Ending The Week

Let's end this week with what I think is a pretty picture.

I took this last fall in Michigan. I was able to get within about 10 feet of this Monarch and then zoomed in on it. I am very happy with the result.

Just A Simple Look

We all want to enjoy the island and have a safe time here, right? After all, as the sign says, there are over 16,203 persons living here in a 7km stretch of rock and sand.



I can not begin to count the number of times I have come around a corner and almost smacked into a tourist on a golf cart, driving the wrong way. Happily oblivious to the fact that they are not on a ride at Disneyland, but rather a dangerouse vehicle which is capable of getting them killed. Quite easily too.


It's not like the streets aren't marked as to their direction.

Sometime they even seem to be overmarked.

And still the wayward tourist, usually with drink in hand, will merrily ignore these signs and put my life, their lives and the lives of children in the street, in mortal danger. Shame on them.

I think that this should be the only transportation tourists are allowed to rent.

Street Wear?

I've posted pics like this before.  Always to mixed reviews.   These people were casually walking down the main street on the island, doing some souvenir shopping.

My question to you:  Is this appropriate street wear or not?  And why?  These people are at least 5 blocks from the beach and in the middle of the downtown section.

Flowers For Sale

These are just some of the flowers that were being offered for sale the day we visited the Izamal market.  I love all the fresh flowers in the Mexican markets.



A Visit From Charley

My Mexican "nephew", Charley, is 14 months old now and walking fairly well.  That means that when he comes to visit now, the house has to be kid proofed!  Too many things right at his eye level, or should I say grabby little hands level! 

This is his favorite position when he visits.  Propped up on a sofa cushion on the floor in front of the TV.  Cartoons of course!

He is starting to say a few



words.  Nothing that is comprehensible to his American uncles though!  Mama understands him quite well.  But isn't that true of toddlers worldwide?

We had made a cake for dessert the night they came over.  Here he is being taught the Mexican custom of "mordita".  Which means "little bite". 

But the trick is, as soon as you go to take that little bite, somebody smashes your face into the cake.  Waste of good frosting, if you ask me.

On another topic, this is my first post using the new Blogger format. So far I am hating it and don't quite understand it.  I have no idea what this is going to look like when posted.  Bear with me as I try to learn this new system.  Why can't they just leave a good thing alone?  They must have been talking to the Facebook people who are also always changing things.

On The Road - Heading Home

We were very fortunate in Valledolid that there was some sort of small festival going on. The newly refurbished town square was lovely, people were friendly and in good spirits, children played and chased balloons and they closed off one of the bordering streets that evening.




So we got to see the wonderful sight of people dancing in the street. Couples of all ages felt the rhythm of the Kumbia band and took to the cobblestones. I love the elderly couples that flow together and move as one as only a couple that has been dancing together for years can do. Charming, to say the least.

We enjoyed a few hours of watching the dancers, listening to the music, people watching and eating ice cream. Then it was time for bed.

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and loaded up for the trip back to Cancun, where we had to turn in the rental car.

We took the toll free road from Merida to Cancun. Again, I wanted to pass through as many villages and towns as possible and avoid the boring, jungle enclosed freeway. With the improvements that have now been completed on the free road, it is almost as fast as taking the toll road anyway. And a lot more interesting.

Along the way we stopped for a leisurely lunch and my Sister had her first taste of a Yucatecan favorite....Sope de Lima. Lime Soup, which is really chicken vegetable soup with slices of lime for flavor. We also stopped at some of the roadside nurseries that dot this road and bought a few plants for the back patio.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip and I am very glad that I had the chance to show my sister one small part of why I love Mexico.

On The Road - 6

Although I had tried my best to describe to my sister what a cenote is, I don't think she really had a good understanding of them. I had already told her that when the meteorite hit the Yucatan some 65 million years ago, that it had thrown the land up and over all existing waterways, effectively burying all water sources underground. Over the ensuing years, some of these rivers and lakes have been exposed and are now referred to as cenotes.

She gasped and grabbed me for support when we emerged from the cavelike entryway to the downtown cenote in Valledolid. She was not prepared for what met her eyes.








From where one enters, it is 95 feet down to the water.






It is one giant cavern, open to the sky one side but still cavelike on the other.






Walkways and diving (viewing!) platforms have been contructed all the way around it.






Stalagtites still cling to the ceiling, covered with bird and bat droppings.

The view from the edge down to the swimmers.

The view from under the cave roof, showing the opening to the sky.

People, and not just the really young, dive from every place they can get a good foothold. With the bottom some 300+ feet below, there is no danger that they will hit their head.

Exposed tree roots cling to the sides of the cavern.

An altar adorns one niche in the wall.

Over on the left where that outcropping is and where you can just see people standing, is the entrance.

We spent quite a bit of time in there, just soaking it all in and watching the divers. When asked, my sister replied that no, she was not sorry that she had not brought her bathing suit! And I wasn't sorry that I didn't have mine either! Beautiful to look at, but it would give me the creeps to know that the bottom was over 300 feet below me.

