple of blocks all sell the same kitchen supplies. Then we will move on to the light district in search of fixtures, and so on. See? Organized! I anticipate that we will come home with lighter wallets, a heavier car trunk, heavier steps, and a sweaty, grimy stench to top it all off. But you know what? We will go to bed smiling, knowing we got the best price in the city, and that we are one step closer to opening our doors to guests.