Empalme was an important railroad town, and trains still pass by. This antique steam engine marks the entrance to town.
From the beginning, I wasn't exactly driven by shopper's zeal, and soon I was feeling irritable, not much interested in anything I saw and sweating by the quart. I found a jar to hold utensils on my new shelf, and by then I was ready to start back, shopping for produce along the way. I never buy veggies until I'm on the home stretch, they're much too heavy to cart around. I called the Capt, arranged to meet midway at the ice factory, and started back.
Produce is by far the best deal at tianguis. Bags of just about everything can be bought for less than a dollar, and I was already lugging bananas, zucchini and tomatoes by the time I reached my favorite veggie stand right next to the ice house, run by a friendly fellow named Giapetto. I was collecting peppers, broccoli, pears, a fat pineapple... Suddenly I was feeling dizzy, my vision seemed to telescope down to a pinpoint, my skin was clammy and I had to lean against the counter to keep from falling. I told Giapetto I needed to sit down and one of his helpers brought a couple of crates for me. Then my hands became numb and tingly at the same time. I had a bottle of water to drink, and I probably should have put my head between my knees, but I was already embarrassed enough.
The Capt appeared after a few minutes, and gallantly went to get the car when I told him I probably couldn't walk. Giapetto kept a worried eye on me, until I got up and started shopping again... after all, he had strawberries and apricots, not often I find those this late in the year. This will probably have to be the last tianguis for me until October, I told him reluctantly, so I made the most of it.
In the car, I was shocked at how red my face was, and remained, for the next hour. At home I Googled my symptoms and found it was most likely heat exhaustion rather than heat stroke, but if I hadn't had access to shade and water, if the Capt hadn't been on his way to meet me, the outcome could have been a lot worse.
My friend Susan tells me she has had ten episodes of heat stroke in the past few years, and they seem to come faster and with less warning now. She stays indoors in air conditioning whenever the temperature tops 85 degrees. One might call such caution thermophobic, but having after today, I'm inclined to agree with her.
Today it got up to 105.