Mexicali... what is the point????

discovery draft....

Mexicali.. oh the first time was August 1989. I had never, not even in Spain or the Greek Isles, felt heat--absolute Kelvin heat--as in Aug. 1989. wow. In the words of Seamus Heaney, I was bullied by the sun not of madrid but in Mexicali. I could FEEL the sweat pouring down my face and back. I smelled gasoline--the kind we used to serve in the US in the 70s, leaded, very leaded gas. I smelled and saw the pork boiling in hot oil and grease... because of the heat in the first place, the pots of boiling pork made me feel queasy. An old man was selling lottery tickets on a pole. No one was buying. Another man had a pole but he sold clip on pony tails. Strange to see all these tails handing from poles, all different colors of hair. Was the hair real? Little girls standing in the shade giggled at me as I dodged electrical wires going through the curios shops. They continued to laugh. Was it the first time they had seen a gringo, or a taller one at least? what was so funny? All I could taste was the dust, and with a hot breeze, there was plenty of dust. I walked past the cathedral but then went back towards the border. I really had little sense of direction. I made it about three blocks into Mexico. I walked back to the US following the train tracks. I wanted to be a rebel and frankly did not know better. Tall, blond, and pink at this point: what else would I be but gringo? I heard the migra say, I got him!! on his radio. He drove his Bronco up to me and asked what i was doing. He told me the proper way to cross back on foot....