Author: Rae

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A Shock

The garage in Assiniboia that did the out of province inspection on my truck in late ’13 claimed that everything was good. I specifically asked about the state of my brakes as the garage in New Orleans had said I should start thinking about them and I’d done quite a bit of mileage since then. The guy in Assiniboia said, “Oh, your pads are newish, you’ve got over 30,000KM to go before you need to think about them.” Well, I haven’t done nearly that much driving since then, but I thought that I might as well get them checked here before going into the mountains for peace of mind, right?

I’m not a mechanic and even I could see that everything was NOT GOOD with the truck with the tires off today. Like, really not good. The mechanic said he was shocked and that the brakes needed FULL service ages and ages ago. I need completely new brakes. I went through this with Miranda and know from what I saw that they’re not exaggerating.

Let’s just say I’m glad this was discovered before I had an accident. And that I just busted my truck maintenance/repair budget. 🙁

The brake service will be 4,500 pesos (363CAD), which, frankly, sounds like a bargain to me, plus 1,200 for the oil change and tailgate handle and an undetermined amount for the windshield wiper pump. So I’m at 5,700 and it’ll probably be closer to 6,200 when I’m all done, putting me 1,200 pesos over budget, or about 100CAD. This isn’t dramatic, but that means that if anything else goes wrong with the truck on the trip home, I am going to have to dip into other buckets to cover the deficiency.

I’m so glad this happened before I got underway as it’s a really good reminder that I will need to firmly tighten the purse strings for this very long trip home. I planned to do a lot of motel stays along the way so I could work, but I’m trying to come up with creative solutions to avoid doing that, like taking a campsite with electricity and working from my front passenger seat (which is more comfortable than working at a hotel table anyway!).

I also need to make a run to town before picking up the truck on Friday because I don’t have enough cash to pay the bill. So that throws off my work schedule somewhat, but I’ll figure it out.

Needless to say, I’m not having my air conditioner looked at!

(By the way, a lot of the mechanical terms in Spanish are close to those in French, so that’s why I had no trouble understanding the mechanic.)

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Mecánicos, Tacos y Zapatos

I helped some friends move yesterday, which meant I had to work longer on Sunday and postpone a trip to town. I decided to make the trip today. I didn’t ‘need’ to go, but rather wanted a change of scenery and one last beer and meal off the Malecón.

I did some work this morning until noonish, then took off for town. En route, I stopped at a mechanic Contessa recommended and whose work Croft was pleased with. There’s no building, just a pit in the ground!

There’s no way I’m doing a 4,000KM trip without having my truck looked at. I know at the very least that Moya needs an oil change and to have her brakes checked.

The mechanic wasn’t there, but the other guy working said he could get all my info. Between my Spanish, pointing, and pantomiming abilities he understood that I want the oil change and brake examination as well as to figure out why my windshield wipers aren’t squirting, repair my tailgate handle,  give me a quote for repairing the AC, and that I need the truck for the 23rd. He said I can bring my truck by around 9:30 tomorrow morning and they will take a look at it and come up with a price for everything.  I told him I would write everything down and that he could put the prices on my list. This way, there shouldn’t be any confusion.

There are tons of Ford Rangers just like mine (similar vintage, too!) both on Isla and in Maz, so I know that parts will be abundant, another reason why it makes sense to have the work done here, never mind that labour will be much cheaper than in the US or Canada! I have a figure in mind of what I’d be able to pay to get everything done, but I’ll be surprised if I have them touch the AC.

Then, it was off to town, the plan being to get in a long walk before eating.

Here’s the exact route that I took. It’s just over 6KM (3 3/4mi).

My exact route, minus the slight backtracking for gelato. :)

My exact route, minus the slight backtracking for gelato. 🙂

By the time I neared the Fishermen’s Monument (B) I was, as usual parched, never mind famished, so I asked for pulp in my grapefruit juice. Pulp=pulpa; octopus=pulpo, another pair of words not to mix up!

I sipped my juice as I ambled down the Malecón. It wasn’t particularly busy, but there were a few people on the beach and a handful of vendors.

Looking north to the Golden Zone

Looking north to the Golden Zone

Looking south towards Olas Altas

Looking south towards Olas Altas

Looking north to the Golden Zone again.

Looking north to the Golden Zone again.

For lunch, I had my heart set on tacos from Copa de Leche. They’re pretty pricy since they’re at a sit down restaurant, but soooo good. They have tender beef, grilled onions, and avocado; very simple, nourishing, and healthy!

carne asada tacos

carne asada tacos

I think of Copa de leche as being a ‘Gringo’ restaurant because it’s on Olas Altas and I really don’t see many Mexicans eating at those restaurants, but my entire service, including an oral bill, was in Spanish with zero attempt at speaking to me in English, plus the prices and food are more Mexican than touristified. However it can or cannot be defined, I really like Copa de leche and their low to the ground loungey chairs that aren’t comfortable for eating but wonderful for relaxing with a cold Tecate! The bill was $95 and I added $10 for a tip. My server actually thanked me for the tip, which I don’t think was particularly generous since his service wasn’t great! I’m glad he was pleased.

