Mexico Part Uno & Dos

Once long ago I was fortunate enough to travel to Mexico. Driving to Lapaz In Baja California I abandoned my car as I found a ship having a large letter S On top. The ship was constructed of wood where I found a wall covered with animal masks also made of wood. My friend from Isla Cedros, Gave me a perfume bottle shaped like a cat that I poured down my dress for good luck. The next day I sailed on the ship Across the Mexican channel for 17 hours. There were seats And movies shown on board at night while everyone slept on the floor. The cat perfume must have brought me good luck since when I got to Mazatlan I found a Circus not too far from the hotel I chose. There were elephants and horses and my favorite was the tigers. Watching the act I sat in the front Row while one of the Tigers performing on his stool backed up against the cage and sprayed me in the face. After the show I wandered backstage and I wanted to meet the tiger trainer. His name was Ramano Miller who seemed to walk on air , fearless in the circus ring. He introduced me to the tiger Gordo who was the biggest. I then asked him if I can travel With them and they said yes. Mexico was surreal to me like being in A Salvador Dali painting. I rode the circus bus that said Circo Artists through the dark black hills underneath a full yellow moon. By dawn we were in the city of Culican where we parked next to a funeral home. I got out and discovered that the only convenient place to wash was in the funeral parlor, since there was only a circus tent. There were all kinds of folks hanging around and eating chicken as if patiently waiting for someone to pass away. I don’t think they minded at all when I washed my hair in the funeral parlor sink. The tent took about five hours to set up since it was so huge with many hired hands driving in stakes so I decided to take a walk around town.

Mexico part Dos

While walking around I found a box of rice with a picture of someone on the paper box. Who is this ? I asked one of the circus performers. Oh that is San Martin a saint he answered. I then took the box and started my journey around town. A restaurant seemed to call me as I found myself entering to have a look inside. There was a black haired boy cutting tomatoes. With the little Spanish that I knew I tried to ask why The restaurant had paper bats and Silhouette witches hanging in the window. Is it Halloween in August? I learned that his name Was Martin As I wondered if he could have been the reincarnation of the saint on the box of rice. I went back to the Circo With him and he gave me a few pecos So I could eat. I wasn’t a circus performer so I had no trailer to sleep in So I slept on the Bus until one of the clowns let me bunk in his trailer. The clown act was during the time of the gulf war so the clowns were dressed like Sadam Hussein, Where he gets plastered in the face by a water gun. For cinco mil pecos, The audience found it entertaining. The trapeze artist were from Argentina as they sat in the Sun Bleaching their hair blonde with diamond glittering costumes. The clowns were eating pulpo, That I found to be octopus or squid. One of the tigers hurt his paw jumping through the fire hoops That I wanted to help so I set out to find a local veterinarian. I don’t know why but I found one, his store was odd having birds attached with rope so They couldn’t fly away. I found some paste like cement that would repair abscess that the elephant had from their chains being too tight That also Might have helped the Tigers paw too. I also found some bandages and bought them and took them back to the tiger trainer. He took them but said that The tiger could just heal his own wounds. This made me sad but I was not a veterinarian so I could not tend To his paw the way I wanted to. I wanted to stay more but I met someone who offered me a paying job in Acapulco.

Acapulco

In the city of glass bottom boats and cliff divers I met a international Film crew who asked me to be in a Bacardi commercial. It was set at a hotel That had a patio overlooking the ocean Where I was paid 300 pesos for drinking Bacardi in front of an alligator. The alligator was inside a box that they covered with branches that they explained Was for animal Magnetism. It would draw the audience like a beast, a sublime message, to go out and buy hard liquor. I don’t know what I enjoyed more filming the commercial or being with circus artist, but I always will remember the 10 Tigers that I traveled with throughout Mexico. I went to other places too, Like Tetouan, The pyramids outside of Mexico City. It was during The 1990 solar eclipse I was there In total darkness when the sun faded behind the earth with a crowd Of people wearing those special glasses for viewing a eclipse. Jean Michel Jarre Was scheduled to play While the sun eclipsed, but he canceled. Later I found his synthesizers that he had sent inside A museum having crystals welded Above the keyboard. It would’ve been nice to hear a whole orchestra during this event, but it was also nice just to hear the sound of Wind chimes making it more of a spiritual endeavor. I end this Past recollection with a Song I wrote about ancient history.

I feel the breeze, I see the trees, I am back to where I’m from. I take your hand, I touch the land, where history Has cried. Back to The sea, where I am free, and so much alive. I had a dream of castles I had seen, hanging in time. I Walk the grounds, I turned around with a king standing by my side. Your majesty please come to me, I am to be you Queen, I felt the wind, come back again, I know you’re really out there. Your grace take me away, back to my yesterday, yesterday.