....since y'all have been so patient, here is a little bonus story for yas.
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Bonus episode: this is not about Tijuana but Matamoros. It was the occasion of our 10th wedding anniversary. My parents came to house sit and watch the kids while we had a week on the Guadalaupe River in New Braunfels and another week on the beach on South Padre Island. It was during the week on Padre that we decided to cross the border into Matamoros to see the sites and do some shopping in the notorious flea market there.
We drove to the border in Brownsville Texas and parked in a small lot and walked through the border gates into Matamoros. No problem. there are cabs galore and some guys in uniforms that are walking guides. We hired one of these guys to show us the scenic rout to the flea Market. His English was good and he had a good sense of humor. We enjoyed his spiel. When we got to the flea market he told his his name and said he'd be in the area if we needed his services any further.
We did our shopping and I had a good time. I love to haggle and these folks were great. A couple of them were a close match to my skills and passion for it. We bought leather and gold Mexican silver and turquoise and some other stuff and later I figure out that if I'd paid the original asking price for everything we bought I'd have spent over 1200 bux but I got everything for exactly 100 bux. I was pretty happy with myself but I still knew I got beat pretty badly. Still it was a lot of fun.
When we were done there we decided to walk around on our own a bit. Before we could turn two corners we were out of the touristy looking areas and I was lost like a goose in a snow storm. I was keeping my eyes open for one of those walking guides but I never did see one.
Finally we came to what looked like a town square. there was a huge oak tree coming up out of the ground and around it was a very ornamental stone bench. One of the businesses in the plaza there was a small shop that sold snacks and drinks. We sat on the stone bench and I went to get us something cold to drink. It was 102 deg F. and the shade from the oak tree provided little relief.
All the drinks were in these plastic dispensers that bubble the drinks inside. None of the people behind the counter spoke a word of English so I had to go with my gut feeling on the drinks. One was obviously lemonade, one was blue and I had no clue what that could be an the other was red. Every flavor I could think of that was red was good but my favorite one never even occurred to me. I ordered a large lemonade for Miss Pam and a Large "red" for me. All I had on me was US currency, and all they had was Mexican currency. I held a few one dollar bills out and the guy took one of them and then he and a few others had a conference. When he came back he gave me about 3 lbs of Mexican coins. No idea how much it was but I would have been happy to let him keep all the green backs I handed him.
I walked back to the stone bench under and around the oak tree and handed Miss Pam her drink. I sat down and looked over at her and was immediately worried. She was white as a sheet. She tasted her drink and closed her eyes. I asked her if it was good and without opening her eyes she nodded her head in the affirmative and continue to pull hard on the straw.
I tasted mine and was absolutely blown away. It wasn't cherry. Not Strawberry either. It was WATERMELON! Wow! and it had big chunks of sweet crispy watermelon in it. I thought we were going to survive the heat after all.
My thoughts of relief were interrupted by the sound of Miss Pam throwing up. I guess she drank too much too fast. Anyway she looked like death warmed over. Told me she was about to have "the other" problem and needed a bathroom IMMEDIATELY. We went running helter skelter and finally a lady pointed down an alley. She ran down there and the lady followed her and pointed to a gate in the wooden fence. I tried to follow them through the gate but the lady waved me off. They went through the gate and it was a while before they came back out.
Miss Pam looked awful but said she felt like she could make back the border if we could get a cab. I tried to thank the lady that had helped her and gave her a 10 dollar bill and she smiled and bowed gratefully. we finally ran across a cab and got in and I told him to head for the border por favor and areba.
When you get to the border there is a circular drive that goes around and through the gates. Our driver hit it with one side of the car in the air and the two wheels that were still on the ground squealing like a pig in a slaughter house and horn a blarin'. Those guys don't drove with there brakes.
We walked through the gates and once inside the small parking lot I noticed that there was not only a driveway from the US side but also one from the Mexican side. And the really interesting part was that there was now a chain up blocking the driveway back to the US side.
Uh-Oh Now I was going to have to drive my truck into Mexico. True enough the circular drive was right there but still one foot inside Mexico was the same as 100 miles as far as vulnerability and potential for problems was concerned. I tried to think of an alternative but nothing came to me.
I also became alarmed when I realized that ALL the gates were currently manned by Mexican officers. You'd think that at least one would have an American officer on duty. No such luck!
I had a really bad feeling if impending doom as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto Mexican soil. I carefully merged into the traffic in the circle. Just as I was about to straighten the steering wheel and speed up here comes my old friend our cab driver. One side of the car high in the air and horn a blastin'. I swerved and he waved and smiled at me and somehow we both made it.
I tried to pick the friendliest looking guard and pulled into his lane. Boy did I get that wrong. He came up to my window and started talking in Spanish. I told him I did not habla and he got angry and continues to speak to me in Spanish only in a much louder voice. He opened my door and pulled me out of the truck.
He was yelling at me and then another Mexican officer came over and started talking to him. They argued and finally I was told to get back in my truck and vamoose. All I could think was that my guy had not seen my truck in the parking lot but the other guy had and explained it to him. Anyway, I put on my best smile said a heart felt Muchas Gracias and we got the heck out of Mexico.
Once back in the good ol' USA i pulled over and took a deep breath. Miss Pam and I looked at each other and she started crying. She gently but firmly suggested we resist all future urges to visit any Mexican border towns. I happily agreed and we went back to our digs at the South Padre Island Holiday Inn.
