Shopping in Mexico

Fortunately we scouted the area ahead of time well enough to get an idea of what is available and not available, and brought a few things with us.   OK, we brought as much as we could stuff in the car.   Dan likes Irish Spring soap.   He must have altzheimers disease because every box we unpacked had a package of it.  But I digress...

We started out moving into a house with empty cupboards (except for soap) and an empty refrigerator.   It is a chore to stock up on staples in a new place, even if the stores are normal, and these are not normal, at least by Arkansas standards.   There are two major grocery stores in the area:   Walmart and Soriana's.   There are drug store chains called Guadalajara Pharmacy, that is comparable to Walgreen's.   There are tiny hole-in-the wall grocery stores that carry about as much groceries as a gas station, but a different selection.   We are used to the smaller stores being the most expensive and the largest stores being the lowest prices.   It is reversed here.   The little stores are cheap, but the selection is low.

So, armed with this information and a list of grocery and household items that we need, we have made a point to shop at the end of each day in town.  (The closest store is 5 miles from us).  This allows us to get things home before the cold things get hot.   So, unfortunately, we end up shopping when we are tired, and with the multiple stops involved, it is hard to remember what we found where.   The first shopping stop at Soriana's took two hours, and we netted about 60% of the things on the list.   We got enough food for 2-3 days and their entire supply of Diet Dr Pepper (6 cans).   We came home with some purple sweet potatoes that are called camotes that turned out to be good.   A couple of days later we repeated the adventure at Walmart.   We had added as many things to the list as we had marked off, and again we came out with about 60% of the list.   A stop at the pharmacy filled in a few more items.   I had learned that using all-purpose cleaning powder in the dishwasher causes a flood, so I managed to find some more appropriate dishwasher soap this time.   (In my defense, the first package had a picture of plates on it...along with shirts.   It seems to work OK in the washing machine.)

Monday was a new adventure in shopping.   One day  a week they have "Market Day" in the town of Chapala.   It is called the "tiangas".   Farmers bring in produce and booths are set up with all sorts of wares.   We got to the tiangas as it was starting up.   We found some magic concoction that is supposed to keep the house scorpion-free.   It was $2.   We bought potatoes, a vegetable called chayote, onions, mushrooms, sausage, apples, and a pair of shoes.   

A nice Mexican woman explained to me how to cook the chayote (in Spanish, of course).   It was either boil it or bake it (?) for either a half hour or a half day (?)   Should be interesting...

This experience of shopping and marking things off the list, while adding other things, has continued on almost a daily basis.   The surprising things we have not yet found:   unflavored tea bags (like Lipton),  soft scrub (any brand), and a rectangular normal size trash can for the kitchen.   All of them are huge or tiny.  

The surprising things we found on first look:   capers, cumin, Charmin bathroom tissue, Diet Dr Pepper.

I am told that shopping becomes much easier after we are here for a while.   I hope so, but in the mean time we are eating well.   Food is tasty and fresh.   Love the warm just-made tortillas!  We have both lost a few pounds without trying, because of eating less processed and fast foods.   In addition, the citrus trees and rosemary in our garden give a tasty accent to each meal.

I have to admit to missing the convenience of drive-through's, and a big freezer.   But, on the other hand, I am really enjoying the meals now.   Restaurants are plentiful, but we have been so busy at the house that we have not taken the time to go out much.  I'm sure we will remedy that soon.

A Day of Adventures

The presence of hot bath water has not been consistent.  When we arrived we had instructions on turning on the propane gas and lighting the hot water heater pilot.  This seemed to go well.  At first the water was very warm, then it seemed to stop working.  We discovered that the pilot light had gone out.   We relit it and the situation repeated itself.   So we called the Mexican caretaker (the gardener's father Pedro) and he took a look.   We also had a toilet that was leaking buckets of water on the floor. 

Pedro decided that the gas tank was too close to empty to keep it lit.  So, after a futile attempt to seal the toilet with silicone seal, Pedro and Dan took off in Dan's Explorer to buy more gas.   I took off to go to the hardware store that Pedro sent me to to buy a toilet gasket.  