BTW, here are the steps to learning to eat Mexican sauces like the one in the above picture:

1) Innocence: Add sauce to your food without thinking, take a bite, lose three quarters of your taste buds.

2) Fear: Avoid all sauce.

3) Exploration: Realising that Mexican food is sometimes bland without sauce, start tasting sauce. But you put it on the tip of your tongue and burn it and remained convinced that spicy sauce is not for you.

4) Knowledge: You get smarter and add sauce to a small bit of food so that the heat can be diffused rather than tasting it directly. A bit or two of saucy food is enough.

5) Love: You know all sauce is delicious and embrace the fact that all sauce is also intent on killing your taste buds. Add a little to your meal, take a bite or two, and add more if needed.

Next stop was the little Panamá’s by the Plazuela Machado (the original location, I believe). A vendor rattled off info about a bunch of pastries after I hemmed and hawed for a bit. She highly recommended some stuffed with cheese, but had me at the apple-stuffed thing dusted with coffee and cinnamon and sprinkled with black chocolate, which will be breakfast tomorrow. While I was there, I used their bathroom. I will confess to frequently buying a pastry just so I can do that. 🙂

Then, it was a tiny detour to the gelato place. One of my new phrases this winter is ‘¿Puedo probar ___? (may I please try) and I used it to sample their ‘Snickers’ flavour, which was sooooo good; vanilla ice cream with caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. I got a small scoop in a cup.

Waldo’s and the Mercado were next by way of the bank. My priority at the Mercado was footwear!

The ‘dressy’ sandals I bought in Kingsville, TX, ahead of my last ‘trip to Mexico’ have served me incredibly well, but I’ve worn them clear through with all the walking this winter and by the time I got to the Mercado today, my heels were sore and I admitted it was time to let them go.

When I got here in November, I saw some pretty slip on leather sandals that I really liked at the Mercado and that would be good for light walking days, but I was quoted 400 pesos, a much higher price than I could afford at the time.

I went back to the same vendor today and said that I’m an American size eight (which is five in Mexico), wanted them dark, and without anything between my toes. The lady read my mind and pulled out these:

so pretty!

so pretty!

She showed me a few other models, but there was no point. I was smitten. 🙂 I asked her how much… Now, remember this was the exact same vendor who quoted me 400 pesos in November. Today, she started at $250.

I looked at her and said, “What’s your best price?”

She laughed, “$230 is the absolute best I can do. And only because I’ve seen you spend a lot of money on dresses and other clothes from other vendors this winter and you speak to us in Spanish.” (Not sure why buying from other vendors was relevant — maybe because it meant I might be a repeat customer?)

So deal done!

They are super comfy, with a thick foam sole and leather upper. I know the sole will wear out before the upper and I’m willing to bet it’ll be cheaper to have them resoled this time next year than to buy another pair. But for 18.80CAD, if I get only a single season out of them, I will have gotten my money’s worth!

As my friend Dale used to say, another great day in Maz!

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Quantifying Linguistic Progress

One of my goals for this winter was to improve my Spanish and gain more fluency. I really didn’t know what that meant because I had no idea what level I was starting at. After four months or so, I was able to use Berlitz’s linguistic proficiency level scale to not only figure out where I started, but also to quantify my progress.

I started shakily in functional level 2. “At the functional level, you have a basic command of the language needed in a limited range of simple, routine, and familiar tasks and situations.” This is evident from the fact that I was able to negotiate the apartment, deal with TelCel, and do basic business interactions immediately upon arriving, but had a difficult time when going ‘off script.’

I am now hovering between intermediate levels three and four.  This is reflected in the fact that I can now following simple conversations and discuss more complex topics, but am still struggling with verb tenses, vocabulary deficiencies, and understanding idle conversation.

Yesterday, I got chicken for the first time in weeks, if not months, and for the last time this winter (there’s nothing wrong with it, I just got bored!). I got there late and the line up was long. All the chatter made me realise oral comprehension really needs to be my focus for next winter.

I have  good comprehension in one-to-one situations, but put me in a middle of a crowd and I only catch the odd word or phrase. I also rarely understand two Mexicans talking to each other. I know that watching simple Spanish programming with Spanish subtitles this summer will go a long way to helping me hit the ground running on this issue next year. It would unlock a lot of mysteries of Mexican social mores to be able to sit on a bench and eavesdrop on conversations!

But I do get some of what I hear and what I understood yesterday at the chicken stand was further evidence of the progress I’ve made. After the vendor took money from a little girl, I clearly understood, “Tell your mother she owes me five pesos” from a few rapidly fired words.

