Today was spent making a trip to the Mega store (smaller low quality Fred Meyers) and Chedraui's (not quite a Thriftway) provisioning the boat for the next 3 weeks at least. Shopping is the easy part though Morris may disagree....We walked to the stores (about 10 blocks each time) then taxied back with the haul x2 trips.

For those land lubbers not quite sure what "provisioning" entails let me catch you up. All the labels need to be removed from cans, all cardboard discarded on the dock, all veggie's washed in bleach water then dried. Not too bad relatively speaking...just time consuming. The big deal is cramming all 20 bags of STUFF into every available nook and cranny on the boat.

Wine is either Chilean, Argentinean, or Mexican and very high priced. Future cruisers bring your own stash from the States otherwise learn to enjoy margaritas or rum punch. Not a bad alternative as I sip mine....Tequila and Ron (rum) are reasonably priced. Vodka, gin are pretty spendy. Not sure about Whiskey...sorry Lani but I have not seen any Crown anywhere.

Things I cannot find and wish I had brought (or brought more of): horseradish, good quality unbleached high protein flour for bread, applesauce, canned fruits (all they have here is fruit cocktail and pineapple), corn starch, pizza sauce, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, breakfast sausage, lemon grass, canned pumpkin, chuck roast, quality coffee (I brought 5 lbs, but it was not enough by far), dried mushrooms all kinds, I am wishing for Prime Rib for Christmas and am settling for a very small Butterball turkey breast. Jerky is non-existent but I do not miss it (though it was a good passage snack).

Things I DID bring and am happy I did because you cannot find it here: anchovy paste, crystallized eggs, tube tomato paste, tube ginger/cilantro/ Thai seasoning/garlic, better than bouillon beef/chicken/mushroom stock, grape leaves (for dolmas), ground lamb (alas only have 3 lbs left), chili (yes I admit a liking for Nalleys), pine nuts for pesto that go with the fab fresh basil at the organic market Tue and Sat, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, quality lunch meat (everything here looks like bologna), granola, biscotti, Crisco for baking (your alternative is lard or butter), lemon juice, produce savers (green bags, and reusit veggie savers). Make sure you have ALL your favorite spices as they have the basics here and not much more. Do not count on Costco or Sam's Club to have all your USA favorites or brands as they will not. They have a very small area dedicated to "USA" favorites, but it is extremely limited and "specialty" priced.

Things I would like to have and did not bring (on my Amazon.com wish list for Chelsea to bring down)...dehydrator (I will find one and make room for it somehow), eyeglass repair kit, OXO cinch bins, powdered peanut butter, Local Reef fish/creatures ID books by Paul Humann, Bird ID book, Marine Mammal ID book.

Well that is all I can pull together tonight. We have a Christmas Bazaar and Marine swap meet tomorrow morning to investigate. Then we are off to Mercado Bravo for the Tortilla lady and farm fresh green tomatoes (we buy them green so they ripen gradually on our trip). Afterwards we get to pull the boat together to head out Monday morning. Morris has a theory that the number of days staying at a marina or on hook in one location is proportional to the time it take to prep for a journey. Observing that theory we have our work cut out for us. Happy weekend, and until next time.