Our first order of business upon waking up this morning was to find a cafe and get some breakfast.
As I walked around a street corner, I glanced up to look for the name of the restaurant we were seeking and suddenly crashed to the pavement. I had stepped into a hole.
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| The Hole |
Fortunately, I escaped with just a sore knee and some scraped toes but it was at the precise moment that a man helped me back to my feet, that it dawned on me. After nearly four years, we were back in the “third world."
For those of you who are less than 50 years old, the world in the middle of the last century was often described as consisting of three groups of countries. The “first world” consisting of the US and Western Europe plus their allies and colonies. The “second world” was essentially the Communist countries such as the USSR, China. The “third world” was every other country on the planet.
The assumption was that third world countries basically didn’t work. Everyone was impoverished and the governments were usually dictatorships who cared little for the welfare of the population. Most folks were poor, sick and uneducated.
In some ways, these countries still exist and Mexico is an example. Certainly there are very modern neighborhoods in the big cities. Yes, the economy is stronger now, the people are better educated and the infrastructure has improved. Crime is down and tourists are well protected. The air is cleaner and popular tourist sites are well maintained.
On a short stroll around our neighborhood, it was obvious that, while poor by US standards, the people of Oaxaca still deal with the same problems as people all over the world. They want to be safe and healthy and provide for a better life for their children.
But, you still need to watch where you walk... and you still need to drink bottled water.
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