I should mention here that I know nothing about toilets, and Pedro does not speak English, but I was proud that I found the store and managed to ask for an "empaque".   The worker there, also speaking no English, handed me a rubber circular part and since I had the vague idea that I needed something round, I was pleased, and it cost $.64.   (It turns out "empaque" means "washer" which can be anything, and of course mine was wrong.)

From there my next adventure was to a key shop to get a copy of a key to the gate for the gardener.   I only had to ask directions (in cobbled Spanish) at two different places before I found the shop.   Only one Mexican laughed at me out loud,   OK, that might have been because I asked a print shop to make a key.  

Anyway, I was feeling pretty successful at this point, so I headed to the telephone store to try to figure out why our internet isn't up, when they promised it yesterday.   Fortunately Dan called on my cell phone enroute to check my progress, because I suddenly realized that our home phone number is our account number, and I have not memorized it yet.   As I drove along, I memorized the number, to find that the phone store is not open on Saturdays.   I hope I can still remember it on Monday!   So I headed to the English-speaking Lake Chapala Society, that has free WiFi, to pick up email.   Somewhere along the way, I figured out my cell phone had died because I ran out of prepaid minutes.   Before I could finish my business at Lake Chapala Society, my laptop battery had died, and since I was outside, I had no plug.  

So I headed to the Satellite TV office to share some info that might make progress in getting a TV going.   Of course they were closed, as I expected, but I had to try.   So I made my U-turn to get out of the area, and in the process grazed a curb corner that rose about 10" above street level.    Ouch!  The first scratch on my new Fiesta.   I almost got 2500 miles on it before it happened.   Just a scratch below the passenger door, but I was NOT happy about it.   So I headed back home, stopping at the local 7-11 store for a consolation Diet Dr. Pepper on the way.  

Dan had been successful in returning with 2 tanks of gas, and had learned a few Spanish words along the way.   However, the hot water heater would still not stay lit, so the caretaker called a plumber and arranged for him to come over to work on it tomorrow between 9 and 10.   Tomorrow is Sunday.   Really?   He wants to come then?  

So, at the end of the day, the score was:

            Leaky toilet     1

            Hot water         0

            Internet            0

            TV                    0

            Gas Leak         1   (Did I mention that we smell gas now?)

            Dead phone     1, now recharged

            Dead laptop    1, now recharged

On the positive side, our landlord in Canada got my email and called tonight, assuring us that he would cover all costs and giving us some tips on how to proceed.

We finished the day with a swim and a DVD movie.

Footnote:   The plumber, Jose, came out Sunday at 2:00 on Sunday, took apart the water heater and decided he needed parts.   He tightened a connection in the gas line and tested for leaks with his Bic lighter (yes, really!)  He looked at the toilet and decided it also needed parts.  He said he would look for parts on Monday and call us.   On Monday he called to say he would have to go to Guadalajara for the parts and would call us at noon on Tuesday, and come out in the afternoon.   We heard nothing from him on Tuesday, but today (Wednesday) he called to say he would be out this morning to fix everything.   He got here at 1:00, and amazingly, he and his son managed to fix the toilet and the hot water heater and installed a garbage disposal that we had brought with us.   That required pulling the dishwasher to tap into the wiring and install an outlet and switch.  They were here for 4 hours today.   Total cost:  $135.   In the mean time, we have internet up and running, after only two calls to Spanish-speaking tech support.   Tomorrow the satellite dish people are coming out.   What fun!

(written July 9, 2012)

Paradise Found

We have been here almost a week.   Every sunrise is different.  Today is Saturday - the Sabbath.  After unpacking and rearranging our new living quarters all week, we badly need a day of rest.   But looking out at the beautiful sunrise, I realize that God never rests.   He is faithful in painting a new work of art every morning, unique from the perspective of each of his creations.  

