you can see the cloven hoofprint of el norte everywhere i've been so far, but from what i'm reading in the local press, it's china C.R wants to jump in bed with, now uncle sam's having his drawers quartered.

i just read that the chinese gvt just donated 20 patrol cars to the police here.

there's a lot more where that came from...

it's more gaudy than gaudi, the kitschfest shiny angels, etc, but it's on the cheapo. it's a far cry from the third world, but this is equally far from being a prosperous-feeling country.

considering the poverty, the peoples' equaniminity is admirable. i look forward to getting as deep as i can into the experience as i can, within the time frame.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty