St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-06-01
By Marjorie w. Curry

Here 1 am in Monterrey, Mexico,
a city for the movies, it is so CLAM
orous.
My friend, Mrs. Clarie Harvey,
and I arrived at Laredo at 1870
p. m. Mrs. Harvey used her pass
port and l used my birth certificate
to get through the United States
customs office. Ever been through
a customs office? Well, down here
you get the works. After our bag
gage had been examined not too
carefully by the United States Off
Gals, they went off with our books
and my stenographer's notebook to
be examined. This took about thir-
ty minutes. Finally, we were let
through to Nuevo Laredo to the
Mexican customs. Here we began
to get the first hint of old Mexico.
Our passports were re-examined.
Our money was changed into Mexi-
can money at about $4.75 to one
dollar of American money. They
assured US that we would get the
best rate there. We were not too
sure. Then we were given tourist
cards which was a permit to go
anywhere in Mexico. Although our
money had been changed into Mexi-
can money, everyone demanded
payment in American money for
our tourist card, tips and cab fare.
We were just beginning to Won
der when we would get to use our
new money, when we learned that
the bus was about to leave for Mon
terrey and we could purchase our
tickets and pay for them in pesos.
Soon, with our pocketbooks bulg-
ing with pesos, we were humping
merrily along on the road to Mon
terrey. There was absolutely moth
ing to look at through the window.
Cacti, small shrubbery and sand
was all we could see.
Not knowing one bus from an
other, we had bought tickets on g.
second class bus which was filled
with Mexicans. Our tickets were
bought so late that all we had were
back seats which were really
bouncy. At first, the passengers
were busy talking, eating and get
ting acquainted, and there was a
constant buzz. Suddenly it was
quiet. Everyone was taking siesta.
My friends head dropped on my
shoulder, a girl next to her rested
her head on Mrs. Harvey's shoulder
and so it went the length of the
back seat until 1 could feel the
weight of all the heads on my
shoulder as I had the end seat.
Everyone slept until we at last
came to the Oasis Cafe where the
bus stopped. Immediately everyone
awoke and began chattering ex-
citedly. We all piled out for cokes
and sandwiches. Here was all the
coca cola Minneapolis doesn't have.
The bus horn sounded. Everyone
quickly hoped in the bus and away
we went again. This piling out and
drinking cokes was quite a lark
as usually someone had to count
our money for US as we hadn't
learned what money we should use
as yet.
By now we were all friends and
1 attempted few words of Span
ish. Sometimes my attempts were
met with gales of laughter as I
often put the accent in the wrong
place and made the word mean
something entirely different. All
combined to teach US Spanish. One
gentleman who could speak little
English asked US questions and
then interpreted this to his COM
panion, who in turn told the fellow
next to him and in this way half
the bus took part in the converse
ton, even shouting questions in
Spanish that were to be asked the
Americans. It was so much fun
and they were all SO very nice to
be with.
At last we arrived in Monter-
reg, hot, tired and hungry. We went
at once to the Hotel Ancira which