CI Group Sponsorship of Paola: July 09 Visit, Part 3

July 09 Visit, Part 3 – Shopping for Paola

We took a long nap, and after we got up Mike wanted to shower, shave, fix his hair, and apply sunblock – a process that takes well over an hour. I showered quickly (like a normal person), then headed for Wal-Mart with a little notebook and a pen. I wanted to write down the prices of their merchandise so I could compare them to what we found during our adventures in the city.

The cost of goods at Wal-Mart was insane!!! I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Most things were priced equally to U.S. stuff, or else way, waayyy higher. Toys were the worst. They seemed to stock very little that had been manufactured in Mexico, so perhaps shipping and tariffs drove the prices up? In any case, a doll or a plastic truck that would cost $10 back home sold for around $30 at the Guadalajara Wal-Mart!

As I meandered through the aisles, I took special note of items that had “sale” price tags, and the discounted stuff displayed on the end caps. There were some specials that looked pretty good – large, fluffy pillows for $3 each, a full set of silverware on sale for $16, etc. – the trouble was that these bargains were so few and far between, and the affordable deals hardly covered everything I had planned to buy. Simple items like toothpaste/brushes and dish soap were outrageously expensive!

While I walked back to our hotel, I pondered what to do. Obviously, Wal-Mart is not the place where the average Mexican family shops … but where could I find a “regular” marketplace? I only had one shopping day, and it just happened to be a SUNDAY, when 2/3 of stores were closed. Even if I could figure out a decent place to buy things for Paola’s household, how would I get the stuff back to our hotel? The nice thing about Wal-Mart was how it was so convenient and close!

A little dejected, I set out with Mike on a walk to the Cathedral downtown. I kept my eye out for open stores along the way, but this was the tourist district, so everything was priced at ‘gringo level’. The one small toy store we ducked into sold only the Armani version of stuffed animals.
Once at the Cathedral, our primary mission was to find a crucifix and chain for Barbara’s sponsored child, Miguel, who will take his first communion this year. Did I mention how I hate to shop? After perusing a half dozen basically identical religious jewelry stores, we finally made the purchase.

Next, we wandered through the aisles of a travel expo set up in the plaza behind the Cathedral. There was a booth sponsored by Zoologico de Guadalajara, where we were able to get discounted tickets for our excursion the next day. We didn’t know how many people we’d be taking with us to the zoo, so we guessed (badly) at 4 adults and 2 children.

On the way back to our hotel, I wanted to stop at a little department/grocery store I’d seen, called Waldo’s. Wow! They had lots of great household stuff, and it was all affordably priced! Between things for Paola and some more for Heather’s child, Brayan, Mike and I filled up three (small) carts full of goods. I was very grateful to be armed with my Wal-Mart pricing notebook, because with it I could easily compare and see which store had the best deal on certain items. Generally, Waldo’s won out, but Wal-Mart had sweet sales on bar soap, rice, and a few other essentials.

A store employee helped us push our purchases to the nearest taxi stand, where we hired a ride back to our hotel. As we drove past Wal-Mart, I stuck my naughty finger out the window, which made our taxi driver laugh out loud.

The hotel owner was startled to see us unload so many things into his lobby. He probably thought we were moving in permanently. The man was even MORE shocked when we returned from Wal-Mart an hour later with ANOTHER overflowing cart full of merchandise!

After our shopping expedition, Mike showered again, while I separated, catalogued, and photographed all of our purchases. I was pretty proud of how well I’d done for a sworn anti-shopper. The one thing that I avoided buying was clothing for the girls. I hadn’t seen the kids yet, plus I suck at guessing garment sizes … not to mention how expensive the clothes were at Wal-Mart. I’ll clothing shop here at home, and mail Paola and her sisters a nice, big box.

Despite our earlier nap, Mike and I were pretty tired. We ate our dinner of bread from the Wal-Mart bakery (day-old; 1 peso per loaf), then crashed into bed.

Stay tuned for itemized lists of what your donation money purchased for Paola’s family …

Liars!!!