Today is the last full day of our ten day Queretaro-area trip. We decided to eat cheap for lunch and splurge for dinner. So we headed down to the mercado where we knew there are lots of cheap food vendors.
The problem at the mercado is selection. We walked around and noticed that, of the more than 30 food vendors, there was two or three that was standing room-only packed.
The next problem with eating in the mercado is unknown food choices. One of the three busy food stalls was doing a brisk business in hauraches. So I looked up hauraches. Yes they are a Mexican sandal. But they are also a thickly fried piece of masa dough, shaped like a haurache, covered in beans, meat, cheese and grilled nopale slices. We initially thought the nopale was green beans. While discussing the confusing topping options (arrachera, Oaxaca, cecina, chorizo, and more), one of the diners offered to help us order.
We ended up with arrachera with Salsa Verde for me and Randall going all in with Salsa Rojo. We stood eating. They were worth standing up for but hard to cut into while holding with one hand. Two seats freed up halfway through and we gladly sat down to finish. The cooks wanted to know where we were from. When we said “Oklahoma” they smiled and said “Texas.” Yes. Close enough.
Before we left, we both kinda wondered if ten days was going to be a bit long. Randall is definitely ready to check on Nyango. I am too, but I have totally enjoyed everyday, every church, every mural and every mile walked.
The weather has been perfect. We kept our flight costs down by only taking small backpacks so I packed and repacked a few times trying to get down to the essentials. I have worn everything I packed except a bikini top. So guess what I’m wearing to our Valentine’s dinner? Ha. No way.
I know my posts are a little too “everything is so great.” So I was trying to think what wasn’t great. It’s the public bathrooms.
First, you often have to pay a few pesos. Which isn’t much but you need to dig around for the coins. And it’s usually urgent because you’ve been eating/drinking too much and looking too long for a bathroom so digging for the coins is irritating. A few even dole you out your toilet paper when you pay so you got to make sure that does the job.
Of course, the public bathrooms are rarely clean and the water/soap dispenser/driers may also not work. But, really, all that can be lived with. Those things aren’t. Really. The. Worst.
Maybe you want me to stop already but you are kinda on the journey so here it is. The worst thing about Mexico public toilets is that the toilets almost never have toilet seats. No. WTH?
Did the founding fathers decree this? We went to a historical museum today and, of course, didn’t understand a single explanatory placard. But I don’t think the guys in these murals above and below would really think up such a system.
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