City Tours

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Last Golden Zone Jaunt

I got up early today and typed like mad with the hope that by 2:00ish, I would be ahead enough in my current project to do one last jaunt to the Golden Zone to get coffee. I had such a debate with myself over the last few days over whether I needed to do that since I had plenty of coffee left to get me to the States. But then I remembered that I still haven’t found a grocery store coffee in the States that I like. Might as well treat myself to one last pound of the Veracruz!

Big ship in port today!

Big ship in port today!

By 2:30, I was ready to go. I made my way to the corner of Guti茅rrez Najera and Juan Carrasco, certain that I could catch there the bus that goes to Soriana, Mega, and on into the Golden Zone. It’s cheaper and closer than the bus that I take on del Mar.

So gorgeous!

So gorgeous!

This truck is obviously loved.

This truck is obviously loved.

But after waiting a half hour and cycling through all the buses, I never once saw the one I needed. Granted, I wasn’t 100% sure what I was looking for, but I knew Mega would be written on it. So I’m a little flummoxed as to where to catch it. Next year, I’ll have to ride it in the opposite direction and find out. But now that I think of it, I didn’t even see it once while in the Golden Zone, so I’m thinking that perhaps it doesn’t run on Sundays.

Giving up on that bus, I walked the last few blocks to del Mar and caught the bus there, riding it up to the taco place I discovered last time I was in the Golden Zone. I didn’t get chips this time and I think I’ve finally figured out why I get them sometimes: they come when I order a limonada. This has happened at a couple of establishments, so I’m thinking it’s a customary thing for restaurants in the area. I really did not need chips and the giant plate of cucumbers provided a suitably crispy and bland surface on which to deposit heaps of salsa! I also got radishes this time and do NOT suggest having this spicy vegetable with a spicy salsa, but rather with the avocado salsa. Your tastebuds will thank me. 馃檪

Since I didn’t have chips, I headed across the street and got an ice cream, going for cookies ‘n cream, and boy does Thrifty’s know how to make that flavour! Since a sugar cone was the same price as a bowl or regular cone, I indulged. 馃檪

Next stop was the bank. I went by a bunch to hit the Santander just before Rico’s… but the ATM was down. So I would have to double back. Dang!

I got my coffee and didn’t even try to speak Spanish with them today. They were out of 1lb bags, so I they packaged my coffee into two 1/2lb bags and were rather apologetic about that. I’m happy because that means half the batch will stay fresher.

While waiting for the coffee to be ground, I read an article in El Debate, a newspaper, that many, many, many little grocers in the area are being shut down because they are cash only businesses and do not keep the proper records for tax purposes. I I wonder if that will affect businesses here on Isla. I only know two where I can get a receipt, and the City Deli is not one of them.

Coming out of Rico’s, a bus was just within sight, but I had to let it go since I needed the bank. I walked back down to the Banamex, the first in a series of banks in a row, since it has a low withdrawal rate (lower than Santander), I’ve never had problems with it, and I wasn’t hurting for small bills. Also, if this one gave me any trouble, I could just try the next bank and so on until I found one that worked!

The withdrawal was fine and I hope it will be my last one, but it was a very conservative amount, so we’ll see. I just don’t want聽 to do my last fill up of gas in San Carlos and find myself with more than 700 or 800 pesos in cash. I’d like to keep about 500 pesos for the fall for the trip from the border to San Carlos, but no more. I’m on a tight budget to get home and I need my money in USD right now, not pesos. I know I have plenty to get me to San Carlos and pay for the hotel. Once there, I’ll see if I have enough left for the last tank of fuel and tolls and if not, I’ll get another small withdrawal to cover that.

I didn’t have to wait long for the bus after and decided to ride it to the corner of Aquiles Serdan and Zaragoza, rather than get off at the Fishermen’s Monument since it would save me a few blocks.

Untitled

I saved myself quite a few steps tonight!

This being late Sunday afternoon, Zaragoza was eerily silent and I didn’t dawdle to get to the embarcadero!

What I discovered today is that pointless bus waiting not withstanding, I can get to the Golden Zone and back with lunch and lots of walking in about 2.5 hours!

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Counting Down

Tomorrow’s the day that I start saying, “My last –day.” I have one Friday night left before I head home, so the one-week countdown is on! I can’t believe the winter is basically over. And unlike a lot of other winters, I don’t have that feeling of dread that it just slipped through my fingers. It’s not just the fact that I know I’m coming back that makes departure something I’m looking forward to rather than dreading, but the fact that I lived so much in my months here.

I had a huge amount of work to do for today and set my finish time for 6:45 so I could go get hot dogs and not have to work again after. That meant pretty much working through the day with only short breaks.

