Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

Guapo Gabacho

May 21, 2003, 4:34 PM

Post #1 of 15 (1599 views)

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Where can I buy a pila in the US

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My Mexican wife is tired of the poor job our Kenmore washer is doing and wants her pila back. I have tried every search engine and can't get a "hit" on pila, pileta, or lavadero that is what I want. I know that I have seen them sitting beside stores in Mexico and if I remember right, they looked to be made of fiberglass. Any assistance in pointing me in the correct direction would be appreciated. We now live in Alabama and we (she) can't return without us paying the extorsion the BCIS (formally the INS) wants for travel documents while we wait the two or more years for her green card (as they say, 9/11 ya know).

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

jennifer rose

May 22, 2003, 4:03 PM

Post #2 of 15 (1571 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Take a look at Lehman's http://www.lehmans.com/...mp;itemType=CATEGORY

Guapo Gabacho

May 22, 2003, 6:22 PM

Post #3 of 15 (1563 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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They don't have anything resembling a pila in their catalog. They also seem to cater to the homesteading carriage trade. Thanks for the lead.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

esperanza

May 22, 2003, 9:07 PM

Post #4 of 15 (1557 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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You could drive to Brownsville, or McAllen (Texas) and she could stay in the States while you drive across the border to purchase a pila at the nearest hardware store or builders supply place. You'd be back with your prize in a flash.

I've wracked my brain, but I have never seen one of these offered for sale in the States. You might find one in San Ysidro, California, (on the border with Tijuana) but it's a heckuvalot farther from Alabama than Texas is.

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(This post was edited by esperanza on May 22, 2003, 9:09 PM)

Esteban

May 24, 2003, 12:08 PM

Post #5 of 15 (1540 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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It's hard for me to imagine a good washer and dryer not working as well as a pila. I'm not trying to be condescending but maybe you either need a new washer or she needs to learn how to use it. I have to admit, some of the newer models are like using a computer but with a little help, it's possible.

Guapo Gabacho

May 24, 2003, 12:29 PM

Post #6 of 15 (1539 views)

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Re: [Esteban] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Esteban,

I believe that you possibly need to find you a gal that knows how to use a pila. Are you married to an American?

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

Don

May 24, 2003, 3:18 PM

Post #7 of 15 (1532 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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I don't think you are looking for a pila, but a pila con el lavadero. My stepson (from Mexico) and daughter in Northern California have a washer and dryer, but also had a pila con el lavadero built for them. Look around for some men from Mexico, that were in the construction business there, and they can probably build you one.

Guapo Gabacho

May 24, 2003, 3:40 PM

Post #8 of 15 (1528 views)

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Re: [Don] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Dear Don,

Those darn wash stations are called different names in almost every pueblo I have been in, in Mexico and Central America. That is why I said pila, pileta, or lavadero. The wife now says they are also called fregaderos or bateas. What I want is a "box" of fiberglass, that at couter height, has on one side a scrub board built into a sink with drain. Beside the sink is a hole to dip out water that is stored in the box. Many are made of concrete, but I want portability. It's funny how you get used to seeing things that you take for granted in Mexico that you can't explain when you leave. Thanks.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

Don

May 24, 2003, 3:57 PM

Post #9 of 15 (1524 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Can't say I have seen any made of fiber glass in our area. They are either pre-made with concrete or built in at the time of home construction. We have cement ones in our homes. But, I am sure the larger cities have the portable type for which you are looking. In the U.S., probably the closest you may come is with the old wash tub and a separate scrubbing board. You can still buy them, but they are not as functional as the pila con lavadera. Also, you are right about the name, what they are called, depends on what part of the country you live.

Rolly / Moderator

May 24, 2003, 4:05 PM

Post #10 of 15 (1520 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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When I was a boy -- a long time ago -- there was something similar to what you are looking for in the USA called a washboard. It had only the scrubbing part of the pila, not the water basin. You could put it in a sink or tub and scrub your clothes (and knuckles). I remember my mother using one until she got an electric washing machine. Now days about the only place you're likely to see one is hanging on the wall as a decoration in a country restaurant.

Pilas (or what ever they are called locally) are very common in Manzanillo; all my friends there have them, even in new homes. I have seen only one here in Lerdo, and that, interestingly, is in a brand new house.

The first time I saw a pila was in Manzanillo. It was outside by the patio, as is the usual case. After scraping my knuckles a few times, I got the hang of it and found that it did a good job and did it quickly.

Your chances of finding a pila in the USA are pretty slim. Even a washboard is not a very likely find other than in an antique shop.

Rolly Pirate

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Guapo Gabacho

May 24, 2003, 4:22 PM

Post #11 of 15 (1517 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Rolly, jennifer rose gave me a lead where scrub board are available, but used with a tub, the height is not right. With a pila you can "lean" into your work. I hope your not in the Lerdo of Veracruz. Thanks.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

Esteban

May 24, 2003, 5:11 PM

Post #12 of 15 (1513 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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I'm not married but I have had my clothes washed by someone on a pila, I have washed them myself on a pila but I use a washer and dryer here in Mexico to wash my own clothes. I can tell you one thing, washing clothes on a pila is VERY hard on the clothes. They wear out much faster. Most of the Mexican people I know, have washers. Now these washers are very simple but washers are considered a labor saving device by most of them. Why don't you just send her down to the river and have her wash them on the rocks :-)

Guapo Gabacho

May 24, 2003, 5:31 PM

Post #13 of 15 (1505 views)

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Re: [Esteban] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Tranquilo Vato, fue un chiste. Nosotros amaricanos se llamen "Lingua en mejilla".

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

esperanza

May 25, 2003, 6:32 AM

Post #14 of 15 (1494 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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I live in a house that is nearly 75 years old. A tenant or two back, some modernist decided to de-construct the pila on the property. It's the only thing missing that keeps this house, for me at least, a notch back from perfection. There are some things that can't be washed properly in a washing machine (and yeah, I do know how to use one).

When I lived in Tijuana, we had a superabundance of plumbing but no city water. We hauled our water from the poso to the house in huge bucketsful, and washed all our clothing, bedding, etc, by hand at the pila. No, it wasn't easy, but the clothes were cleaner and the whites were whiter than it's possible to achieve in a washing machine. And then hung in the brilliant Baja sun to dry~*sigh*. Often the clothes at the start of the line would be dry by the time we'd hung the last of that line.

Now I wash with a 'modern convenience', the washing machine, but I still hang the clothes out to dry. Nothing smells better than freshly washed and sun-dried sheets on the bed, or an underwear drawer full of unmentionables just down from an afternoon on the azotea.

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Esteban

May 25, 2003, 7:01 AM

Post #15 of 15 (1489 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] Where can I buy a pila in the US

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Guess I took your whole posting to be serious rather than tongue and cheek. The reason I say that is because I've seen so many gringos marry Mexicans and what I see is similar to what you are talking about. No real communication between the partners. Not all couples I've seen are this way but many are. The gringo won't understand enough Spanish nor understand enough about the culture to have a meaningful relationship. It appears to me, the younger couples fare better because the partners have a much longer time to learn about each others culture and language.