STRANDED IN MEXICO

So the boys and I went our separate way from the rest of the group once we hit Playa del Carmen.  Everyone knows that the farther away from all the tourist shops you go, the better the deals are... right?  While in the tourist traps, we'd noticed a few "policia" who had 9mm with 30 round clips.  As we walked a couple miles farther, they were riding in the back of pick-ups with assault rifles.  The kids had been griping about their feet hurting, wanting this and that... and wondering why I led them so far away from the rest of the cruise tourists.  Just as I decided it was time to probably turn around and head back to Carlos & Charlie's in Playa del Carmen... the bottom fell out.  This wasn't your typical summer storm.  Within minutes the streets were flooded above your ankles and almost to your knees in some spots.  We took refuge in a small restaurant.  Not a soul there spoke English, the menu was completely Spanish, with no US currency listed.  The waiter took our order which basically was me pointing at food on other peoples tables and saying "Coca Cola".  As we waited on our food, the boys started to moan and complain again... "Why does it have to rain?" or "Can't we just go buy those leather whips we wanted and go back and meet everyone and eat together?"  As I explained to them that they couldn't pour their can of coke over the ice because the water from the ice could make them sick, they both sighed and gave me a look of disgust.  I sat there quiet for a brief moment and then I recalled how the last vacation that I could remember with my father before he passed away was in Mexico.  I was probably six years old... but the memories of wearing that white sombrero, banging away on a ukulele, and a bad case of diarrhea are still vivid.  As a matter of fact, I taught Eason how to play chess on the wooden chess set my father bought in Mexico almost thirty years ago.  I looked at Eason and GT and said, "You know... one day a long time from now, you'd give almost anything to be stranded in a nameless Mexican town in some rinky-dink restaurant with your old man..."  Eason looked me in the eye and said, "Dad, stop your going to make me cry..."  I looked over at GT and he was on the verge of tears.  I held my hands out across the table to take each of them by the hand.  Almost simultaneously we all had tears streaming from our eyes.  Then an instant later we were laughing.  They told me that they would never forget this day.  People were looking at us like we were crazy gringos.  I pulled my phone out and snapped the picture that is at the top of this page.  We ate, we laughed, and then when the rain subsided a little... we headed toward our rendezvous point - but not before stopping to purchase two leather whips and a wooden chess set.  There was not one single complaint from either of them the rest of the trip.  It was the most powerful moment that I've ever experienced with my boys.  I will forever cherish the memory of being stranded in Mexico with Eason & GT.

 

Laid Back... Never Bored.  Strange-Trip is a personal site with a little biker attitude.  We make every effort to keep this site as family oriented as possible, while still keeping it fun.  We hope to cover a lot more in the future.  Daytona, Thunder Beach, Sturgis, Myrtle Beach and whatever else we can find.  We're from Alabama, but have met so many people from around the US (and other places).  Although we prefer Harley Davidson, just because you ride something else doesn't mean you aren't welcome here.  Triumph, Chopper, Indian, or  rice burning crotch rockets... whatever... drop in and check us out.  Ride Safe - J&K

 

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