We took the kids to the fountain park this afternoon. It’s a free attraction just across the street from the malecón. The kids that are there on a Saturday are 100% local, mostly (I’m guessing) from neighborhoods well off the beach, and wearing their underwear. I’m also guessing that because of their lives they’ve never come in direct contact with a gringo child. I say this because I’ve never seen kids so obsessed with Ouest and Lowe’s hair before. Lowe got hurt while he was playing in the water and while Ali held him kids were lining up to take quick swipes at his hair. Other kids would stand behind Ouest in the water and gently grab a ponytail and let it slide between their fingers.
We couldn’t get Lowe back in the water (and he was by far the youngest anyway), but Ouest had a great time. I love watching her during these times of unadulterated joy.
My wish is that one day I am one of those photographers that can just go right up to people and ask if they can take a picture. It’s one of the few things that I just can’t bring myself to do. This guy in particular I would like to follow around all day long. I’d say he’s in his seventies, and yet look at him—solid muscle, earned no doubt from a lifetime of hard work. There’d be some good pictures to be had out on the water with him for a morning’s fishing.
14 Comments on “Fountain Park”
These last two pictures and it’s clear that you, my friend, and your daughter, have the same look in your eyes. She will be a force to contend with. I truly feel that Ali is up to it though. My best from the Columbia River in Portland.
Beautiful kids! So cute to see the little girl touch Lowe’s hair… We lived th Thailand when our kids were little and were very blond, and people would reach into tha taxi to touch their hair. They believed blonde children were like angels.
Yeah, it’s something you don’t think about living in the States because we are so diverse. You grow up seeing every color hair, skin, whatever. But in many, or dare I say most, countries this isn’t the way it is, so someone that looks different is subject to a lot of attention.
Based on your pictures I get the impression that nearly every window and half the doors in Mazatlan are equipped with bars. Is this just an architectural style or is burglary a problem there?
It’s something so commonplace around the world that I don’t even notice any more. I think it has very little to do with actual burglary and more to do with simple convenience (and prevention I’m sure). Homes here, for example, have very flimsy windows, and quite often no windows at all. It’s hot, and most can’t afford to close up their home and turn on an air-conditioner all day. The windows (more like wooden shutters) on this house we’re in could be opened by simply pushing on them, and they are also at street level in a busy city, so having bars only makes sense. You can leave the house wide open whether you’re at home or not. It really just makes sense. The only place I ever found it odd was in Australia, where homes were all barred up despite the fact that they all had nice solid windows and air-conditioners cranking away all day long.
I went to a travel photo seminar hosted by National Geographic. Best advice they game me that stuck: talk to people. Keep the camera in the bag. After you’ve talked to them for 5-10 minutes and learned a bit about what they are doing THEN pull the camera out and say “hey can I take your picture”? At that point you’re a person to them, not some dumb tourist with a camera. You’ve learned a bit about their life and you just so happen to want to photograph them. I’ve taken my best pictures of strangers this way. Give it a try.
Yep, sound advice.
looking good guys!
One of the things I love about Mexico is the total lack of “political correctness”. Just imaging the “horror” if some kids in the US decided to play in the water in their underwear! It reminds me of the US back when I was a kid.
It’s not one of my favorite things, it is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing about Mexico. There is no pretension here (at least not in the circles we run in—I’m sure it’s a different story at the club on Friday night). It’s a lot more live and let live because we’re all just trying to be happy. I feel like it harkens back to my childhood days as well.
I thought the exact same thing while reading this post! 🙂
Even though ware in Gringolandia I watched a girl to the same thing to Nai’s hari recently commenting that Naia had “princess hair” and she wished she did too. Naia had no idea what that meant but it floored me. I keep laughing at how two pretty much black haired people got such a blondie.
That water park looks fabulous! Love seeing Ouest and Lowe having fun with other little ones. So sweet!
Would you believe our water park in Santa Rosa, CA has been shut down for some stupid reason, yet the Mazatlan water park is doing great! I totally agree about the lack of pretension and wanting to live a happy life – in my experience it shows up in most of the cultures south of the USA border.
Just found your blog and am reading back through the archives! I wanted to comment on your post b/c it struck home with me. I’m an anthropologist and I work on the east coast of Mexico. I am guera (light) and have blonde hair. People were always touching my hair (not just kids). I finally asked some of my friends about it and apparently touching blonde hair is considered lucky. After that I’d say “suerte” whenever someone would touch my hair and that would usually elicit giggles be they 8 or 80 since they knew that I knew what was up.