The alarm went off insistently at 6 am. Then again at 6:10. Finally at 6:20 I said we have to get up and face a Michoacán still plunged in predawn darkness.
The iOverlander app found us a parking lot where for five bucks we could spend the night. In the van behind a huge gate that closes at 9:45 and opens at seven the next morning. Welcome to the San Jeronimo public parking.
On our evening walk we saw the back of the cathedral and we walked towards it.
On our way we passed a barber shop.
I could have put up a fight but it was time. Obviously.
Until a passing motorbike backfired viciously Layne kept Rusty outside to avoid upsetting any other clients in the shop. After the backfire Rusty took cover behind me and brought Layne with him into the shop. Just as well as the process took almost two hours and twenty bucks.
It was a process but I insisted I wanted a visible beard after it was all over. He listened but I got the tightest crop ever and my bowling ball head reappeared. It doesn’t look like me at all.
While he worked and warmed my face for the razor blade he chatted with his buddy. He had a deal to buy a cell phone but the guy wanted twenty eight hundred pesos. I think he’s on drugs he said. Or a dealer. I told him sell me a phone for twelve hundred. And I want a charger. You need a charger for a phone. And one of those things you charge while using the phone. A spare battery his buddy said. That was the phone story.
Chucho caught me coming out of my home the barber said moving on to chapter two. He wanted me to share an Uber. Where are you going he asked me? To work I said where else. Ride the Uber he said. No I said, I’m not paying to ride to work. But I’ve got an Uber Chucho insisted. Your problem I said. I walked as usual the barber concluded chapter two.
They were setting up checkpoints the barber said as he started chapter three with his visiting friend. I warned them he kept saying, the fine is four thousand pesos but they ignored me. And they got caught driving at the checkpoint while talking on a hand held phone. That’s a four thousand peso fine he repeated. Funny thing happened, he went on. One guy got a really bad attitude and they found reasons to increase his fine to twelve thousand pesos he said ($600 in American). One guy was a gentleman when he got the fine the barber said. They let him off. He paid nothing. The other guy got the four thousand peso fine anyway. Imagine that the barber told his friend, good manners got him off.
It was dark by the time we left. Morelia was lovely at night, full of energy and busy people crowding the sidewalks. I liked the city.
Back to our ridiculous yet very comfortable quiet parking spot.
With much less hair.
No really. Not quite bald but close.
Layne made dinner in the parking lot. Imagine that.
It was a remarkably quiet peaceful night, cool enough not to need a fan or air conditioning. We three slept.
Tomorrow was the arrival of carnival in the city.
