"Colores de Campeche" ~ Campeche, Mexico (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

TRANQUILO

I'm not sure how I feel about Campeche. On one hand, it's very picturesque and VERY quiet at night. But, something is missing. It's almost sterile I think. There's a beautiful view of the sea but no one swims. I'm told it's shallow and contaminated from drainage. Yet, there's no odor to speak of.

Sales of liquor are banned after 9pm and the whole city is heavily patrolled by the police. It's very clean, quiet, colorful, pretty, and orderly... and yet it lacks soul.

I shouldn't say that. It does have a soul of sorts, but it's a soul that gives me unease. There's a song by the band The Cure called "Killing an Arab". The song is based on a story by the writer Camus called "The Beach" (I think). It's a very depressing and grey story set in a very bright and colorful scene. That's sort of what Campeche feels like to me. It could just be the very strange weather, or it could be something lingering from her distant past.

In any case, I'm ready to move on toward the jungles of Palenque in Chiapas.

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