I've been looking forward to wander around downtown Toronto since the beginning of this week so I've done just that today. First stop was the Martin Goodman Trail at the Woodbine Beach. I've been to this trail before the last time I inline skated with AK and I really enjoyed the newly-paved trail. I skated 
eastward to the end of the trail, turned back, skated west until I reached the Cherry Beach Park, turned back and skated until I returned to the starting point. It was a total of 14km and it took me about an hour to skate with brief rest stops in between. The weather was really hot and I was sweating like crazy but it was a good workout. After that, I went to Zane Patisserie to pick up some croissants and brioche for breakfast. Nothing like balancing my workout with butter-rich pastry, eh?
I was starving by the time I got home so I ate some danish and croissant for brunch. After freshening up, I headed out the door again. I parked my car at the Finch station parking lot and took the TTC to Nathan Phillip Square for the 2nd annual Taste Of Thailand. The event was organized by the Thailand Tourist Association to promote the culture and tourism of Thailand so there were lots of booths selling Thai handicrafts in addition to many food booths. As expected, I made a beeline to the food booths to "check out the competition". Most of the stuff on offer were just standard fares except for one booth which called in 
a friend to make some really interesting dumplings. She had a steaming pot of water with a piece of muslin mounted over the mouth of the pot. For each dumpling, she spreaded a ladle full of pandan-scented batter over the muslin. Once the batter is cooked by the steam into a delicate wrapping, she put a spoonful of grounded meat filling in the middle and wrapped it up using a few swift strokes. Each 
dumpling was brushed with fish sauce and served with coconut milk. It was a mixture of salty and sweet that was simply delicious. I also had a dumpling of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. It was tasty as well.
I walked back to Eaton Centre. Since there was less than an hour before the stores would close for the day, I took a brief air-conditioned break (i.e. shopping). It was the end of summer sale and there were some great deals to be had. I bought a bebe long-sleeve sweatshirt with zippers for 70% off its original price.
By the time I was sufficiently cooled down, I took the TTC to the Salsa On St Clair street festival that celebrates the Latin American culture in Toronto. Although Toronto is probably one of the most multicultural cities in the world, we do not have a prominent presence of latin american culture. I was lured to the festival by the promise of authentic latin american street food. I must say I was not disappointed. I had a Chilean empanada filled with ground beef, onions, and black olives that was absolutely delicious. I also had the El Salvador specialty pupusa which is a cornmeal pancake filled with grounded meat. For dessert, I had a dulce de leche popsicle. There were so many other things that I wanted to sample but I was already full. I guess I just have to wait for my next chance to try the fried plantain, churros, soft tacos, and all sorts of interesting-looking platters. Oh yeah, in between mouthful of food, I also caught some salsa dance performances, spanish-rapping, and mariachi music too.
What a day! My feet are so tired. Better rest up for another day of inline-skating tomorrow.
