Adios

Ah Mexico, I really love you a lot. I wish I was still there, laying on loungers in the sun, but we got back last night, and I am writing from the warmth and comfort of our bed. We got back late last night after some hard travel legs. We left Cancun at 3pm, on a very full plane for Houston. When we got in, we taxied to our gate, but the tunnel you walk through (I can never remember what it's called) wouldn't extend. So, we sat in the hot stuffy plane for another half hour or so while they tried to fix it, and then we were towed to another gate. Then we had to go through all the customs lines, and of course we chose the one that was moving at a snails pace, while all the other lines were whipping by. Seriously, it was about a 45 minute wait. Then, we got to the very last guy, who just had to take our immigration forms, and let us through, but instead he decided to be a jerk. He kept asking Wyatt where his bag was, and Wyatt kept showing him his bag on his back, then he made some smart ass remark about how it wasn't big enough to have been traveling with, so he was going to send us to a random bag search. He looked at our tickets (we had about another hour and a half of our layover), kind of gave us this look, and said "you have the time." So, then we had to go answer pointless questions in a horribly bright room, to a woman who just seemed to want us to "slip up." Ugh. Thanks a lot Houston customs for making me really wish I wasn't coming home. I think I have a curse when it comes to airport security, I have gotten chosen for random searches a few times (once during holiday rush in Boston when I was late for a flight because of snow). I have gotten detained because they thought I was a terrorist they were hunting for one time I was flying with my Mom....the list goes on.

But, the hassle involved with travel is totally worth it, what an amazing trip. It's always so crazy how you plan and plan, and anticipate a trip for so long, and then you go, and then it just seems to go so fast, and all of a sudden, you are back home, getting ready to go to work, and wonder if it actually happened. And that's not quite true either, because it did feel long, and for instance Mexico City felt like a totally different trip when we were thinking back on it, and each seperate part seemed distant and long ago. And we definitely had time to get good and relaxed, time is just such a funny thing.

So, i need to go back, I am hooked on this Mexico thing! I love the food, the people are incredible, and it is so beautiful! People always tell us how dangerous it is to travel in so many of the places we chose to travel to, and it is true, there are some very dangerous places in Mexico, but I have been really lucky that in all the places I have traveled, and all the time I have spent traveling, there have been very very few times when I have felt uncomfortable, or threatened in any way, or stolen from. And this trip especially, never once did we feel any of that. It was pretty great through and through. Now, we need to start planning the next one.....

Lucha Libre!!!!

Can you tell that the wrestlers are standing on the ropes?? They had just won a match...

About to the flying leap!!

Today was our last full day in Mexico.

We have been waking up really early, which is so nice, because it is the only time of day when it is really calm in Playa, especially on the weekends. The water is calm, the sky is crystal clear and blue, and everything kind of sparkles. Heading out to the beach first thing and grabbing a lounge chair for the day, camping out there for a while, then heading to lunch. After lunch, maybe a little swing in the hammock, maybe a dip in the pool or ocean to cool off, back to the book and the beach chair. We had all these grand plans to explore this area more, and go visit other beaches, see some cenotes (which, I am bummed we didn't do...another reason to come back though!) but the simple pleasure of our hotel on the beach, and the good food around here won out. And, it has been so nice!

Tonight though, we broke the routine, and went to a Lucha Libre match! I really wanted to go when we were in Mexico city (which seems like a different trip cause it feels so long ago!), but I was too sick to go the night it was happening. So, when we saw the add that there was going to be one here our last night in town, we couldn't pass it up.

It was in an old arena out of the tourist district, about a 25 minute walk, into a neighborhood we had not been to yet, but directly down one of the main streets, so easy to find. There was a little bit of a wait to get in, and then we heard the first band start up, and they started letting people in. We were in the general seating, which was stadium seating of continuous cement stairs. There were guys going around selling beer and sodas and some random food snacks. The band was playing on and on, people were filing in, mostly locals, and lots of kids. Lots of waiting. It took about an hour after the posted start time for them to start, and then got off to a slow start. Lucha Libre is Mexican wrestling, kind of like the WWF, but the Mexican version, most of them wear a shiny, colorful mask, and shiny costume of some sort. Lots of theatrics, lots of arial tricks, flips and stuff like that, some pretty impressive moves! There was this one move where one guy does a flying leap off the ropes onto another man, which I was especially fond of. I was kind of bored through the first match, then a new band came on and played covers of songs like the hard rock version of "I wanna hold your hand," and a medley of "Eye of the Tiger," and "Final Countdown," which was pretty entertaining. And even more so was the second match where they had two pairs of fighters in the ring. We left after 3 matches, and 3 sets by the bands.

Overall, I had a good time. It was a good experience, I have been wanting to go for a while, and I'm glad we went. It just seemed like something the kids were getting more out of than the adults. Alot of pantomimed cock and ball jokes, and the little boys in the audience went crazy!

Beautiful, 8am beach view. Quiet time in Playa del Carmen

View from the water line, up to our hotel

Lounge chairs!

Garlic shrimp dinner with veggies, and rice. Oh, and really good guacamole!

AND, shrimp and fish tacos! man, does it get much better??

New Digs

So, for the last few days of our trip, we decided to up the star rating of our accommodations. Right on the beach, it's a smaller hotel with balcony's off every room with a hammock, table and chairs. There are lounge chairs on the beach, there's a kitchenette in the room, the water pressure in the shower is to die for, and a lot of other little perks that are really lovely. Plus the towels shaped like swans with sticker eyes and flowers strewn about. It's like the vacation within our vacation. Especially since I have wanted a hammock on a balcony for the entire trip! Here's to the little things.....

Have you ever eaten Mexican style corn...??

