Sushi

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Moose Jaw Heist

It’s probably obvious that I’ve had a bit more disposable income for several months, mostly thanks to the exchange rate. I’m living as frugally as ever, but it’s nice to be able to pounce on good deals when they come and not have to cut back on the food budget! Well, did I get a doozy of a deal today…

One of the things I knew I needed this summer was a skill/circular saw for building storage in my shed. That was going to be the best bang for my buck tool-wise because a miter saw wasn’t going to let me do long cuts, a table saw was out of my budget, and I didn’t want to keep having to ask Charles to borrow tools. So for July, I had $120 set aside for a skill saw and I was watching the fliers.

I was also watching Kijiji and I saw an ad for several types of saws at prices that were frankly astounding, ‘we need to move in a hurry and everything has to go!’-level prices, well worth going out of my way to go check them out. I made an appointment for today at 3PM.

The couple lives about 20KM west of Moose Jaw, so it made sense to actually go into town even though I really didn’t have any shopping to do (shocking, I know). I got in just before noon, minutes before DK Sushi opened. I had a yummy and leisurely lunch and then headed across town to do something I’d meant to do in May but didn’t because I didn’t think I could afford it. Silly Rae, making assumptions without doing her research first.

The stop was the piercing salon where I had my nose done last April. The ‘screw’ in my piercing (the end of the stud twisted into a corkscrew shape to keep it from coming out) was very large and loose and had been driving me nuts for months, enough that I actually considered doing something about it in Mexico if I could find a place I trusted!

I explained what I wanted and why to the gal at the counter and she showed me what they have, explaining all the different stud ending types and materials. I was really hoping to get something different than another tiny jewel, but that’s really all they had in steel with a much more discreet screw. It cost me $16.50 all in for the new stud, having it put in (didn’t feel a thing), and having the screw on the other one adjusted. It’s still huge so I doubt I’ll want to go back to it, but it’s nice to have the option. My original stud had a dark pink jewel, this one is dark green, like an emerald. The difference in comfort level is astounding.

Next stop was across the street, Canadian Tire, for truck engine oil and some weed killer. I only bought that stuff there than at Peavy Mart in Assiniboia because I had quite a bit of Canadian Tire money, which took care of most of the tax. I never thought I’d be the kind of person to buy weed killer, but they are coming up through parts of my gravel where it was spread too thin and pulling manually (a chore I actually enjoy) is very difficult because the gravel is like cement.

After, I had time to either go to the complete end of town to Bulk Barn, Walmart, and Dollar Tree or back to downtown to check out Safeway sales. I really didn’t need anything at the discount stores, so I went to Safeway and found there something I have literally been looking for for eight years:

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It’s a small glass pitcher with a lid that seals out odours. I haven’t been able to find anything in this sort of size for storing water in my RV fridge in all these years. I’ve used plastic bottles, Mason jars, metal carafes and other workarounds that didn’t pour well or keep the water from getting bad flavours from everything else in the fridge, so I usually just have tepid water. But my fridge in Mexico could accommodate a gallon-sized jug of water and so I got used to cold water in warm weather. Needless to say, that for $7.99, this pitcher was going in my basket!

Of course, it was made by those crazy Europeans with small fridges! I’m not sure if you can see this, but the instructions on the lid are in… Italian.

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After spending a very little amount of money at Safeway, it was time to head out for my appointment. I was probably going to be a little early, but I was going to an acreage and didn’t know if I’d find it easily. Well, the seller gave me excellent directions and I got there without any trouble. As it turns out, he and his wife are moving to New Brunswick for a job related to their church and they decided to do the ‘if it doesn’t fit in the truck, it’s not going’ method of relocation, so everything was priced to go.

First off, I checked out the skill saw that I was keen on buying:

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It’s quite a bit heavier than I would have liked, but for $20 with a recent blade, it was going home with me!

Then, I checked out the table saw that I hoped would look worth hauling home:

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Um, wow. What a nice table saw! All the bits and pieces were there, he’d just replaced the bearings on the motor, and it has a brand new never used blade on it. For $30, it was going in the truck!

Then, his wife offered me a free router table:

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Not sure what I’ll do with it, but it just seemed like something that will come in handy some day, so I took it.

Most of the rest of the stuff in the garage was unfortunately already spoken for, but I was glad to grab 40′ worth of lawn edging for $5:

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That will do the other side of my drive that doesn’t have the power pole to hold in the rocks!

The lady then asked if I’d be interested in a tub full of rollers, scrapers, sandpaper, and dry walling supplies:

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“How much?” I asked? “Five bucks!” Sold!

