The Downpour

Yesterday Alejandro and I met with a couple of his colleagues from the office and their families for afternoon dinner at a nearby restaurant.  When we left the apartment around 2 P.M., the sun was shining, and I forgot to bring umbrellas.  We were seated outside under a canopy.  We had a leisurely and pleasant meal.  The sky grew cloudy, and toward the end of our dinner, it started to rain.  As the rain grew heavier, and the canopy was not offering sufficient protection, we made a dash inside the restaurant.  There we were hostages as the downpour continued unabated.  As I have written before, the drainage system in Mexico City is woefully inadequate to handle heavy rains.  The sidewalk and street in front of the restaurant were literally flowing rivers of water, and a miniature geyser of water was bubbling up from a manhole cover in the middle of the street.

I don't know how long the rain lasted.  It seemed forever, although we were probably stranded in the restaurant for around a half hour.  At last, the rain lessened to just a sprinkle, and the river along the sidewalk stopped flowing.  Our dining companions were able to catch a bus to go home, and we were able to return to the apartment.  Just a block away next to the World Trade Center, the street was still a lake.  

Alejandro had to go back to the family house, and because of flooding and traffic accidents, it took him two hours to return home.

Today's weather forecast calls for a 100% probability of rain this afternoon.  I have a doctor's appointment just a few blocks away from the apartment.  I will be sure to take my umbrella this time and hope that we do not have a repeat of yesterday's downpour.