This was a travel day, flying from Acapulco to Huatulco, stopping solely for fuel and lunch. Landing at Aeropuerto Internacional de Bahías de Huatulco (Bays of Huatulco International Airport) provided a novel experience. The airport consisted of one runway and a scattering of thatched roofed buildings. Despite appearing to be relatively trifling and provincial, it happens to be a bona fide international airport and handles both national and international air traffic in that region of Mexico’s Pacific coast. In excess of 500,000 passengers pass through there each year. From Huatulco, we traveled to Tapachula, our stopover for the night. Miguel related Tapachula would provide the experience of a typical town in that region of the world. Resembling countless other towns I would encounter on the trip, the town center was the place to be every night of the week. There was usually a little band performing, a small street market, and vendors …show more content…
He laughed too heartily to explain with words; so he simply pointed at my shirt. When I inspected my shirt, I spotted a massive pile of bird shit on the shoulder of my black polo shirt. Looking back up at Miguel, I shifted just in time to notice a bird shit on his head. I laughed. He laughed. And, as we glanced around, the people surrounding us, one and all, were laughing or smiling broadly. Apparently, the locals were highly aware of the danger associated with sitting on that particular bench; they were also cognizant of the amusing scene that could unfold when unsuspecting travelers sat under the tree favored by local birds. We wondered if that particular seat was reserved exclusively for tourists, always empty and available so the locals could avail themselves of a reliable source of amusement. So much for our rock star status. Having provided entertainment for the locals, we stood up, cleaned ourselves off as much as possible, and strolled