Veracruz

It is before nine in the morning when I stumble through the boarding procedure in Merida, Yucatán, on my way to Veracruz. It is extremely hot, I am still taking it very easy on my back despite Doña Ruperta’s amazing cure, and I am seldom at my best at such an hour anyway. I take my seat without paying much attention to my fellow passengers. When the stewardesses come by with beer, I take one, hoping the flight won’t be too bad.