The last two houses we stayed in, while living in Merida, Mexico, were located in an area of Merida's Centro dubbed "Gringo Gultch"...
[click on above image for larger view]
Prior to the US economy curling up into the fetal position, Americans were buying up and rehabbing older, dilapidated Colonial homes in Merida's historical Centro. These gringo places serve as second homes, and vacation rentals. We were fortunate enough to stay in a couple of pretty swanky Centro homes; since our American dollar stretches and bends; and can even do cartwheels in Mexico.
Still, most of the houses are owned, and occupied by the locals. Our neighbor, in the last Centro house we stayed in, was indeed local. This photo of the inside of his house was taken from the sidewalk. A garage door acted as his front door, so you could see right into the house and through to the backyard where all fifty, or so, of his cats lived.
Every morning he would open the garage door and dump a five gallon bucket of water onto the linoleum floor [the floor you see in this photo]. The water would mix in with the cat urine and he would squeegee it onto the sidewalk. From there, the pee-water would flow under our truck, and pool under the driver's side door.
He was a nice enough guy though. I can say that now, since my shoes don't smell like cat pee anymore.
