December 20th & 21st

On Tuesday drove to town to drop off our laundry. Fortunately having laundry done is inexpensive as trying to keep the bed clothes clean with two dogs full of sand is a little difficult. Later we walked back to town to get a few things for a Wine & Cheese get-together planned for that evening. La Penita is in the Christmas spirit with toy vendors on every block. After buying a few party essentials, we decided to head for our favorite restaurant for a tostada lunch.

One couple we invited for the Wine & Cheese get-together had to decline as one of them came down with a serious cold. Nevertheless we enjoyed having Trent and Janelle plus one of their guests join us.

Pinatas for Sale

Toys for Sale

La Penita Grocery Store

Yummy Tostadas

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21ST
Wednesday had one the the "mis-adventures" that sometimes happens. We needed to pick up our laundry we dropped off yesterday and from La Penita drive to Guayabitos as the grocery store there stocks liquid coffee mate. Thinking that it would be a short trip, we took the pups with us.

When we got to Guayabitos, Diane stayed in the car while I went in to buy the Coffee mate and orange juice. Getting back in the car, nothing happened when I turned the key to start it. The starter had been sluggish lately and today was the day it decided to pack it in.

Lifting the hood of your car in Mexico seems to attract people wanting to help. It wasn't long before a nice young man not only volunteered advice regarding a mechanic but also went with Diane in a taxi back to our park in La Penita to take the dogs home. He was then able to get a mechanic to come and look at the car in about half an hour. During the time they were gone, yet another young man offered to get us a mechanic. People are very nice.

The mechanic and helper arrived and after checking things pulled the old starter off the Jeep and said they would need to take it to their shop but would be back in an hour. They actually were back just a few minutes after an hour was up and spent another 15 minutes putting everything back together. When they finished, the Jeep started right up, just like new.

When asked what I owed them, the mechanic said 450 pesos. Now when you convert that to U.S. funds, all they charged for coming and taking the starter off on the side of the street, taking it back to their shop to re-wire it or whatever they did and then back to reinstall it again on the side of the street. All for $32.51 U.S. dollars.
I can only imagine what the whole thing would cost back home..

Dead Car

Mechanics to the Rescue

Faulty Starter

Replacing the Starter