Random observations in my 45 min drive from the airport to my hotel:
• Not sure what the deal was with my driver, but he was really determined to make sure the car doors were locked as we pulled away. I suppose this is a security measure, but when both of our windows were fully rolled down I'm not sure what difference the locked doors might make...
• The driver offered me a soda as we started our journey: Fresca. It was good. Its lukewarmness reminded me that in many places people don't like chilled or iced drinks.
• The parking garage had the highest ceiling I've ever seen in a parking garage, and I think by its good condition that it was probably brand new. The airport itself was unremarkable: largely, utilitarian. (It appears to be right in the center of town. I thought we were going to land on some apartments as we were coming in)
• I was startled to find that the drivers we encountered were really courteous regarding merging traffic. From the moment we left the airport we were in heavy traffic and moving from lane to lane as various traffic obstructions came our way (kind of reminded me of a video game where you have to avoid the road hazards of bus, broken down cars, slow cement mixers, etc.) No one honked, everyone took turns alternating as the lanes merged. (Not at all like driving in many of the busy US cities I've been in. No one tried to cut us off.)
• We passed a construction zone right out of the airport and I was reminded again that a lot of the heavy equipment we see in the US for construction is not used in other places. In this case the asphalt had been stripped up and a group of at least 10 workers with regular brooms were sweeping up the gravel remains so new asphalt could be poured. There was one worker who was sitting on the side reading a paper while the others were working away. It was funny to see.
• There were many large billboards all over which served as a reminder of being in an non-English speaking place. Its kind of a game to try to figure out what different boards say based on pictures and my existing limited vocabulary.
• I didn't notice a lot of green space as we were landing, but I did drive by several nice parks. One very long one that stretched for several blocks in the median between the two lanes of the highway. It had several different playscapes, one of which was new, and several that were old. The mix of old and new is very obvious here.
• I experienced a kind of visual overload as we drove along, with buildings of every sort on all sides, painted every different color. Its clear that residents in many apartment complexes are responsible for their own exteriors on the building, because some would be bare brick and others would be painted nicely all on the same building. Some balconies would have laundry, others would be filled with blooming flower pots, some piled with old chairs and other junk. I'm always a little taken aback by the amount of military grade barbed wire that gets strung around balconies, on roofs, etc.
• The highway was in decent condition, 3 lanes in each direction (kind of narrow lanes). It was interesting that the three lanes were marked with 3 different speed limits: 70, 60 and 50 km/hr so that merging traffic could get on ok. There were lots of traffic signs, but I'm super glad I wasn't trying to navigate myself. The roads were twisty curvy a lot like Boston with mergers and splits every 1/4 mile or so.
• At one point we drove through a poorer part of the city where a local transit hub was located. There were a ton of taxis, mini buses, and a train of some sort that I couldn't see well. There were a lot of street vendors selling fresh fruit along the side of the road and a lot of pedestrians. We had to slow down considerably through this area. The buses were pretty full with lots of people standing. Some were old with nasty exhaust (we had our windows down the whole way), others were newer without so much pollution.
• There were some motorcycles on the road, but not a ton. I was a little surprised to note that all of those that passed us were wearing helmets and protective gear (a good idea given how heavy the traffic is).
• I did not see a ton of US retail outlets, although I did see Home Depot and McD's. From the billboards its a real mix of European, US and Mexican retailers.
• I have a soft spot for trash trucks for some reason. I got to see two on our drive. Both were loaded down with bags strapped all over the sides and on the top of the vehicle. From what I could glimpse in passing, each bag seemed to be recyclable/re-usable items that were perhaps gleaned from their pick up. Although there was no obvious recycling when I visited the city of Hermosillo this summer, there is a recycling trash can in my hotel room, so that makes me happy that there is some recycling going on in the city (beyond what the entrepreneuring trashmen are engaged in).
Not a great picture, but you can see the stuff strapped to the top
• Everywhere I visit I'm always aware of the presence or absence of graffiti. This city is a really weird combo that I couldn't see a pattern to. Many of the plain cement containing walls along the highway were completely clean, but small grocery stores along the side of the highway were covered in graffiti, while apartment complexes next to them were clean. Part of it has to do with frequent painting I expect, but some of it must have to do with more appealing target space...
• Toward the end of the trip we climbed into the hills a bit and came to a business park area with very modern buildings, hotels, office spaces, etc. One was under construction. Its interesting to see the most modern building being built with workmen on amazingly flimsy scaffolding. Glad it wasn't me up there.
After 45 mins of this visual whirlwind I was dropped off at the hotel and left to fend for myself until evening.
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