Four girls stood together on the the far side of the table from me. To none of us in particular one blurted out, “I love you!” Then, all burst into gales of laughter. The phrase was probably the only English they knew. They probably learned it from American movies played at theaters and on TV with Spanish subtitles.

We ordered lunch and hoped the girls would go away and let us eat in peace. They did not, and their chaperons didn’t seem to care. We felt like animals in the zoo at feeding time with gawkers on every side watching us eat.