Mexican Ingenuity Revealed
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My first experience with the ingenuity of Mexicans was during our year of volunteer work in Villahermosa in the state of Tabasco. We were driving a Chevy Nova and it was usually pretty reliable for us. However, Mexican gas disagreed with it and I soon has some trouble with the carburator.
A friend of mine who worked in the hospital laboratory took me to a nearby repair shop and helped me get a mechanic to help me out. He followed us back to the hospital and pulled the carburator out of my car. He then headed back to his shop.
Having heard that it was best to keep a close eye on anyone working on your car, I followed him. Over the next half hour, I watched him completely disassemble the carburator, clean it with solvent, hand make new gaskets and put it back in my car. The car then ran like new.
So, within a half hour, I had a rebuilt carburator back in my car. I was pretty impressed. I was even more impressed when he said, “Sorry it took so long, but I have never worked on a Chevrolet before.”
A professor from one of the Universities in Texas had a similar experience. He taught Mexican archeology and often toured remote areas in a jeep.We met him when we were camped on the beach on one of our trips to Tulum.
He told us that one time he was traveling up in the mountains in a remote area north of Mexico City. The road was pretty rough and he hit a rock. The rock totally destroyed his oil pan. Without the oil pan, the jeep was useless and he could go nowhere.
After waiting about 4 hours a farmer came by with a mule and was able to pull the jeep into a town a few miles away.
Now every little town in mexico has a small mechanic shop that is a combination repair, tire retread and blacksmith shop. He went over there and explained his problem. After asking if the shop owner could order him a new oilpan and install it, the mechanic replied, “Sure, no problem. It should be here within a couple of months.”
He questioned the mechanic if there was any other solution. The Mexican replied, “Come back in three days.”
So, the professor found a lady that would put him up for a few nights. He then got a chair in the yard and watched what the mechanic did. He watched with interest as the owner went to each house in the village and collected any scrap metal or tin cans that they had.
The mechanic then went back to his shop and started working the metal. Over the next few days, he melted the metal down and poured it out forming a sheet of metal. He then pounded it and cut it into the proper shape, made a gasket and fitted it onto the bottom of the jeep.
The professor then told me that he drove the jeep on many trips after that and the handmade oil pan never leaked a drop!
As you can imagine, I have the highest regard for these underrated Mexican mechanics. While caution is always in order dealing with anyone working on your car, you should be able to find someone with excellent skills to work on any vehicle that has problems while driving in Mexico.
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San Juan Puerto Rico
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San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico, a popular tourist destination island in the Caribbean. The city of San Juan was founded in 1521 and is known as La Ciudad Amurallada, meaning the walled city. San Juan is the biggest natural harbor in the Caribbean and the second oldest city in the Americas. The city is a major port and tourist resort and the oldest city under the flag of the United States.
The Spanish made San Juan the focal point for trade during the 16th century and fortified the entire city, now known as Old San Juan. The city has now expanded beyond its walled confines and incorporates suburban Miramar, Santurce, Condado, Hato Rey and Rio Piedras. Today, San Juan is the largest processing center for petroleum, as well as known for sugar refining, brewing and distilling. Cement, pharmaceutical and tobacco industries have been set up, which make it one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean, and the second largest sea port in the area, after New York City. San Juan is also the financial capital of Puerto Rico with many U.S. banks and corporations having set up offices there in recent times.
The city of Old San Juan was originally a military stronghold. It is now a charming residential and commercial district with streets paved with cobbles of blue stone. Over 400 carefully restored 16th century Spanish colonial buildings line the city. Tourists seeking an experience of old world charm flock to the city every year.
The Plaza de San Jose is skirted by a number of historic buildings and is a favorite meeting place for many residents and tourists. The bronze statue of Ponce de Leon stands at the center of the plaza.
The Parque de las Palomas or Pigeon Park, offers a breath-taking view of the city’s harbor and mountains. The park overlooks the restored La Princesa Jail, now an art gallery.
Begun in 1540, the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro is a six-level fortress that was eventually completed in 1589. The fort is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks and ramps. Its 18-foot-thick wall rises 140 feet above sea level; it provided a formidable defense against attacks in the 16th century. The fort is studded with small, circular sentry boxes called ‘Garitas’, now a national symbol.
The Capilla del Cristo or Cristo Chapel was built in 1753. The altar and beautiful Campeche paintings inside can be seen through the church’s glass doors.
For those who want to really experience the charm of San Juan, there is nothing like a leisure tour on foot through the narrow and steep streets of the city. San Juan is a quaint city that combines historic charm with modern vision and comfort.
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