Ngezwa ngalezi $ 6,000 izigqoko zasePanama eSan Juan, ePuerto Rico - ezandleni, ngokuqinisekile (ngingaqiniseka ngempela). Lokhu, kwakudingeka ngibone, ngisho noma ngempela ukuthenga eyodwa kwakuyindiza nje yendiza.
I-Olé Curiosidades eCalle Fortaleza (iStalaleza St.) e-Old San Juan iyisitolo esincane, esangene emgwaqweni omncane. Kodwa ukungena kwayo okuthobekile kubangela ubuncwane ngaphakathi: kuhlanganise nobuningi bezimpahla zokuqoqa ezinomuntu oyedwa kanye nobuthakathaka (njengoba i-moniker curiosidades ingabe uyayiqagela ), lesi sitolo sigxile ezithombeni ezenziwe ngezandla, ezenziwe ngezigqoko zasePanama.
Naphezu kwegama layo, izigqoko zasePanama ziyi-Ecuadorian emvelaphi. Lapho beqala ukuthunyelwa ngekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye, bathunyelwa ePanama ngaphambi kokuba bahambe ezindaweni zabo zokugcina emhlabeni jikelele. Ngakho wonke umhlaba waqala ukuwabiza ngezigqoko zasePanama.
I-Panama izigqoko e-Ole zijwayele ukukhishwa ngesandla e-Ecuador. Ngonyaka we-2012, lobu buciko bendabuko bokuthungwa bufakwe kwizinhlu ze-UNESCO ezingabonakali zeMagugu, ezidalwe ukuze zivume futhi zivikele ukubaluleka kokungabonakali kwezinto ezingekho emzimbeni. Ngenkathi isigqoko sePanama siyizinto ezibonakalayo, indlela yokudala kwayo, inqubo yokweqa yendabuko (eyabuyela ekhulwini le-17) ayikho.
Isigqoko sePanama yisembozo esiphelele sehlobo: ukukhanya okukhanyayo, okulula, nokwenza utshani obuphefumulayo. Kodwa ngokungafani nezigqoko zasehlobo ezithi amaMelika azijwayele kakhulu, izigqoko zasePanama ziyi-classy, zigqoke kalula futhi zihle kakhulu. Bafana ne-fedoras ezishisayo.
Ngokudabukisayo, u-Ole wayesithengise ngezikhokhisi ezingu-6,000 zamaRandi, kanye nama $ 4,000 no-$ 5,000. Kodwa-ke, kusalokhu-ngaphansi kwekhikhi nokhiye, ngaphakathi kokubukwa kwilazi-kwakuyizigqoko ezimbili zama $ 3,000 zePanama.
"Kungani umuntu angakhokha imali engu- $ 3,000 ngesiketi?" Ngacindezela umngane wami. "Uzothola uma uyithinta," esho.
Umthengisi wasibeka ngokucophelela enye yezimathi ukuze sithinte.
Kwakuyinto enhle ngaye, ngoba kungenzeka ukuthi kusobala ukuthi ngeke sizithenge. Akekho weqembu lethu owazama ngalo, kepha senze konke. Kwakuyinto engavamile: ubushelelezi nokuvunguza ngaphansi kweminwe. Isigqoko sasinebubanzi obuhle, esilinganiselwe lutho, kodwa sasicacile futhi siqinile.
Uma ngingaba ngu-$ 3,000, ngingeke ngithenge leyo hat.
Esikhundleni salokho, ngithenge ihhashi elingama-$ 60, eliyingozi uma liqhathaniswa, kodwa liyinto enhle kakhulu kimi. Kwaqala njengehlaya elingenakulimaza. Abathathu kulabo abathandana nabo bonke bathi banamakhanda amakhulu kunazo zonke. Sine-showdown.
Umthengisi wangibheka, wangifaka isigqoko, wabeka ekhanda lami. Wayibopha ngesibhakela: ngamasentimitha angama-59 (ubukhulu besikhwama saseMelika 7½), kwakufanelekile kahle. Ihlezi ekhanda lami ngokuqinile ngokushelelayo, futhi yayiphelele usuku oluthile olunezinsuku ezingu-80. Ngangizihlonipha ngokwami esibukweni; Ngibhekile ebukhali. Ngathengisiwe.
Ngabe ngathola ukuthi ngingakwazi ukwenza ngokwezifiso ngokukhetha kusuka ezingaphezu kwezingu-12 zamakhanda nokukhethwa kwezinsimbi zokuzikhandla. Ngakhetha inkontileka ephezulu, i-black-and-white ipayipi ye-plaid kanye ne-cinch fastening fast.
Ngesikhathi siphume ngaphandle kwesitolo, umoya wawuthatha cishe phakathi nemizuzwana engama-60 yokuthenga le nqwa elihle, elifisa, elikhukhumezayo, laphuma ekhanda lami nasemigwaqweni yase-Old San Juan.
Ngagubha ngokuzwakalayo futhi nginxusa. Isigqoko sagijima emgwaqweni, ngingafinyeleleki, kwaze kwaba yilapho sidonswa ngaphansi kwemoto eyayisanda kumisa.
Ngilungele okubi kakhulu, ngangihamba ngezemoto ngiya lapho, ngibonga, isigqoko sami esihle sasibuyele emgwaqweni. Umise okwesikhashana ukuphumula emgodini, futhi ngiwuthathe.
Ngilondoloze isigqoko sami ngokuphila kwami ngenxa yesikhathi esisele sosuku. Futhi angizange ngiyeke lapho ngihamba ekhaya.
Ngibheke phambili ngesikhathi sasehlobo , lapho ngigqoka isigqoko sami ngokuziqhenya, umona wabamakhelwane bami, ngibhala ngendaba yokuthi ngangilahlekelwa kanjani isigqoko esingu-$ 60 sePanama, futhi ngambonga kanjani ukuthi angizange ngisebenzise imali engu-3 000 ekhanda Lwafika emgodini.
(Kulabo abalindile ngokuphefumula okwenziwe ngemiphumela ye-bigdown headdown: ngehlazo, ikhanda lami laliyingcosana; uCharlotte wayeneminyaka engama-60 ngenkathi uSara eshaqa u-62.)