Hunting and Gathering: Our First Ventures Into Grocery Shopping

We visited two grocery stores in Coronado...the Poli (Pole-ee) and the Super Centro (SC). I think there might be another couple grocers as well that we haven't visited. There is one called MasXMenos that I would like to try. We went to the Poli first because its closest, but the SC isn't much further away.

We also made it to a Walmart, Pequena Mundo (Small World), and Auto Mercado. Clark joked that there is a supermarket on every corner the way we have churches on every corner is the USA.

My favorite store we have visited is the Pequeno Mundo (PM). I would compare it to Sam's Club. Clark might choose PM too just because we found Dr. P Zero there. We were hunting peanut butter too and we were able to get it for a reasonable price. Walmart is overrated. The AutoMercado probably had the most similar feel to a regular USA grocery store. 

Update 1/30/25: my definite favorite since writing this post is MASXMENOS (mas por menos); owned by Walmart and feels the most like a USA grocery store, Great Value brand included!

A couple of the stores have underground parking. We can't help laughing when we park because the polished concrete flooring in the parking garage makes the tires sounds like loud farting as you turn them into the space. 

At the Walmart, there was a flat slanted escalator going up into the store. This accommodates taking the grocery carts in and out. Craig had fun with that. 

We definitely cannot get everything we could get in the states or at least as conveniently. The modern solution is to order on Amazon but there aren't really addresses here so that doesn't work well. In fact, they don't get mail at the house at all. There aren't mailboxes.

I've had to improvise on some things. I needed a dish scrub brush with a handle and ended up with a flat scrubber. Our sink doesn't have a drain plug to hold water for washing. I ended up with a square basket to pour in the heated water from the kettle, scrub the dishes there then transfer to the sink for rinsing.

At the Super Centro, we weighed our produce in the produce area to get a price sticker before going to check out. We received a free liter of Coca Cola; not sure why but that was lovely. 

The way to buy most kinds of meat is to ask for it over the counter. I had to convert pounds to kilos and Rose said she thought the butcher found our interaction amusing. The only prepacked meat is stuff like hot dogs and luncheon meat. 

Costa Ricans seem quite environmentally cautious, so you BYO sacks or must purchase them at check out.

They don't sell medicine in the supermarket. You have to go to the "farmicia". In Australia, it's called the "chemist". All the medicine is behind the counter. You wait to tell the attendant what you are shopping for, they collect it, and then you pay.

One thing I haven't found yet is taco seasoning. I will look up a recipe and make my own. I did pick up some cream of mushroom soup! Soon I am going to try to make gallo pinto. We are still figuring out what we can cook without an oven. 

I'm sure in a few weeks I'll have a nice rhythm going of which stores I need for what and get set in my way of getting the shopping done.