Write a 3 paragraph appeal next time and watch how fast they hit ignore on you. Some mods want the story so skip the short stuff and make your case the right way.

Read a piece a while back from an old mason out of Charleston who swore by scuffing the face of old block with a grinder or a wire wheel before laying over it. His point was that old block gets a glaze on it from years of rain and dirt, and mortar needs something to grab onto. Buttering it heavy can work but you are really just hoping the mud sticks. The crew you saw probably did some prep you did not notice, maybe acid wash or a good scrub. Bond lines staying true over 20 feet means their base was solid too, not just the mud. Anyone can get lucky for a few courses, holding it that long takes real setup.

Wow, a whole $120 lesson? That's just the cost of doing tourist stuff, right? Half the fun of a trip is coming home with a wild story about getting scammed.