HALLO-WEEN

...was fun.

One thing I don't understand is the police here. We must have passed about 40 cars on the way and they have always got their lights on, without actually doing anything. In Australia police put their lights on to pull people over for such offences as talking on the phone, not having current registration stickers, driving too slowly, driving too quickly, and sometimes just for driving.

Here, I have seen police put their lights on to stop for chats, stop for Macdonalds... and simply to cruise the streets.

On the way though, we did drive past about 50 police officers doing a raid on a very large truck. They all had their lights on too.

We ended up at a bar somewhere in this huge city, which was a hole in the corrugated iron wall... that you (I) had to stoop to walk though. It was full of young, hip things and smoke. In fact, someone let off some contraption containing a foul-smelling choking agent which, from what I can gather, was supposed to be a joke. That was when I realised we were in a fire trap... imagine trying to get out when someone's costume caught on fire.

The greatest thing about this bar:

- you could bring your own (dirt cheap) alcohol in

- you could take your shoes off

- none of the men had a problem with dressing up or dancing

- everyone sang along (heartily) to the music

The strangest sight was this caveman in the full-getup - long wig, longer beard, animal skin, animal skin shoes, lance.. .and a paper-machete animal with its head cut off - standing with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, looking at his watch.

So at the end of the night, everyone piles out of the bar rolling drunk and jumps behind the wheel. The poor little fellow in the afro and aviators (not sure what he was dressed as) could hardly keep his head up.

I was getting a lift with Rambo (who I had actually greeted with, 'Oh, what made you want to come as Che Guevara?' woops.. ) who was cruising past police cars with Michael Jackson - Thriller and Billy Jean - at full blast, pointing out all the other drunk drivers. It was magic.

Off in the distance we could see the little afro fellow in his bright yellow VB beatle, running red lights and swerving around.

Still, made it home ok and woke up with the dirtiest feet. Going to Mixque for Day of the Dead celebrations tonight.