Sensory Overload...

Well, my trip to Immigrations today, to get my visa renewed while I (not so) patiently await the final approval and arrival of my residency carnet went okay.  Not good, but okay.  Actually, I guess it wasn't even okay.  They only gave me a 30-day extension and then told me that I can't get another extension without making some kind of forward progress on my paperwork.  When I said that all of my paperwork is in, and that I'm waiting for things on their end, I was told that I'm missing some papers.  Of course, no one could tell me what I'm missing.  After standing in another line, then waiting in that same line, we still had no answers.  Then a call to OIM (the organization supposedly helping) revealed that the person we needed to talk to was in a meeting.  Her voice mailbox was full.  

Hmmm, Sandi decided that we would just drive on over to the OIM office and talk to Ana Rut in person.  So, we drive over there, past the American Embassy, sit at the most bizarre traffic light, get honked at, park, and then walk up the stairs to the OIM office.  Um, what's going on here?  The office is... gone.  That's right, the office that was there just a few months ago is not there.  No sign on the door informing us of their new location.  Just... gone.

During our lunch at TGIFriday's, Sandi called the OIM again to find out where their new location is.  Apparently they moved somewhere near the Panama Embassy.  We have no idea where that is, but I'm sure we'll find out.  Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this, I'm still waiting on my residency carnet and only have 30 more days on my visa.

After lunch, we went to PriceSmart and then to HiperPaiz.  HiperPaiz is the Honduran WalMart.  Not just 'like' a WalMart.  It IS WalMart.  Right down to the Great Value and Equate house brands.  Yes, it's pretty cool.  The store is not nearly as large as most WalMarts in the US, but it's still a dizzying experience.

I truly experienced sensory overload while we were in there.  So many varieties of produce.  Fresh herbs, just like in the States, but instead of being $3-4 for a small bag of basil, that same bag of fresh basil was about 35¢.  Not all the prices were less than in the States though.  All of the imported goods were definitely more than US prices, but still less than buying them here in Comayagua ~ if they can even be found here.

Cream cheese.  At least five different brands of cream cheese.  Not only that, but they had Philadelpha brand Cream Cheese,  Reduced Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, tubs of WHIPPED Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and tubs of Salmon, Pineapple and Strawberry Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  That's not one flavor, but three, of course.

What about peanut butter?  They've got it:  Peter Pan (smooth and crunchy), Skippy, and 3 different off brands.  I'm used to going into the grocery store and seeing peanut butter.  One brand.  If you want peanut butter, you take what's on the shelf.

Two full aisles of back to school supplies.  TWO.  And, end caps with more school supplies.

Seriously, I went into sensory overload and it got me wondering what it's going to be like when I head back to the States at the end of April.  How will I deal with so much variety.  Too many choices may not be such a good thing.

My biggest disappointment was while I was looking for toothpaste.  Now, I'm a Crest kind of gal. Do you think that they had Crest toothpaste?  Nope.  Not one variety.  Not one tube.  Sure, they had row upon row of Colgate.  Gel, non-gel.  Whitening. Mouthwash enhanced.  Colgate toothpaste for as far as the eye could see.  They even had several varieties of Sensodyne, plus several other brands.  But Crest?  I guess I was getting greedy to think they might have it.  I'm glad I've got enough to last until April!!