Abandoned

Always on the lookout for detritus of any sort, we wandered through the older parts of the residential district. Most cities have areas where some abandonment has set in as newer, shinier neighborhoods are built and people move on. The most interesting find was an escalator to nowhere in a mini-mall that had no tenants. The top of the escalator, which was outdoors, was sealed off.

Many people, especially here in the states, consider these areas to be depressing blight. An alternate view is that they show us the past and give us clues about migration and social change. They also show a willingness to adapt as there are people and animals living here. One building in the old quarter had milk and food bowls set out for feral cats wandering the streets. The cats fled when we walked down the street but the bowls in front of the decrepit doors were still out.

And an alley with a boarded-up house provided an interesting contrast between a new cosmetics ad and the peeling paint. Past and present, crud and glitz, the never-ending changes in culture.