I thought I was done, but then I saw a really good dolly just like Charles and Caroline’s, something I could have used several times since I got home. I asked if it was for sale and they pondered that for a bit. When the pondering got a bit involved, I asked what they would sell it for if it was for sale. They asked how much it was worth to me and I checked to see what small bills I had left. I offered $10 and their eyes went round and they exclaimed, “SOLD!!!” at the same time!

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Oh, and I also looked at an air compressor, but for $100 it was too much for me today.

So for all those of you who didn’t pull out your calculators, I came out of there with all that stuff for just $70! I feel like I robbed them, but considering that the only thing where I set the price was the dolly and they were so happy about the price, I can’t feel bad!

I took highway 36 to get home, just for a change of scenery. Anyone who’s been through southern SK will laugh at the absurdity of that statement. Just different rolling olive green hills, bright yellow fields of canola, and periwinkle sky. What can I say, it’s still the landscape of my dreams… and of home.

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Culture Shock at the Store

I really had my mind set on going to Moose Jaw today to do a big grocery stock up trip, but I was waiting on some payments, a cheque and a PayPal transfer to be able to do so. The cheque wasn’t in today’s mail and I only initiated the PayPal transfer on Friday, so I wasn’t expecting the funds till later this week. Desperately in need of food, I decided to run to Assiniboia for a few things to tide me over.

On the way there, I had a thought about how much it costs me to drive to Assiniboia round trip, $12, never mind the time that I really didn’t have to waste this week. Why was I being such a moron about this? Just go to Moose Jaw, stick to the budget, and use the credit card. It’s not like I’d have to pay interest on the purchases since they would be paid off in days. But most importantly, I still had work to do today, but I definitely had time to go to Moose Jaw and back. The rest of the week was looking iffy.

My decision made, I still made two stops in Assiniboia. The first was to fill up my five-gallon water jugs, which cost me almost $8. I miss my at home delivery for about 80 cents per five-gallon jug! But I do get the next one free… I made this stop in the morning for two reasons. 1) If the water machine was broken, I’d be able to get water in Moose Jaw and 2) I knew I’d be too tired to stop on the way home.

Last year, I was transferring the heavy jugs to a dispenser and actually did that in Mexico just for the exercise, but I treated myself to something on the way home that is crazy expensive, of poor quality, and hard to find here here and the complete opposite in Mexico:

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Next stop in Assiniboia was the Co-Op gas station for a coffee, which was really an excuse to get change for the parking metre in downtown Moose Jaw (can’t believe I thought of that!). The coffee at the gas station is actually quite good and they have hazelnut creamer, so it’s a nice road trip treat.

The trip to Moose Jaw was uneventful, just a scenic hour of rolling hills. Oh, I love this landscape!

First stop in Moose Jaw won’t come as a surprise, DK Sushi! The food was as good as ever and since the last few days have been extremely lean food wise, I didn’t worry too much about my waistline and ordered whatever I wanted within reason. 🙂 DK Sushi in Moose Jaw is in my top five of best sushi restaurants in the whole of the US and Canada, and I think I’ve been to enough sushi restaurants in the US and Canada for that statement to have some weight. 🙂 How lucky I am that they are the nearest sushi restaurant to me… even if they are 3 hours away round trip!

Then, it was time to spend beaucoup bucks. I’d like to share with you how I plan for big shopping runs like these. I use an app on my iPhone called Our Groceries. I have been using this app since I had an iPod Touch (six years) and can’t believe it’s still free. There are ads, but they’re not intrusive and you don’t see them if data is turned off.

I use the app to keep track of everything I need to buy regardless of if it’s to be bought in Assiniboia or Moose Jaw. I have a list for each store and categories that are not list (store) specific. When I lived in Yukon and was doing supply runs for my friends, I would use the categories to keep my friends sorted within each store. But now, I use the categories for things like produce, household, and meat.

Here are some screen shots of the app. First, the main screen, where you see my lists, which are by store. The numbers represent the number of items I need to buy at that store. As you can see, I didn’t get everything on my lists today!

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Inside each list is everything I want to buy at that store, sorted by categories:

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As you can see, I didn’t do too well with dairy and meat. A tub of yoghurt that is 2CAD in Mexico was 7CAD here (SAME BRAND)…

My first stop of the day was M&M Meat Shops to get chicken breasts. That was the most important thing on my list and would determine how much I had left to spend in the other stores. Chicken breasts wound up being $6 off per box, so I got four boxes, essentially getting a box free!

As I shop, I just tap on the items I’ve added to my shopping cart and they get removed from my lists and saved for the next time I want to build a list. But what if a store doesn’t have what I need?

