So now we enter the “high season.”
Those from the north, Canadian and American, who winter in San Miguel
are arriving--those who have not yet been intimidated from doing so
by a fear of Mexico that is. There is obviously a good number who are
not. The place is filling up.
Whatever shortfall there has been in
the number of Canadians and Americans who winter here has to a great
extent been compensated for by the chilangos. “Chilango” is a
Mexican word for people from Mexico City. I am careful about
using it. It is like the word “gringo.” Said in the wrong tone of
voice, it can have an insulting edge to it. I do not intend any
insult in using it.
Not only are there an enormous number
of chilango tourists here in the weekend, many men with the means to
do so now house their families here, work in Mexico City during the
week, and spend the weekends here with their families. The stress of
life in that city has become difficult. This is what I am told
anyway.
This I can say from my own observation.
They dress differently. They act differently. They certainly do drive
their automobiles differently. Somewhere there is a little essay that I wrote on the serene and pleasant experience of driving in this town
in normal circumstances. Nobody in a hurry. Not a traffic signal in
town, yet everyone patiently waiting their turn at busy
intersections. You can go through the entire work week and never hear
a horn honk in town. Then on the weekend you hear horns honk. If you
are close enough to the car with the honking horn, you invariably notice that
it has Distrito Federal plates on it.
I do not dislike either of these
groups, neither the winter residents from the north nor the
chilangos. Their presence is essential to the economy of this place.
I simply prefer not to be around them. It is easy to avoid them
because of their tendency to flock together in certain limited, discrete areas
of the city.
For example during the winter months, I
do as much of my shopping for supplies as I can in the vicinity of this plaza and
Mercado San Juan de Dios next to it. That is essentially an open
sewer running down through the middle of the place in the
photograph. In part because of that, there is neither gringo nor
chilango in sight down there.
3 comments:
Wow, interesting how the season changes your population huh? As always loving following your photos.
p.s. I posted a video and blurb I'm not sure if you've seen before. It's a sort of trailer for an epk. There will be some familiar faces to you in the video.
on my bog here:
some online bookclub folks...some from McCarthy site too...
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2012/12/epk.html
I did visit, Candy, and enjoyed it immensely. Familiar faces, yes.
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