Mexico -- Algodones, part 1

The first Thursday of 2024, I received a text from Brenda at 5:30 in the morning: I'm up. Want to go to Mexico now?

We were planning on leaving later in the day, but I woke up at four and couldn't get back to sleep. Oh...I tried falling back to sleep naturally by laying in the dark and trying to recapture my dreams, hoping that would pull me back into a pleasant dream state. When that didn't work, I played Mexican Train dominoes on my phone app.

I responded to the text: Let's leave at six.

The darkness of night and fog made for a slow drive out of Lake Havasu City. We lost the fog at Parker as we headed away from the Colorado River and headed toward Quartzite as the sun's warm glow peeked over the horizon, bathing the roadway with light.

We arrived at the border at ten o'clock and made our way to the Mexican inspection area where an armed guard inspected my backpack before letting us into Algodones.

Upon entering the marketplace, we were accosted with shouting Mexicans:

Want the best--the very best--dental care? Come this way!

What are you looking for? I'll help you find it!

Pretty Lady, look at these bracelets!

I've got the best dentist in town! I can take you!

Look at these sunglasses!

Look at these earrings!

Look at these aprons!

Look at these necklaces!

Look, look, look!

Brenda was on a mission to get to Mary's Pharmacia and led the way. I, on the other hand, stopped to look at some silver bracelets. When I lost sight of Brenda, I wasn't worried because I could picture the pharmacia she usually frequented. I'd catch up with her after haggling over the price of a silver bracelet.

"For you, pretty lady, thirty dollars!" the man offered.

"Oh no!" I replied. "Ten dollars."

"Okay. Okay. Special...only for you. Twenty dollars."

I pulled a ten out of my wallet. "This is what I have."

He sold it to me for ten.

Pulling money out of a wallet in Algodones is like putting a glass of water out in the desert. The bees and the flies soon find the water. The money attracts other sellers in the same way. As I walked to find the pharmacia, two things happened. First, I realized I might be on the wrong street. Second, another seller approached me.

"Special deal for a special lady!" he proclaimed, procuring three bracelets that looped over his hand. "Look at these!"

I took a look and admired the linked metal of two bracelets. One of them was a herringbone pattern, and the other looked like Medieval scrollwork.

"Two for twenty-five dollars!" the seller proclaimed.

"Oh no!" I said. "No necessito."

"Okay. Okay. Special...only for you...two for twenty."

I looked down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of Brenda waiting for me, but she was nowhere to be seen. Algodones is a small area with lots of people. I knew that I'd catch up with her somewhere on the street or at the border. Our plan was to be out of Mexico by noon, so if I didn't find her, I'd wait by the border. She'd show up eventually.

"No necessito," I repeated.

"Oh, pretty lady, please feel these," he said, pushing the bracelets toward me and looping them on my finger. "Two for twenty."

I had four single dollar bills in my purse, and the bracelets looked to be of good quality. "I have four dollars. That's all I have," I said.

"One for five."

"I only have four."

"Oh no!"

I tried to give the bracelets back, but he wouldn't take them, so I started to bend toward the ground to lay them on the sidewalk.

"Don't be such a Mexican! Okay, okay! I'll take four for one." He took the bracelets from me, and left one hanging on my finger while I dug in the side pocket of my purse for four dollars.

As I walked away from the bargaining and started looking for Brenda, other sellers approached me, but I averted my eyes and looked away from them. Early in the day, they hawked their merchandise hard.

I hurried down the street.

The smell of seasoned beef grilling at a street vendor's cart attracted my attention. A small group of men gathered around the cart, waiting for their food. Another man nearby leaned against the building and asked, "What can I help you find?"

"Busco mi amiga."

"Is she lost, or are you lost?" he laughed.

I wasn't about to admit being lost because I knew exactly where I was. I just didn't know where Brenda might be. "I'm looking for Mary's Pharmacia."

"Which one?"

I didn't realize there were two, and he started to point out where they were. "Here," he said, opening the door. "Look in here."

Now, that's a ploy to get an American or Canadian into a building with lots of merchandise and sellers. I didn't know this guy, and I certainly didn't want to step into a trap to be hit with more people selling merchandise. I only wanted to look through the door to see if Brenda was there. He opened the door to a long hallway, and I didn't see Brenda, so I walked away.

I walked up one side of the street and down the other, picking up a great deal on three beautiful rings along the way. I couldn't resist!

And then...suddenly...I was back at the building with the helpful man leaning against the building. He laughed again when he saw me. "Look in here, mi amiga. This is Mary's."

He opened the door, and--this time--I followed him inside.

And...there was Brenda!

The man laughed, and I'm pretty sure I was blushing when I said gracias!

Brenda was talking extensively with the pharmacist, and I didn't want to interrupt, so I went to the other counter and picked up some azithromyacin and ivermectin to keep on hand.

As we exited the building, I pointed to a little cafe. "Remember that singer from the other cafe? He's playing a keyboard at this cafe over here." I pointed to a little outdoor area with tables and chairs. Some were in the sun and some were in the shade. I needed some of the sunshine vitamin (vitamin D), so I suggested we sit outside and have a margarita while listening to the man sing.

He just finished a song as we sat down and walked around the tables with his tip jar. I recognized him and knew he could play what I asked. As I put five dollars into the jar, I asked, "Could you play 'Amarillo by Morning' in Spanish?"

He looked at me and smiled. "You've asked for this one before."

"Si."

It was the first song he played when he went back to the keyboard.

While sitting at the table we were approached by a persistent seller of metal art and a jewelry vendor. We only sat there for half an hour, but they know a sucker when they see one, and I ended up with a smiling grasshopper and the medieval-looking bracelet that I wished I'd gotten earlier.

Brenda has something on order in Mexico, so we have to return in the next week or so. For the next trip, I decided I will visit a dentist for a teeth cleaning and venture to the pet pharmacy to see if they have the medicine for Buena's eyes.