"June and July are the rainy seasons in Chapala.   It rains mostly at night, and that keeps the temperatures cool."  That is what we were told, and it is true.   At the same time, it is a major understatement.  All but one night so far has been punctuated by what we would consider in Arkansas to be "Severe Thunderstorms".   At about 10:00 the wind starts blowing as the front moves in.   This is followed by a spectacular light show of lightning accompanied by the sonic booms of thunder.  Because this is not a tornado zone, and houses are constructed of concrete, (and we are high enough on the hill to avoid flash flooding) this is not a frightening event.   But is is awesome to behold.   Because we depend on open windows for ventilation, we now have a ritual of shutting down the ones that may be brining in water.   However with tile floors, concrete walls, and metal window frames, a little water is not a real issue.   After the initial onslaught, the downpour settles into a hard rain, which is a lovely sound to sleep by.   The morning brings a fresh smell, clear skies, and birds singing.   There might be short sprinkles of rain during the day, but, as promised, the daytimes are mostly sunny.   The high temperature has been about 85 degrees, and we have enjoyed refreshing cool-offs in our pool.

Every room has at least one wall of windows, and each has a different view of the lake or gardens.   One of the lovely little surprises is the glimpses of the hummingbird that lives outside our bedroom window.   The scene is a living postcard view.   In the foreground are flowering plants of many types and colors, interspersed with palm trees.  Behind them is the inviting pool, with a waterfall-fed pool beside it.   Beyond that and down the mountain is the lake, framed by mountains behind it.   Since the glass (down mountain) side of the house faces south, we see the splendid sunrises over the mountains to our left and the sunsets to our right.

Lest you think the first week has been spent sitting staring at the landscape and soaking in the pool, I need to correct that impression.   We crammed an amazing amount of goods into two vehicles, and we are still unpacking boxes.   The house came furnished--not only with furniture, but also with household items such as kitchen goods, linens, etc.   When we looked the house over, we loved the home, but realized that the small items were in pretty bad shape.   So we brought much of our own.   So, the first step of unpacking was to go through the cabinets and drawers, determining what we wanted to keep for our use, and what to pack away.   Then rearrange to suit us, cleaning as we went.   Only then could we unpack the kitchen and bathrooms.   This has been a time and labor intensive process, but with a wall of windows over the sink in the kitchen, it has been pleasant work.  

In addition, we have gone into town every day except yesterday to arrange for cell phones, internet service, TV satellite service, Spanish classes, or grocery shop.   We are still waiting for the internet to be turned on, after arranging for it on Tuesday and being told it would be Thursday or Friday.   The satellite service is more complicated and we need to get some guidance from our landlord before we go further, which is difficult without internet.   We do have a land line and cell phones, although we can't figure out how to configure Dan's phone for internet through the provider here.   Everything is a bit of a challenge, because nothing functions the way we have been accustomed to.   And of course communications are a bit difficult.   On this front we have been blessed with people who speak at least a functional amount of English at about every  point of need.

Shopping deserves some special comment.   We have a Walmart Superstore here, as well as a competitor called Soriana's.   Both carry a reasonable selection and are competitive in price, however the selection is not the same as in the US, and of course, labels are in Spanish.   If you think back to how tiring it is to shop in a store that you have never been in, you can guess at a small piece of how tiring shopping is for us right now.   And because of the need to get home with cold things cold, we have usually done this at the end of a day when we are already tired.   And since we started with a bare pantry and freezer, we need everything, along with some household items such as trash bags, trash cans, and curtain rods.   A typical shopping trip, at this point takes about an hour and a half, and we find about 2/3 of the items on our list.   So the next day we revise the list and shop at the other store.   Little by little, the list is growing shorter.   I know we will need to go to Sam's in Guadalajara eventually to find some of the things we need, and the once per week open market should have some of the things as well, but these adventures have been postponed until next week.

Before we moved here, we made internet contact with a couple, Mike and Kay Headley.   We met them on our "scouting trip" in February, and they have been a great source of information and help.  They took us out for dinner the second night we were here, and it was such a nice feeling, when moving to a foreign country, to have friends waiting to greet us.   What a blessing!   They in no way replace the treasured friendships we left behind, but they will be a valued part of our life here.

Lest you think that all is perfection, I must share one experience on the negative side.  I must say that my least favorite thing about the place is the plethora of spiders and family of scorpions that share our living space.   I am determined to make them former tenants, and have declared war on them and all their friends.   Here is one ex-tennant who has moved on to the after-life.  

(Written Saturday, July 7, 2012)