Ok, that was dumb, going to GDL on Saturday to the mall no less, but the adventure continues. Before I get to that part, let’s start at the beginning of the day. As NOB, if you want it done and done now and right, do it yourself, so I tackled the sink, ripped out the old ugly faucet and replaced it, took one look at the connector lines and decided I didn’t want to drink out of those, so run up to the hardware store (yes, I’ve found one already) and picked up dose (2) and got that done, did a temporary hook up of the sink so I could use it and cleaned it up, so the kitchen is back in business.

Then decided to head to GDL – seemed like a good idea at the time – in retrospect it was really dumb on a Saturday – no mas!

I can tell you that driving in Guadalajara is NOT for the faint of heart, the slow of reflex or the unsure, you point and shoot, it’s a two foot driving experience and you had better drive with conviction or park it, end of story. There are normally marked lanes and then at times in some of the traffic circles or “laterals” there are sort of “community shared areas” where you make nice and juke your way into the direction and lane you need and everyone else is doing the same thing, but going different places, generally it  all works out, but at times you have to wonder how.

Mexican’s are very laid back until it comes to driving, the trucks are slow, very slow, the bigger, the slower and the cars are very fast and impatient, it requires 110% attention and both feet to drive. They’re either very good drivers, or dang lucky, in any case it’s an adventure no matter where or when you go.

One of the guys had given specific instructions to the mall which worked great – until the last turn, suddenly there were no street signs, none, zip, nada and so I was guessing and guessed wrong a couple of times and had to back track, but eventually made it. This is a nice 3 story Galleria center adjacent to WalMart, Costco, Mega Mercado etc. It was about 30 miles from the house maybe and took about an hour (the way I did it).

I think the mall makes money because with all the traffic and hassle to get there you have to buy something to justify going there – but then that’s just my theory.

I walked the mall, nice, 3 level, typical mall, Sears, Liverpool, Hooters, Chili’s, Applebee’s, OutBack Steak House etc., basically nothing I needed, wanted or could use, they did have a Radio Shack, but didn’t have the mount I needed. So, headed next door to WalMart and picked up a vacuum. I finally know why Home Depot gets $82 for a leaf blower – NO ONE ELSE SELLS THEM ANYWHERE. So, I needed a vacuum, and by the way, they DO NOT sell upright vacuums in MX – I swear to gosh, so got this little dinky thing and it can be my leaf blower as well. Checked out, at the door they checked my ticket and asked for my parking ticket – oops, it’s in the car, so no “get out of parking free ticket” – lesson learned.

Duh for the day: Ok, so I put the stuff in the car, walk across the street to a Mega Mercado – it was under mega reconstruction and so that was a short tour, but as I’m walking I’m looking at the people leaving the parking lot and they’re putting their tickets in the outgoing gate thing and it opens, hmmm?

My purchase at WalMart would have got me one of those, but I didn’t have my ticket, so how the heck am I going to get out, there is NO guy in a toll booth taking money? – so, I think real hard and logically and remember seeing 4 odd looking “machines” at the entrance to the mall, almost like some sort of vending machines. I put 2 and 2 together and shazaam, it’s an automated parking system, you put your incoming ticket in the machine and it tells you how much you owe to get out and you put money in and it tells the ticket to let you out and sure enough, you jam that sucker in the slot on the way out and the gate opens – duh!

I headed home in unbelievable traffic, took nearly 1 hour to clear GDL, never again on a Saturday. But as I was in much stop & go, I realized the traffic jams (and there are many and often) are a natural stage for the young entrepreneur, I was dead stopped at one point and a kid with some balls he was trying to sell stepped in front of the car and I waved him away, so he starts juggling, he was pretty good, so after a performance I tipped him, what a system. Then there were the guys selling life size paper skeletons for the Day of the Dead I assume, I think I got some pics of them.

Finally back home again about 4:30 just as the lluvia started, it was gentle and welcome.

About 7:30 I jumped in the Jeep and headed to Soriana. I had been looking at a small home theater system as I had left everything in the house in TX and the managed to leave even my old receivers in storage as well. Actually it would be cheaper to make a run to TX rather than buy replacement items.

Anyway I headed along the lake into Chapala and had an old Best of 50’s CD playing and it was solid gold. The Platters came on with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and I was instantly taken back to the Pearl St. Creamery in Denver 1957 when I was 14 and a little girl named Karen. We met while roller skating at Mamouth Gardens and she lived just up the street from the creamery and we were there one time and I played that song and it was burned into my memory forever, that day, her and the song, odd how that happens huh? Of course she, like me, is probably a grand whatever somewhere and doesn’t remember at all, but there I was driving through downtown Chapala, MX with tears running down my face, what a blessing music can be at times to magically transport us back into another time and place.

Next came a CD, Bobbin with Robin from Detroit 1957 and driving down Woodward Ave and all the great music, I almost forgot to turn into the parking lot. Gathering myself up I dried my eyes and headed into the store, found a young fellow to help me with the box and headed for checkout. I knew they had some kind of points system, but the lady at checkout (who spoke no English) almost insisted I have a card and sent another girl running to get one, I signed it and next she handed me the receipt and started talking about 898 “dinero” – and I was puzzled, fortunately another gringo behind me said it was actually a discount because of the card, so a nice surprise, I headed home through the blizzard of bobo’s – really, they’re white and in clusters and it’s exactly like driving in snow at times.

Another day and adventure ends, GDL is a trip to be sure.

Random musings:

Good news, the water here makes my hair straighter, so I can let it grow longer without it doing a flip in the back – however I still need a cut at Yoli’s next week for sure.

It’s easy to see why John Edwards doesn’t live in MX, he’d be a begger, there are NO TRIAL LAWERS IN MX, as I walked the sidewalks of GDL they’re just like the Lake and you could trip and fall (and sue) any 10’ – but obviously no one does – sorry John.

XM satellite radio is great at the house, but in the car it’s less effective, the huge overhanging trees almost everywhere cover the roads and block the satellite signal – wonder if we could get them to trim them back? – probably not huh?

Note: GDL clientele at the mall is distinctly different, more upscale and as I was leaving at 3pm they were just beginning to pour in. I sense lots of pesos, definitely not the poor folk there.