On Vacation

Yesterday marked the start of a much needed vacation.  I awoke at 4:15am to eat breakfast, shower, and run 3 errands (drop off some appraisal biz, get gas for the car, and hit the ATM) before picking up Kevin and Katya at 5:30am for our 8am International flight to Mazatlan in Sinaloa Mexico.

Holy crap is this ever a different a world from what I’m used to!

1)  Driving in Mexico is not for the weak of stomach (our taxi-driver was insane)

2)  Stop signs, lane hash marks, speed limit signs, and one-way-street notices are merely suggestions.  Violating any of the posted “suggestions” does not appear to result in any fines or inquiries from the police.

3)  Mexico is not a training destination for triathletes (cycling here would be a death wish)

4)  Brittany Spears would win a “Mother of the Year” award for keeping her child securely in her lap while driving in Mexico.  I’ve seen toddlers standing up looking over the windshield of convertibles and riding between dad’s crotch on motorcycles with no helmets. 

5)  The idea for the video game “Frogger” must have come to life from watching Mexican pedestrians cross the road.

6)  The water in my hotel room is literally brown when it first comes out of the tap.

7)  VH1 Reality Shows aren’t bleeped when the catty contestants blurt out the F* word.  I wish I could say that it added something to the show, but it doesn’t.

8)  If you have what I call “Travel Butt” when you travel in the states, you won’t have that problem in Mexico.  (“Travel Butt” is the inexplicable phenomena where you find it difficult to poop for the first few days of your vacation.  May also be called “Vacation Butt”, “Hotel Butt”, or “Constip-vacation”).

9)  We don’t need no stinking infrastructure.

To be honest though – all this stuff is just what I needed.  No rules.  Delicious food.  Potent drinks.   Sunshine!  I’m outside now at poolside on a sunny day with clear blue skies!  What more could you ask for?  If only I could find a poker game at the hotel!