driving on the left

The photographs I post with my essays have but one purpose. They are supposed to enhance the telling of the tale.

And, despite the fact that this shot appears to be seriously amiss, the story it tells is not in the frame, but off-screen. As is true with most of life.

Yesterday Omar asked if I could drive him to Manzanillo. He needed to pay a university admission examination fee. Unfortunately, the banks in both Melaque and Cihuatlan have been closed because of Covid infections. Because he cannot take his examination until the fee is paid, he needed to head south where the banks are still open.

I am not fond of the drive to Manzanillo. But I had tasks of my own to accomplish -- drop off dry cleaning, get replacement lenses for my spare pair of eyeglasses, and pick up miscellaneous items at Sam's Club. Because we were going to the bank, I decided to pay my annual tribute for the bank being so gracious as to hold my "trust deed" and to allow me to live in my own house.

For those of us who belong to the "do one task in Mexico and thrive, do two and crash" school, I knew I was pushing my luck. I dropped off the dry cleaning without a snag. But, on task two, I hit a wall. The optician shop was closed and displayed a sign designed to elicit chuckles: "back in one hour."

Sam's Club was a charm and, other than a rather unorganized line waiting outside to talk to tellers inside, the bank process went smoothly -- as it did for Omar. With a lucky pot of birria like that, Omar suggested we try the optician again. I did. He was in this time; the sign was not a ruse. My spare pair of eyeglasses should be there in two or three weeks.

So, what does all of that have to do with that poorly-shot photograph?

It turns out that Manzanillo has not yet fully recovered from the flood that hit here while I was in Oregon. The main street that comes into town (and goes out of town, for that matter) has a number of surprises for the unwary. While the road crews are restoring the surface of the street, they have closed down one lane of traffic in three places and re-directed it into the other lane.

If you live in the United States, the protocol for such an operation would be to place warning signs, the first being about 1000 feet away from the detour. I suspect it may be even more distant in Canada. Then, there would be additional warning sides every 200 feet or so informing which lane merges where.

Mexican road crews are far more imaginative. In today's three detours, the only warning that something was amiss was right at the closed lane of traffic. And there was nothing warning the other lane that one lane of their travel would now be occupied by cars hurtling hood-first at them. I felt as if I were an American driving in Oxford again.

I had hoped to snap a quick shot of the last barrier -- just on the verge of Santiago. But, when I pulled up my camera, I discovered a car coming directly at me in what was supposed to be my detour lane.

Yeah. Yeah. I know. A good photographer would have taken the shot. And I should have. After all, I am the guy, who when people tell me to "be safe," I tell them I would prefer to be adventurous.

Well, today the drive was adventurous. It almost made me enjoy what I now find to be a rather boring drive.

So, if you are headed to Manzanillo, I hope I have not ruined what could be a fun day for you by giving away the swerves in Mr. Toad's ride. Adrenalin is our co-pilot

Go have an adventure.