I organized my shopping by likely least to most expensive. So after M&M, I went to Dollar Tree (yes, there’s a Dollar Tree in Moose Jaw!). There, I was able to get household things like freezer bags, plastic wrap, and bleach, for very cheap compared to even Walmart. But there were a few things I couldn’t find. What I would then do is tap the little (i) next to the item to bring up this screen:

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That would then let me select another list for this item. So what I didn’t find at Dollar Tree got moved to my second to next stop’s list, Walmart.

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Some stores don’t categorize things the same way, so I can also change the category of an item:

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What a great app! I would be lost without it when I have to do big shops like these. I just build my lists as I think of items. Over the years, my list of items in the app has grown and I rarely have to type out the entire name of an item before it pops up.

After Dollar Tree, I went next door to Bulk Barn, the most wonderful store on the planet. There, I could buy just as much as I wanted of everything from brown rice to nuts to flours (kamut and multigrain today) and spices. Instead of spending several dollars each for containers of cumin, tumeric, basil, garlic powder, and more, I could spend 30 cents or 80 cents or 50 cents on just the quantity I need to get me through the summer. I normally spend a lot on nuts in this store, but I was on a tight budget, so I restrained myself. I was pleased to be able to buy almond butter and tahini in bulk, too, for much cheaper than I pay through mail order.

By the time I came out of Bulk Barn, I had already spent a third of my budget for the day. On to Walmart, which is just a normal one in Moose Jaw, not a Super Center with a big grocery section. I got paper goods, found Rustoleum rubber coating for my roof (all appendages crossed), and got a bunch of canned goods.

Next stop was Super Store. I usually like to buy my groceries at Safeway, but after hearing so many people tell me how much more expensive they are than Super Store, I decided to try that first. I really don’t like Super Store, finding it overwhelming and the selection in some areas lacking, but grocery prices in Canada keep going up and I really need to start paying attention to my pennies at the grocery store.

My Super Store experience started off shakily since the produce quality and selection was dismal. There were no Brussels sprouts and the onions were worse than the ones in Assiniboia were last year (and that’s saying something). I almost abandoned my cart in the ‘Mexican’ aisle full of Old Paso crap, but persevered for a bit and was rewarded with an increasingly full cart as I started to be able to cross things off my list.

I only had about $130 left to spend at this point, so I tallied everything up as I put it in my cart, switching between the Our Groceries and calculator app on my phone. I stuck to my list, second guessed every decision, and skimped on meat and dairy to come in at $143. Whew. This was in no way a ‘stock up’ cart. I’ll need a top up on a lot of things quickly. But at least the pantry basics of vinegars, oils, sauces, and condiments were in the cart as well as enough dairy and meat (in combination with the M&M chicken) to last me a while. There really isn’t anything I can use to cook up a storm and make up a huge batch of anything. I’m going to watch the Co-Op fliers and get missing items, like ground bison, there. I actually found things at Super Store that are cheaper at the Co-Op. Co-Op does do sales very well and now that I have all my basics, I can look forward to a ‘ten for ten’ sale to get some really good deals on certain things.

My favourite bit of Super Store was their ethnic foods aisle. Tucked into a corner was a proper supply of true Mexican foods, including, almost out of sight, bags of Maseca corn flour for making tortillas! I was so pleased when I found this! The bag was about $5.50 and will make a lot of tortillas, a much better deal than the $5 bags of tortillas I was buying last year!

Next to the Mexican groceries was a Middle Eastern shelf with everything from za’atar to tahini to stuffed grape leaves and more. I was very impressed!

All that said, I won’t be going to Super Store again except to get specific items. I didn’t find their prices that much better than Safeway, their selection was much smaller, they didn’t have good deals on meat, and their produce was dismal. But at least I didn’t come out of there feeling that I got robbed (too badly) or that I had wasted my time.

It was getting really late when I came out of Super Store and I had spent my budget, so I postponed the trip to Canadian Tire and the visit to Safeway for more produce (I did find frozen Brussels sprouts at Super Store, which will tide me over). I stopped at McDonald’s for a black iced coffee, the one thing that is way cheaper in Canada than in the US (1.30CAD here for a medium versus about 2.50CAD for a small in the US!).

The drive home was lovely and I made one last stop in Assiniboia. I hadn’t had any luck at Dollar Tree or Walmart in finding containers for my spices, so I decided to try our dollar store, which is huge. I found suitable containers there at a good price, so the stop was worth my time.

