Since our project to work on a soccer field was cancelled yesterday we used our time to do some shopping for the local kids. With the excellent exchange rate right now we enjoyed a great time spending the club monies. We went to the fabric store and purchased a couple of bolts of cotton-backed plastic to put on the work tables for the kids in the daycare center. What they currently have is tattered and torn and was among the first things Sleeping Beauty/Alondra pointed out to us during our tour.
Then we found a local sporting goods store and bought a dozen soccer balls, 2 of their best pumps and their total supply of needles (11!) all for the sum of ~$115 U.S. One of our group knows about equipment and said some of the balls would have been close to $100 each in the U.S.
We were honored guests at a luncheon at “our” daycare center at noon – prepared and served by a couple of the teachers and mothers. They are so grateful for what our club has provided and Burl and another guy are already making plans to come back for another project.
The afternoon was free time so we wandered the streets of downtown Tlaquepaque and I think we have now seen every shop we care to see in this area. There is one piece of artwork I am still debating – will probably depend on if I think I can fit it in my carry-on luggage.
Our big event yesterday was a meeting with our Rotary Twin Club and since the meeting started at 8:30 and was predicted to run past midnight we thought we’d take a siesta. But – we got sidetracked talking with other guests around the pool and drinking pina coladas during Happy Hour. So much for good intentions! By time we finished the second drink, I was ready to stay in for the evening but that was NOT an option.
The club has a small membership so our group out-numbered them but they didn’t seem to care – and fortunately we took our own translator! I got to sit at the head table with their president and his English was on par with my Spanish – interesting combination. We celebrated the 5-year anniversary of our Twin Club agreement and exchanged gifts and then had a lull while they fixed dinner.
Now from the time we got there, the tequila was flowing rapidly – I was drinking Squirt plain but figured I’d better get with the action. The “light” drink they poured for me was about 50% tequila so I would drink a little and then add more Squirt and after awhile I didn’t even care!
They proceeded to set up a BBQ grill inside the hallway of the building and cooked carne asada, ribs and sausage for us. A couple of hours later we were full of food and drink and they brought out a spinning dart board and held their weekly fundraiser. The dart board was sectioned into 32 sections and everyone chose a number and color and put in 20 pesos (about $1.50 USD). Then the fun began!
Their club president and I were chosen to throw the darts and it was soon obvious that he was anything but sober! Twice he landed the dart in the chair where he had been sitting earlier. Naturally we provided plenty of entertainment for the group but I wasn’t able to score a free bottle of tequila for us – darn!
I was beginning to wonder if/when the meeting would end when one of our group who had been there before told me we needed to start heading to the door and they would get the hint – and they did!
I had no trouble sleeping when my head hit the pillow at 12:30 a.m.!
