Day trippin' in Nogales, México

Last Saturday, I went on a fairly quick day trip with my parents and one of my aunts to Nogales. We had a really good time! We took off early in the morning in my truck because it's comfortable for long trips and they were paying for gas. There's only one drawback. IT'S HUGE. Roads down there are wide enough for 2 parking lanes and 3 driving lanes in a 3 lane, US sized road.

Ideally, try to take one of these.

Squeezing my 7 ft wide (with mirrors sticking out), 20 ft long truck into some of those parking spots made me wish I had a Toyota or something. Thankfully, for the most of the day, that was the only problem we had. We did some shopping, enjoyed some delicious food, and took in the sights and sounds. All the while I daydreamed about buying a cargo tricycle.

Don't judge, they're only $200

Anyways, the afternoon sun is starting to go down and my mom and aunt only have to go to one more store. I park the truck one street away from the main avenue and hang out with my understandably tired dad. We grab some chairs (my mom plans ahead) from the back of the truck and we chill in the shade.

I immediately realize something's off. This store where I had innocently parked in front of has these two people with walkies-talkies. Cars are driving up kinda slow to the store, one by one most of the time, where one of the attendants walks up for maybe a minute, goes inside, hand something to the driver and then the cars drive away. I quickly realized what's going on and decide that ignorance is the best option.

My dad.... was not so fast on the trigger. After reading his newspaper, my dad looks to me and not using his inside voice asks, "Hijo, why are all these cars driving by?" I try to scream at him with my eyes and tell him, "Don't ask, you'll be happier not knowing."

A couple more minutes go by and my dad asks me again in the same voice, "Hijo, why are those shoes hanging off the electrical wire?" I deduce that subtlety is not strong enough and quietly and lovingly tell him, "That store is selling drugs, don't say anything or we might get in trouble"

Have I said yet that before he asked me any of this, one of the cars had already stopped in front of us and had decided to ride the magic mountain? After maybe half an hour, I'm already getting antsy wondering what's taking my mom so long when a paletero walks down the street and tries to sell us some popsicles. We buy some, and then the guy notices what's going on too and he starts COMPLAINING about Mexico's drug problem at full blast!

Mexico is corrupt! Look at these drugs! Why can't they sell this crap away from the children?! What a waste! Drugs are the worst!

On and on he went while I started to wonder if I was going to die within half a mile of the border (also Scott, this was about when you called me). It was during this that my mom and my aunt showed up. My aunt immediately figured out what was going on and knew the procedure. Meanwhile, my mom is listening to this guy talk about how drugs are ruining the country's young, beautiful women. (also, mom, she was right behind me, I couldn't help but look when he pointed her out).

FINALLY, mom gets the hint and starts freaking out. "How could I subject my son to this?!", she asked, not realizing I'm 30 and have already been to shady places. She shoves us into the truck and keeps talking about how embarrassed she feels for having done that me. Meanwhile, I had already been there for over an hour and was positive that some of the clients thought my dad and I worked there.