Same Difference

The more I travel, the more I notice the normality of places.  I realize now that a place is only exotic for about two weeks. After that, my eyes become accustomed to my surroundings and everything that was once so new and strange is suddenly familiar. Everywhere's normal is different, but there's still a distinct pattern of life and action that reveals itself once one's stay becomes more lengthy.  People wake up, they work, they walk around, they live and die, they give birth and take their kids to school and dance lessons and soccer camp, they eat, they drink coffee or beer, they watch sports and laugh with their friends. It's just life. And it happens everywhere, just with a bit of a different backdrop. Some places it's harder, but there's still a routine, a way of things. Some places are hot, some are cold, but people still love and cry and get angry and forgive - all over the planet

Here in Mazatlán, their skin is dark, their hair is black, and they drive around in old pick-up trucks of various shades, usually three or four others piled in the back. They run taco stands from the corner of every fourth block and make the best quesadillas con carne asada anywhere on the planet. They wake up early to hammer nails and make concrete in little piles on the street or to stock produce in small dark frutarias. They make taxis out of covered golf carts called Pulmonias. They ride their bikes and walk their dogs and slide their rollerblades the length of the Malecón at sunset and dress up in bright high heels to buy a cup of coffee and a piece of cake once dusk drops lightly onto the waves. When the moon rises full, it's a rich glowing orange in the inky black sky, yellow lights all over the city winking at it from down below. We speed through them in a car, windows down as we chase Spanish graffitti and hand painted signs that populate the streetsides. Every so often, our ears catch a Doppler effect of jarring Mexican radio; horns and lyrics too fast to a tempo that can barely keep up. Ésta es vida, loud and beautiful, salty and hot.