On The Road - 5

Sunday in Merida. Always a good time. That is the day that the streets around the town plaza are closed to traffic and downtown becomes a festival. And this happens every week!

The town square and the streets bordering it are also filled with vendors selling goods of every description. I wanted my sister to see this, although the last few times I had been there, I was not impressed. It was mostly tourist junk and nothing original was to be found. My how it has changed! There were all kinds of interesting things to see and buy.





Clothing was a big item. A lot of appeared to be handmade and some of it was absolutely beautiful. Complicated stitchwork was prevalent everywhere one looked.

Every fair, festival, parade and public event in Mexico seems to have these balloon sellers on hand. I love them. They sway and bob and crinkle in the breeze, sending off flashes of light that captivate and charm.

Merida's finest protecting the crowds. I think. Or maybe they are just waiting for a phone call.

Aah, the ever present Yucatecan huipil. They were everywhere. Both on display by the vendors and beind worn by the vendors. Not to mention local shoppers. My sister loved the great variety of them as much as I do.

After several hours of this, we decided it was time to head out to our final destination before returning to the island. Tomorrow: Valledolid.

On The Road - 4

I was anxious for my sister to see Merida. It was the part of the trip I had been most looking forward to. Merida has become my second home in Mexico. In fact, I have permanently rented a room in my friend's house so that I have a place to escape to when the island just becomes too much for me.

The first thing we did was try to check into my favorite hotel, The Reforma. Of course, not making advance reservations proved to be a bad idea. Or maybe not. There was no vacancy and the reason was because the hotel was full of screaming teenagers there for some kind of tournament. Just as well. We didn't need that kind of noise or exhurberance.

Undaunted, we trudged a block further away from the square and secured rooms in the beautiful, if not slighly age worn, colonial Hotel Colon.

We headed over to the little plaza in front of the Gran Hotel, found a table and enjoyed a cool beverage. To say that it was hot that day is to put it mildly. My sister was not coping with the heat very well. From there we walked to the town square. Bob decided to go back to the hotel while I continued the tour with my sister.

We went into the building that houses the wonderful murals depicting the story of the history of the Mayan people. I explained a few of the murals to her but I could see her eyes glazing over. I think she was on sensory overload.

I did get a few pictures of the staircase in that building. I love a good staircase.







Sun and shadow play with a potted plant in the courtyard of the building.






We headed over to the town market. A huge building full of wonderful and disgusting items for sale. It was my intention to wander around in there for quite awhile. I wanted to show her, and get photos of, the wonderful flowers, spices and generalia that is offered there. Unfortunately, that did not happen. It was just too hot and crowded. I could tell she was wilting so decided that we should better just head back for the hotel while we still could.

Later that evening, we drove over to my friend Lin's house, where I have rented the room. I gave her a tour of the house and my room and introduced her to my spiritual buddy, Lin. We all then walked over to my favorite little outdoor cafe and had a bite to eat. I think she really enjoyed sitting at a table on the sidewalk on a cool evening, sampling Yucatecan specialities and watching all the people and life go by. I know I sure did!

On The Road - 3

From Izamal, we decided to take the scenic route to Progreso. I had traveled the perimeter road around Merida and the freeway many times. I wanted to try a different way and give my sister just a bit more of Mexico to look at.

From Izamal, we headed up Yucatan Route 53 to Tepakan. Then over to Teya, on to Suma de Hidalgo, ever westward to Motul and then a straight shot up to Telchac Puerto. From there it was an easy road over to Progreso, following the curve of the Gulf of Mexico.

The scenery and villages along this route are nothing majorally special. With the exception of Motul, all are medium to small villages. The scenery is mostly that scrub jungle, interspersed with the occassional heneken plantation.

We arrived in Progreso on a hot but windy afternoon.






We were able to get a room in the Condo Hotel and then set out to explore. For both Bob and myself, there is not much left to explore. We mostly wanted my sister to experience the Gulf and what other beach towns are like. (besides Isla). We had lunch under one of the seaside palapa restaurants. Nothing special, but then they never are.

Afterwards we walked the malecon and watched the crowds.



We had reservations that evening for dinner at our friend's restaurant, Progreso Pastas. We had a great meal and a lively visit with them after closing hours and then drove back to the hotel.

The next morning we had breakfast and then headed down to Merida.

On The Road - 2

Izamal is a city I could live in. Except for its' lack of a decent grocery store. And easy internet. And a few other things. But it is a beautiful, friendly city with a nice town market.

While walking through the chambers of the convent, the play of light coming in really caught my eye.






There are exits down to street level on all four sides of the convent. This one will drop you off at one of the town squares.





Did you notice that Izamal still has horse drawn carriages plying the streets? Mostly for tourists but I find it soothing to hear the hooves beating out their rythm on the cobblestones.





The tamarindo trees were almost ready to drop their pods.

From this side of the convent, it is possible to see the largest of seven pyramids still remaining in the city. This one is on the edge of town.

Shall we zoom in for a closer look?

I loved this. Grafitti but yet not. A pleasant bit of color in the midst of a gray courtyard.