So the title doesn't quite explain the whole idea of this post. Yes, I have been busted in Mexico for not being very American, or being VERY American, depending on how you see it. Anyhow, no jail time this trip. Family and very good friends of ours spent a week down in the Running Down the Man neighborhood and it was a bust. As the picture above shows, surf conditions were just that, surfing caliber as opposed to sight casting to Rooster and other species from the beach. Bummer?? Well, not completely because as many know when the time on the water is cut short, drinking is a wonderful alternative, especially in warm environs. Not to mention watching your 4 year old daughter experience new fish, sea creatures and culture, far from a bust. However, there is one other lesson to be learned from a such a trip, or maybe even a couple. First, don't wait to make reservations with a guide until a few days before, it just doesn't work out and in the end you wind up packing pounds of gear through various airports, inviting additional security searches only to watch it sit in the very bag it traveled in. Second is to ask for straws with contrasting color when deciding to drink more than 3 and less than 20 double margaritas from friendly bartenders who enjoy to a degree your broken Spanglish. While in this picture the straw is quite evident, after several and while making efforts to draw the attention of the waiter for the next round, it becomes quite well disguised and does in fact hurt, a lot, when it travels up your nose or in your eye. The latter is ever more fun after you have switched between drinking from the well salted rim and the straw, leaving salty remnants on the end. So, quick recap... 1. Reserve a guide well in advance of your trip...or expect not to have one. 2. Don't pee in public where Federal Police from MX can see you, this was lesson learned from 20 years ago while crossing the border on foot. 3. Red, blue, green, pink straws when drinking margaritas. 3a. Just ask for no straw and indulge from the rim. 4. Always travel with your daughter because at this age, even she laughs at you for learning the afore mentioned lessons the hard way.