Around 4:00, I went for a quick walk to check on the truck and found it on blocks with all four wheels off. I kicked myself for forgetting my camera, so I made a note to bring it with me when I went out for dinner.

Somehow, I managed to finish work a whole 15 minutes ahead of schedule! It’ll be more of the same till Wednesday, but being done for tonight was an amazing feeling, like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

I took off, with the plan being to hit the truck for pictures first, but something told me to check the hot dog stand and it was closed. What?! I want a sit down dinner at Miguel’s my last night here, so that means no more hot dogs till next fall. I’m sure my body is happy about that. 馃檪

Most Friday nights, I have exact change for the hot dog lady, but tonight I left with a 50. So, being famished and rather set on meal I didn’t cook myself, I decided to get a hamburger and fries instead.

That restaurant is just past the workshop, where there were signs of life.

She looks rather forlorn, doesn't she?

She looks rather forlorn, doesn’t she?

Hey, there's a wheel back on. Or maybe it was on when I came by at 4:00?

Hey, there’s a wheel back on. Or maybe it was on when I came by at 4:00?

At the restaurant, I placed a to-go order and said I would be back in about 10 minutes. No sense waiting around, might as well go for a walk!

The little place I discovered that knows how to make French fries!

The little place I discovered that knows how to make French fries!

I love how brightly coloured everything is in Mexico.

I love how brightly coloured everything is in Mexico.

I knew from the last time I ordered a burger that a quick loop by the panga and elementary school would be just about the right amount of time.

The elementary school.

The elementary school.

There was a school related shindig going on at the playground near the school, with lots of music and people enjoying elote (sweet corn on the cob with mayo and chile powder), ceviche, fried tacos, and more.

It was overcast and drizzly all day, but finally starting to clear up and the air felt so fresh and sweet. There were lots of people out and about. Everyone is so friendly and the folks I see most often know they can chat with me, so I got asked about where I was headed on the way out and what I was having for supper on the way in when I had my bag of food. There’s an intellectually challenged man who plays a guitar on a balcony right in front of the restaurant and he always grunts to get my attention as I walk past him, plays me a few notes, blows me a kiss, and then waves. I always applaud and wave back. It’s our little routine.

There are lovely trees in bloom this week:

What a pretty tree!

What a pretty tree!

I love those pink flowers.

I love those pink flowers.

My burger was being wrapped up as I arrived. My $10 in change was given as such, ten 1-peso coins!

The mechanic was at the shop when I walked by and he told me to come look at some parts he pulled. He was very apologetic in that he really needs to recommend a completely new brake job, rotors, pads, calipers, etc., so the price really is going to be $4,000. He had hoped to surprise me with a lower bill. I assured him that I’m fine with the price and to do what needs to be done. I reiterated that I’ve had major break work done on a Ford and can recognize that he’s not lying to me.

He says he should be done tomorrow (!) and that he’s expecting me late Sunday morning with the balance of the money. So I’ll head out super early Sunday, get a pastry and coffee at Panam谩’s for a treat, and be back in time to get some, I mean, lots of work done.

He also gave me a heads up that there is a lot of rust in the undercarriage and that I should look into have it washed and undercoated soon as I get out off the coast. I’ll have to look into how much that will cost.

I got in and my supper was thankfully still hot.

Yum!

Yum!

For some reason, they omitted the cheese and jalape帽os tonight! I added my own cheese and was shocked to discover that I rather missed the peppers! But don’t get me wrong, it was still an awesome sandwich and I have to confess I wasn’t too disappointed about the hot dogs. 馃檪 I also finished off my bottle of sweet relish!

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Mec谩nicos, 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 Malec贸n.

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,聽 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.聽 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. 馃檪

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 Malec贸n. 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 Panam谩’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. 馃檪

Then, it was a tiny detour to the gelato place. One of my new phrases this winter is ‘驴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. 馃檪 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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Tacos Al Pastor At Last

Ellen: All I want to know, I just want to know one simple thing. When do I get to become an Islander?
Councilwoman: Ellen, never! Never! You’re not born here — you’re not an Islander.

When reading up about tacos early in my Mexican stay, I became obsessed with finding al pastor tacos. They are made of pork meat marinated in pineapple juice (and other yummy stuff) and roasted on a spit like gyros meat. Since I have been in Maz, I have been looking for these elusive tacos, chasing dead internet leads and finding places that claim to have al pastor tacos, but the meat is merely cooked on the barbecue. I know I could have probably asked and been directed to some, but this was my own little treasure hunt for the winter!

I had the right idea on how to find them, walk and walk and walk and follow my nose, but I found them in the last place I would have expected… the Golden Zone, right on Camar贸n S谩balo!

