Another Week, Another Culture

If you have a chance, take a look at this Mexico City photo album. The pictures are taken from a helicopter. Incredible city, Mexico City. I just spent a week there on business during one of the busiest traffic weeks of the year.

Mexico City (like Manila, Philippines) is like a time capsule for American culture from the 70's and 80's. I can't tell you how many times I heard the song "Every Breath You Take." But it was cool seeing all the old American cars. Early 70's Novas, Pintos, Dusters, Mavericks, Volares, Dodge Vans, Javelins, you-name-it, they still drive 'em.

Must be the climate is really favorable for car frames. In New York, we could barely get 15 years out of a car.

When I was in high school, my first car was a '70 Nova, like this one:


Mine was a 2 door, 250 ci, 6 cyl., 3-on-the-tree, gold with gold vinyl top (it was not a SS). Ended up dragging the gas tank on the road all the way to school, the day the frame rusted out a couple years after I got it. Bought it for $500 cash.

After that, I had a ridiculous car (remember Pontiac Astres?) which wouldn't pass inspection, then a pretty nice 1977 Vega just like this one, which I drove out to college:


I don't remember what happened to that one.

After that, a '77 Vega Wagon, silver, red vinyl seats, 4 speed, with a brand new engine in it. That's the car that my girlfriend (now my wife) fell in love with.

When I bought it, the guy left a cassette tape between the seats. It was Mozart's 40th Symphony. I listened to that tape probably 250 times. I had never really heard classical music, and Mozart was like a drug to me. Made me decide to go to school for music (after I dropped out of bible college, got married, and had a couple kids).

So Wednesday afternoon I'm riding with Hector and Rodolfo, a couple guys at the distributor I was with, heading out to a sales call. Rodolfo turns on the stereo (they ALL play the radio in the car ALL the time) and what was he playing? No, it wasn't Mozart. (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

It was Vivaldi! With my best Spanish accent, I said, "You like Vivaldi, Rodolfo!?" And in his best English, he says, "You know Vivaldi, Jon?" And for the next 45 minutes we talked about classical music. Me, Rodolfo, and Hector. A gringo and two amigos in Mexico City talking about Italian, German, and Austrian composers. Very fun.

Around 1990 I got a cool looking '70 Chevy C10 Pickup. It was a rust bucket, but I liked it. My first pickup. It looked like this, except orange and white:


The point to this journey down memory lane is--I saw all of these in Mexico City, driven by middle aged Mexicans who didn't think anything of it.

If I ever take a notion to collect some of the old cars I used to own, I'll fly to Mexico City again and snatch them up. I bet I could get one of each for about 10,000 pesos.