I was amused to hear the vendors address me in Spanish or English as I walked past their wares. If my eyesight lingered for more than half a second on their goods, they would see this as an invitation to become my new best friends and start hawking anything and everything in their store. I quickly learned to look at their wares out of the corner of my eye if I wanted to make it out of there before sunset. I foolishly thought that if I told them that I spoke Spanish then they wouldn't be able to communicate with me, but it seemed that every vendor spoke Spanish and had at one time lived in Spain.
- I met a young guy who spoke perfect Spanish and was very eager to take me to his "dad's" perfume shop. As much as I tried to shake him off, he was more determined to stick with me. Before I knew it he was showing me pictures of his little baby girl and telling me about his life and family. Eventually I found myself inside a whole in the wall full of perfumes and wonderful glass bottles in every shape and color that can be imagined. My constant mentioning that I was here only looking and not buying anything fell in deaf ears as the shopkeeper pulled out all types of oils and perfumes. After a long time in the tiny little shop and once the dust had settled, I found myself walking out of there $10 poorer and with a small bottle of the most wonderful scented oil I had ever smelled... and with the word "SUCKER" stamped on my forehead, I'm sure.
