I was thinking of that picture taken years ago by some stranger

I was thinking last night, and I don't remember why, that someone I don't know has my picture. I have this very clear memory of the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve in 2001 that I was in Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico with my dad, Lidi, Annette and Nicco. We were on our way back to El Salvador from Mexico City and stopped by the ruins in Monte Alban while we waited in Oaxaca for a day to take the bus to Tapachula and then the one to San Salvador.

Lidi and I had already been to Monte Alban a couple of weeks before, when we were on the trip from El Salvador to Mexico City to spend a few weeks with my dad. I loved those 3 weeks in Mexico, but that day we were tired and Monte Alban was fresh in our memories, so we weren't so excited about it. We were dragging behind the group, taking our time looking at things, sitting down and taking in the experience in a more relaxed way than we had a 3 weeks before. That day was foggy, I remember that, and a little chilly. The type of chill that goes away with the fog and that makes you take off your jacket after a few minutes of walking.

Lidi and I sat down in a rock that was in the middle of a raised area and stayed there for a few minutes. Through the fog, I saw this guy taking a few pictures of us. It was early in the day and Monte Alban was almost empty, save us and another group of people. This guy had a semi professional camera and I bet it wasn't digital. Digital toys weren't so accessible back then and people still used film a lot. He looked like he could have been gringo, but I've learned since then that looks don't mean that much. I looked at him and didn't move. I told Lidi what he was doing, but we were so tired that we decided to not care about the photo shoot. No poses, no smiles, no introductions to our stranger admirer. But it stuck with me, what did he see in us to take out picture, was that scene so funny or interesting, two girls sitting on a rock on top of an Aztec platform in a foggy morning. I would like to see that picture, although I have it saved in my head, in my memory, like so many other things, places and dates.