I got in around 6:00 and spent a bit of time unloading and putting things away. I had plugged in the freezer before leaving, so I stashed some things in there even though it’s rather silly to pay the power to run it with so little inside it. I need to get cooking!

As a final note, I was really grateful for my iPhone today. It’s not only Monday, but the first of the month, so I got several client emails today about invoicing and availability, all of which I was able to respond to promptly thanks to the Mail app on my phone. A summer project will be to set up the ‘FileMaker Go’ app on my phone so that I can consult my invoices while out of the office. A client wanted to cut me a cheque today, but I couldn’t send her the invoice right away. She said she could send the cheque without the invoice if I could give her the invoice number, which I didn’t have. I made my best guess about the number, but when I got home, I realised I was two numbers off and gave her the number for an invoice I made for another client. Thankfully, that other invoice hadn’t been sent yet, so I was able to switch the two around. I’m starting to wish I had a PA to handle this kind of stuff for me. 🙂

That’s it for today. It’s been a very long one and I have heaps of work to do tomorrow and in the next few days. Whew!

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Not On Vacation

Whew, I just finished a pretty grueling work marathon, with the final lap being particularly brutal. It’s my fault for taking so many afternoons off to go exploring! I usually don’t work like this, taking half days off, preferring to get my work out of the way and then going to have fun, but I’ve been working around the fickle weather. It wasn’t particularly nice out yesterday and it rained all night, but it’s finally cleared a bit.

Today was a taking care of business sort of day. I needed to send something out for warranty replacement, so John’s Printing and Mailing Service dropped off a label I asked him to print, packing material, a box, scissors, and tape. I had my own Magic Marker at least. 😀

John vetoed my choice of post office since it’s just a counter and sent me to a proper one that he promised would have parking. I got there and there were about 15 people ahead of me in line and nearly as many ended up behind me since there was only one guy working the counter. It took almost 15 minutes before someone else showed up to at least process the people just picking up parcels, and then another service counter opened.

Even though I was only returning a small hard drive (barely bigger than a credit card), the box was pretty big to accommodate all the packing material they told me to use. So I was shocked that the cost to mail it was just $7.05. A similar box would have cost $30 to $40 to send a comparable distance within Canada. The clerk actually apologized for it costing so much! WHAT?! I mean, it’s going ‘priority’, which means it should be in Riverside in by Friday and I got a tracking number. What a good deal! I’m glad I didn’t go with UPS, which would  have been $$$. Western Digital gave me a discount for UPS, but it would have still been more than $7.05.

The post office wound up being a very good location since it was very near a mall that had everything else I needed for today, an ATM, a grocery store, and a sushi restaurant. 🙂

After lunch, I was thinking of going downtown to walk around, but the sky looked threatening. I was tired and still have a project left to do for tonight, so I just got my groceries and came home. BTW, I bought beer, assembling a really nice mix of six beers I’ve never tried, and did not get asked for ID for my first time ever buying booze in the States! Smart of me to let the grey hair at my temples grow, huh?!

Tomorrow should be a nice day and I have an excursion planned, thanks to advice from my local guide!

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Truth or Consequences to Albuquerque (with a Fort Craig side trip)

I got a late start from T or C on Tuesday. Checkout was noon and I was right on the nose when I left. I had a bit of work to do in the morning and it took longer than expected, plus I had to deal with a few issues related to the change of webhost. I was really surprised that I got out as late as I did and was glad that I only had a couple of hours to drive to get to Albuquerque (ABQ) and wasn’t expected till 5:00ish, so I could do a side trip.

My first stop even before I left town was Walmart because was in dire need of tee-shirts, another planned expense. I got to Isla with a four or five ugly tee-shirts that looked even worse after six months because of all the sun fading and I just threw them out. The only thing I had to wear with skirts, jeans, or capris were long-sleeved light-weight tops. Walmart has a couple of brands that are decent quality and very reasonably priced. I came out with five tee-shirts in beautiful colours for about 30CAD, so that will do me for the summer.

And then, I hit the road. It was very windy going and my gas mileage was the pits. I should have made it to at least ABQ on what I had in the tank, even with my planned detour, but I had to make the decision early on that I would have to refuel in Socorro, halfway to ABQ.

It rained off and on as I drove.

The scenery reminded me a lot of southern Alberta.

The scenery reminded me a lot of southern Alberta.

My planned stop for the day was Fort Craig, an important frontier fort that saw Civil War action. It’s quite a drive to get there, about 25 miles/40KM or so from the Interstate round trip, but it was worth it for me to go. I had done my research and knew not to expect much, so I was very impressed by what was there.

Quite a drive to get out here, but it was worth it!

