It absolutely astonishes me, that when I find the time to really sit back and compare the past with the present. Things seem to have been so much simpler ..............back then...........then it is today. Granted, today's world is very complicated, things that, perhaps would have been correct in the past is no longer part of the equation to correctness, today. Now, if none of this makes sense to you.......join the club.
I was originally going to write this particular post about politics..... relating how politicians looked at things from the past compared to the present. I've changed my mind. This is going to be about memories and memory losses. In particular ONE memory of our first trip to Cabo St. Lucas in Mexico where Margot and I decided to go many years ago (around the beginning of the 90's) to grab some bone warming rays.
We were sitting in an ice cream parlor having a mid day snack when all of a sudden it started to rain. Now if you have ever been to Cabo or even Mexico you will notice that there are no street drains, well perhaps a few but very few. We sat there laughing at why everyone were taking off their shoes and socks to cross the streets........simply because there were no drains and the streets quickly became flooded. On the way back to our hotel that afternoon, we found ourselves in the same predicament. That night the rain continued and I found myself getting up only to throw my legs out of the bed and into a puddle of water..........and just as quickly back into bed!!!....what the hell!!!! now........your not going to believe this but I then did the STUPIDEST thing I have ever done in my life. I reach for the bed stand light to turn it on. Needless to say, It was not yet my day but there I was knowing if I stood up in the water I had better not do anything with the electricity.............I quickly awoke Margot with a warning of .......................WE'RE SINKING!!!!!!
I called the front desk to tell them I noticed some water dripping down the walls behind our bed and asked for them to send up señor Jose with a MOP!!! That's when they advised that we were not the only ones calling but to come to the lobby with our bags and they would change our room. Well, this is one time I am happy that we travel with only hand baggage. In the lobby we noticed señor Jose with his mop and some helpers trying to sweep the water out of the lobbies front entrance. What to do, no matter what room they sent us to or how high the floors, they were all wet sssssoooooo we just made a quick calculation of how many days we would loose on the vacation and decided to head to the airport. We joined many people at the taxi line outside the hotel for a trip to the airport, noticing that some people, probably with a lot of money, were boarding a helicopter. We quickly found out why. The taxi driver told us he could only take us a short way, since the bridge was washed out, we found out later that the two bridges to the airport were both washed out. At the river we were let out of the taxi and watched as one entrepreneur with a horse was carrying people across the river, we noticed that the river was apparently not to deep because rather than wait in line, people were wading across and the water was only waist high. Off came my pants, up went Margots dress, hand baggage over our heads and across we went. On the other side we got another taxi to the first hotel we saw and decided to stay overnight since it was a dry one and it was now getting to be late in the afternoon. That night, the hotel lost electrical power and by morning we had no electricity to cook so breakfast was a banana and orange juice. We eventually hitched a ride in the back of peek up loaded with a bunch of Mexican workers............who.....one....... by the way, took an immediate liking to Margot....(a rather cute little blond lady).......especially the older one with no teeth (kept smiling at Margot). As we approached the second bridge the driver informed everyone to hold on, he was going to put the truck into 4 wheel drive and attempt to drive down this 20' hill into the river bed, surge the water, and then up the other side. WOW!!!! NOW THAT TAKES BALLS.!!!!!! Now needless to say ,the old guy wanted to hold onto Margot to make sure........ she didn't fall out of the truck.....................It's OK Margot, just let him hold your arm!!!!!! That was an adventure and a half ,but the guy did it. Now, I must say, that when I say river's, I'm basically not comparing them to any of the rivers in the states. These are just bulldozed out beds used exclusively for the reason to direct water from the higher hills. They do have asphalt bridges, which were actually the roadway going over the buried piping that was designed to carry the water from the hight hills. Well during this particular rain the pipes could not handle the sudden increase of water, causing the water to deviate a little and wash out these so called bridges. All very simply ..........when you saw it. Probably some freshman year project in engineering class. Any how, our Mexican peek.. up driver took us safely through little towns where the sand covered the wheels of parked cars ....we could only count our blessings. He did not take us off the main road to the airport, since he was running late to get his workers to their destination so we ended up walking the last 2 miles to the airport We learned by another couple on the flight that there was a Northwest airline captain and his wife on vacation that called the American consult in Mexico City and asked to have the Navy come in to pick up the stranded passengers. He only got the response.....................take a cab out and we will pick up the cost. They knew of the rainstorm, even if they were in Mexico City but could not quite understand the reason the bridges were washed out. That was my first..........and last trip to Cabo. Margot has been back with a friend and has confirmed that the bridges are now rebuilt and standing strong.
The more I sit and think about the past, the more I find that the funniest stories..........NOW.......were always the most horrible experience at the time they were occurring. Also, I have found that when you are with old friends, you begin bringing back these memories down to the tiniest of detail.
OOOHHHHH, the memories..............stimulation of the brain............. so many............. but some so long to tell. Always there waiting to be remembered.
Well, off to get some more bone warming rays. This time in Oahu, Hawaii. Keep tuned for perhaps some award winning photo's.
