Mexico

Well I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Los Cabos Mexico. For those who don't know, Los Cabos is Spanish for the "Kingdom of Sammy Hagar". Very good tequila by the way. Cabo Wabo rocks - at least from what I remember.

Mexico was quite a departure for me as I usually holiday in the Caribbean this time of year but it was so cold due to global warming, I decided to try the Pacific side.

The hotel I stayed in (Barcello) was new. Brand new, as in they were still building it during my stay. The room I had, which I must say was very nice, had never been used before my arrival. I cracked the seal on that puppy! It may need several repairs now!

During the week, as I got bored with the hot temperature, sunny sky and beautiful view, my attention was drawn to the construction workers who were applying stucco to one side of a building about 80 feet in the air, supported by something that resembled a scaffold, but I prefer my own description, "scrap wood held together with snot".

The danger of their precarious position seemed lost to these men. Their overall strategy was to wander around long enough until it was siesta time. I then discovered that siesta time had no specific starting point, and seemed to gradually break up after a few hours as workers became stiff and tired of their fetal sleep positions tucked away under the stairs, and wandered back to their standing and shuffling activities.

There seemed to be no stress at all in the indigenous population. This stressed me out!
How can one survive without an anxiety ball in your stomach and shoulders permanently fused to your ears?

The week passed slowly after this revelation and I became fixated on the charmed life of a Mexican construction worker. Surely, I surmised, this is just indicative of this particular trade, and not of the population at large.

My supposition was corrected when I arrived at the airport to depart beautiful Los Cabos. In the departure lounge, where I had 3 hours to kill thanks to the scheduling skills of my tour operator who felt they must whisk me away for a 10 minute bus ride with plenty of extra time in case there was a flat tire, kidnapping or construction strike along the way, I killed the time wandering between stores and questionable restaurants.

Within the many airport shops selling genuine original Aztec fertility symbols made from the actual plastics found at the archaeological sites, I ran across Jorge, one of the security guards for the area. He greeted me with a friendly Ola, and then showed me how he looked in his secret crime fighting disguise - Spiderman. I was impressed! "May I take your picture Spiderman"? I asked, expecting the answer no, as this would be photographic evidence that he was not doing his job of guarding the security of two or three hundred gringos. "Of course my friend!" he replied, and proceeded to pose for half a dozen pics in various Spidy action stances. The proof is clearly displayed above. I was thrilled at this response and wondered what the reaction would have been if I had asked an American customs agent to pose for me as a Webslinger.

Clearly the gentle people of Los Cabos have found the secret to living a stress free life. Perhaps it is in the water? I doubt it because the only secrets I found in the water quickly departed by body along with 12 pounds of much needed fluid. Perhaps it is genetic, or cultural, but their society seems to be operating just fine. Rich or poor, young and old, everyone's taking it easy.

There is a clear lesson to be learned here!
I should vacation in Manhattan! At least the cabbies can still drive during their siestas, and less than 35% wear disguises on the job.

I need a nap!

M