Wobblestones

Undulating through San Miguel's wobblestone streets is something more akin to horseback riding or boating. There is a tranquility in relinqishing some control to an imperfect environment. Even in the colorful frenzy of crowded streets, cars simply float around pedestrians and other cars in a non-hurried way. Collectivism and helpfulness is high and competitiveness is low. Like boats in water, fast movements don't pay off. It is more like guiding than controlling. As with many things in Mexico, the approach is one of effective approximation.

At the same time people, including us, navigate wide vehicles past each other through impossibly narrow passages without hesitation, although sometimes the conversation pauses. This aspect is like squeezing down a hallway at a crowded party, you really come face to face with the other drivers. Today, the Submarine was momentarily halted in the narrow streets, squeezed between a city bus on one side and 3 burros carrying sticks along with 2 children and 2 dogs.

Our friend Chris points out that the absence of any traffic lights in town means that even crossing the intersection requires a bit of negotiation with neighbors and a small act of creativity: is it my turn or yours? Maybe the busy mom carry a baby in a blanket should go first. Mexico's lack of American-efficiency can be summed up as this: less official rules, more personal negotiation.

Here there is a sense of freedom and figuring things out, rather than referring to the regulation. As with any trip to a 3rd world country, the abundance of non-90 degree angles in the built environment is as much a turn on for us as machine-printed logo t-shirts are for the foreign kids.

On the downside, it has taken multiple trips to multiple stores and I have still not located the right window to replace on the van. On Saturday, the right windshield arrived, but I need the left. Perhaps if there were a Kragen on every block...