Campeche and Chiapas Weekend
Sunday 7:50 PM July 26, 2009
This weekend consisted of a LOT of traveling. 3 hours in bus Thursday, 6 hours in bus Friday, 2 hours in bus Saturday, 9 hours in bus Sunday. Pretty intense. But it was worth it, because we got to see a lot of different landscapes that aren’t in the Yucatan. It was a rainforest, and the hills looked more like the sites of Dominican Republic, Jurassic parks scenes as I call them.
The most different part of this weekend was being with a huge group. The best part was being able to interact with different people, which was good especially since I had had enough of someone in ecology and had some time to be away and get cool together again. So I liked mixing with different people, but I didn’t like about it how groups form cliques and I tried to bounce around to all the different ones, but it wasn’t the usual bond of nine of us forced together. More people added to more interactions, and more drama to talk about which is entertaining. Everyone knows everything little thing that happens to every one here. It’s pretty fun.
I’ll go chronologically now, starting with Wednesday night. After class, for Joe’s birthday (well, there are two Joe’s. One I call Hoe and one I call Joe, but I am going to spell them the same so you are just going to have to be confused and guess which one I am talking about) and he wanted to go to El Gato Negro. So we did that which is an experience in itself. After that we went downtown and walked around and sat at a restaurant and went in the park again just chilling. And then some guys Joe knew from is host brother came up to us and invited us to a disco club. We a group of about 6 or so of us went to that. Bonded a lot with Heather, my fellow Lakelander, and got so much entertainment watching Clay dance, especially. Got home around 2. Slept. Got to the school by 7:30 for the trek.
Thursday first we went to Edzná ruins in Campeche. Typical ruins, we learned that in it’s day was equivalent to a huge city state like in Greece back around 600-900 AD. Even though I say typical ruins, every time we see a new site, I’m still in awe of how they built the massive pyramids back then! Of course we all joke that they had help from aliens like the legends say, but the Mayans were just so advanced for their time it’s amazing! It would be cool to see what they really looked liked thousands of years ago.
After that went to into the city of Campeche, in Campeche state, where we stayed that night. We had a really, really good lunch. I had a fish with shrimp inside, it was delicious! This was our last really great meal of the weekend, besides breakfasts. I guess feeding 40 is a lot more difficult than 15, so we had to eat a little less creatively.
The city of Campeche is a lot nicer than Merida! The sidewalks are all really nice, and the buildings look nicer, mostly just because they have underground wiring instead of seeing them crossing between all the buildings. I was really impressed with Campeche. We had the afternoon and evening off, so we walked to the gulf and looked at it, played in a playground, napped. At night it was raining, so we just ate pizza in the hotel. Then we had a cake for Joe’s birthday. After that we walked downtown some, but it was rainy, so we just played cards and talked and chilled in the hotel.
Friday morning we went to a museum in a fort in Campeche. It was kind of cool. Pretty St. Augustine-esque. We then drove three hours, had lunch at this sketchy place, where we also we blessed to eat at today for lunch. Both days I just had rice and beans. I was scared of everything else. After that lunch we drove for three more hours until we got to Palenque which is the state of Chiapas. This whole time we’ve been staying at these authentic Mexican hotels, but for our last time we stayed at Best Western. Ironic. Not exactly the same as American Best Westerns, but still, we were a little disappointed by the anticlimactic last hotel.
We walked to downtown Palenque, which is different than Merida in that it is really hilly, and you can see mountains all over the place! Jurassic Park look style. The people of Palenque were a lot less friendly than the ones in Merida, and I could tell that they looked different. The Mexican boys told me that they had different accents too. You could just tell that we were closer to Guatemala, and plus Chiapas used to be a part of Guatemala.
After roaming the city and a market, we swam in the pool for a little bit before dinner. I really enjoyed Friday night, because some of us sat outside, under a palm umbrella around a table, Clay (and sort of Keilani) strumming the guitar, and just playing cards and talking with Joe and Addison until midnight. That’s my favorite thing to do, just make conversation while someone messes with a guitar, outside. They are some of my favorite people here, because we are kind of more nerdy kind of cool than the others. I mean, everyone hear is nerdy, and every one is cool, but it was just a chill group that I liked being part of. Even though I honestly bounced to all the different groups. The cool girls, the goofy kids, the Mexican boys, all of us blending together… Mexico does not take the best friend whore quality out of me.
Saturday was the for sure the best day of the trip. Basically the only day that wasn’t a traveling day for the most part. We went to Palenque national park, which was the coolest ruins site we have been to I thought. First we went on a hike through the rainforest for a few hours. This area was so different because it was an actual rain forest, with tall trees, and streams and little waterfalls, and vines and everything! We even saw a Howler Monkey sitting in the tops of the trees! As we followed the path, we would see un-furbished, un-touched ruins, surrounded and over-grown by plants and trees. It felt like a book or TV show, hiking in the rainforest around and above undiscovered ruins!
