Lunch at Chayito

You may remember my cranky blog about last week’s lunch ….well you’ll be happy to hear that this week turned out much better. 

Our auriga (red truck) driver arrived right on time and all 11 of us were loaded up.  This is the same driver we’ve had in the past and he is always very pleasant and easy going.  We asked how much it would be to take us downtown to the restaurant and he said “ How much do you want to pay?  We said “ 10 pesos each” and he said “fine.”  Way more than reasonable so we gave him 200 pesos which is a 90 peso tip.  It pays to be easy to get along with.  Nice man.

I liked his T shirt and took a picture. 

He drove the east route which bypasses the very busy Golden Zone and we passed Soriana’s and Home Depot before heading back down to the malecon. 

At the very big intersection by Soriana’s and Home Depot there is a long wait at the light and many vendors are in the traffic selling their wares.  Ruth and Sandi bought big baskets of strawberries for 50 pesos each.  Gotta love Mexico where you can shop for groceries in traffic!

A gringomobile….it has a single wheel in the back. 

We’re on the malecon now and you can see Valentino’s in the sea fog behind us.

Downtown and coming towards the shrimp ladies we pass one of the large commercial flower vendors at this end of town.  Here you can buy any beautiful flower or arrangement that your heart desires. 

The long line of shrimp vendors starts…

and continues.  Yes…it definitely smells shrimpy here. 

Around the corner and we arrive at Chayito. 

Today’s menu is posted out front on the chalk board. 

We seat ourselves on the outside patio and when the menu comes we see that it is the breakfast menu.  Oh no….not again.  Well it’s noon and lunch isn’t being served until 1pm so that is why there was confusion last week.  The restaurant was open but….lunch isn’t served until 1pm.  What now?

Some were up to move to another restaurant and some weren’t and in the end we had chips/salsa and queso fresco and ordered drinks.  We decided we would wait and have lunch here.“

Sandi, Bets, Geri and I started out at this table but the table was too high and the chairs too low so we moved.  Then…it was too hot in the sun so….we moved back and changed the chairs to these higher ones.  Then Sandi said “ Your chair is taller than mine.”  I said “ No, your shorter than me that’s why I look higher.”  She had to try my chair to believe me!  I said it’s like that thing with wine in a big glass looks like less than the same amount in a small glass…optical illusion. 

This is camaron Angelica in a molcajete pot which was ordered off the chalkboard menu.  Piping hot and delicious.  Geri and Sandi shared one pot and….

Bets ordered her own.  She said she hadn’t had breakfast but in the end she had to take some home. 

Geri and Sandi share. 

I ordered smoked marlin machaca which I have never had before.  Very good. 

Various taco plates waiting to be served.

Funny story about this beautiful “ ensalada” or salad plate that Angie ordered.  Angie is Dutch and has a bit of an accent and when she ordered she said “ enchilada” but the waitress heard “enselada!”  Angie said her salad was very good!

Another molcajete at the other end of the table. 

Anita’s lunch.

Val’s lunch.

Lunch was good.  Ruth’s friend Marilyn at the end of the table had ordered breakfast and had eaten before us.  Slight problem with a hunk of eggshell in her omelet.  They apologized but I don’t know if they gave her a discount.

Sandi and Geri ordered Guayabita pie which is made from guava’s and generously gave everyone a taste.  Huge slices and they even got to take some home.  Delicious.

So lunch was good.  Service was good and I think everyone was happy with today’s outing.  A place we would all eat at again.

At this point everyone split up and went their separate ways.  I was off to….

one of the Dulcerias (candy store) to replenish our supplies.  I hit another one down the street as well and loaded up. 

Then I was off to the market to catch a bus to the Gran Plaza. 

Inside the market you can buy anything from soup to nuts and everything in between. 

Now for a bus to the Gran Plaza.  I got on a Chula Vista which said it went to the Gran Plaza and it did.  It was a long ride and most of the time I didn’t have any idea where I was!  Interesting to me and I wasn’t in a hurry anyhow. 

I wanted to renew the time on our internet stick so I went to the TelCel booth in the mall.  They have a huge kiosk with a large amount of people at a long counter and I waited until I was called to a young lady who spoke very good English.  I wanted to change the amount of Gigs per month from 5 to something less as we had only used 2 Gigs in 50 days.  I got 2 Gigs for 40 days for 300 pesos and now I can just renew it at an Oxo.  I could only change the plan at a TelCel booth not at an Oxo.  The stick works great, blazing fast and really good service. 

So done with that and now to find another bus home.  I waited at the front of the mall and decided to take a Toreo instead of a Cerritos Juarez home.    The Toreo’s route went back up by Soriana’s and Home Depot on the east route and not through the Golden Zone and I was home in no time. 

  While I was away Eric went to the beach where the waves were good and got two swims and a beach walk.

A good day for both of us.