Mar 20, 2013
Amazing Race
Monday we went into town and felt like we were on a leg of the TV show Amazing Race! From having to jump into the panga as it drifted away from the pier to trying to communicate with a non responsive pulmonia driver! I was on a mission to track down Carmen, a modista ( seamstress ) I have heard about for a few years now. I had a phone number but no address. I was able to get an address from her on the phone but no cross street. I checked and re checked maps and knew exactly where to go. The pulmonia driver said he knew where to go. He didn’t!
He drove in circles and was not open to directions from a female gringa. He turned left when he should have gone right:( I had my map and I knew exactly how to get there.
After 40 minutes I called Carmen on my cell phone and gave it to him, after 2 rings he said no answer. I kept the phone to my ear and she did answer and did give him directions which still confused him. Finally we did get there and it was Colin who put the final piece of the puzzle together finding the house number. Poor driver, many of the streets have no street signs.
I mostly brought Carmen things to be made smaller. Clothing that I really loved and wanted to keep.
She has been doing this for over 20 years and seemed to know her business extremely well. Her prices as I had been told were very very reasonable. My only problem was in communicating with her. She spoke rapidly and we both had trouble understanding her but we did get across what we needed to be expressed. I got prices from her to make me a new dress and told her we would be back Tuesday with the material.
Now we had to get back from where we were to Centro. It was still the Monday of a long weekend which is why we might have had a problem.
So we went to the main drag and waited and waited and waited. No taxis, no pulmonias, nada. We made a note of where we had to turn to get to Carmen's place the next day and still waited. Finally a lone pulmonia came past.
It took us to a bank in Centro where we thought that the bank had simply run out of cash in the ATM. No worries ( well at that point ). Really I think we would have come in last with our tasks for that leg of the race had we been on Amazing Race.
I did complete the task of getting material for not one but two new dresses. Time to head home, it was a long four hours.
The girls had no respect for what we had been through nor for my new material. I will be having the new dresses made in the same style as one of my favorite sundresses.
But the race was not yet over. It started bright and early again on Tuesday morning. The task was to catch a wild animal. I was sitting in the living room and heard these strange swishing sounds on the roof of the RV. I had completed the first task on Monday and now it was up to Colin. He was armed with only BBQ tongs. Once up on the roof and after a good ten minutes of noises from both him and the critter the capture was made.
I braved the elements dressed only in my nightie to catch the triumphant moment.
Big game hunter!
This iguana was a huge hisser. The girls meanwhile were jumping around Colin screaming at the top of their lungs. This is what they tried to tell us. There has been something in the yard for a few days.
Shortly after the big hunt Colin and I headed back into Mazatlan. We had to go back to Carmen’s. Guess who our pulmonia driver was. Yes, the very same guy who was lost on Monday. He was a bit sheepish but got us there in 7 minutes as opposed to 50 minutes the day prior. He actually waited while I went in and then drove us into Centro where we stopped at a bank. You now know the rest of the story from my post yesterday and the non functioning ATM cards.
I think we will stick to watching the Amazing Race on TV.
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Always an interesting experience when travelling in town, new a dull moment for you.
Hey, you found her! She was my go to gal for everything and I do believe way back when, I gave you her name. Yes, the place is hard to find the first time, as it is kind of tucked away. Please, please tell her if you see her again, Zoe says hello. I have sent many people there. She has made curtains for me, couch and couch pillow covers and all turned out very well.
Zoe….tough to find but a real gem! I already told her I found her because of you and Nancy.
George….never a dull moment for us no matter where we are.