Ok, so I'm sure everyone wants to know what it's like down here and what my thoughts are of the area. Well, I'll address what I can here, and I will add more later.
First, it's an ENTIRELY different world down here. I haven't found the "downtown" area yet, so I can't say much about that. Below is a list of things that I have experiened already.
Good things about Food: Tacos, tacos, everywhere! For someone who loves Mexican food, the food is amazing down here. It's seasoned well, and I already have a new favorite place ( http://www.tacopalenque.com/ ). You know Taco Palenque has to be good, as when I go in there, I am the only white person in there. Amazing.
Weird things about Food: There aren't a whole lot of non-chain places around. I guess that's to be expected here. I have also noticed that the Texans love their Olive Garden. I drove by there on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a line to get into the parking lot. I guess they are just that desperate for some Italian food here. Also, I saw what I thought might be a sign of the apocolypse: there is a Chili's restaurant a few miles in on the Mexican side of the border. I was shocked to say the least.
Shopping: The stores are not that busy on weekdays. I went to a nearby Target on a Friday, and there were hardly any people in there. I went back the next day to get a few more things, and it was packed. Apparently all of the Mexicans drive across the border on the weekends to go shopping. They will take things out of the packaging and then drive back across the border. This way they avoid paying taxes/fees on it, since there is no way to prove they didn't have it on the way into the States. As far as what stores are here, there is a decent mall very close to my apartment with the typical things like Macy's. Grocery stores are a bit harder to find. I've been told my choices are HEB or Wal-Mart. I've been going to the Target, though, for my basic food supplies.
Wildlife: I already saw my first jackrabbit while I was playing golf one day. I also saw my first "ground squirrel"-a curious little animal that looks like a combination of a chipmunk and a prairie dog. I have also heard something howling at night near my apartment...as long as it doesn't get inside the gate and try to eat me, I think I will be ok.
Apartment: The apartment is ok. It's shelter that has been furnished with just about everything I need, so it works. It's a 2 bed, 2.5 bath place near the airport. I'll talk more about this in future posts, and I will try to upload some pictures.
Golf: I've played golf twice so far, and I have already hooked up with some other gringos from work to play this coming weekend. They've been having a serious drought down here, but everything is still surprisingly green. The courses I have played are in decent shape, and the cost is reasonable. The main thing that is different down here is the wind. I had to hit a 5 iron for a 150 yard shot last weekend (and I normally hit a 5 iron just under 200 yards).
Well, that's about it for now. For the next post, I will talk more about what it's like crossing the border, what Mexico is like, what work is like, etc.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Yes. We have Chili's, Applebees, Tony Romans, and those types of places in Mexico (on top of the ubiquitous fast food places)... don't be too shocked. And yes, Mexicans within 2-h of the border go shopping "on the other side"... it's cheaper sometimes! Choose HEB, it's awesome! (We also have Walmarts and HEBs in Mexico by the way!).
Look at you... playing golf already :)
Post a Comment