We decided to take a day trip to Chetumal, Mexico to visit the Sam’s Club Warehouse Store. It was about a 1 hour and 40 minute boat ride on the San Pedro Water Jet Express. The cost of the boat ride was $110BZ roundtrip each. We were met with the Mexican federalies with drug dogs at the border and after a quick search of our purses and bags and a trip around everyone by the drug sniffing dogs.…we were on our way.
The Sam’s Club Warehouse Store was only a few blocks walking distance from the dock. We arrived at the Sam’s Club to find it very clean and looked pretty much just like the one at home. We had googled the exchange of the Mexican peso to the American dollar before we left so we could calculate the prices. It was approximately 13.5 pesos to $1.00 American.
We then made a visit to the pharmacy at Sam’s. We wanted to ask about a medication that Bill has to have for his glaucoma. The pharmacist and tech did not speak English very well..so they asked us to write down the name of the medication. So I wrote it down and handed it to the pharmacist. He then picked it out off the shelf and handed it directly to me. I asked him if you needed a prescription and he said NO. We thought wow, no prescription. He calculated the cost and it was less than $30.00US. In the US the medication is approximately $300.00 and our co-pay is $60.00. So that was a great deal and so easy.
Before we left Sam’s…we filled up a large suitcase with supplies for Pedro’s Inn, which was where we were staying while in Belize. The owner of the inn, Peter needed garbage bags. So we loaded as many boxes of garbage bags as we could fit in the suitcase to take back with us. Everyone kind of works on the “buddy system” in Belize.
Our next stop was the Plaza las Americas. It is an American-style shopping center built and opened in 2004. It has many shops and large department stores such as Liverpool (which reminded me of a BELKS) and Chedraui supermarket.
We then made a visit to the pharmacy at Sam’s. We wanted to ask about a medication that Bill has to have for his glaucoma. The pharmacist and tech did not speak English very well..so they asked us to write down the name of the medication. So I wrote it down and handed it to the pharmacist. He then picked it out off the shelf and handed it directly to me. I asked him if you needed a prescription and he said NO. We thought wow, no prescription. He calculated the cost and it was less than $30.00US. In the US the medication is approximately $300.00 and our co-pay is $60.00. So that was a great deal and so easy.
Before we left Sam’s…we filled up a large suitcase with supplies for Pedro’s Inn, which was where we were staying while in Belize. The owner of the inn, Peter needed garbage bags. So we loaded as many boxes of garbage bags as we could fit in the suitcase to take back with us. Everyone kind of works on the “buddy system” in Belize.
Our next stop was the Plaza las Americas. It is an American-style shopping center built and opened in 2004. It has many shops and large department stores such as Liverpool (which reminded me of a BELKS) and Chedraui supermarket.
The mall also has a food court where you can find some internationally recognized chains such as McDonalds and Domino's pizza, and some unique to Chetumal, such as Don Jose and Sergio's Pizza. You can also enjoy the cinema complex of the Mexican chain "Cinepolis", with 13 first class cinema rooms, including 2 macro screens that project the films. The majority of the films are in English with subtitles in Spanish, so those who speak little or no Spanish can enjoy them as well. Many of the expats (short for expatriate) in Belize usually make an overnight trip to Chetumal. They shop, go to dinner at a nice restaurant and see a movie before returning back to Belize.
San Pedro Water Jet Express
Mexican Border at Chetumal
Mexican Federalies
Drug Search
Sam's Club Warehouse
Plaza las Americas Mall
The Food Court
The Movie Theatre
Food court and movie theater pictures make me wish we were in Mexico today.
ReplyDeleteMakes me wish we were going to be back in Mexico and Belize this week.
ReplyDelete