Store hopping

I think it's pretty safe to say that it's unlikely you will find every grocery item on your list in one store here in Lima. Grocery shopping can be an adventure, if you're up for it!

At times, it's fun, at times, super annoying, to walk into a grocery store with a list, and leave with everything minus five. So we head to a different store and leave with four of the five things we lack. So we head to a different store for the last thing, and see that this store has items we hadn't seen in the first two stores, so we go ahead and buy them too, because they may not be there next week!

I get so excited when I see a new product or something I haven't seen in a while. I'm not sure why, but they seem to try out certain products for a few months, and then discontinue them - of course, they're usually things imported from the U.S. that we love - and it's so disappointing when they disappear.

Some of the things that may or may not be in any given store at any given time are: sour cream, icing, syrup, Pringles, certain cereals, instant oatmeal, cereal bars, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, corn, canned soup, imported ice cream.....on and on I could go. It's a gamble every time and just because it's not in the first store doesn't mean it won't be in the next one and just because it's in the second one doesn't mean it won't be in the first one next month!

Grocery shopping is a big deal. It takes up a good chunk of time. It's something I have to do every week. I will keep doing it. Sometimes it's fun, other times, it's a hassle. I miss Wal-Mart.

Miriam