Shopping in Mexico

Grocery shopping in Mexico presents its own challenge.  Other than the marina store and a multitude of local tiendas there are several major supermarkets in our area of La Paz, all of which bear some resemblance to Publix or Winn Dixie in the S.E. states.  We have a new WalMart supercenter, Ley's, Soriana's, CCC's and Armbruro's.  Many of these stores have pharmacias within the store, but don't look for OTC eye drops, contact lens solution, facial products or other such goodies as may be found either in Publix or Walgreens.  I'm sure they are here somewhere, but still haven't found all of them.
The strange thing for me is finding bras and panties on the aisle next to laundry detergent and thousand dollar fishing poles at the end of the beer aisle.  Still, we have managed, with electronic translator in hand, to find almost everything we want and certainly all that we need.  Apparently my translator goofed when it comes to "yeast." Whenever I give them the Spanish word clerks simply shake their heads, shrug their shoulders and, I'm pretty sure, make the loco sign when my back is turned.  Consequently I've not yet baked bread which is somewhat of a disappointment to Larry. I'm sure there is yeast to be found somewhere here in La Paz and for now I will just enjoy the hunt.
Oddly enough, one of the household chores I've always enjoyed is shopping for food and then putting everything away when I get home; I guess it's knowing that the pantry is full that gives me satisfaction.
On a sailboat the challenge is two fold: first where do I put all of the dry goods, and secondly how do I make all of the vegetables and fruits safe to eat.  Although Milagro is spacious for a boat of its size it is still a problem finding room for foodstuff.  In Florida I often bought in bulk but here I can barely find room for 1 extra pound of coffee or a 12 pack of diet Coke. This is something I have to work on as when we cruise I'll be stocking for weeks and maybe even months!

After washing and disinfecting...don't they look fabulous?

Secondly, not only the "retiring in Mexico" books, but local cruisers as well suggest strongly that all fresh items be cleaned in the following manner before ingesting.  Each item should be washed with a few drops of detergent and then rinsed in running water.  Then they are to be soaked for 30 minutes in large bowls of "safe" water to which either a recomended amount of disinfectant drops or chlorine bleach has been added.
So far the extra steps have proven effective.  Larry's answer is to eat fewer vegetables as they are hardly his favorite, but for me they are the best part of any meal so the effort is worthwhile.
At first when we shopped we simply pushed a handful of pesos toward the clerk and hoped she gave us proper change.  By now we are better at comprehending Spanish numbers and currency, and we know how many pesos exchange for an American dollar, so we are a bit more savvy.
Each shopping trip is an adventure as we meet new people, learn more vocabulary and see more and more of the city.