Quite a drive to get out here, but it was worth it!

There are camphosts on site. I wish we had camphosting like this in Canada. I’d likely still be full-timing if we did. The hosts get all hookups plus a stipend in exchange for working five days a week.

Wish we had sweet gigs like this in Canada.

Wish we had sweet gigs like this in Canada.

The visitors’ centre is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but there was a lot of information available in the parking lot, including a brochure, and the trail was open. So it was not a wasted stop.

HUGE parking lot, with flat topped mountain.

HUGE parking lot, with flat topped mountain.

Seriously, that mountain looks like it got a military haircut!

Seriously, that mountain looks like it got a military haircut!

The site is basically a bunch of earthworks with some stonework. There is a very, very long trail with informational placards. It was a very nice walk.

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At one point very early in my walk, I ran into a lady who is a New Mexico history buff. She talked my ear off for about a half hour telling me all about the history of Fort Craig, the environs, and giving me information on places I need to visit! Wow! What a great encounter! Her husband is from Glasgow, MT, and knows exactly where Assiniboia is. Small world! Just running into her made the trip worthwhile. I won’t be able to hit a lot of what she mentioned on this trip, but it will fit in well into the fall plans, depending on how late I leave.

After she went on her way, I still had tons of Fort Craig to visit, but only about a half hour left if I wanted to make it to ABQ for 5:00ish! So it was a bit of a quick tour, reading only the placards that really interested me.

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The lady spoke at length about how the Buffalo soldiers, African-Americans, were posted to Fort Craig. The Natives called them that because their hair is similar to buffalo fur.

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Fort Craig is a worthwhile and interesting detour for folks going between T or C and ABQ. I learned a lot about the Mexican-American War, settlement in this part of the US, and New Mexico’s role in the US Civil War. Its location today feels just as isolated as it must have felt in the late 1800s!

It was then time to get miles under me. I stopped in Socorro for fuel, just under $2.60 a gallon, the most expensive I’ve seen yet on this trip, but nothing to get excited about.

It rained hard on and off as I came into ABQ.

The mountains were gorgeous coming into ABQ.

The mountains were gorgeous coming into ABQ.

My hosts, blog reader Kelly and her husband Kevin, live just off the Interstate, so their house was easy to get to, even with the traffic coming into ABQ. There was a lot of it, but it was so much more ‘civilized’ than what I got used to in Mexico! People actually signal and let you into their lane! 🙂

I was warmly greeted and invited to throw on a load of laundry (very much appreciated!). We had a beer, caught up, and debated what to do for dinner. The original plan was to grill on the BBQ, but the weather was looking iffy for that. The decision was made for me that I was getting taken out for sushi instead! Wow! Kelly is a new blog reader, but already knows the way to my heart! 😀

We went to a place called Shogun in the Nob Hill neighbourhood. Dinner was awesome. Kevin and I shared between us a crunchy roll (shrimp tempura with avocado), crab and octopus nigiri, an eel roll, and a huge order of sashimi (raw fish without rice). Everything was so fresh and tasty! Thank you so much! 🙂

We took the long way back to the car.

Nob Hill is my kind of neighbourhood; very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants.

Nob Hill is my kind of neighbourhood; very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants.

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Check out the old sign from when this mall was the only thing in the area for miles around!

Check out the old sign from when this mall was the only thing in the area for miles around!

So pretty!

So pretty!

I want! :D

I want! 😀

We got home and settled in for the evening. I folded by laundry, was shown how to use the coffeemaker, and was left to my own devices until the morning, rather like being home. I’m posting in bed the next morning while having my coffee. Kelly is going to take me around ABQ this morning before I head for Santa Fe. It’s been a wonderful stay. Thanks!

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A Great Day in Mazatlán

Even though I didn’t need to be up early today, I was wide awake at 6:00. I am absolutely exhausted, but it’s not the sleep deprived kind at all as I’ve been getting plenty of sleep. So I didn’t try to get another oouple of hours and instead read for about an hour.

I put on a load of laundry while the water heated for coffee, then I breakfasted on my leftover tacos. They were surprisingly good cold! I had planned to reheat them in a pan with cheese, but they didn’t need any work at all, besides the addition of a little avocado. 🙂

Laundry takes a while since the machine is slow to fill, so I did a little clothes mending before I left. I didn’t think to bring sewing supplies from home, but I found a very adequate little kit at Waldo’s for just 12 pesos that had everything I needed, even the right colour threads!

A surprisingly decent little travel sewing kit for just 12 pesos.

A surprisingly decent little travel sewing kit for just 12 pesos.

