We hadn't done anything fun for days and were sick of ourselves. So when the taxi came we asked him what any stupid foreigner would: Is there a golf course around here?

What's the guy gonna say? Yea, there's one just around the corner? 

Not when he can take us to one waaaaaay out in the boonies. It was beautiful--Nicklaus designed--but after driving 50 miles it's-- what else?--closed. 

So now what do we do? 

 We already owe this guy an arm and a leg for getting us out this far. Do we have him take us back into town and forget the golf, or do we drive another 10 km (he claims) to a different course and then take a bus back to town because we'll be too broke to hire another taxi? Oh yes, senora, there are buses can take you back. Many buses--no problem. 

We drove the craziest route through the most beautiful country, up winding roads, over mountains, down dirt trails, through wash outs...there's a golf course out HERE? 

Bob's dying 'cause as the meter's eating up the pesos his golf game's getting more and more improbable.

All the time it seemed like the course would be right around the corner; he kept telling us not far, un poco, but eventually when the meter read almost $200 pesos, it was time to go back. Our taxi rides are usually in the 5-6 peso range. I guess today we traded a beautiful ride for the golf game. 

We think we're savvy travelers, but time and time again we get fooled and are reminded of just how foreign, foreign countries are.