Random Events - City Construction + Rain = Off-road Adventures

The city is under some major construction right now. It might have something to do with the Guelaguetza, the city's biggest tourist draw. Dancers from all over the state come to present the traditional dance of their region in the hillside amphitheater overlooking the valley. Often times the municipal and state authorities will plan construction renovations for the couple of months proceeding the Guelaguetza to demonstrate some kind of make-the-city-beautiful inclination. This year is no exception. Bus routes have to wind around huge swaths of road that are blocked off for traffic. Quaint neighborhoods are crowded with rubble and bulldozers, making it impossible to get around easily. And of course, it doesn't help that rainy season is officially in full swing now. So all that freshly dug-up dirt is now mushy, globby mud.

Simple errands around down become adventures. Everything piece of clothing I own is covered in rust-colored mud.

And yet the overcast days, while a damper on the spirit, do make the colors of the buildings around town pop. Ambers, aquas, pinks--all glow against the gray sky. It's something, something, to hold onto as we ride out the wet days and nights.

I wish I could demonstrate how heavy the rainfall is here. I've tried to snap pictures--but it really doesn't come out well. Here's my latest attempt--a traffic build-up. All cars on this three-lane road are making a beeline for the lane furthest away from the giant lake growing on the right. Sewer drainage here--not the greatest.