98. Bribing the police and Zorro

Saturday 30 March 2019

El Fuerte, Mexico

Half hour drive. 2hr wait. 2hr flight. 1.5hr drive.

Flying from Mexico City to the north western town of Los Mochis and then driving on to El Fuerte.

To take the train to the Copper Canyon tomorrow.

Whereas Mexico City and Oaxaca were a bit more cosmopolitan, it feels a lot more ‘native’ up here. Scenery is flat and uninteresting and doesn’t seem as rich as the areas travelled the past few days in the southern part of the country.

Two policemen standing under the shade of a tree flag down the car I’m travelling in. Driver gets out. So do I. For a leg stretch and a nosey. To see what’s going on.

Policeman asks to see driver’s paperwork. Returns to car to retrieve licence and vehicle documentation.

Assume it’s a straightforward document check. A whispered conversation a few feet from where I’m standing.

Driver returns to car and sits in driver’s seat. Noting that policeman still has his paperwork we can’t be leaving just yet. Peer into the car (I’m standing at the right rear open door) and see driver open his wallet and pull out what looks like a 100 peso note (about GBP4/USD5). Folds it up and puts it in the palm of his hand.

Returns to policeman.

Shakes his hand.

Documents returned.

Off we go.

He’s just bribed the policeman. Allegedly, he was doing 50km/hr in a 40km/hr zone.

Except.

Policemen don’t have a speed camera so no way of knowing.

Driver laughs it off. It’s what happens. Live with it.

Reminds me of the time a mate and I were driving through Eastern Europe (to Istanbul and back) in 1997. We bribed our way out of various speeding fines and other ‘infringements’.

The power of a pack of fags and a few Deutschmarks (as they were then).

Arrive El Fuerte. First sight is a convoy of Police SUV pick up trucks with a machine gun rigged to the front frame plus fully armed police displaying their guns as they cruise through town. Drug territory now. We are, after all, in the region of El Chapo’s drug cartel. Definitely an ‘edge’ to the place.

Check in to the Posada del Hidalgo (https://www.hotelposadadelhidalgo.com/home).

Surprised to discover that it’s the former home of Zorro!

I know!

Bit of a surprise!

Surprisingly, it’s not well advertised. You would think this would be a major tourist selling point. Only seems to be in the hotel that there’s any reference to him. You would expect lots of Zorro souvenirs in the shops but can I find any. Can I ‘eck.

Walk about the town after dinner. There’s a carneval procession getting ready to start. The Carneval Queen is jigging about on her truck high up on a platform which actually looks a bit rickety. The main square has a large stage with a band doing a sound check for the concert that is obviously later.

I’ll discover how loud they are in the early hours.