La Lucha

It's a struggle... sometimes... always.... different for each of us and in different ways.

My own personal struggles are mundane, but hey, you've got to go with the problems you've got, right?  Beautiful weather, rains in the afternoon, the equinox, what could be wrong?  Well, for one, I am sorta boxed in in terms of roads.  There is major construction, a water line or something, on the back way through San Pablo Etla, making for long delays and....  the normalistas, teachers in training, have taken over the blockades at Hacienda Blanca, so that pretty much makes my normal trip to the market in Etla a lot tougher.  Oh well....

Then heading into the city, the normal potholes and major construction of the metro bus lane and... a tunnel being dug on El Fortin, the major access to the city, the Pan American Highway!!  So it is one lane onto dirt both ways, coming and going.  Backups much?

What is crazy about this, is that it just started with very little notice and that's how it's been for a few years.  First, the guelaguetza roof, a whole other story.  Then, a convention center proposal that got nixed.  I think it was a ruse to get a parking garage built.  Again, not much notice and major objections to the plan from neighbors.  Then, a hastily constructed walkover for the guelaguetza,  Of course, now the garage needs access ramps and voila, they rip up everything and start a huge project and dig up everything and obviously, a tunnel.  I can't imagine how long it will take.

I read the papers everyday and I never saw any mention of any of this.  Maybe I was remiss, but given the nature of political activism here, I would have suspected that folks would have raised an uproar.  Sadly, it just seems like business as usual.  Of course, the alternative way into the city is under construction, too.

Just as an aside, I survived the Big Dig in Boston, a twenty year ordeal that ended up working out quite well.  So maybe this will be fine.  And really, driving here is what it is, crazy.  However, one always gets there in the end, no matter how hard the struggle.... but they sure are making things tougher.