I went by their booth this afternoon, and found a new band playing at their booth. New for me anyway. It was a band of three stringed instrument musicians, wearing their traditional Huitchol Indian clothing. I got so enamored with trying to take their photos in a horrible lighting set-up, that I forgot to take photos of the booth, etc.
I love the serious looks on the musicians’ faces. I asked for permission to take the photos and paid them the same as if I had asked for a song to be played. I am nervous about taking individuals pictures and always ask for approval. Particularly if they are strangers. Or Indians.Last night I had something new happen for me here. A local man, who always acknowledges me when we pass, but to whom I have never been introduced, approached me as I having a slice of pizza at Victor’s shop. He pointed out several restaurants along the beach road where black water, from overflowing septic tanks , was running out on to the street. And stinking. He asked me to take photos of the water and where it was coming from, and I did.
I haven’t run into him today, but I will probably wait and see what happens. Some of the restaurants around here are not quick to pump out their septic tanks when they start overflowing. It can be slightly disgusting.
I had another blinding flash of petty insight the other night. I was walking up on the new little road that goes between the beach road and the paved road. The road starts just south of Koko Bongo’s. There was horribly loud music and a man’s voice screaming over a loudspeaker system. It was coming from a ”circus” tent, set up on the dry bed of the rainy season lake behind the cuestos. I was cussing to myself about the loudness, when I suddenly realized, that loudspeakers are the only way to get some info out.
In Gringo-landia, to the north of Mexico, we have local newspapers, alternative and regular, and locally programmed TV and radio stations. None of which we have here. It’s either posters or loudspeakers if you have a big event coming up. Or even a little one. That thought made me feel a little different about the constant use of loudspeakers in Chacala.This morning the camarones (shrimp) guy was cruising around town with his loudspeaker on 30000 jillion decibels starting at 6:45am. Really annoying. But how is he going to let people he is going to be selling Camarones without the loudspeaker? He can’t place a TV, radio, or newspaper ad. I am slightly more sympathetic.
Of course, they don’t have to be that loud. When a local restaurant owner yells over their loudspeaker system twenty times a day, announcing daily specials, I have a hard time with it. I can hear ever word very clearly from about 5 blocks away, and so can the rest of the town. I don’t know how their customers can stand the noise.
This week, when the waves were strange, big and very explosive, we were all in the dark about the cause. It turned out a tsunami from somewhere like the Solomon Islands was working it’s way across the Pacific, and hit the Acapulco-Colima area very strong. Or something called the Equatorial whatever, that happens every year. Those are both rumors from the PV newspaper. I don't remember waves like this before, so who knows. People drowned and they closed the beaches. Apparently the Navy pulled more than 200 people out of the water south of Barra de Navidad and around Acapulco. We just got the tail end of it. Of course, I don’t know how accurate any version of any event around here is. Still, it was in the newspaer, whatever that's worth.
I never ran into anyone, all week, who knew the cause of the strange waves. At home the local TV would have let us know what was happening. But I guess there is no local TV for this area. Not that I like TV or ever watch it. Except for brief glimpses when a restaurant has one blaring in the background.
This is a locally-owned booth selling tourist items,including temporary tattoes, installed as you wait.
2 comments:
the contrast in media coverage between mexico and the us and canada was such a shock to me back in 1994 when i was in aticama. i was there camping for the winter and when the zapatista uprising happened in the south we had no idea what was going on except we knew something based on the number of military vehicles passing down the road from san blas. i didn't find out what actually happened until i returned to canada a month later.
as well, i agree with you about the loudspeakers. when realized that that method is one of the only way of advertising it definately becomes more tolerable. being back in canada, i actually miss them sometimes. my neighbourhood now is so quiet...
I asked my landlord about the big, weird waves and he told me that it happens every year at this time. No name for it, just said, "every year, this time". Must be a spring thing. LOL
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