For years, I’ve kept a photo album on Facebook in which I document wildly dangerous sidewalk conditions in Mexico. These range from open manholes in the middle of busy sidewalks to unsegregated construction sites and situations of general disrepair. Some of the situations are so outrageous by U.S. standards that they are quite entertaining. I generally keep a sharp eye out for danger, and I suppose the local residents do the same… But on a recent trip to Guadalajara, one of the hazards got me … and it wasn’t even an especially obvious one.

Here are a few examples:

Here’s the one that got me – just a raised area in the middle of the asphalt, but the sun was shining in a way that I didn’t see the outline:

And here I am, with a banged-up face, scraped and twisted glasses, and a big scrape on my shoulder:

When I tripped, I took several steps, arms flailing like a windmill, hoping to regain my balance. When I finally, and very publicly fell, several people came to my rescue, and a young woman took me into the bar where she worked, and broke out the first-aid kit… It was embarrassing to explain to the tough-looking customers of the bar that I just tripped, and wasn’t in a fight.

So… watch your step!