Starting to Fall in Love with Mexico.

We started the day off with a little trip to Costco! After having so many meals in restaurants, we were very excited to buy some groceries that we could make on our own. With having a kitchen complete with stove, microwave, and large fridge, dishes, Tupperware, and pots and pans, we had options. Actually after a week of cooking on our own, we decided that’s a great way to travel. We’d eat breakfast and lunch on our own and then have dinner out on the town.

Shopping in a semi-Mexican grocery store became interesting. I wish I would have paid more attention when we reviewed the food portion in Spanish Class. I remember what ham, milk, and orange was before time but while we were there I was trying to figure out other things. It was interesting to say the least. I’ll admit after working with Cloverdale and their meat products, I did look for them in the store. No such luck though, but I did laugh when I saw Tony Romo ribs!
We bought bacon, eggs (lleuvos), croissants, bagels, cheese, crackers, juice, beer (cervezas), yogurt, pineapple, sliced meat, and chips and salsa. We actually did a pretty through job of eating it all. We did have to leave some things behind but it was definitely worth it.

Being Sunday, it was actually pretty relaxing. The wonderful Kevin, being a great host, took a few of us into town to explore and start haggling. We had a tequila shot in the world’s smallest bar, Slim’s. The bar could have fit maybe 7 people, on a good day, with a few standing.
We also had to find Matt a pair of sunglasses (he left his behind a Pepe’s, obviously distracted by the fish and bbq tacos). He got a pair of Oakieys, which are easily mistaken as Oakleys.

Kevin, being one to share wonderful experiences, took Matt and I to the Giggling Marlin. Where we shared a bucket of beer and Matt and I were hung upside down, like a Marlin. Once hung, you consume 3 shots, and then I received the experience of being twirled. Sometimes I can't believe what I get talked into!
That night, we had the best meal of the trip. One of my co-workers suggested this hole-in-the-wall called Maro’s. When we showed up, we did get a little nervous. There were plastic chairs, a fake ceiling, and things were a bit sketchy. The first thing they asked was where we were from. After telling us, he immediately ran us over to the record holding wall where their house drink record holder was from Mandan, ND!

We sat down still skeptical and I ordered house drinks immediately. They are Bulldogs, which are small Coronas poured into a tequila lemonade mixture. They were amazing! We ordered a shrimp cocktail, and a dinner for 2(which had fried shrimp, fish, lobster, and more shrimp, tortilla soup, and ended with chocolate cake). The meal was amazing and the service was awesome. We left there impressed, full, and had plans to return someday. We did have some issues with menu's right away, but I got Matt all straightened out.

The takeaway that made me laugh was that every time Matt saw plastic chairs, he’d elbow me and say, “They’ve got to have amazing food—they have plastic chairs.” I never bought in; I didn’t want to smash his dream.

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” –Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, "Pavarotti, My Own Story"