A gallant cab driver.

Getting to a show in the midst of a downpour.

Salta City, Argentina

February 24th, 2026

View of Salta from this morning’s walk.

Dear Reader,

Dorotea, my favorite neighborhood coffee shop on the corner nearest my house, has reopened, and that is where I am sitting now writing to you and sipping an espresso.

The two usual waitresses are here - Mica and Magui. The place is not too full, and chill music plays. A few men sit alone drinking espressos and reading the paper, a woman breakfasts while reading from her phone, and a couple sit at a corner table studying the menu.

My show on Saturday night was packed. It could have gone either way due to the heavy rain all day, but still, people showed up.

The journey to the venue is worth telling you about. The sound check was scheduled for eight and the show at ten, so I had ordered a cab to pick me up at a quarter of eight.

By the time I came downstairs and stepped outside, the streets had turned into gushing rivers. Water covered about half sidewalk, and when cars drove by it practically splashed up the walls of the buildings.

The cab was waiting for me on the other side of the street, its wheels immersed. There was no way I could get to him without drenching my shoes, socks, and half of my legs.

I looked at the cab driver, shrugging my shoulders as if to say “What do I do?”.

He put his arm out with his hand flexed, gesturing me to stay where I was.

I waited as he maneuvered a three point turn in his small white taxi, holding up traffic. He got over to my side of the street, pulled right up onto the sidewalk and reached his arm back to open the door. I hopped in.

“Thank you!”, I said, plopping my umbrella on the floor of the car. “What a rainy day!”.

“Ah yes.”, he replied cheerily. “You’re very welcome. Where to?”.

I gave him the address of the venue, and we drove on in silence as upbeat dance music played from his radio. We drove through the flooded streets, splashing through enormous puddles, and made it to my destination. I paid, left a generous tip, and got out.

“Que Dios le bendiga.”, called the cab driver. May God bless you.

“Same to you!”, I called back with a wave.

At the venue, the musicians - a pianist with a gorgeous voice who’d be doing a duet/ medley with me of Isn’t She Lovely and Fly Me To The Moon, and a bassist/ drummer - were assembled, and the last of the equipment was being set up for the sound check.

I had also invited a fellow artist to be a guest in the show. Originally from Salta, Lucia is a composer, singer, producer, and plays the guitar too.

She and I performed two Jobim songs, Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars and Girl From Ipanema. She sang in Portuguese, and I in English. Then she did a solo song called Moon Blue by Stevie Wonder.

At the end of the tune we improvised on the melody. It was a fun night of music making, and sharing the good vibes that music produces.

Here is a photo taken by one of the patrons.

A photo from Saturday’s show. I’m singing and Lucia, dressed in white and black, is leaned up against the wall waiting to come on.

More to come.

Abrazos,

Mariah