And guess what I was able to do? As soon as the vendor had a moment to breathe, I asked her if the price had changed for a half chicken and she said, “Yes, to 55 pesos.” I know for a fact that when I got to Mexico in November, I wouldn’t have been able to understand her comment to the little girl in any way that would relate to me, much less be able to formulate a related question and be able to understand the response!

I helped some friends move today and they hired two Mexican movers. I warned the guys that I understand Spanish in case they wanted to say anything negative about my friends or the move or whatever, all of which I didn’t want to hear. They said a few things to me in Spanish as we did 50 billion trips down a very, very, very, very long flight of stairs (I got my exercise today!), but mostly stuck to quite good English for my friends’ benefit.

Later, at the new house, the two movers and I flopped down for a break while my friends settled things with their landlord. The guys started chatting with me in Spanish and the conversation was really quite in depth, almost to the level of what I would share with my riding guide. Once again, their English, like my landlady’s, is excellent, much better than my Spanish, and they chose to speak to me in Spanish. That tells me I’m not bumbling along with the language as badly as I think I am!

(They find the dogs and roosters as annoying as I do, by the way. I’m glad to know that!)

Finally, there’s another thing I’ve been able to do this winter, simple translations, like I did from my riding guide to my riding buddies. I’m also doing simple Spanish transcription when I have extra time. I’m not getting paid for this, but it’s experience for which I’m getting good feedback. So who knows, I might be able to add Spanish proficiency to my resume in a year or two!

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Enchilaprovisation

I think it’s on record that I’m one of those annoying cooks so comfortable in the kitchen that she doesn’t need recipes or special equipment to make a satisfying meal from rather disparate ingredients. I’ve been cooking for so long that I don’t even remember learning to cook.

I’m trying to use up the odd bits and pieces that friends left me before departing for northern climes. One of the things was a small tin of green enchilada sauce. I needed a quick dinner tonight, have had green enchiladas on the brain for a while, and had the follow bits to use up in addition to the sauce:

-chicken, rice, and tortillas from lunch;

-two tortillas in the freezer that were about to go off;

-a small hunk of Chihuahua cheese;

-a spoonful of crema.

Even if I trusted my oven, I don’t have any ovenware here, so I made dinner in my cast iron skillet, layering tortillas and a chicken and rice mixture, then drenching the whole thing in green sauce, reserving a little. I reduced the heat, popped a lid on the pan, and let the whole thing simmer until the sauce reduced and the bottom tortilla went from soggy to crispy.

Then, I flipped the whole thing over, cut the heat, added more sauce, and put shredded cheese over top, replacing the lid to melt the cheese with the residual heat from the pan.

I plated half of the dish and served it with half of the crema.

Dang this was good! The green sauce is quite spicy, but very flavourful, and the cream and cheese cut through the heat. It will be even better tomorrow once all the flavours have melded together.

It’s really not pretty to look at, but here tis:

IMGP1117

I’ve been really curious about this sauce, but wasn’t willing to spend the few pesos to try it because I’m stupid that way (and was worried that it would be too spicy). But now I know I will be adding it to my pantry next winter. I may even bring a tin or two of it home!

Next, I have to try the red sauce by the same brand, of which I also have a tin.

I’d like to add to the mothers out there that I had a small head of broccoli as an appetizer. 😉

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Burger, Fries, and a Beer

Well, what do you know, I’ve been passing a gem of a restaurant most of the winter on the way to ‘downtown’ Isla and I never knew it! Most of the way to the City Deli, there is a restaurant that seems to be located in an old garage because it has a huge roll down door. It always has chicken going on the BBQ, the signs are handwritten on fluorescent-coloured stock, and the inside seems spotless and newly renovated.

I had a hankering for a burger at noon one day and knowing that this is the only place besides the beachfront restaurants that are open most days at midday, I decided it was time to check it out. I’m glad I waited that long because, DANG. I’ve only had their hamburgers and really want to go back for their Mexican food!

Like all hamburgers I’ve had on Isla, it’s not a hearty beef burger. But unlike the other burgers, it actually tastes meaty. I suspect the patty is pork since there’s fat in it, but I suppose it could be chicken. The burger comes with a really good bun (I have to say Mexicans know how to do burger buns) that is grilled and has just enough charring to give it flavour without tasting burnt. It comes topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo, and jalapeños. I ordered without mayo and they told me they subbed crema. I have no idea why, but I find that hilarious. I add mustard and sweet relish at home. It’s a super messy and very flavourful sandwich unto its own right, not a sad excuse for a hamburger.

But it’s the fries that make this place stand out. They are made from fresh potatoes, the only place I’ve seen that done since I got to Mexico, and have the skin on. They were really good the first time and that’s why I went back there tonight for dinner instead of going to Miguel’s for a shrimp burrito. But guess what? Tonight they were ‘overcooked’ by the standards of anyone born outside of Quebec who has no idea what a French fry can actually taste like (delicious beyond all imagining) and tasted like my childhood. That’s the best way I can put it.

Hamburger and fries: 40 pesos.

Beer pairing: Tecate