Baila, baila, baila!

Today our friends Johannes and Miranda from the Netherlands and their daughters Mariana and Valeria left the Halifax to go back home. We are sad to see them go because not only are they very nice people, they're experienced (adoptive) parents, and it means that for the next few days we'll be the only people staying here. They say that there are new people coming this weekend so I hope it happens because Mariana will miss the company of her baby buddies.

Last night they had a party for Miranda for her birthday. It was lots of fun. They brought in 3 guys who played guitar and sang traditional Colombian music. They had a big birthday cake and we all danced and sang.

Hilary and I knew 1 song courtesy of the Buena Vista Social Club so the hotel staff was happy to see us sing along. The staff here is so nice. They are humoring me and letting me use my Spanish a lot. Most of them speak some English so when necessary we can go that route. I feel a little more comfortable using it each day even if I probably sound like a 3 year old or a caveman. ME LIKE THIS FOOD GOOD! WE GO SEE PARK ALSO BUY THINGS AT STORE. Mariana had a bit of stimulation overload but she handled it pretty well. She slept well all night again in her crib or at least until 5:30am I should say but then back to sleep till 8. Not bad.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go see an Orthopedist to look at an xray of Marianas hips. In Colombia it's standard to take this xray at 6 months but it appears she might have a slight hip dysplasia. According to the people at CRAN if she does it can probably be corrected by wearing some type of special pants.

The food at the Halifax is ok. They have a primarily European guestlist so I think they've learned to cook things that they like. They're heavy on the meats and sauces and it can be a little much for Hilary but I've been ok with it. Part of the problem is that the deal here is that everything is included in the price of the room. So you can go out and try local restaurants if you want but you're paying for a meal already at the hotel so you're essentially paying twice. Now that we're alone we're going to see if they'll make some more traditional Colombian fare: arepas, or empanadas or anything that is cheap easy and what the locals eat. The hotel manager is Inez and she asked if I came from an Italian backround. Si Senora. She asked if we'd like to cook something for everyone some day. They'll buy the ingredients and we do the work. Now we're trying to decide what to make. Maybe my marinara sauce? Maybe tomatoes and eggs? Maybe Mom's calzone with pepperoni? Each dish has it's issues as I don't know if we can get good enough Romano or mozzarella cheese. We'll keep you posted.