Jul. 03, 2002 - 19:23 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

No Log

In my youth, my out of state adventures were two. One a trip with Mom and Dad to the Midwest oil field near Powder River and Hell's Half Acre to see family friends. The big one though was the time Mom, Dad and I went from our home in Denver to Carlsbad Caverns in Southern New Mexico and thence to Juarez, Mexico. I think it was on that trip that I fell in love with sagebrush, Spanish Bayonet and cactus land and the far visions of a desolate land where one could watch the heavenly sunsets. That was a good thing too, a good part of the West has that terrain. A trip still in my memories - something a young kid should experience to get an idea of the wonders of the world and poverty in other places. Day trips and occasional camping with my folks in the Colorado mountains kept me interested

Then I got out of school, worked, married, we raised children with very little travel for pleasure other than daytrips to near locations.

In my forties I worked at a few far flung places, mostly in Southeast Asia and Japan.

When our last child was in her teens we were able to take a trip or two for pleasure. I had a week vacation and the three of us flew to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a warm lovely place on the upper Gulf Of Mexico into another world. A combination of jazzy, noisy automobiles, modern flash and the ancient world of the natives and remnants of the Spanish influence once there.

We stayed at the Playa del Oro which was right next to where the Love Boat docked (at least it was that way then) and were able to see passengers disembark and head to town and later straggle back from a time of fun and games.

Our fun times had one big blemish. The travel agency had sold us the trip with all expenses paid by us before we left. So at the end of our stay Heather and our daughter went into town and spent the rest of our pesos and all of our US Green on things that caught their fancy to take home to our family. Then when we arrived to check in for our flight we were informed that we had to pay a departure tax (last grab for bucks !). I think it was somewhere in the twenties for the three of us. Consternation on top of panic seized our very hearts and minds. The prospect of trying to get money from home and buy our way out of there in time for me to return to my job was more than a scare. The prospect of living on the benches at the airport for day or two while waiting for money from home was scary too.

There is an old saying to the effect that, "God takes care of drunks and fools," and this sometimes drunk fool must have caught his eye, and put us near to a young couple, who observed our white faced panic and offered to pay our departure tax. They said, "Just send us the money when you get home." We had a pleasant trip on the aircraft while visiting with them. We did send a money order to them and a flower arrangement or a dish garden in thanks.

There are wonderful memories even yet in my mind and heart of that time. The place where we stayed, The Playa del Oro was a hotel fashioned for old time tropical living, grilles at the bottom of the hall door as well as screening on our outer window let the cool air of the night flow through. The closet was also ventilated in a similar manner. The beach outside was well kept and clear of detritus. There were canopies, for lack of a better word, covered with tropical fronds of some type. Chaise lounges of the plastic kind under them and waiters trolling the crowd, taking orders for drinks and ices mostly. They worked out of a bar on the hotel beach. The courtesy and care for us by all the employees was exceptional and of course was a bit boggling to our minds. Dining was great, wonderful ambience and better food. There was always fruit of many kinds which enabled me to have my fill of Mangos and other tropical goodies.

We roamed the beach and took an evening ride on a catamaran, we started out at sundown and enjoyed every minute of being on the quiet sea.

Our trips to town were full of fun and interest too. Went to the bank to change some US Green to pesos because the rate of exchange was better there, the experience in the bank was interesting. We saw the ancient cast iron top on the steeple of the old church there and other things foreign to our eyes. We neither ate nor drank while in town, that was reserved for the hotel. There was so much in the way of jewelry and trinkets on display, clothing and leather goods that it took almost a day to look things over. The people there were friendly and smiling, it was amazing to us to see folk like that. To be met with a smile by a passer by is a heart warming thing.

Memories a plenty to warm us on cold winter days. Time spent there was almost an Outer Limits experience of the very best kind. Now, I can't recall the year or any of the persnickety details - a few photos but unfortunately of this trip there is No Log . . . . . . .

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