Mexican Adventure Part 1: The Fight with a Giant Steel Beast

An anecdotal account of touristic blunder, as an unprepared gringo attempts to explore South of the Border   . . . 

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It was time to make my first international trip, with Mexico as my destination. I had prepared for it intensively by studying the language and memorizing important locations on my map. With nothing but a couple changes of clothes in a backpack, I stepped off the bus from the airport at La Estacion Centro. This was the main bus depot in town, and it was here that I would change over to a city bus for transportation to my hostel.

The smell of food vendors immediately caught my attention as I began to scout out the grounds. First things first, I desperately needed to relieve my bladder. The sign clearly marked bano pointed upstairs. The restroom was guarded by a large turnstile that required a coin for entrance. Now mind you this was not your typical turnstile. This thing was a huge cage-like beast, similar to the kind you would find in a prison. I made my deposit and quickly entered without considering the pack strapped to my back. The large steel teeth clenched down on my pack bringing the rotation to a halt. Others behind me could not enter, as I could not escape.

There I was, "El Gringo Supremo", being eaten alive by this contraption right in front of everyone. The man behind me pushed but it didn’t budge. He then attempted to pull as if he were trying to free me from an untimely demise. After a bit of twisting and turning, I was able to free myself from the straps. Two other men were now trying to help untangle this situation, as onlookers seemed to be losing patience for this lengthy restroom line. After much assistance, I was finally free. Others were now pouring into the restroom. I couldn’t help but think of how their relief surely came with a bit of disgust at the spectacle I had made of myself during those first moments in their homeland.

Feeling a bit of embarrassment over my struggle with the giant steel beast, I decided I would cheer myself up by sampling some of that fine street food. The worst was surely behind me. “What else could happen?”, I thought to myself.

To be continued …

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If you would like to read more about my travels in Mexico, then check out
my guide to Cancun and the surrounding areas!