After finally putting the laundry on the line, I headed to town. I have a birthday coming up so my first stop was the dress shop to put in an order for a dress. 🙂 It was going to take a while since the seamstress wasn’t in yet, but I wasn’t in a hurry as I had some errands to run in the area. I paid and said I’d be back in about an hour.

I head to Panamá’s, where there was a lineup out the door and up the block for its mediocre food! I grabbed an almond croissant to go (no wait for this), went back to the Mercado to get a grapefruit juice, and found a bench in the square opposite the cathedral to have my snack. This was the first time a juice vendor asked me to confirm my order. It surprised me that it took this long since orange and grapefruit have the same last syllable.

Next, I went to the fabric/craft store as I have a craft project I want to do. I was looking for felt and completely struck out. I used Google to translate, describe what felt is, spoke to a clerk who is fluent in English, showed a picture, and still we could not figure it out. I found something else that will make do.

I then asked for ‘cinta de contact’, remembering that Velcro didn’t work last time, and the guy looked at me funny and said, “You mean Velcro?” I said yes, but that the last clerk I asked had no idea what Velcro is. He shook his head and said he knew exactly who I meant. Interesting.

He left me in the capable hands of the notions counter and I asked for black Velcro. They only had white left and I could have a whole metre or a rather wrinkled remnant a few inches long that was exactly as much as I needed for my project! Finally, I wanted ribbon and they had rolls and rolls and rolls of the stuff, but I quickly spotted exactly what I wanted and got a metre of that.

Total cost of my purchases at the craft store: 2.5 pesos. I love this country.

Then, I went to Waldo’s to pick up a few things and then I went back in search of the earring lady. There are tons other vendors in the Mercado selling 10-peso pairs of earrings, but they look really cheap and/or gaudy. She has the nicest ones and I found her again! I picked out a pair that she says is made of green quartz.

I finished my errands by getting some avocados, wandered around the Mercado a bit to continue getting my bearings in it, and figured out where I needed to catch the bus to the Golden Zone, my next stop. As it turns out, it’s on Benito Juarez, in front of Waldo’s and just outside the dress shop.

My dress was ready and the seamstress had remembered that I needed to have the straps shortened on the last dress, so she put shorter ones on this one. I tried the dress on the minute I got home and the straps on it are perfect!

My new dress. I don't like the fabric as much as it is going to catch and create runs, but the pattern was the prettiest they had.

My new dress. I don’t like the fabric as much as it is a thin jersey-type material that is likely going to catch and create runs, but the pattern was the prettiest they had.

I know I already have a purple dress, but there really wasn’t much I liked today in terms of patterns and fabric weight. I wound up making a compromise with a lighter weight fabric that I wasn’t sure would drape well (thankfully, it does!). I almost went with the orangey red dress in the same fabric as my pink dress, but the clerk said to me (in English), “I really don’t think that’s the best colour for you,” so that was that. I really like the pattern (flowers) and colour of this dress and the fabric feels very light and climate-appropriate.

My business in the area done, I wanted to head to the Golden Zone. It was frankly time to get over my annoying derision for the area and get to know it a bit better.

It was incredible to stand on the curb outside the Mercado with all the crowds and traffic, not be even remotely overwhelmed, and recognize the bus I needed as it pulled up. I have just about mastered the basics of this wonderful city!

I decided to ride the bus a good long way, just to see what was what and then either walk or bus it back to the Golden Zone to get coffee and lunch. I settled in and off we went. Traffic was light and there was almost no one on the bus. We passed the Golden Zone, hit the marina, and continued on to Nuevo Mazatlán and Cerritos. The only other passenger besides me got off near the Crown Plaza Hotel and I decided I was done, too, and got off as well.

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Crowne Plaza Hotel

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I started to head back the way I came, stopping at an Oxxo for a bottle of water. I used to carry a full 1L bottle of water with me at all times until I realised just how much weight that is. Yes, buying a small bottle of water at a convenience store is about 4x the price of the water I buy at home, but I walk a lot and my bag gets heavy! Plus, buying water throughout the day means I always get cold water. Even if I start with half a bottle of ice, I have warm water within a few hours.

I walked all the way from the Crowne Plaza Hotel to the Marina.

Another great translation -- bottom of the sign, "Only registers."

Another great translation — bottom of the sign, “Only registers.”

I appreciated the choice of sidewalk, choosing smooth, as it's better for my bum leg. :)

I appreciated the choice of sidewalk, choosing smooth, as it’s better for my bum leg. 🙂

I'm not sure what this plant is. It has very thick waxy leaves.

I’m not sure what this plant is. It has very thick waxy leaves.