It was really, really hot there. We saw this stream so I splashed my face with the fresh, cool water, and it got my shirt all wet, so I look like I was sweating more than I actually was. So I look like a pig in all the pictures I have from there, but just remember that I splashed water on myself, and it is not ALL sweat.
It was disappointing because we either took too much time hiking or didn’t leave enough time allotted to tour the ruins, so we pretty much ran through them, and they were the most cool, unique ones we had seen! Being built within the hills, and with mountains in the background! I really wish we had had more time to tour what could have been my favorite site.
After that we drove to a river called Misol Há. First we had lunch, I had some delicious shrimp kabobs. Then we walked down to one of the prettiest waterfalls I have ever seen! It was different than water falls I’ve seen in northern USA because of all the tropical plants around, and after the waterfall, it didn’t really flow, just sat in this little lake thing. We all jumped in and swam under the heavy power of the waterfall. It was so beautiful floating in the water, looking up at the waterfall and the sky, having to remind myself that I was really in it, it wasn’t just a postcard picture or something.
God’s creation is so amazingly, beautifully cool! You know how they say some people have their best experiences with God either through people, or song or church, or anything, well, I am for sure a naturalist. I think I have known this, but just being in nature, and seeing awesome landscapes and such just makes me appreciate the realness of God so much more!
Saturday evening we came back to the hotel, napped some, had dinner, and then it was really fun! Mark and Roger had gotten cake and a piñata for Allison and Joe’s birthday! We went outside and some took turns whacking at it. It was just as funny as it was in elementary school, when Roger would yank it up, and the person would hit into thin air. It was a good time. Later we walked downtown to celebrate Allison’s 20, and then we came back and played games and just hung out at the hotel. It was a good time, a good last night together.
Went to bed around 2:30, got up around 7. Lack of sleep was fine today, because it consisted of a 9 hour bus ride. Just stopped at the gross place for lunch and a few bathroom breaks. Today I had a lot of really good conversation, especially with Kiana and Joe. A lot of times in the bus we will just read or listen to iPods, but today I had a few good conversations, and some hilarious rounds of accordion stories.
Got back to an empty house around 6:30. Showered and stuff, and then la Señora came home and I ate and now I’m doing this, with just a tiny bit of Spanish homework to do.
So overall, good last excursion. I wouldn’t say that they saved the best for last, but it was different than the usual for sure. My favorite excursion might have been the Carribean one where we went snorkeling and to Tulum and Cobá. I also really liked caving. And I also really liked the baby turtles last week. This week we saw cool stuff too. IDK.
I keep saying that I’m actually retarded or something, so the world organized my life to be one big Make a Wish Foundation wish for me, without letting me know about it. I’m just so blessed to have been able to do this! I don’t want to leave! If we didn’t so such awesome excursions every week, it probably wouldn’t seem as amazing, but this whole Mexico thing has been the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve learned a lot about southern this area of Mexico, ecologically and culturally, I’ve gotten a lot more fluent in Spanish, I’ve gotten to know a ton of cool and interesting people, I’ve seen tons on Mayan ruins that I never even dreamed of, I’ve seen God in a lot of really cool ways, and I’ve learned about myself.
Looking back a few years ago, I would have never imagined that I would have spent a summer living in Mexico. Ever. It’s the best thing I could have done at this point in my life. Free from a job and other responsibilities. Practice for an entire semester of living abroad. Gaining a whole new perspective, not just of Mexico, but of everything.
We all say that we will have Mexico reunions and we will meet up for lunch together and stuff. But it will be interesting to see how our relationships translate over to the real world. I imagine keeping in touch with a few, but we’ll see what happens when our forced best friendships aren’t forced anymore.
Things to look forward to about being back:
No hot dogs for breakfast, brownies and cookies, air conditioning, knowing what is going on around me, being able to drive, having a phone, being able to exercise, being able to choose what I eat, getting back together with my “
real” friends, seeing the fam, the beach, Gainesville life.
I write way too much, I know. And I know I’m too wordy. oh well.
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bdays
Tuesday July 21, 2009 2:18 PM
Right now I’m in the lovely abode of Allison as tonight is her birthday party combined with Joe and another girl that lives at her house.
I’m on the fastest internet I’ve been on since I’ve been in this country and it’s amazing!
Last night we finally did El Gato Negro after Clay had been talking about it for days. Joe wants to go again tomorrow for his birthday. It is very hole in the wall and economical.
This morning Mark took us all to the market. It was very hot. But we saw a lot of authentic mexico. Chops of dead fish and sharks, Heads of pigs and cows, entire stomach systems of cows, all just hanging on hook. Butchers chopping up huge slabs of meet and blood on the floor. Very legit. Also there were a million types of fruits and vegetables.
Class was lame. All of the other classes got cancelled.
But right now I’m happy because I’m just chilling at Allison’s house, swimming soon, bday party later. Tomorrow after class will be birthday happenings for Joe (Ho), and then Thursday to Sunday will be our last excursion to Palenque. It should be a good time. They say it is more rainforesty there with waterfalls and rivers and stuff. It’s a nine hour drive each way and we are sharing a big bus with Anthro so it will be a crowd.
