Nice Parques

There are two nice parques (parks) in downtown Baños where you can escape the throngs most of the time and read a book or just people-watch.

Most of the parks in the U.S are so lame compared to the ones down here.

People don´t really use them. They just drive by and get upset if they don´t get mowed often enough. My fantasy would be to have Willson Park, across from the State Library, become a real parque someday. Maybe it will when Salem´s Latino population exceeds 50%, which it might (it´s about 20% now). This park has a sign that echos one in one of my favorite novels, Under the Volcano, by Malcolm Lowry. It says "This park is yours. Take care of it." In Lowry´s novel, set in Mexico, a similar sign takes on a deeper meaning for the tragic protagonist. It´s fun to run into the sign (here and elsewhere south of the border) and be reminded that I need to reread Volcano again soon.