Jan 21, 2022-One Cowhide Over the Moon

Norma, from the gym, told me about the tapiceria in Bucerias. 

 A tapiceria is a upholstery shop and we'd been searching all over Puerto Vallarta for a tapiceria which could fix the leather seats in our car.  Not having much luck either! 

Then Norma told us about the shop right across the street from the gym. 

Same old story: when you can't find what you're looking for, look closer to home. So I walked over to the tapiceria and met David, the main guy. And I met his mom Zanaida, who runs the desk, and Ceasar, David's brother. I met the whole family. 

I showed David our ripped upholstery. 

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David

He said he could fix it. His mom gave me an estimate, "Not bad",  I thought. But their leather selection was not what I wanted. "Can I bring my own leather?" I asked. "Sure." 

Next I searched for leather in Mexico. That should be easy, I figured, Mexico is rich in leather. 

I found a shop n Guadalajara and ordered a whole cowhide, black, fine finish, $73. 

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One Cowhide

I took my cowhide to David. "Looks fine" he said. We made an appointment and on the designated day I took my car to his shop and pulled it into the back yard. 

When it was supposed to be ready I went back. The seats were perfect, like new, but there was a problem: the electric seats didn't work! 

Well, I knew they were bad before but when David and Ceasar worked them over they stopped working. 

David's English wasn't good. 

We talked with Google translate. He said, "He fixes the engine and I fix the upholstery" meaning the electric seat motors were my problem.

No problem, I found a used seat adjuster in a wrecking yard in Ohio, near the town where we found the car itself several years ago, and ordered it. 

Now I have replaced the seat adjuster (big job, actually) and the electric seats work and the leather is very nice. 

All good. 

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New Seats

We're over the moon with it.

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Fred & Judy, SV Wings, La Cruz Huanacaxtle, Mexico

August 03, 2014-On The Move Again

Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City

We loved Chiapas so well...

We left.

Monday we took a bus to Tuxtla, (great 6 hour bus ride and crummy dinner in Tuxtla Guiterrez.)

Tuesday we flew to Mexico City, (great dinner in Centro Historico, and stayed where I always do, for the last 32 years, at the Ritz; they gave us a suite for our loyalty.)

Wednesday we flew to Cleveland, Ohio.

Thursday we bought a used car, (Chrysler 300) and got USA phone cards.

Friday we drove to Iowa, where we are now (at Judy's niece Angie's house in Cedar Rapids).

Looks like we will drive to Seattle on Monday, or start anyhow, and visit relatives and friends in Washington State, then later in August go to Jenny’s wedding in Oregon.

Finally, after we pick up the new mainsail somewhere on the West Coast, a drive to Mexico and down all the way to Chiapas.

You can cover a lot of ground if you take to the air, and even by land you go faster than a sailboat

We’ll check in along the way.

Our New Ride

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Fred & Judy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa