Page 10 - Italian-American Herald - February 2025

10 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | FEBRUARY 2025 ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
IT’S ALL GOOD
My adventures in Mexico: Working, dining, then the dire aftermath
By Charlie
Sacchetti
It was hot in
Acapulco, Mexico,
in February of 2004.
Unfortunately, I
wasn’t there to enjoy
the sunshine and the
warm tropical ocean.
I was there to work because the specialty
chemical company that I represented had
decided to expand its reach south of the
border. We found an opportunity through
an agent who facilitated our meetings with
Telmex, the largest telecommunications
company in the region. The powers that be
decided our best shot to earn the business
was to demonstrate one of our most unique
products, a rust neutralizer that stopped
existing rust in its tracks. Telmex had
numerous structures, and its Acapulco site
would be the toughest test because of the
ocean environment and humid conditions.
So I was tapped as the one to meet with
our potential customer and actually apply
the product. After it was applied, we would
monitor the results for several months and, if
all went well, start doing business.
My plane would land in Mexico City,
where I would stay at a hotel and, the next
day, attend several meetings. The following
day, I would be driven to Acapulco for the
demo. I was amazed at the condition of the
freeway from Mexico City to Acapulco; it was
in great shape, clean, and well lit. We would
stay overnight in the resort town, at the Las
Brisas Hotel, do the demo the next afternoon,
and then drive back to Mexico City. The Las
Brisas was famous as the favorite hotel of
Frank Sinatra and his buddies. Every room
had its own outdoor pool, and I remembered
the lyrics of “Come Fly with Me,” in which
Ol’ Blue Eyes mentions “we’ll beat the birds
down to Acapulco Bay.” I could only imagine
what those colorful characters did while
staying there. If only the walls could talk!
The next day, we went up to the eighth
floor roof of a Telmex-owned facility to apply
Stop Rust, our rust-neutralizing product,
to several of its metal structures. It was 95
degrees Fahrenheit on that February day, and
my New Jersey body had a lot of acclimating
to do, moving from the icebox to the oven in
two days. All went well, and then it was time
to begin the four-hour ride back to Mexico
City. My Mexican companions invited me
to pick a place for dinner. Prior to getting
on the highway, I noticed a restaurant that
looked interesting, so I asked to go there. The
food was great! One of the dishes I enjoyed
most was the tortilla chips, baked on site and
served with various salsas. One of the salsas
was green, and I was warned to be careful, as
it was reputed to be very unfriendly to one’s
digestive system. As I tasted it, I noticed it
wasn’t even hot. I scoffed good-naturedly at
my Mexican buddies, telling them it wasn’t
that spicy, and, besides, I could handle spicy
foods pretty well. I continued to enjoy the
mysterious green salsa throughout the meal.
They just looked at me and smiled. So did
the waiter, but he also gave me a Mexican
chuckle.
After the delicious dinner, we drove onto
the highway and sped away. About two hours
into the trip, I felt a strange feeling in my
belly. It wasn’t painful, but I quickly realized
it had the potential to make the final two
hours of the drive a little too exciting. By that
time, the guys were laughing and conversing
in Spanish. I, on the other hand, found
nothing to be amused about, and – after an
hour – I urgently suggested a visit to the next
rest stop. We did so, and I quickly made my
way past the heavily armed military guard
toward the men’s room. I had heard that
soldiers guarded public areas because of the
drug trafficking, so I wasn’t surprised to see
him, but it didn’t matter, anyway. He would
While vacationers teem eight stories below, Charlie Sacchetti applies a rust neutralizer on
the roof of a telecommunications company in Acapulco.
Throughout the night, I had lots
of exercise sprinting from
one room to another.
have needed a cannon to stop me from
getting to my destination at that moment.
Ultimately, we stopped at three more rest
stops along the way back to the hotel.
Throughout that night, I had no sleep but
lots of exercise consisting of quick sprints
from one room to another. I was worried that
I wouldn’t be able to make it to the airport
for my 6 a.m. flight but somehow, I did. The
flight was an adventure, and – I must admit
– I violated the “fasten seat belt” sign a few
times as I scurried hastily to the tiny restroom
at the rear of the plane.
I learned a few things on that trip. First, I
learned that Acapulco can be surprisingly hot
in February. I also learned that our product
would really benefit our customer in that
humid environment. Last but not least, I
learned, if you don’t know the territory, it’s
best to listen to the locals! IAH
Charlie Sacchetti is the author of three
books, “It’s All Good: Times and Events I’d
Never Want to Change;” “Knowing He’s There:
True Stories of God’s Subtle Yet Unmistakable
Touch,” and his newest, “Savoring the
Moments: True Stories of Happiness, Sadness
and Everything in Between.” He was raised in
Philadelphia and lives in Cinnaminson, New
Jersey. Contact him at worthwhilewords21@
gmail.com.
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