Horns

I´m staying in the Colonial Zone. This is where the ¨first¨church, hospital, and other things in the Americas are. Columbus´brother founded Santo Domingo. I don´t know where Chris was at the time. Maybe already dead. Anyway, it is a quaint zone with some pretty streets, pretty old buildings and a nice pedestrian area called El Conde ( the count).

I don´t know what the rest of the city is like, but it seems that there are no stop signs here. So as people approach intersections they beep their horns. There is a constant honking of horns all day (and all night) long. It's kind of bothersome. I wonder if you get used to it.

Drivers seem to like blowing their horns. If a guy on a bicycle loaded with pineapples is moving slowly down the street or an old lady is crossing or the wind is blowing, people honk their horns. If someone is blocking the road, people beep their horns, which I've never understood, because if you are blocking traffic, I think you know you are blocking traffic and making a lot of noise doesn´t do much to clue you in to something you are already probably aware of. I saw this in Mexico City when I was waiting for Turibus outside of the Museum of Anthropology. When a taxi stopped to let people out or pick people up, the drivers behind them honked. I don't know what they expected the taxis or passengers to do. I wonder if Buddhists honk their horns. I don't remember this being a problem in Thailand.