Malecontemplation

As I strolled down the malecon (seafront walkway or promenade) today I pondered what makes this place feel so different from the others we've explored.

As i walked on, I noticed the cars on the road were all big American 4x4's or fancy Japanese saloons. Gone are the ubiquitous old volkswagon beetles that have punctuated so much of our trip so far.
Further on, the road gave way to a giant KFC, then a garish, oversized McDonald's. Next came a casino shaped like a castle, next door a gigantic health spa.

I could be wrong, but I began to think maybe I'd found the reason for this town's lack of a real sense of character. Success.
Like no other place we've been, there's a real sense of urgency here - almost a 'rat race' vibe. The swarms of Mexicans sat around relaxing, smooching, napping; are conspicuous in their asbsence. More of the shops seem to sell electrical appliances, or furniture. Street food vendors are few and far between.

Now I could be totally off the mark in my assumptions, after all, Campeche is not a tourist destination. Perhaps this is the 'real' Mexico, the future of a country all too well known for it's poorer side.
After all, with economic success comes wealth and prosperity, and with that a much lower poverty level, isn't that how it works?

But then as i wander along the malecon, the Gulf of Mexico to my left is awash with crisp packets and plastic coke bottles. On my right a car the size of a bus pulls out from under the huge plastic 'M' of the McDonald's sign.
I'm not trying to be negative, and mass poverty is probably the single biggest problem faced by humanity today.
But if this is progress, I wonder what the future holds.


Disclaimer

Mexico is still treating us incredibly well, and I feel like the luckiest man in the world. The above is simply what ran through my mind when alone with my thoughts this afternoon.