YEKATERINBURG, Russia — A sombrero, out here, has special powers.
It provides 360-degree cover from the summer sun, obviously. But it can also disarm a stranger, start a conversation between people who speak different languages, get its owner onto an international television broadcast, or even slip open a door to romance.
“Ladies love the sombrero,” said Jose Ramon Diaz, who bought his sombrero two years ago in Tehuacán, Mexico, his hometown, for 47 pesos, or about $2.50. “It’s a key that opens a lot of doors.”
Diaz has learned these lessons, and more, during his time alone in Russia this month, rooting for Mexico at the World Cup.