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Bonus episode: this is not about Tijuana but Matamoros. It was the occasion of our 10th wedding anniversary. My parents came to house sit and watch the kids while we had a week on the Guadalaupe River in New Braunfels and another week on the beach on South Padre Island. It was during the week on Padre that we decided to cross the border into Matamoros to see the sites and do some shopping in the notorious flea market there.
We drove to the border in Brownsville Texas and parked in a small lot and walked through the border gates into Matamoros. No problem. there are cabs galore and some guys in uniforms that are walking guides. We hired one of these guys to show us the scenic rout to the flea Market. His English was good and he had a good sense of humor. We enjoyed his spiel. When we got to the flea market he told his his name and said he'd be in the area if we needed his services any further.
We did our shopping and I had a good time. I love to haggle and these folks were great. A couple of them were a close match to my skills and passion for it. We bought leather and gold Mexican silver and turquoise and some other stuff and later I figure out that if I'd paid the original asking price for everything we bought I'd have spent over 1200 bux but I got everything for exactly 100 bux. I was pretty happy with myself but I still knew I got beat pretty badly. Still it was a lot of fun.
When we were done there we decided to walk around on our own a bit. Before we could turn two corners we were out of the touristy looking areas and I was lost like a goose in a snow storm. I was keeping my eyes open for one of those walking guides but I never did see one.
Finally we came to what looked like a town square. there was a huge oak tree coming up out of the ground and around it was a very ornamental stone bench. One of the businesses in the plaza there was a small shop that sold snacks and drinks. We sat on the stone bench and I went to get us something cold to drink. It was 102 deg F. and the shade from the oak tree provided little relief.
All the drinks were in these plastic dispensers that bubble the drinks inside. None of the people behind the counter spoke a word of English so I had to go with my gut feeling on the drinks. One was obviously lemonade, one was blue and I had no clue what that could be an the other was red. Every flavor I could think of that was red was good but my favorite one never even occurred to me. I ordered a large lemonade for Miss Pam and a Large "red" for me. All I had on me was US currency, and all they had was Mexican currency. I held a few one dollar bills out and the guy took one of them and then he and a few others had a conference. When he came back he gave me about 3 lbs of Mexican coins. No idea how much it was but I would have been happy to let him keep all the green backs I handed him.
I walked back to the stone bench under and around the oak tree and handed Miss Pam her drink. I sat down and looked over at her and was immediately worried. She was white as a sheet. She tasted her drink and closed her eyes. I asked her if it was good and without opening her eyes she nodded her head in the affirmative and continue to pull hard on the straw.
I tasted mine and was absolutely blown away. It wasn't cherry. Not Strawberry either. It was WATERMELON! Wow! and it had big chunks of sweet crispy watermelon in it. I thought we were going to survive the heat after all.
My thoughts of relief were interrupted by the sound of Miss Pam throwing up. I guess she drank too much too fast. Anyway she looked like death warmed over. Told me she was about to have "the other" problem and needed a bathroom IMMEDIATELY. We went running helter skelter and finally a lady pointed down an alley. She ran down there and the lady followed her and pointed to a gate in the wooden fence. I tried to follow them through the gate but the lady waved me off. They went through the gate and it was a while before they came back out.
Miss Pam looked awful but said she felt like she could make back the border if we could get a cab. I tried to thank the lady that had helped her and gave her a 10 dollar bill and she smiled and bowed gratefully. we finally ran across a cab and got in and I told him to head for the border por favor and areba.
When you get to the border there is a circular drive that goes around and through the gates. Our driver hit it with one side of the car in the air and the two wheels that were still on the ground squealing like a pig in a slaughter house and horn a blarin'. Those guys don't drove with there brakes.
We walked through the gates and once inside the small parking lot I noticed that there was not only a driveway from the US side but also one from the Mexican side. And the really interesting part was that there was now a chain up blocking the driveway back to the US side.
Uh-Oh Now I was going to have to drive my truck into Mexico. True enough the circular drive was right there but still one foot inside Mexico was the same as 100 miles as far as vulnerability and potential for problems was concerned. I tried to think of an alternative but nothing came to me.
I also became alarmed when I realized that ALL the gates were currently manned by Mexican officers. You'd think that at least one would have an American officer on duty. No such luck!
I had a really bad feeling if impending doom as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto Mexican soil. I carefully merged into the traffic in the circle. Just as I was about to straighten the steering wheel and speed up here comes my old friend our cab driver. One side of the car high in the air and horn a blastin'. I swerved and he waved and smiled at me and somehow we both made it.
I tried to pick the friendliest looking guard and pulled into his lane. Boy did I get that wrong. He came up to my window and started talking in Spanish. I told him I did not habla and he got angry and continues to speak to me in Spanish only in a much louder voice. He opened my door and pulled me out of the truck.
He was yelling at me and then another Mexican officer came over and started talking to him. They argued and finally I was told to get back in my truck and vamoose. All I could think was that my guy had not seen my truck in the parking lot but the other guy had and explained it to him. Anyway, I put on my best smile said a heart felt Muchas Gracias and we got the heck out of Mexico.
Once back in the good ol' USA i pulled over and took a deep breath. Miss Pam and I looked at each other and she started crying. She gently but firmly suggested we resist all future urges to visit any Mexican border towns. I happily agreed and we went back to our digs at the South Padre Island Holiday Inn.
