The Current Search
There are times here when you really have to search for what you want/need at a particular time. Like when I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and couldn't find chocolate chips in any of the grocery stores. Upon asking the landlord a few questions, I was told that you find them in a cake supply shop. OK, makes sense, I guess.
Well, the current search is for shoes for Roy. This might surprise anyone that has ever spent any time in Mexico, as shoe stores abound. Yes, they do, as long as you have a pretty standard foot. Unfortunately, Roy is a tall man and has a size 12 foot.
We have previously bought shoes for Roy here in the old Mercado in centro, so yesterday that is where we headed. We figured that there was no reason to even ask at any of the other shoes stores downtown, as we had gone that route before and had been unsucessful.
The old Mercado building has been going through a rejuvenation that last year or so and some things have changed. The vendor where we previously got him shoes, no longer carries the size 12's, maybe not enough call for them? Anyway we were out of luck there, so we started doing the shoe store tour. The largest ones we could find were size 10 ½ and those were not going to fit.
We noticed a shoe repair store so stopped in there and asked if there was a shoemaker in Guaymas, thinking that this might be our last recourse. The lady there asked us what size we needed and then laughed and suggested we "cut some off of his feet". At this point I was ready to agree to anything and said, "OK". She laughed and seemed to think that I hadn't understood her, as she kept repeating it and saying, "OK". When I turned to Roy and explained to him what she had said, she seemed to realise that I had understood her and we all had a good laugh together, before getting down to business. No, there is no shoemaker in Guaymas, apparently there is one in Empalme; but they didn't know his name or address there.
I remembered one more store off of the beaten track and we tried it; but they only had ladies/childrens shoes. They told us that they have a mens footwear store in the Plaza Ley and that yes, they have that size. I have to go and pay the cable bill and go to the bank this morning so we will head over to the mall from there and look for that store.
When we returned home I asked the landlords where they get their sons shoes as his feet are about Roys size. They told us that the store in the mall won't have his size and that they get them in the USA when they go and then they bring back a few pair.
We will try the store this morning anyway and hope for the best. No, we asked and they won't special order any in, they don't do that apparently.
So.......if you are coming to live down here and have big feet, bring lots of shoes with you.