I finally got a corn! We saw it everywhere in Mexico city, but I was always too full, or too sick at that point. Then I didn't see it again until now! It is good. You get the cooked corn, they lather it with mayo, cover that with queso fresco, and sprinkle it with chili powder, then give it a big squeeze of lime over the whole thing. Sound weird, it is....but so good!

Last day on Isla Mujeres

Last day on the island, we go back to the mainland tomorrow, and back to Playa del Carmen. We decided to go back there because there were a few day trips easily done from there to other beaches and a few cenotes, that we didn't make it to last round. We will be there will we fly home in a week. Isla Mujeres has been so great. I love it here, and will be back someday.

View from the rooftop palapa at our place...it has been under construction until last night, and now it is awesome! Hammock, lounge chairs, table and chairs, beautiful view....

See the dog lounging on the roof?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We had a beautiful day at the beach. Then we went home and played some dice. when I tried to turn on the gas stove to start dinner, there was nothing in the gas line, and it didn't light. I was busily trying to figure out how we could make our entire meal in the microwave, when the property manager walked by, and he was able to install a new tank. Crisis averted! We had a roast chicken we bought in town (no oven), garlic mashed potatoes, beet salad with chick peas and queso fresco, corn, sauteed cauliflower, and gravy made with cram of mushroom soup beefed up with cabbage and onions. It was wonderful, and I feel very happy and thankful for everything.

So much beer. These little trucks are pretty funny

Our friend on the walkway along the water into town

At Hemingways with snacks!

Our neighborhood

We just got back from an evening stroll around our neighborhood. It is so amazing going to another city/state/country, and trying to see what it would feel like to live there. I feel lucky to be able to, and to search out these experiences when I travel, because for so many people, traveling means going somewhere, eating in the hotel where they stay, or restaurants that cater to tourists, and going to places built for tourism. Nothing wrong with that, but it is incredible seeing how other people LIVE, and a totally different experience. I am a bit of a voyeur, and I always try to catch glimpses into peoples houses when we are walking around. Tonight I saw people lazing in hammocks strung through their living room, a light glowing against brightly colored walls with a pulsing rhythm from the fan blades. TV screens bright against the dark. Large families crammed into small living rooms, and loud chatter. Mom and daughter on a couch watching TV, the living room connected with the little mini mart where we bought a few heads of garlic and tomatoes. The ball field totally lit up with a soccer game going on. The electronics store covered in christmas lights and promotional deals. Christmas wreathes and lights going up on a few houses. A man giving a sermon from the Bible at a dining room table. And, there always seems to be faint strains of Mexican ballads being sung, music I love that just fits....it feels like it is set up sometimes, it is so perfect.

There are, I think, three lagoons on the island. This is the smallest one, right by our house. We had a lovely walk around it yesterday

The street that runs parallel to ours

Our corner store

The front patio at our place

Kitchen/living room

Our nearest beach

Woke up this morning, walked to the mini super to grab what we needed for breakfast, then on the way back to the apartment a kid on his bike rides by with a cooler full of steaming warm fresh tortillas wrapped in brown paper. oh man, there is nothing like fresh warm tortillas, they are so good! Ate breakfast, then did the walk into town, spent time on the beach, read, walked the beach, went to grocery store to buy a few things for dinner. Caught a taxi, which is almost like flagging a bus here, because they just fill up the cabs, which is great, because it makes it cost almost nothing. Home, game of dice, a few drinks with fruit and rum, a little AXN, our favorite latin cable station with cop shows in english. Then a great dinner of home made fajitas, with the same incredible tortillas from this morning that still tasted just as good. It is stormy now and the moon is huge. We have a nice routine starting....

Kim Miller, this fruity deliciousness is your honor!

Domestic night at home #2. Fajitas with chorizo, cabbage, peppers and onions, with queso fresco, beans, salsa, avacado, and amazing fresh tortillas. Plus side salad and drinks.

New apartment

10,000....friday night, blaring music, ron y cola

Big hangover breakfast the next morning

WeYesterday was my mom's BIRTHDAY!! Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Today we moved into our new apartment! We will live here for a week! It is called La Rinconda on a quiet neighborhood street in the next neighborhood or town down from the touristy north beach area where we were staying. It is a nice change of pace, it is where locals live and that makes all the difference. There aren't stalls and stalls of souveniers, and overpriced restaurants catering to foreigners. We do have a few small restaurants and a corner market, and a church. Our place has a little front area shaded by bushes and trees with a small table and chairs. We have a full kitchen with a futon couch that sits right by the french doors that open onto the porch and the breeze that comes through is so nice. Big bedroom, bathroom. And there is a rooftop palapa patio with lounge chairs. It is nice to have a "home" for a week. As I said before we are most excited about cooking meals! We started trying to plan out Thanksgiving dinner tonight.

After moving over to our new place, we headed back to the north beach, because the actual beach is so nice and it's a great place to hang out during the day. The side of the island we are on is the windy rocky side, and there really isn't a beach by our apartment. The trip into town is easy though, the walk is ok, and the taxis are really cheap to get back. We hung out with the locals on the end of the beach that is not connected to hotels, where all the families come. Then we went on a big grocery trip and headed back out to the house.

We explored out new area a little as the sun was going down, and a huge almost full or full moon was rising. Very dramatic, with warm strong breezes blowing around us. We cooked dinner.

Images of Isla

On our walk down the island, along the seaside walkway we are able to take almost to the next town/neighborhood, there is a flock of birds hanging in the air. Really, they just look like they are hanging, and it is a little creepy, besides the fact that they are huge, wingspan is probably about 4 feet on a few of them

This place is called Hemingways, I have no idea why. It is a cool old Carribbean building, they have a few different kinds of booze, but I only saw people drinking beer, and the occasional tequila shot.

View from our hotel balcony

On the way into the next "colonia" (town)