Looks like a new residential complex.

Looks like a new residential complex.

It's rather in the middle of nowhere.

It’s rather in the middle of nowhere.

Mexicans use their roofs and I love how many houses use spiral staircases to access them.

Mexicans use their roofs and I love how many houses use spiral staircases to access them.

This is a big mall with expensive stores like Liverpool. There's a Walmart across the way that I have shopped at.

This is a big mall with expensive stores like Liverpool. There’s a Walmart across the way that I have shopped at.

A marina.

A marina.

I love the colour of the water down here.

I love the colour of the water down here.

See, I told you yesterday that there is always a toilet nearby in Mexico. :D

See, I told you yesterday that there is always a toilet nearby in Mexico. 😀

Can you imagine mooring here?

Can you imagine mooring here?

This almost makes me wish I was a boater. :)

This almost makes me wish I was a boater. 🙂

I was just praising the quality of the sidewalks and walkability of the area when the sidewalk just ended. Thankfully, there was more on the other side of the road!

I was just praising the quality of the sidewalks and walkability of the area when the sidewalk just ended. Thankfully, there was more on the other side of the road!

At the Marina, I found a proper bus shelter with shade and waited for some time for a bus. A taxi pulled up and offered me a ride, which I declined politely, as I had declined all the other offers I’d been giving along my long walk. “Why not?” the driver asked me in English. I replied in Spanish, “Bus to the Mercado, 10 pesos, taxi 120 pesos!” He laughed and said in perfect English, “Yeah. Can’t argue with that! Have a great day!”

There were folks across the street waiting for a bus going in the opposite direction (no shelter) and they came running across the street to me, asking if I’d ever taken the bus before. Yes… As it turns out, the buses kept going past them. I told them to stick out their arm to as a signal to the driver. As I said this, my bus showed up, so I was able to demonstrate.

This turned out to be one of the smaller ‘local’ buses (as opposed to the ‘tourist buses’). There really wasn’t much difference in the comfort level, but this bus was only 7 pesos instead of 10! BTW, the bus drivers have change!

It really wasn’t very far to get to Rico’s from the Marina, but I was glad for the lift. I got up just after the El Cid Resort and the driver asked me where I wanted him to stop exactly. I said Rico’s and he dropped me off kitty corner from the café.

To my surprise, Rico’s upped their coffee prices significantly since the last batch I got, from 124 pesos to 147 for a pound of Veracruz! Still a great deal, though! I was happy to use their bathroom while I waited for my order, but was surprised that it was not very clean.

It was coming onto 1:00 when I left and I was ready for lunch. I wanted sushi, something I haven’t had since November 29th, but I knew better than to have my heart set on it. There are tons of sushi restaurants in Maz, but they never seem to be open when I need them to be!

I walked down the street towards Rafael Buelna, looking at my food options and doing a bit of window shopping.

See these little squares in the pavement?

See these little squares in the pavement?

Super cute tiles! This one's a cat.

Super cute tiles! This one’s a cat.

A fish. There were birds and loads of other designs.

A fish. There were birds and loads of other designs.

A want a basin like this for the bathroom sink in my cabin!

A want a basin like this for the bathroom sink in my cabin!

I was nearly at Rafael Buelna when I found an open sushi place, Yoko’s! Heading south, it’s just after Panamá’s and before the Burger King on your left. The entrance is set back from the road, so it’s not evident that the place is open. I’m glad I investigated!

To my immense surprise, I was not only served in Spanish, but the menu was bilingual Japanese-Spanish with no English! I had no idea what half the Spanish words were and my Japanese was much needed and appreciated. 🙂

I ordered pretty much my usual, octopus nigiri and spicy tuna.

A lunch to behold! Non-spicy spicy tuna and octopus nigiri.

A lunch to behold! Non-spicy spicy tuna and octopus nigiri.

The octopus came with a sweet and salty sauce that I was worried would mask the delicate flavour of the flesh, but there was only a small dab of it and it wound up being very good!

The tuna was not spicy in the least, but was very fresh and generously portioned. This was a 10 out of 10 sushi meal! The bill was a bit shocking, 210 pesos with the tip, a very average price for this quality of sushi meal if converted to both USD and CAD, but quite high for Mexico! Totally worth it, though!

Looking out the window, I saw the Post and Ship mail service location. This is a great service for Gringos here long-term. You get a US shipping address in Texas and every so often, your items are brought to Mexico to be picked up at this location, with all customs processes and fees done for you. I couldn’t justify the cost of the service for just six months, but I bet the ex-pats love it!