So聽 I’ve been working myself to the bone the last few days because a client is injured and her other main subcontractor is ill. If this company goes down, I go down, so like the little Dutch boy, I stuck my finger in the dam and typed, typed, typed.

I was finally done the project by 11:00 today and was done for the day, needless to say! I have work for tomorrow and through the weekend, but it’s a normal amount. I haven’t been to town in a full week, so I decided to head out for lunch and to pick up a few groceries.

All the pangas now have these brand new life jackets with their names on them.

All the pangas now have these brand new life jackets with their names on them.

Cruise ship in dock. I saw some of the guests on a 'topless tour' of Maz. Get your head out of the gutter, topless refers to no roof on a double decker bus!

Cruise ship in dock. I saw some of the guests on a ‘topless tour’ of Maz. Get your head out of the gutter, topless refers to no roof on a double decker bus!

I think this is a graveyard.

I think this is a ship graveyard.

I did my normal route to the bus stop, picking up a grapefruit juice on the way.

Ooh!

Ooh!

So purty!

So purty!

Delivering mail in style!

Delivering mail in style!

Then, I rode the bus to just past the Rafael Buelna roundabout. The taco places I’d seen advertising tacos al pastor were all in a row on the southbound side of Camar贸n S谩balo and I went into the first one as it looked very clean, but not as Gringoified as the others. I had a good feeling I made the right choice when the server did a double take as a I came in and told me, in a very thick accent, “Sorry, no menu English.”

The restaurant is right across the Deloitte building on Camar贸n S谩balo.

The restaurant is right across the Deloitte building on Camar贸n S谩balo.

Ah, deliciousness on a spit!

Ah, deliciousness on a spit!

Ta'Locos

Ta’Loco

The prices were typical for authentic Mexican fare. The al pastor tacos were something like $13 each or four for $40. I ordered two and a limonada that, at $35, was more expensive than my food!

Before my tacos arrived, I was presented with four bowls of salsa (pico de gallo, avocado, spicy pimento, and brown deliciousness, as well as a plate of limes and cucumbers and another of chips. I’m glad I only ordered two tacos! And I’m also glad that I called the server back to specify corn tortillas because he had told the cook flour ones, which, by the way, were double the price! Crisis averted! 馃檪

The cucumbers were really good... especially dipped in salsa. :)

The cucumbers were really good… especially dipped in salsa. 馃檪

I liked all of these salsas. The avocado, pico de gallo, and brown one at the top right were not particularly spicy. The creamy orange one on the top left was HOT but add flavour, like pimento cheese, and I actually made some inroads in it!

I liked all of these salsas. The avocado, pico de gallo, and brown one at the top right were not particularly spicy. The creamy orange one on the top left was HOT but had flavour, like pimento cheese, and I actually made some inroads in it!

And behold tacos al pastor! Marinated pork, pineapple, onion, and cilantro:

I finally found a dish where cilantro felt like it belonged...

I finally found a dish where cilantro felt like it belonged…

They were everything I hoped they would be and so worth the search! I loaded on the salsas and dug in. I didn’t get any utensils, so I used chips to scoop up what fell out!

When I was done, I worked my way through the rest of the chips, cucumbers, and limonda, then paid the $62 tab (plus a $10 tip).

I am getting used to being served toothpicks after a meal.

I am getting used to being served toothpicks after a meal.

I decided to brave the bathroom and was surprised to find a rather nice very recently redone bathroom with everything but toilet seats. By the way, navy blue toilets seem to be the rage in Mexico!

On the way to lunch, I had seen something I haven’t seen since San Carlos, a Thrifty’s ice cream parlour! So that’s where I headed after lunch!

Hey, a Thrifty's ice cream place!

Hey, a Thrifty’s ice cream place!

I love nieve de garrafa, but sometimes you want a real proper chocolately ice cream and that is surprisingly difficult to find in Maz. I ordered a scoop of chocolate brownie in a regular (galleta) cone. I remember thinking in San Carlos that $29 was cheap for an ice cream cone, but I don’t think that anymore. 馃檪

Then, I headed to Mega and took a picture of a restaurant that has caught my eye a few times:

Killer sushi, huh? Might want to rethink the name...

Killer sushi, huh? Might want to rethink the name…

I was just at the Mega parking lot when I realised I didn’t want to get my groceries there. I didn’t need anything I couldn’t get at the little Ley and lugging stuff home from Mega would be a huge pain unless I took a pulmon铆a, which would have been the best thing to do since I wanted mostly cold stuff.

So I went back to Avenida del mar to catch the bus and just missed it. I waited about 15 minutes for the next one.

