DAY #4 AGENDA: *Depart Cuernavaca
*Drive West to XOCHICALCO ruins.
*Grutas de CACAHUAMILPA (cave).
*TAXCO for the night.
All I can say, is that the best layed plans often come to naught, but somehow everything works out..... in these instances, faith, postive thinking, staying calm, and having a fluent translator on hand is the only way to survive. Also, playing the dumb English speaking American doesnt hurt either!
Well, here we were at Day #4 of our Mexican Adventure. Everything was going well, TOO WELL. I have an old saying that I have developed pertaining to being in Mexico. I have never EVER YET, crossed the border into Mexico, and crossed back out without at least ONE incident that has made me severly mad and undone in my resolve. This proved to be one of those days.
We awoke early at little hotel in Cuernavaca. Julie and Chuy feeling the effects of yesterdays hike, and pulque (a fermented drink found only in Tepotzlan as far as I know). I believe Pulque is made of the Maquay plant, and we have only heard of it in Tepotzlan. It tastes kinda like Koolaid. You really dont have a strong liquor aftertaste at all, but, the Indians used to drink it and become stupified and falling down drunk, as if they were drugged. Actually, I think Pulque is more like a tranquilizing drink than a "get drunk" drink. Its very different....calming......The Ancients used to limit ONE glass per Indian, as they say anymore than that turns the man into acting like 400 rabbits. In otherwords, crazy.......
So, we awoke early...eager to get on the road and meet our full agenda for the day. Starbuck's was right up the main roadway, and off went to find it, before hitting the main hyway for the XOCHICALCO ruins. We would again be climbing in elevation out of the valley of Cuernavaca, to about 5003 feet. We were all excited to see some actual temple ruins, and dream of adventures of Pre-Columbian times.....well, when they advise you to be sure and get Mexican Insurance, believe them, and do just that! Thank God Julie bought the insurance, for just as we came around the "turn around thing" in the middle of the street, a car hit us from the left. It was a fender bender experience...no one was hurt, but it was not what we needed to happen in another country, especially Mexico.... where we know corruption abounds, and the language is not ours.
So, Chuy to the rescue. He advised me and Julie to stay in the car. Not to attempt to speak ANY Spanish, and only speak English. That serves to discourage the police in trying to fanagle a corrupt way to make money off the deal. We stayed calm..... and I actually (for once) did feel calm! OF all times for me to feel calm.....me with my crazy backseat driver warnings all the time...... On with the story. Chuy jumps out, and what do you know...there just happened to be a motorcycle cop right on the corner that saw it all. He claimed Julie was not at fault.....after he heard that we had insurance. I guess if you have insurance, that leaves the Police out of the entire deal (unlike America). The Cops just stood around, until we called our insurance guy who showed up and took over. He was quite the deal........ he walked the other guy up around the corner (the guy who hit us) and they talked out of sight and earshot for a long time? Then, I suggested for Chuy to walk up there, cause it just didnt seem right for them to be talking SO LONG>...after all, we were the victims! The insurance man came back...and tried to fanagle this and that..... Chuy fell for none of his (um excuse me, but, B.S.!) When he saw that all this intimidation was going no where, he deferred us to a Delagado (lawyer) who when called, quickly came to our aid, and made a date to go to the police department later on in our trip, when we would be headed back to Cuernavaca after Acapulco.
So.....we wasted an entire morning on this stupid corner, listening to Spanish babble, watching intense hand gestures, and wondering all the while what everyone was saying, and what was everyone so excited about? I think the Mexicans like to re-iterate things over and over and over.....they like to hear themselves talk? Anyway....we signed some paperwork, and finally, with Julie climbing in thru the passengers seat, (as her side of the door was pinched closed and wouldn't open), we finally headed out......... WHEWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
What we feared had come upon us! A car fender bender in another country! Oh well, we survived it, and it turned out ok. It could have been worse.... but, it proves how careless and crazy these drivers in Mexico are! They just don't seem to care at all about the rules of the road, nor their personal safety (nor ours for that matter!)......... We finally headed down the road, very cautiously to try to find the ruins before the day was over.
GPS on, windows down, off we went........
Chuy, the BAD driver that hit us, Julie watching helplessly on the sideline...the guy didn't have a license, and heaven forbid, insurance!
He just wanted to forget it all, and go. We said we couldn't, as our car was rented!!! He got very distressed about it, and we felt a little sorry for him.... he was in trouble now. He will be made to pay for it all, or suffer jail..... poor guy.
Chuy and our Insurance Adjuster guy, pushing another car that stalled right in the middle of the road near where our accident happened....
The is the little VW Economy car we rented. It was a good little car, even after the fender bender. Good on gas!
Our car view from the front....
This is the other guys car...his front left bumper was kinda ripped off....
Better view.....
We had very minor damage, except that Julies door on the Drivers side would not now open, and she spent the rest of the trip climbing over the passengers seat to get in and out....
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