I’m sitting inside the ultra-fancy Altabrisa Mall here in Merida…drinking a lukewarm Starbucks coffee and looking over at a squeeky clean shiny HaagenDas.   In front of me a podium is being set up for what appears to be a grand opening of a Nike Store.  New stores are a big deal here.  Just three weeks ago we managed to get exclusive tickets to the grand opening of the aforementioned HaagenDas Store where we drank our fill of alcohol, enjoyed exotic appetizers (they were yummy), and then gorged on ice cream (which as accidental…I didn’t realized I’d ordered two ice cream cones).  We even made it into a society magazine (okay, it’s a panoramic shot and you can see our backs in the bottom corner of the picture, but we are there). 

So sitting here now, damp after getting drenched in a rain storm feels a bit juxtaposed.  My feet are gross in my sandals, my spiral shot from water damage and still my shirts and shorts cling slightly to my skin.  The SEARS I entered in the mall seemed a bit too clean for my dripping body…a little dryer after the bathroom (my clothes were literally clinging to me like I jumped in a lake). 

This all started with poor decisions.  I thought I knew which corner to exit to get to the mall (though I’d never walked it).  I thought I’d find a shelter at this stop (when really there was none, so I had to continue in the rain a half a kilometer).  The stop before created quite a hassle on the bus.  People getting off in large numbers.  I watched them jump off and immediately under the umbrella of a business at the corner.  Of course waiting for the rain to let up means waiting for 20 mins at least.  At that moment I thought "I should go where the people go."  And that is my new ‘lema’ or slogan.  Go where the people go.  If you don’t know any better, take the road MORE traveled.  At least if you want to stay dry.