My day in pictures. The same view as last night but in morning light.
Caribbean beach
At the dentist. Dr. Rubén, he is a diver and a rock and roll lover and a great dentist.
el doctor Rubén
No Wolves!
At Monex to get the money to pay the wonderful Dr Rubén. I noticed while waiting that there is no smoking, no wolves allowed and only authorized personnel.
I took the camera with me all day but missed/forgot to take pictures of the wonderful fish tacos, the car insurance office, the excursion to Sam’s club or the long line at Bancomer.
Let’s talk shoes for a minute. I own one pair of sneakers, New Balance of course, that are moldering in my closet. I’ve worn them once, maybe, in two years. I also have several pair of Crocs which are berated for their style but are the best shoe there is for curing back and knee problems. I only wear them when something hurts.
I have 5 pair of chanclas. This is a cool word to know in Spanish, almost as good as being able to say with confidence, ¡no manches güey!
In California English, they are flip-flops, I have no idea what they are called in the rest of the English speaking world.
I think you could sum up my life plan as never having to wear anything but chanclas.
glow in the dark chanclas
I’m always looking for new, different and better chanclas. I found a pair today in Sam’s in Playa del Carmen. I was chillin’ in them on the deck tonight and discovered they have day-glo parts – whatever you call it when they glow in the dark – disco chanclas. Yeah!
My bad taste in footwear is particularly gauche here in shoe fetish land. If there is anything you could generalize about with this diverse country, it would be their obsession with shoes. Good lord, there are more shoe stores than taco stands in this Republic.
I think that the first thing any Mexican woman notices about any other woman is her shoes. I flunk that test right off the bat, no need for further discussion. Thus, I am fine in my walking shorts anywhere I go because my shoes have already relegated me to the depths of a class based society. There are benefits to being immediately identified as white trash… give me a minute and I’ll think of one.
Your new space is neat and attractive. The photos are bright and attractive. And shoes are the thing here in Honduras, too. I flunk that as well. I wear sandals that are comfy.
“There are benefits to being immediately identified as white trash… give me a minute and I’ll think of one.”
You are less likely to be kidnapped and held for a large ransom – simply not looking the wealthy part in those chanclas.
Then there is the comfort factor – …and who cares what this looks like it feels good!
There’s two for you Amiga.
Jonna, I live in flips. You name the color and I have it. The glow in the dark flips are really cool!
Jonna, I bought my new favorite sandals while we were in Merida. Flip flops but with straw soles (by your feet) and rubber (on the ground). Perfect if your feet perspire. I should have bought ten pairs!
I also meant to say that it’s funny but I have only once found a pair of sandals here anything like those, and they were imported from Vietnam. It is strange how items like that are so regional, they were all over Merida!
I used to call flipflops “thongs”, until thong came to hologram a completely different item of clothing. Now it’s flips or flipflops. Jeez, how I love the shoe shops in Ticul, sure – they’re not the best quality, lotsa plastic, but to me shoes are fun, not an ego/id maker/breaker. I can get 5 pairs for $40/50 US and best of all, once a Ticul salesperson said to me, “You have such small feet for such a tall person”…. I may do have a smaller foot (size 6), but I’m only 5.5. I’m a tall women in the Yuc, my friend Irene, who’s 5.11 – we called her “La Piramide”!
I’m with you, I want to live the rest of my life in chanclas! I have the pure rubber ones for rain/hurricane duty, but favourite, oh so comfy chanclas I got at a store called “Mar Caribe” (it’s a chain). They are like pillows on your feet, when my last pair died, I immediately went to get exactly the same pair. Pillow chanclas forever!
My DH says you can always tell a Gringa from a Mexicana by their shoes. I am unable to wear chanclas due to arthritis. I have my NOB “comfort” sandals, but just bought a pair of Mexican sandals and they are surprisingly comfortable. Getting my size is difficult, and I am already so tall compared to the locals, so wearing those Mexican sandals with a 3″ heel makes me a giant. But I do love that I pass the shoe test with the Mexican women.
Funny about sizes here, I usually buy men’s shoes so they will fit. I have pretty big feet, 8 or 8.5 in the US, and it is a good thing that I don’t want those 3 inch heels from Ticul or chanclas dripping with doo-dads because I’d never find them in my size 26. Thus I buy the men’s chanclas which are roomier, come in my size and have less stuff and glitter on them. For this, I pay more. When I found these chanclas in Sam’s yesterday I was waffling because the price was 145 pesos and I didn’t want to spend that much on regular Chinese made chanclas. I did spend 300 pesos on some really nice, comfy Nike ones (probably also made in China) a couple months ago but these were not that. Anyway, I decide to get them and when I get to the cashier they are 165 pesos. Hmph! I ask and it turns out that my size – same exact shoe – is a men’s and thus cost 20 pesos more. Life in the giant sizes.
Joanne, your DH is right. Of course, in my case there are other clues like my height, eyes and accent. I’d rather wear comfortable shoes than blend in even if it were an option. I am amazed at how well they travel in some serious shoes over cobblestones, holes and bumps in sidewalks and all kinds of other obstacles. A future Olympic event, or a new Amazing Race but in flimsy heels.
Funny thing, once my offer was accepted on my (future) new place in Merida, my realtor took me to a nearby B&B to meet the owner (convenient place to stay for visits during the construction process). The very first thing she said (before “Hello”) was “Oh, you wear Arche shoes!” She’s American, but guess she’s lived in Mexico too long.
I keep buying pretty shoes but mostly wear my chanclas and other sandal type shoes. I recently spent over $200 (pesos not dollars) on a pair of chanclas at Costco. I put them on, looked at the price, walked away, came back, put them on again, and eventually bought them. These are my dress chanclas cuz they have a little gold thread but mostly I bought them because they 1)have arch support and 2) the arch support actually fits my little fat flat feet!
regards,
Theresa
Jonna that view across the water never gets boring does it? Morning light? 11:59am maybe…check the shadows under the palapas….I guess that was early for a night person…
Good call Kathe!
Yep! I slept until 11am and went to sit on the deck with my coffee. It was wonderful because I’ve been getting up by 9am for weeks and I miss my morning sleep.
I live in flip-flop crocs. One pair for the island, one pair for going to Cancun. I don’t care what I look like, I’m comfortable and my feet don’t hurt. It kills me to put on shoes. I have noticed that a lot of woman care about shoes, and they are able to wear some very flattering styles that show off nice ankles and legs. Not me, I’m with you on this one. Isn’t it nice to get to the age where you no longer care what others think about your personal style? Liberating!