Mexico City, Thursday, additional

03:10. Just got back home.

While in the bog at that bar earlier I met some chap (stop smirking, Chubbard/Ives). Ended up chatting with him and a mate. They claimed to be/have been floor managers at some nearby bars. I was very explicit but they said they would take me there and I wouldn't pay for drinks.

We ended up staying at that bar fairly late and to be fair I got a couple of drinks free. We then went down there, where all but one of the guys disappeared. I was dubious but they did seem fairly genuine and I figured I shouldn't be overly paranoid.

The bloke left me for a few minutes and turned up with a carrier bag with a few cans in. I can't help feeling he didn't go to the bar. Still, I had that beer and that was while I blogged earlier about the dual vision (what I wrote was both true and freaky).

I was verging on leaving and then he said he wanted to leave anyway. We went outside and I ended up chatting to some other guy (I must admit, the guy seemed to know a lot of people). Oh, he did shove a beer in my hand as we went out, and I shoved it in my pocket and still have it. I shared his beer outside.

He seemed to want to come back to my place but I said it wasn't allowed (and I am sure he had no ulterior motive, Chubbard/Ives) but if there was another bar I'd be happy to buy him a drink. But he said there wasn't, so I came home and he didn't cause a fuss about it. I offered to give him a card but as it happened I didn't have one.

Very weird but I can't help but feel it was oddly genuine. I bought the guy a packet of fags but that was all and I did have a few drinks for free (especially at the bar I was at when I blogged prior to meeting him, we stayed well past closing as he and his mates seemed to know people) and although I was dubious about going to a strip bar I have to admit he came through and I didn't pay for any drinks nor got ripped off. So I guess it's all cool, they seemed nice guys on the whole and I got to practice my Spanish and had some free drinks etc. A bit odd all the same. The fact he knew no bar to go to when we left suggests it's rather dead round here (the strip bar wasn't closing, but I suspect his/his friend's influence was limited, even if the other guy was the floor manager, the fact he was away so long and brought back beers in a bag suggests he wasn't able to get free drinks at the bar - I had said earlier I was willing to pay my share but didn't want to pay "strip bar" prices but he and his mate were both very insistent I wouldn't have to pay at all, and they came through on that).

Anyway, that's how it is/was. I can't help feeling I had a narrow escape but I think that's just paranoia. They did seem too genuinely nice to be on the lam, and after all I did come out with a fair few free drinks, the packet of fags was negligible in comparison. But a bit odd all the same.

I believe the guy I saw most of was called Juan-Miguel, FWIW. On the offchance he reads this, cheers and apologies for doubting you at all (though I was so me-ish I doubt that's saying anything he wouldn't have already observed).

It was deeply odd being out with double vision yet feeling soberish, especially in the context of watching a stripper.