21 December, 2018

‘Tis the season to pay my timeshare maintenance fees. Since I’m in Mazatlán I hopped on the Sabalo Centro bus and visited the Costa de Oro in person. Yes – the answer is that they are STILL making non-guests pay the day fee just to visit the bar or restaurant! 350 Pesos for non owners of a timeshare, 175 for owners who are not staying at the hotel. Crazy. Anyway, paid my two weeks of maintenance fees … only 3 more years left before my contracts run out! That time went by quickly!

Afterwards I thought I’d walk down to a furniture store and take a look at bar stools. Mine are in a condition in which I don’t want to tempt fate by sitting on. And the furniture store is on the same street as the Costa de Oro, so I’d make the most of the 11 pesos in bus fare!

While walking, I realized that perhaps the store was a tad further than I wanted to journey without wheels. As the realization hit I noticed Chile’s Pepper restaurant looming ahead! I’ve never been there. Heard good things, but it’s North of the Costa de Oro, which is the opposite direction of things that interest me. So this is the perfect opportunity! I can procrastinate on my bar stools once again, AND get an adult beverage and a little lunch! Win-Win!

Chile’s Pepper isn’t all that big, but it has several tables overlooking the beach. Not many customers today, so there was a good selection of tables available. I found one with a support pole providing a little shade, and sat myself down. A michelada and an order of fish and chips later and I was a happy camper! Service was good, the view was excellent, the food was nice (fish was cubed before being battered and fried, but it wasn’t dry), and the michelada was cold and refreshing! A little on the pricey side – but this is the tourist zone and I expected it.

After sitting for a bit, I took off my shoes and walked the beach back to the bus stop in front of the Costa de Oro. A little stop at my neighborhood marisqueria before going home, and I now have a liter of shrimp ceviche in the fridge! Mmmm! Let’s see if I can make it through the night without finding a spoon!