Trip to Merida

Señor B and I went to pick up a few groceries this morning. You can buy liquor in the grocery stores here. The store we frequent has a whole aisle dedicated to it. It's just so weird to see booze along with the groceries. But they're not allowed to sell it before 11am so if you're planning on picking some up, you have to make sure you're checking out after 11. Just another one of those cultural differences that makes us smile.

Something else you can buy here...3 litre bottles of coke. I'm in heaven!

Then the girls and I took the AutoProgreso bus into Mérida. We wanted to buy some authentic Mayan items, not any of that tourist dime-a-dozen crap that you can find just about anywhere. Our neighbour told us where we could find a market that was Mayan vendors who come from out of town every weekend, but we didn't see them.

We stopped at the tourist information centre and the gal there seemed less than happy to help us. Her surly face and complete lack of enthusiasm was quite off-putting. She sent us to some bazaar but it was all that tourist junk.

So we went back to the Gran Plaza which is the main square in Centro, the area of Mérida that we were in. Some guy started talking to us and took us to a store that sold Mayan stuff. We thanked him and looked around but didn't see anything that we wanted to buy.

So back to the Plaza. Another guy took us to another store. He said that, for the opportunity to practice his English, he wasn't going to charge us for taking us there. We were a bit dumbstruck. Were we supposed to tip these guys? The first guy was still so very gracious when he left us, even though we didn't give him anything. Knowing when it's customary to tip is still a challenge to us. We don't mean to be rude by not tipping. We're just not always sure when it's expected and when it's not.

Anyways, we still didn't see anything we wanted and we were getting hungry, so we went for lunch. We went to the same restaurant that I went to for the bloggers conference. Las Vigas. Good food and the owner speaks English. I had the Tex Mex enchiladas and the girls both had lasagne. We got a pitcher of lemonade to share. Total cost was 184 pesos, or a bit less than $18.00 For the 3 of us!

Then we took the bus back to Progreso. It was a wasted trip, shopping wise, but it was an outing. I'm so disappointed we didn't find the market we had hoped for. I know that I had said Monday was Méxican Revoltion Day but today is actually the day. In México, when the holiday falls on the weekend, they tend to make the Monday just prior, the day off. There was to be a big festival in Gran Plaza tonight so I'm wondering if the vendors weren't allowed to set up today. Our neighbour had said the vendors are there until late in the evening but if there were other things going on, maybe they couldn't be there. I have no idea. I'll have to ask her.

My bug bites... The one on my thigh is ok. The one on my leg...well...I might go see a doc tomorrow. The chlortripolon that L gave me has worked wonders for the itch. The swelling is down a bit but the redness is increasing. My entire calf is red from my knee to my ankle and it's wrapping itself further and further around my leg. Plus, I have a blue-ish area at the top of my calf that looks like a bruise. It's just so weird that it might be worth having it looked at. We'll see what it's like in the morning.

Another Day in Paradise

Today we had a guy come and install a satellite dish for us. His name is Edel Sosa and I think he's from Mérida. We got his name from the Yolisto forum. Members there spoke highly of him so we thought we'd give him a try. We just need to get hold of the satellite company in Canada to get it set up with them and we're good to go.

We also had the builder of the condos come by to look at some repairs that need to be done. We have a one year warranty on the condo that expires the end of November so we wanted these things taken care of before we leave the 29th. The AC in the girls room still leaks. This was a problem when were down in Jan and it was supposedly fixed. We'd had a repair done in Jan and it was supposed to have been painted but it wasn't, so that needs doing. The bathroom vanity is pulling away from the wall, as well as the kitchen cupboards, so the cupboard guy is scheduled to come Sat.

Those who have lived in México know how slowly things move here. Just because someone says they're coming tomorrow morning doesn't necessarily mean they will. It could be later in the day or it could be in a day or two or not at all. Today is Méxican Revolution Day, a major holiday in México, so we weren't holding our breaths that these guys would show up. We were delighted that not only did they show, but they showed up when they said they would.

Of course, we did tell them that we had plans for the afternoon and that if they didn't arrive by a certain time, we'd have to re-schedule. I have no idea if it made any difference. When we were down in Jan we felt like our time was being held hostage by all the different people who had to come by for various things. Often, they wouldn't show up when they said they would and we'd spend the day waiting around for nothing. This time, we're taking control and not putting our plans on hold for someone who may not even show up.

So, this afternoon, we went to Chelem, a small town about 15 minutes from Progreso. There was a one day market going on that we wanted to go to. We were expecting it to be indigenous people but it was mostly expats selling their crafts. Not saying there's anything wrong with that. It just wasn't what we were expecting. I bought a bag made from oilcloth and lined with fabric. The bags are made by a group of local women and the money goes back to their community. You can read about them here
http://joannavandergrachtderosado.wordpress.com/?s=elena  and here http://theresainmerida.blogspot.com/search/label/Santa%20Elena

When we got back to Progreso, we stopped for a few groceries. Señor B and the girls made me wait out in the car. Today is my birthday and they wanted to get something for me. When we got home, I was given strict instructions to keep my nose out of the fridge. So every time I wanted a coke, someone had to get it for me. Didn't seem like such a bad deal to me...lol.

It was hot again, so we hung out at the pool for an hour or so.

We went to Flamingoes for supper. I had the Yucatecan chicken. It was much tastier than yesterday's. Señor B had a fish dish. The girls both had grilled chicken. We all enjoyed our meal, even YD. She liked hers so much that she brought the extra home. Four meals, my drink, Señor B's beer and two lemonades came to 408 pesos or a little less than $40. This would easily be $100 at home.

We came home and they pulled out a cake and stuck some candles in it. Eight, I think. I blew out all but one. Good grief. I'm getting too old to blow out 8 measly candles...lol. For a store bought cake, it was surprisingly good. Chocolate layer cake with a light (not heavy) chocolate icing that wasn't all greasy like Sobey's icing.

We watched a movie after supper and that was our day.