title: Language Barrier
author: Santa Rosa, Nick
description: It was more than thirty years ago but the memory is still strong.  I’d planned a trip to Mexico to witness the great whale migration for myself.  Just about halfway down the Baja peninsula my car died.  That will happen when you start to doze at the wheel, drift off the road and run over a moderately sized rock.  First gear still worked but it took two hours to drive five miles to the nearest town.  Fortunately the first mechanic I found spoke a little English although he was closing for the day.  He gave the car a quick look, peered under the hood and came up shaking his head.