In keeping with tradition, today was a lazy day. Anand and I agreed to meet in the late afternoon to go shopping and I planned on getting as much sleep as possible.

I’ve decided I’m definitely buying a new suitcase and introducing my current one to the dustbin. I have serious doubts that it will survive the return trip to Canada. Today, Anand and I are window shopping – attempting to find out what I can expect to pay for a suitcase before I make a final decision.

We headed to Commercial Street – which is the main street in a motley warren of interconnected alleys and roads where shops exist in great numbers. The streets were packed with locals and tourists and it was somewhat difficult to move around without bumping into anyone.

We wandered in and out of clothing stores (Anand is looking for some traditional shirts) and luggage stores. Little shopping was accomplished and we called the driver to take us to FoodWorld (grocery store) so we could purchase some snacks. Loaded down with Diet Coke and Lays potato chips, we headed back to the hotel. On the way, I declared my intention to revolt if I had to eat another meal at the hotel restaurant. While we both agreed that a change in eating establishments was in order, neither of us could agree on what type of food we were in the mood for. In the end, we broke down and acted like typical North American tourists – going for the familiar restaurant we can find back home – and ate a TGI Fridays. Considering the fact that we’ve been driving by it every day since we arrived (it’s 2 blocks from the hotel) it’s amazing that I managed to hold out this long and not visit the restaurant sooner. It’s not that I wanted to eat North American food so much as I wanted a change in routine. Besides, they make great nacho’s!

Well fed and loaded down with snacks, we returned to the hotel for an early night. I flipped channels on the TV (this is only the second time I’ve turned on the TV since I arrived) for a few hours before heading off to sleep.

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