I’d forgot how sleepy Latin-American cities can be early in the morning, here I’m a morning person, apparently. I left home around 9am and most of my neighborhood is still frozen
There’s one particular taquiles place I was heading for but it’s still locked up, Google info is really more of a suggestion here. Eventually I found a Mexican version of an American diner…
The couple sitting next to me are a mystery, young, elegant, of the scarves and neckerchiefs persuasion. I assume they are speaking Spanish but when the waitress comes it’s clear they cannot communicate. The three of them have a lot of fun ordering and I try to figure out what their story might be.
Eggs, tortilla, plantains. Really good.
The couple are clearly speaking a Romance language but half of what they say just doesn’t match that. After a bit the obvious hits me, the half of their speech that sounds odd totally sounds Slavic, they are speaking Romanian!
While waiting for their food the elegant, presumed Romanian couple step outside to smoke, leaving all their possessions at the table, bags, coasts, phones, I envy their trust and hope it never goes wrong for them.
The restaurant and the street outside sit in shade, I can see through the window that the couple are standing in the one sliver of warm morning sun, holding each other, dancing and kissing and laughing.
While they’re outside their food comes, the waitress is clearly dismayed that they might let their food get cold. I wish I knew enough Spanish to tell her they won’t care.
They come back inside, see their food, laugh and hug again, they are lovely.
I watch two Romanians excitedly enjoying the Mexican interpretation of gigantic American stacks of pancakes, they appear novel to them. After a bit I ask if they are from Romania, they look SHOCKED and smile huge, asking how I knew, I said I have Romanian coworkers and I’ve been to Bucharest, I say good morning in Romanian (the only thing I remember) and they ask where I’m from, they are going to Vancouver, for their first time, in a week.
A Bit Gone 