It was April Fools’ Day, but this new (and unwanted) addition to our truck was no joke.
Some of the damage done.
Just one of the dangers of driving in Mexico
We were making our way up the Costalegre from the Las Alamandas hotel to our next destination, Hotelito Desoncido. After turning off the highway we weren’t sure if we were on the correct road, so we decided to pull off to consult the map.
We’d seen the taxi behind us approaching fast, but we figured he would see our brake lights and left turn signal. He did see them. But one of the conundrums of driving in Mexico is that a left turn signal can mean “Pass me” or “Look out, I’m turning.”
The taxi driver opted for the first definition and as we started our left hand turn onto the side road the taxi was already trying to pass. Horn blaring and brakes screeching he tried to stop. Luckily, by the time he hit us we were almost off the road he had slowed considerably.
End result? Not as bad as it could have been. Everyone was fine and the truck is fully operable except for the rear door that doesn’t really close well anymore. And now we have, as they say, our first Mexican tattoo.
This is the taxi driver who thought it was wise to try to pass us on a corner over a solid no-passing dividing line while our left turn indicator was on.
We had invested in decent insurance. The only problem was that we had to wait for four hours on the side of the road for our agent from GNP insurance to travel from Puerto Vallarta to the scene of the accident. Along with the police, the taxi driver, and most of a nearby village we sat on a dusty road in the heat waiting.
In the end, after some negotiating, we had a choice to make: let the authorities impound our truck and hang around this tiny village for a few weeks waiting for a local judge to assign blame (though the taxi driver was clearly wrong). Or suck up our US$500 deductible and get the truck fixed at our leisure at the repair shop of our choosing (even back in the states if we want). Guess which option we chose…
We eventually got to Hotelito Desconocido. Read our full review of Hotel Desconocido, one of the most eclectic hotels in Mexico.
Here’s more about travel in Mexico
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