Supermarket produce section

I apologize. Yesterday I showed the supermarket dairy section, but my wife said that I should have shown the produce section because people would be more interested in the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables than the dairy section.

That was news to me. I figured people would be most interested in the wine section, which is why I showed it more than a year ago. I do have guests renting our condos who ask me in advance about the wine selection in the area, but I don't recall anyone sending me an email to seek reassurance that they will be able to buy lots of fresh vegetables while on vacation at the beach.

Oh, well. I have learned that when my wife (Julie of Scottsdale Daily Photo) makes a suggestion, it is usually either (1) a good idea, or (2) I should probably follow the suggestion regardless of whether the suggestion is a good idea. So, here is a photo of the produce section of the Auto Mercado supermarket in the Garden Plaza Shopping Center in Tamarindo. If you think it was boring to share this photo showing the availability of fresh vegetables and fruit in our small beach resort town, please blame Julie rather than me.

Our photos this week on Viva la Voyage show Xcaret, an eco-park with a dinner show extravaganza on the Riviera Maya south of Cancun, Mexico.

Supermarket dairy section

I have shown some of the dairy country in Costa Rica's highlands during the last two days and also about a week or so ago. Here is the dairy section of the Auto Mercado supermarket in the Garden Plaza Shopping Center in Tamarindo. It carries Costa Rican brands, such as Monteverde cheese, and imported products familiar to Canadian and American visitors and foreign residents.

I frequently get questions about the availability of grocery stores from people who are inquiring about vacationing in Tamarindo and considering renting one of our two condos. The supermarket is comparable to modern supermarkets in the USA and Canada, as you should be able to see in this photo.

Our photos this week on Viva la Voyage show Xcaret, an eco-park with a dinner show extravaganza on the Riviera Maya south of Cancun, Mexico.

Is this supermarket in Costa Rica or the USA?

Above is a photo of just the wine selection in the supermarket that I showed the day before yesterday. This wide selection is to satisfy the international residents and tourists who want to enjoy their favorite wines from the USA, France, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Italy & elsewhere.

The above photo shows a regular aisle in the Auto Mercado supermarket. I posted a photo of the entrance to the supermarket two days ago. People can buy groceries in Tamarindo in a modern supermarket just like in the USA, Canada and Europe. They can enjoy preparing the same food and wine that they have at home. The only difference is that after they enjoy their meal, they can get out of the kitchen and enjoy a tropical paradise.

The supermarket in Costa Rica has newspapers that may remind people of the supermarket tabloids at home. On a recent trip to this supermarket, I noticed that the Costa Rican newspapers had blazing front page headlines and photos of . . . Britney Spears vacationing on the beach just south of Tamarindo. She and her parents were staying at a house near Tamarindo owned by Mel Gibson. Yes, the supermarkets in Costa Rica are just like the ones in the USA.

Supermarket

This is a supermarket in the Garden Plaza Shopping Center at the entrance to Tamarindo. Have you ever seen a grocery store with a water feature like this in front of it for decoration? There is some parking next to the store, and a large underground parking garage. There are about 30 shops in this shopping center, with the supermarket and a home furnishings store being the two biggest.

This supermarket would be considered a high quality store by U.S. or European standards. It has a large produce section, fresh fish, butcher shop, fresh bakery, huge wine department, frozen foods, and it carries lots of imported foods from the USA and Canada. I will post a couple of photos of the inside of the store the day after tomorrow, and tell a little story that I hope will amuse you.

This supermarket, called Auto Mercado, is a chain based in San Jose that opened in Tamarindo last August. A friend of mine who was in the store on the day it opened said that the operators of the other, small grocery stores and convenience markets in Tamarindo were walking around the supermarket checking out the prices with which they were going to have to compete. You have to feel sorry for the owners of the small, local stores.

This photo, and my previously posted photo of
another part of this same Garden Plaza Shopping Center offer a contrast to the older main part of town shown in yesterday's photo.