Page 31 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

much-appreciated shade since it was getting warmer and we wondered if they aren’t

thronged with people in July and August when it must be much hotter.

Some children immediately gravitated towards us as we occupied one of the

pavilions. Such lovely little girls aged about 10 with names like Eileen, Elena, and

Maria. They spoke their criollo tongue and we spoke Spanish with them and

amazingly enough, we understand each other well enough to carry on some sort of

conversation. We learned that some were friends and others cousins and that they

went to school in a tan stucco building across from the city square. They were

pleased to pose for pictures and one little boy joined them in order to display his

“ojos terrible” when he averted his eyelids so that we saw their bright pink

undersides. Typical little boy in any place in the world!

As we left the square we took the time to watch two men intent on a game they were

playing using marbles and a “board” with six cups on each side. Try as we could, we

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