Shopping .......... Part 2

 
  In the last blog we went shopping at the tianguis, now we'll go around town and out of town. There are many little shops throughout the town. Some sell just hand made tortillas, there's a few roasted chicken shops, many food vendors, most  specializing in different things. There are fresh fried potato chips, it's done right there in the street with large vats of oil, also fresh churros. Mmmmmm my favorite. And a lot of fresh fruit which will be cut up for you and put in a cup, it's best sprinkled with a little ground chilies.Coconut milk, that you can drink right from the coconut then have them cut it up for you to eat the meat. Soups and cheeses are very popular in this area. But I digress from shopping!
   There is a new store called Merza. It's somewhat similar to grocery stores in the States. I get my packaged food there. Milk, baking goods, bread, tortillas, that kind of stuff. Then there's two check-out lanes and you can see your purchases and what it costs on a monitor. Very nice in the beginning when I didn't know numbers. I'm much better now.
   The stores are open all the way across the whole front, no doors. The owners sweep and wash the sidewalk and street in front of their stores in the morning.

 

 

Above is the right and left side of the store, on the left you can see the check-out lanes and on the right the customer service counter.

 

   Looking down the street from Merzas.........................

  

   I shop here for bird seed, some cooking utensils. It has a lot of different things. Mops, flower pots, wash tubs, honey, leather belts, horse gear.............................

   I go to the Super Mercado for meat and sometimes veggies. It's like an indoor farmers market. People come daily to buy what they need. If you're not there early you may not get what you want.The cuts of meat are called, and probably cut, differently that in the States. Thank goodness for my friend Christine, she's one one my main angels. She's from the States ( the only other one besides myself ) and has lived here for eight years. I find the meat down here tougher but could be I just don't know what to ask for.They cut it right from the carcass.

The fruit and vegetable stands look like they came right off  a post card. Everything is displayed so attractively.

  I can't get kitty litter here in town so about once a month I drive to Ajijic, a little over an hour away to Walmart. Always stopping to eat after we're done. There are a lot of foreign residents there so you will find more people that speak English. I've met people from Sweden, a lot from Canada and even a lady from Israel. I just read an article that said there are more people immigrating from the States to Mexico than from Mexico to the States. At Walmart I get most of my animal supplies, wine  :-) , bagels, English muffins, things I didn't see here in town. Thee is a store in Ajijic that sell all imported things from the States. But it cost twice as much. Ajijic also has a tianguis, on Wednesdays. It is much bigger than the one here and has a lot more things. We'll go again! It's also an artsy town, many little shops with things to buy!!!!

 

                      Walmart parking lot looking at the mountains which are very green now.

 

Hammocks and baskets in Ajijic

 

                                                              Hand made rugs

 

                                                           A nice little restaurant

 

Plantings along the street

                          Now it's time to eat. This is lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico

 

                                                        My favorite....seafood cocktail

   Now for the best and most fun shopping..........Tonala. Just outside Guadalajara. Here you can get wonderful hand crafted wares. I bought my bedroom sets here, dining set, and my light fixtures. But it's a hard drive to get there. I won't drive in Guadalajara. It's a maze of highways and more cars than you would think possible.And the drivers are daring. So I'm dependent on someone that will drive me. And that is getting hard to find.



                                                                          Tonala

 

       
                                                       Loading my furniture in the truck.

 

 

There are still a lot of interesting shopping to explore.

 

Things that are different here, some things that come to mind, are you when you buy eggs they are fresh and sitting out, as are most things. you pick out how many you want and pay for them by weight.

All fruits and vegetables, the same way. If you want just a couple of stalks of celery instead of the whole bunch, that's what you buy.

Another thing, even though it isn't shopping, but I get my nails done here in town. She does a nice job and it's about 1/4 the cost.

 

 

 

Until next time......................... adios!!!!