I did see something that made up somewhat for the wait. A car inched its way down Avenida del mar and there was an old man in the back seat practically hanging out the window yelling, “It’s the ocean! It’s the OCEAN!!!”

The car was plated in Chihuahua, a non-coastal state, so I’m thinking this was the man’s first trip to the sea. I am choking up thinking about how joyful he sounded.

I finally got on a bus and did some research on my phone about reliable web hosts since I’ve decided to move the blog to a better provider after uskeba.ca was down for about an hour this afternoon.

I put the phone away as we turned into Centro as this was only my second time riding towards the Mercado and I wanted to get a better sense of the route. The (Mexican) lady sitting next to me then asked if the Mercado was coming up, telling me she just moved to Maz and doesn’t know the buses yet.

I look so much like a tourist in my sundresses that I’m shocked she asked me, but I guess that since I did the bulk of the route buried in my phone, I must have appeared to be an experienced bus rider. I told her we were about four blocks from the Mercado and to just wait for a huge crowd to stand up to know where to get off!

After we passed Zaragoza and turned onto Aquiles Serdan, I realised that I didn’t need to go all the way to the Mercado (I was exhausted and ready to get home). I got up and the bus stopped at the corner of Melchor Ocampo, the street the Ley is on!

So I only had a couple of blocks to walk and there was the store. I really like the little Ley as it’s so compact that you can get in and out very quickly when you know what you want. My top priority was powdered milk, which I use in my coffee. It was on sale again and about a quarter the cost of what I pay in Canada, so I picked up two bags and that should get me through until I get back in November.

WOW. A bag like this is about $12 (4x the cost) back home!

WOW. A bag like this is about $12 (4x the cost) back home!

I’ve figured out the shortest route from the Ley to the panga, so I was at the dock in short order. There, a family was crowding the ticket booth debating whether or not to go over and the ticket seller took pity on me and told them to move aside. I paid my $8 and as I was putting away my change, I heard the man complain about the cost of the fare ($30 round trip x 4 people=$120) and the fact that I hadn’t paid that much. I then heard some very sweet words, “隆La chica es una Isle帽a!” (the girl is an Islander). 馃榾

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Semana Santa: Sunday On the Beach

I was thrown for a loop by the time change today. So by 2:00, I’d done what I’d done by 1:00 the previous days and felt soooo far behind even though I technically wasn’t! I almost didn’t go out, then I decided that I wasn’t going to punish myself for not realising there would be a time change this weekend or the fact that the only reason I’m so swamped is that I’m doing a favour for a client who injured herself last week. It’s not like I’ve been procrastinating on work.

It’s been another quiet day on Isla, but not as much as yesterday because my neighbours, who share the office wall, are working on their roof. Much banging and house shaking ensues every few minutes, which makes it even more amazing that I’ve managed to stay on track with production today!

I headed down to the beach for a quick walk and there really weren’t that many more people there than on an average gorgeous weekend.

Great kite flying weather.

Great kite flying weather.

The beach always has lifeguards, but there were extra for this week.

The beach always has lifeguards, but there were extra for this week.

Still a good crowd.

Still a good crowd.

I picked a nieve de garrafa vendor at random and she had nut, vanilla, lime, and cheese. I asked for half lime and half cheese because I was curious about it. What an awesome combination, kind of like key lime pie! The lime was very runny, but the cheese was solid and had toothsome bits of cream cheese chunks in it. 25 pesos, though. 隆Caramba!

A very runny treat.

A very runny treat.

At the end of the beach, I cut through a restaurant parking lot to get to the road the parallels the water instead of climbing up to the main road and then circling back as I really didn’t have much time.

Coming around the dangerous curve before my street, this sign caught my attention:

Let's play what's wrong with this picture.

Let’s play what’s wrong with this picture.

Do you see why I noticed it?

And since I had my camera out, I finally got a few shots of the Hobbit house that never fails to make me smile:

The hobbit house is lovely.

The Hobbit house is lovely.

This place always makes me smile.

This place always makes me smile.

So I guess Semana Santa is over. What a lot of fuss of nothing. And by that, I mean that I was warned repeatedly that the week would bring chaos and hordes to Isla and that I’d be best to hunker down at home and never come out until the crowds leave. Oh, and I shouldn’t plan to get any work done because of excessive noise levels.

Well, there was neither hordes nor chaos this week, never mind excessive noise levels. A lot of people, yes, but not to uncomfortable levels. It was wonderful to be out and about, try various treats, talk to people, and even give directions. I really felt like I was part of the Isla community this week and I am so glad I soaked in some of wonderful the Semana Santa vibes!