Monkey is thrilled to share this part of the trip (lunch) at Karel's expense. Time to go into tour-guide mode.

"Placerville was called 'Hangtown' because before it got a courthouse claim-jumpers or murderers could be judiciously lynched by popular consensus.

"The nickname hangs on altho some people are uncomfortable to be so hung. Before we eat, let me show you the dummy-on-a-rope."

Opice leads the way thru town.
He looks up and down the street.
He looks up and down the building where the mannequin's supposed to hang.
It's not there.
Monkey's upset. He wants to know where the hanger-on went.

Karel is disappointed.
He thought he was going to see someone hung-over from the Wild West.
But there is no man dangling from the Hangman's Tree.

Monkey worries he's been made to look a chump chimp.

He offers a retroactive fix.

Here's a picture from Opice's foto album that proves that Placerville is Hangtown and did have a spottily historic past.

Truth be told, Monkey enjoys a bit of gallows humor. And a hemp necktie gibbeting a straw man for history's sake... Well, where's the harm in that, eh?

Time for lunch, the perfect distraction from the previous disappointment.

Karel's hungry.

His host is hungry.

There's free parking across the street from this famous burger-joint.

What more could anyone ask for?

KETCHUP!

Karel's idea of pay-dirt is pommes frites smother in unlimited quantities of Hunt's, Heinz's, or anyone else's tomato katsup.

FYI: (Pommes frites is Euro-speak for French fries.)

Of course Opice offers to let Karel buy them Hangtown Fry.

But all Monkey's Xchange Student wants translated from the menu is if fries come with a bottle of ketchup (super-sized).

The waitress says, "Sure. Need a straw, honey?" Opice waits for her to add, "Kiss my grits." But surprisingly, she doesn't.

When asked about the hanged-man, the server speculates maybe the dummy is down for cleaning. ("When donkeys fly," thinks Monkey.)

On another note, or aside, or similar vein, Monkey is used to this sort of tomato fixation. One of his cohabitants is a ketchupholic.

Opice has to buy Heinz in #10 cans to keep up with the quantities consumed at home. However...

"Get it off my legs!" Opice shouts after the picture's taken. "The can weighs kilograms of pounds! Get it off! Get it off!"

If you're wondering what Monk-man's condiment of choice is,

that secret might be revealed if you...

proceed to Drytown.

rerush to Coloma  (wouldn't pan out).

or return to The Mother Lode (not even).

or jump back (no way).