It was getting late after we got through Villa Hermosa and we feared a night in the car parked at a Pemex station. Then, just as it was getting dark, an Auto Hotel appeared, almost in the middle of nowhere. It was a “love hotel.” Our Texas friends had told us of them and said they were convenient to stay at and not exceptionally expensive, even if we took the room for the whole night. They are interesting places. In the case of this one, we drove in through a bit of a maze, paid anonymously through a darkened window and drove to an open garage. No keys were issued and no one was seen, nor were we seen. Once in the garage we pushed the automatic closer and entered the room from the garage. The space was palatial with a huge bed, a shower with room enough for three and a marble surround on the sink. There was a couch and a table in an alcove. It was certainly the best hotel we’d been in in Mexico. In one of the walls was a dumb waiter. We ordered food by telephone and it appeared magically in the dumb waiter. We paid for it the same way. There were lots of condoms in the bathroom and dirty movies on the TV. If we’d just wanted an illicit affair this would be perfect, but it was also great as a safe rest stop for us and our car.
This is for Tyler. He takes elegant pictures of food, but I take documentary ones. Mexican dishes seem to require the presence of bean sludge. I much prefer black bean sludge to the brown sludge found farther north and west and so I am particularly happy to be south. Also the presence of limes is appreciated. We sqeeze them in our beer, on our fruit, on the bean sludge, and put them, with freshly choppped cilantro, in our soup.
We arrive in Campeche--a lovely, clean, historic city and immediately, upon finding a hotel and parking the car, walk to the Plaza Principal, find a restarant balcony, and order Negra Modelo.
Some scenes from walks around the city.
And a couple of snaps especially for Tyler.
