Great poem, Leej! Traveling abroad is a real eye opener, ain't it?

A singer/songwriter named Sarah Elizabeth Campbell wrote a beautiful song about Mexico entitled, strangely enough, "Mexico." I've never been to Mexico, but the way she sings about it (albeit from a "touristy" point of view) makes me want to visit someday. Your poem, however, suggests you came away with a somewhat different perspective - not the typical "swilling Margaritas by the ocean" postcard rubber stamp memory.

Contrast Sarah Elizabeth Campbell with David Rodriguez, another singer/songwriter who's stays pissed off because (so he says) all the NorteAmericanos regard his country as nothing more than a vacation spot for tourists with lots of discretionary income. In one way I can sympathize, yet I struggle to see it through his eyes sometimes when in effect people find his country so intriguing and beautiful they want to visit it. Isn't that a form of tribute and flattery?

Anyway, your poem fired some neural impulses...my thanks. Sorry for the thread-drift.

Regards, Neil