Lewis Dartnell wrote in his book The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch that when you find yourself at the end of the world, the first and most important thing to do is find a consistent source of clean water.
Similarly, I once told my friend KW (mentioned 5 years ago on this very blog when it was alive and happy) that I couldn’t imagine living in a place where tap water isn’t potable. I said that I would be uncomfortable living in a place where I wasn’t surrounded by sources of drinkable water, in case I really needed it.
This water anxiety probably comes from one time I got rapidly and dangerously dehydrated at a beach and could do nothing besides sit in the shade until a friend passed by who I asked to bring me water, but the sentiment is nonetheless brimming with privilege – literal billions of people live happily in places that don’t have potable tap water but still have a secure source of drinkable water. Some communities don’t have sustainable access to drinking water, much less drinking water that is delivered to their door at their whim, filtered and cool.
From all my experience in Oaxaca (this is still Day 2 btw) most people have access to drinking water, although the tap water in Mexico isn’t really potable anywhere. It’s common to see those 5 gallon Sparkletts™ jugs being carted around in old pickups, their exteriors scratched and frayed from constant reuse. It’s how people grew up, and folks know better than to let the water supply at home run low.
Unrelated but still on theme is the climate in Oaxaca – this is not the Mexico I know. My Mexico is sandy floors and dusty winds, but Oaxaca is way farther South. We’re tropical, baby, and it shows. I haven’t been here for 24 hours and already there’s been a thunderstorm. Rain suddenly and mercilessly began showering the city in the middle of the day, encouraging street vendors to whip out plastic tarps and middle aged ladies to cover their heads and run. Guess what I was on my way to pick up when it started?
I know I needed water, but this is ridiculous
I could almost hear people thinking ‘who is this guero caminando muy tranquilo through the storm?’
They didn’t know it wasn’t my first time 🙂
Chase the Wind, Touch the Sky 