Adele Ferguson: Two different holiday accounts

SOME YEARS ago, friends of mine who live here in Washington but have a vacation condominium in Mexico, invited my husband and me to make use of their condo. Thanks, I said, but no thanks. I wouldn’t go to Mexico if somebody was going to give me a condo. I consider it one of the most dangerous places on earth. I’ve read too many stories in the newspapers, I said, of American tourists and travelers waylaid and murdered by thugs or even the Mexican police. No way, no how.

I thought about that this Christmas when a story in my local paper, the Kitsap Sun, told of a Bainbridge man who died after being brutally beaten while in Mexico for work.

Patrick Warga, a tugboat captain with Foss Maritime in Seattle, was in Tampico on Christmas morning when he was robbed and beaten with a rock. Warga left the boat the night before with a shipmate to attend a Christmas Eve celebration at the town’s church. They hoped to catch a taxi back to the boat but the driver wouldn’t drive to the part of town where the shipyard is located after dark.

SO THE MEN stayed in a hotel in town where it was safe, planning to return the next morning. Warga went out for a cup of tea before heading to the ship about 7 or 8 a.m. on Christmas Day. He never returned and was found a short time later and flown to a hospital in San Diego where he died. He left a wife and three youngsters.

About this time, however, I received a Christmas card with one of those letters in it that I feel obliged to pass on to you, considering what I’ve said about Mexico.

Actually, quite a lot of Washingtonians have vacation places in Mexico, among them Jim Woods and his wife, former state Rep. Beverly Woods, R-Kingston, who represented the 23rd district until 2007. She was a top notch lawmaker who was tossed out because the Democrats wanted the seat and got it. Stunned by her rejection, she and Jim pulled up stakes completely, moving to Manzanillo, Mexico. Their Christmas letter gives an entirely different picture of Mexico.

“FOR MEXICO, Christmas starts early with the Lady of Guadalupe Days. Nightly parades and special mass begin the 9th of December and continue until Dec. 12th where 480 years ago the Virgin Mary (known as the Lady of Guadalupe) appeared before Juan Diego. On that spot today stands the Basilica of Guadalupe near Mexico City. Las Posadas begins on Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 and then on Jan. 6th, it’s Kings Day, the day the wise men came to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus.

“Government buildings and shopping centers all have their manger scenes up along with Christmas trees and decorations. Most government offices are shut down until Jan. 7. In November of this year, Jim and I visited the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City where along with thousands of others that day we were blessed by the priest and allowed to view the poncho of Juan Diego bearing the vision of the Virgin Mary.

“We visited more cathedrals than I can name, many of them ancient ruins. We climbed the Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun built in 100 AD. Mexico City is beautiful despite a population of 26 million people. We are anxious to continue exploring the rich history of Mexico. We love the culture and life style of the Mexican people and love meeting the visitors to Manzanillo from around the world.

“In October, we experienced hurricane Jova which brought 20 inches of rain, heavy winds and huge surf to the area. We had bridges out and many people killed. The military has done a great job helping out the citizens and many of us did what we could.”

There’s more, but I felt I owed you the other side of Americans in Mexico.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa.)