The next day we drove the Jeep to the nearby Polo Fields for a three-hour horseback ride, and then drove out to the Copa Del Sol – a bowl-shaped structure of concrete that is clearly the vision of an artistic, not a practical, mind.
The village nearest our casita featured a sculpture of a giant bunny, for no reason we could discern.
As we traveled on, we experienced a string of very special potty stations, and I’ve posted a couple of pictures here. I do think we take for granted the facilities prepared for the public in our country; the posted examples will illustrate what I mean.
On our final day, as we approached the airport, we were pulled over by a traffic cop for “running a red light.” (If you say so, officer.) He told us we had two choices: come to the precinct office and pay the fine (not an option, as time was running out for us to check in) or, as he put, “Pay me, cash – but unfortunately I don’t have a receipt book.” (Surprise.)
The fine was $100, and I wrote it off as a learning experience. But no sooner had we pulled up at Europcar when the supervisor of the traffic cops pulled up and asked if I had given cash to the officer. When I replied, “Yes,” he made the traffic cop return the $100 to me. He said it was illegal and wrong for the cops to take money from me, that the fine was really $20, that he was embarrassed for the behavior, and apologized to me.
Wow. Now my story was even better, and I had my money back!
Two hours later we were on our way back to the States, not quite ready to immerse ourselvesback in our daily routines. I’m thinking of building a giant concrete bowl in the SCM lunchroom.
