RE: [A/S] Mexico

["Sherry" <sherryhayes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jim -

Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I have never had a really major breakdown,
but there have been times when I've needed "road service." Once in Baja my
fuel filter got completely clogged up out in the middle of nowhere. Very
quickly I was surrounded by about 15 guys, all of whom offered to help. We
figured out what the problem was, but unfortunately, none of us (including
me) knew where the fuel filter was located. One of the guys drove about 50
miles round trip to get his brother-in-law, who he believed would be able to
fix my van. They stopped on the way back and picked up a new fuel filter,
and sure enough he knew exactly where the filter was located and switched it
out for me. (Since then I never go anywhere without my Chilton.) Anyway,
they all refused any payment. I did get the guy who had driven so far to
accept some money for his gas and I bought the rest of them cerveza.

My Spanish is not very good at all, but I carry a little Spanish/English
English/Spanish pocket translator. When I really can't figure out what is
going on, I just give it to the person I'm trying to communicate with, show
them how to use it, and let them type in the words in Spanish and then
translate them into English. It's worked every time for me (and the
federales are so fascinated with it that they forget why they stopped me
:)).

I have had a few breakdowns in the states, but I've certainly never gotten
the kind of concern and help that I've gotten in Mexico.

Happy Trails - Sherry
'63 Bambi, WBCCI 1104, VAC, WDCU, TCT