Old story. Part one.

Pre-Internet traveling abroad, not knowing where to go, arriving Madrid and wanting to dance in a gay club the first night, a quick yet unreliable way was to get into a taxi, and if the driver didn’t look like he’d be bothered by it, ask where to party.

I stopped a few cabs looking for a younger driver who might know what was trendy. All of them were old, so I got in with an old one and asked. He confidently popped it into drive.

He drove me to the red-light district full of sex clubs and workers walking the street. I asked the driver, “but where are the dance clubs?”

He said, “I thought you wanted sex?”

Me, “well sure, maybe later, but I need some hours of drinking and dancing first.”

I paid, got out, and asked some people in the street if they knew. They pointed me to some nice clubs.

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Part two. Many years later.

Once the Internet got going, and early way of finding the party places was to go to a net cafe and get on certain channels on IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Mérida, Mexico, was well set up in that way. Clear, quick, information, and offers of company to the clubs.

I figured anybody that eager might not be a good date, and I was with my spouse anyway, so we’d just log off and go ourselves. At least in the clubs, we could look somebody over first.

Funny how things go.