Taxi Rides :-)

I guess I need to start out explaining that the Mexican government seems to be very serious on the subject of the safety issues that have been in the US newspapers over the last however long.  We caught the Red Bus ~ as usual ~ to come from the parking lot across the border.  It has never taken over a few minutes to get from the parking lot to Revelolution bus station.  On Friday it was over an hour between travel.  The driver said the Mexican Border Patrol ~ very much in evidence~ was looking for firearms (etc) being smuggled in from the US so they were doing spot checks.  One of the busses ahead of us had to completely un pack and all the luggage was searched.  So, meanwhile, we sat in line to cross.  They are really serious.... and I can't say it's a bad thing either.  These gang wars have decimated much of the livelihoods of many, many hard working Mexican people.  Even Dra. Ruth has noticed a large decline of her American patients. 

So, on with my story..... On Friday after our visit with Dra. Ruth Rubio, our Dentista, neither of us felt up to negotiating the bus route to get to Rosarito Beach ~ So Dra. Ruth was kind enough to go downstairs with us ~ and negotiate a ride in a Taxi for us.  Our drivers name was Leon and he very graciously took us from 3rd Avineda in Tijuana to the Rosarito Beach Hotel.  He didn't speak much English but we did have a few funnies even with the language barrier.

The road between the two cities is all torn up.  Lots of construction going on - and detours like you'd never believe.  Little gravel driveway, through a small parking lot, and a LOT of rough road.  And very little in the way of shocks... LOL  Through all of this we saw many Policia - they are very much in full view and very obvious.  Only once did I see a Policia with a machine gun in the middle of the street glancing at cars as they went on both sides of him.  He nodded our way - and we went on by.

So we got there - all in 1 piece ~ safe and sound ~ even if my mouth was starting to throb a bit from my 3 extractions ~ it was a good trip.  So we asked Leon if he would come back to Rosarito Beach Hotel and pick us up on Monday (today) at 9 am so we could come back to Tijuana to see Dra. Ruth and she could complete this portion of our dental work.

We went out front of the Hotel to wait for Leon ~ having already discussed what we would do if he didn't return on the off chance that we would still be waiting for  him.   Another driver came and offered to bring us to Dra. Ruth's but I didn't want to leave before 9 am agreed time - so the other driver waited....

Imagine my surprise when another driver (same company as the waiting one) showed up with a note (in English) telling us that he was sent by Leon to take us to the Dentista for the same negotiated price that was agreed on Friday!  Our new driver didn't speak a word of English and we had only a small stunted conversation that probably didn't make any more sense to him than it did to me (after all my spanish is over 40 years old!).  He stopped and asked directions only once - and I could see the 'school bus' that I have used for a landmark for the last 10 years!  So I'm saying '2 more blocks' and he isn't understanding.  But we made it there. 

Dra. Ruth has finished my temporary crown on my partial and Keith is having a temporary crown to cover the broken tooth that Dra. Ruth did a root canal and repair on Friday.

So I guess the point of my story is that ~ even tho' Leon probably will never see or hear from us again ~ he stood by his word ~ and didn't leave us stranded.  Thank you Leon~~