It was the 4th of January, 1991, and we were heading back to reality.
During the night before, I got up to use the bathroom, and a little lizard whizzed down the wall near the sink, and under the counter. That was the only time I saw one in our room, but who knows how many 'played' around while we were sleeping. They aren't much to be frightened of, but they can startle the heck out of you when you are barely awake, and when your head feels sort of like a huge papaya!
We arose and got ready to leave. We enjoyed a very nice pineapple (yes, we ate the whole thing!) It was very sweet and juicy, and so much larger than the ones we see here in the states.
We left the hotel, well-burdened with all of our packages and suitcases. We took a cab to the airport and check in at about 9:55 a.m.
Our itinerary took us first back to Mexico City, and from there we were supposed to fly into Dallas. The flight to Mexico City was fine with only one stop - at Guadalajara. Upon reaching Mexico City at about 12 noon, and getting our bags checked, we went through customs. The customs official would not let our daughter take her bow and arrows on board (when they asked me what was in the newspaper-wrapped package, I told them toys, but when that didn't seem to be understood, I mentioned 'toy weapon....bow and arrows' ....WRONG! Never suggest that you may be carrying a weapon, even if it is just a toy. Anyway, we had to go back and stand in line again to get the package labeled for the baggage area. When we finally got our turn, the people at the desk said they would give it to the airline attendant, and she would give it to us when we landed in Dallas.
We went to our gate after eating lunch in a restaurant in the airport. We all had ham and cheese sandwiches and a beverage. Upon arriving at the departure gate, we found out that the plane would be delayed because of ice in Dallas - no planes were landing or taking off from the Dallas airport. So, we waited until 5:15 p.m., when our plane finally took off. During our time with the customs agent, we explained all of our food purchases, and had no trouble getting through. David had even gone to the American Embassy in Mexico to see if it was okay to take the brown sugar (piloncillo) and chocolate out of the country. They didn't envision any difficulty, and they were right.
We did get to our gate in time at Dallas, and took off about 8:30 p.m. We arrived in Des Moines about 11 p.m., and it was snowing pretty heavily when we landed. During the descent, my left ear gave me quite a bit of discomfort and it was plugged almost all night - but finally it cleared up. I was just glad my eardrum hadn't ruptured!
On the return flight we met a man from Forest City who has had a real adventure during his life. His name is Dr. Christian, and he was an instructor in Spanish at Waldorf College there. He spent his early working years as a medical doctor in Central and South America. He said he at one time had an area the size of Iowa as his territory, and there were no roads. He did all his traveling by canoe! At the time we talked with him, he was taking tour groups down to Mexico and Central America during his breaks from teaching. He took our address, and I was thinking of inviting him to come down to Kanawha some time for a Mexican meal (but I never did that...and in fact, I had forgotten all about him until I read this journal again, all these years later...)
We spent the night at the Hampton Inn in Des Moines and took our time getting going in the morning. We ate the motel's continental breakfast with Dr. Christian, and enjoyed visiting with him again.
Then, we dug out car out, loaded up, and headed for home. It was interesting to leave tropical Puerto Vallarta with the humidity and warm temperatures, and to arrive in Des Moines with snow coming down. All the same, it was good to be home.
I would love to go to Mexico again...if health and money would permit. It is a very interesting country - and we saw so little of it.
Since our trip (now 25 years ago...), we still cook from our Mexican cookbooks fairly often, and we like to buy the mole sauce that can now be found in grocery stores. In fact, Waterloo has a good Mexican grocery store, and I plan to go there now and then to get ingredients that are not available in other grocery stores. Even though we don't travel out of the country all that often, at least we 'travel' through our meals!
Below are the sayings we saw at Las Tres Huastecas, the restaurant in Puerto Vallarta - "the writings on the wall"
"La pobre madre lloraba al ver que su muchacho en nada le ayudabapues era un gran borracho y de tanto que tomaba se le murio de un empacho." (Your poor mother is crying to see her son doing nothing to help her because he is falling-down drunk, and is acting stupid.)
"Esto lo dice Vicente bonito es Puerto Vallarta Ingar de mucho ambiente Playa los Muertos y Yelapa lo vista muchagente." (This is to tell Vincent that Puerto Vallarta Ingar is a very beautiful beach, and Yelapa is also a good place where many people come to visit.)
"Aqui digo lo que siento queremos atenderlo bien para que se vaya contento pero nos entienda tambien. Su servicio requiere tiempo.
Su amigo El Querreque" (I tell you to sit here - I want to take good care of you, and I want you to go away happy, but there is never enough time. Your good service requires more time. Your friend, El Querreque)
"Yo vi a una presumida por las Calles de Vallarta se hacia la engradecida se paseaba de corbata sin saber que en la vida no es mas quela misma gata." (I see a conceited lady on Vallarta Street who makes a big decision to promenade with her bow, knowing that in life there is nothing more vain than the she-cat.)
"En el Rest Las Tres Huastecas cuando este verso escribi uno se estaba asomando pero antes una sopa pedi enseguida un huachinango y que sobroso comi." (In the restaurant of Las Tres Huastecas when this poem is written - one brief appearance - but before one eats the soup, demand immediately a red snapper, and what an abundant feast!)
"El amor, la bondad, la delicadeza, la dulzura, le economica y la esperanz traen la felicidad. La audacia, el carpicho, la colera, el temor, la desesperacion y la envidia traen la destgracia." (Love, goodness, delicacy, gentleness, economy, and hope bring happiness. Audacity, whim, anger, fear, despair, and envy bring the misfortune.)
So, folks, that's it about our trip to Mexico. We haven't been back, but who knows?
Keep reading my blog. My mother was 92 in 1991, and the rest of her life's story, along with our busy lives will fill the coming posts. See you later...
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