Lots of gringos who live here long-term have a PO box here that uses a Texas address.

Lots of gringos who live here long-term have a PO box here that uses a Texas address.

See what I saw? Burger King with HOME DELIVERY.

See what I saw? Burger King with HOME DELIVERY.

After lunch, I decided to go to Panamá’s for cake and coffee, something a few people have told me I need to do just once, even if I don’t eat a lot of sweets anymore. I ordered the ‘coffee and slice’ special, asking for a ‘cafe Americano’ to get real black drip coffee to which you can add milk and sugar (as per my friend’s tip). I was brought a huge multi-tiered tray on wheels from which I could pick any dessert I wanted. There was tons of choice, but I really wanted chocolate and found a slice that looked like devil’s food cake with caramel, which is exactly what it was.

The cake was really good, but I wish I’d had someone to split it with as I could have easily been satisfied with just half of the huge slab. The coffee was excellent! So now I know that I can use Panamá’s for coffee, too! I don’t know if they do take out coffee, but I always a mug with me when I’m traveling, so there’s that option.

I was quite tired by this point, so it was time to wrap up my day with a visit to the Mega supermarket that I have heard so much about. It wasn’t far from Panamá’s; one or two blocks to Rafael Buelna and then perhaps one or two blocks down.

It had a lot, but, really, I think it’s over rated. I didn’t see much there that you can’t find at Soriana and the bigger Leys and the prices were generally a little higher for everything. They did have more imported foods, though, I’ll give them that, and more English signage and staff, which explains why Gringos like them so much and think that groceries are super expensive in Mexico! But I did get a few good deals and they had hummus! Reader Sandy left a comment yesterday about Mega having hummus, so I knew I wasn’t going to leave without some!

The Maxi in Gatineau had a ramp like this for the people and carts.

The Maxi in Gatineau had a ramp like this for the people and carts.

This is the exact brand of olive oil I buy in Assiniboia. I buy a bottle half that size and it costs me about $6. I was told olive oil is expensive in MX. BS, once again.

This is the exact brand of olive oil I buy in Assiniboia. I buy a bottle half that size and it costs me about $6. I was told olive oil is expensive in MX. BS, once again.

A jar of Dijon like that is about $4 in Canada, again a better deal in MX.

A jar of Dijon like that is about $4 in Canada, again a better deal in MX.

And this is where I burst out laughing in Mega.

And this is where I burst out laughing in Mega.

And then I saw more colours and I couldn't stop giggling.

And then I saw more colours and I couldn’t stop giggling.

COLOURED rice!

COLOURED rice!

All it is is sushi rice and colouring. Yes, I was tempted, no I did not come home with it.

All it is is sushi rice and colouring. Yes, I was tempted, no I did not come home with it.

500mL of Canadian maple syrup=OUCH pesos

500mL of Canadian maple syrup=OUCH pesos

This is the kind of jam my mother likes. I think it comes from France. The price seems similar to what I paid in Quebec.

This is the kind of jam my mother likes. I think it comes from France. The price seems similar to what I paid in Quebec.

Huuuuuuuuumus.

Huuuuuuuuumus.

That should last me a bit.

That should last me a bit.

At Mega, the expensive sweet relish is with the 'gourmet' imported stuff. The sweet relish of the people is with the olives and tuna. Ours not to question why..

At Mega, the expensive sweet relish is with the ‘gourmet’ imported stuff. The sweet relish of the people is with the olives and tuna. Ours not to question why..

Olives is a word that trips me up in Spanish -- aceituna. Aceite is vinegar and tuna is atún so aceituna makes me think of marinated fish. :)

Olives is a word that trips me up in Spanish — aceituna. Aceite is oil and tuna is atún so aceituna makes me think of sardines. 🙂

I know I just had lunch, but yum!

I know I just had lunch, but yum!

Now, this was a find! It's no sugar added granola made with ancient (high protein) grains. It will be great with yoghurt for breakfast!

Now, this was a find! It’s no sugar added granola made with ancient (high protein) grains. It will be great with yoghurt for breakfast!

I’m glad I went to Mega because now I know that I haven’t really been missing out on anything by going primarily to Ley and occasionally to Soriana. There were a few things that might make it worth popping into Mega occasionally, but going there won’t be a habit.

I’d promised myself a pulmonía for the ride home and was quoted 70 pesos. I talked him down to 65… but still paid the 70. 🙂 A panga was pulling out as I arrived, but came back to the dock for me!

The walk home from the panga was just about all the extra work I needed to do today as my bags were getting heavy. I’m cooked and beat, but what a great day off! Now, to decide if I want wine or beer!