Varon’s birthday, so went out gift shopping with Lulu to find a present or two. My job was pretty simple, as I’d decided that a “man-bag” would be useful and stylish. Lulu was aiming for a t-shirt, but ended up with a cigarette lighter inside a small leather boot. Sunday, the main square gets closed to traffic and people set up little stalls selling food and Mayan dolls. Imagination is not a strong point here, the stalls all fall into three or four categories, then all sell the same thing at the same prices, if I didn’t know better I’d say this had been organized.  You get many stalls selling chips and sausage. This seems to be exactly the same as I had for instance when I visited the bull ring last year. The chips are pretty awful and dry ( so you must buy a drink, usually Coca-Cola ), and the “sausages” really seem to be made out of some foam rubber type substance, and no, I am not joking. Still, the same people are there every Sunday with the same food, so, someone is buying it. Other stalls sell cakes, some sell traditional Yúcatecan dresses, and other sell dolls, cigarette lighters, beads, and rugs. The bead and rug brigade come from Chiapas, and without exception are dark skinned skinny women each with a one year old child on their hip. Again, cynical old me I suspect there’s a creche where you can go rent one of these sorry looking doe-eyed kids for a few pesos per day. The locals are pretty dismissive of these immigrants, and often say “have you ever seen a man from Chiapas”, well the answer to be honest is “not as far as I know”. “Ahah! They’re at home drinking beer and watching TV”. Well, it is Sunday after all.

Merida Sunday, complete with pale skinned Gringo couple from central casting.

In front of City Hall, there is always something for the kids. It’s a street show, and it’s very good of its kind. A sort of Tiswas with the rude bits taken out.  Somewhat like a traditional British pantomime, but outdoors in 25 degrees of heat ( and no Sally James I’m afraid ).

Old dog

Sally James

On the way back to my house to wrap up the gifts we had to pass a dead dog, that had lain in the street on the corner since yesterday. Buses come around the corner with the assumption that nothing can ever be there that they didn’t expect. Well, this poor beast didn’t expect the bus it seems.

The flies were beginning to dine on his eyeballs, but thankfully the next day someone ( maybe that little guy who sweeps the streets round here ) had taken away the stinking body.

So, Sunday night a large party at Varon’s house? Well, just the Gang of Four, as usual. The dog was very pleased with the leftover food. It’s an ill wind eh?.

Gratuitous photo of  Sally James for those of a certain age.