After getting back, just three days of classes and then just tying up the loose ends. ☹
Monday, July 20, 2009
Rio Lagartos and Harry Potter
Domingo 19 de Julio 2009 11:15 AM
The Rio Largartos trip started off when we got picked up by good ol’ trusty “El Indo,” the small, intimate, bonding time van. Indian stickers on the back window and all. We were fine with it though, personal space is so over-rated.
We headed north east, and our first stop was about two or three hours away. We went to some ruins called Xcambó, pronounce Champeau. So I felt like home at the Mayan ruins of my ancestors.
After that we pulled over to the side of the road somewhere, where there was a little store where we got fresh coconut juice. They just chopped off the top and put a straw in it! For some more hours we drove around, stopping at different fishing towns and abandoned places from previous hurricanes.
The next stop, we went to “Peten Tucha.” This was the first place where we all seriously questions Mark’s site selection. He told us we were going to make a death march, but this was not the first time, so we figured we would survive. It used to be a place with a trail to a lake with crocodiles, and a observation tower and descriptive nature signs and rustic wooden bridges. Now it was an extremely overgrown bushwhacking/army-craw through starved mosquito territory to a observation tower with flesh eating ants and a lake with one croc in it. We ran out like this summer in Minnesota where there was that promised “moose sighting.” We all made it out, barely alive, with only a few scratches from crawling, and a few ounces of blood left.
One thing about this region of the peninsula is that it’s a really big salt mining place. So Fransisco pulled over El Indio and we climbed passed these no trespassing signs and saw the huge mounds of salt, and the pink water where it is harvested. It looked just like snow.
Next we went to a sea turtle conservation place where we watched two guys, one of them being Santiago, the future husband of me, Laura and Allison, since Roger (Row-hair) is too old. Anyways Santiago and the other guy digging and pulling out hatched turtle eggs and putting all the baby turtles in a crate to be released tonight. It was just like a Reading Rainbow episode the whole time! They find the mother turtles laying eggs at night, pull out the eggs, put them in a safe place from animals until they are ready to hatch, and then release them. The baby turtles we soooo cute crawling all over each other!
After that we went to the beach until after sunset, when we were going to be able to release the baby turtles!! For real! With our own hands! My favorite part about that was making friends with an eleven year old girl and thirteen year old boy. They both lived on the beach over summer and it was so fun talking to them in Spanish! They were just so friendly, and they helped us release the baby turtles too.
So next for the NEW coolest thing ever. Right after sunset, they gave us each two baby turtles and we set them down in the sand and watched them crawl into the water. Sure, statistics say that only one out of 400 survive until adulthood, but it was still so cool to feel like we were starting out their big lifelong adventure! They were so cute crawling in our hands and stuff!
After that we had dinner at this restaurant on the water. I had fish with shrimp inside. It was delicious!
So all in all, Thursday started out as a mean day, but in the end, we all were nice to each other, and bonded a lot. How great… we get to know and love each other more and more until it’s time to leave each other. Next week, the last trip, is a long, far trip with anthropology too, so we were all nostalgic because this was our last excursion together as “ecology,” which is so much better than anthro. I think we get along so well, because our group is too small to make cliques and stuff, so we are all each other’s best friends here.
Our two nights this weekend were at a clean hotel, which was only $40 USD a night, score! I slept AMAZINGLY while we were there in the wonderful air conditioning and soft bed! Thursday was a lot of time in El Indio.
Friday might have been our coolest day ever, but I say that for everything. But really, we did a lot of stuff this weekend that I would have never had the opportunity to do! We got up early, and were in boats around 7:30. We road around the whole Rio Lagartos all morning. First thing we did was go fishing off the side of the boat, I caught a fish too! All we caught was barracuda, but I don’t think I had ever caught one before, so I was still super excited over catching a fish!
We saw even more, and closer Flamingos than in Celestún! They just look so interesting when they stand and fly and eat and everything!
Cool thing number one for that day was swimming (illegally) in the hyper saline waters of the salt mines. It was just like people say in the dead sea and other places, you just float at the top without even trying! It was really cool!
Number two, right after getting out of the salt water, the guides started digging in the white clay to a certain depth and then started smothering us in the clay! We all covered ourselves/eachother all over, in our hair, faces… we were COVERED, until we were white clay monsters! I don’t have any pictures on my camera from that, but I will debo them from others. It was like an episode of Survivor I remember seeing when I was in like fifth grade, we were all totally white!! I remember seeing that on TV when I was a kid and thinking it looked so fun, and now we were really doing it! It was so fun!
Then we had to ride probably twenty minutes in the boat until we got to the most pure beach! We all jumped in the water and the clay dissolved from our bodies, although my hair still feels a little like straw. There was a boat near us and we went over and they had caught a GIANT nurse shark! I touched it, but Kyle still beats me about the swimming with them, even though I would have freaked out if I had to do that. This would be a good time to rub something in Kyle’s face, to the public. Two words, AP score. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
While we were swimming the guides made extremely fresh Ceviche (spelling?), from the barracuda we had caught that morning, fresh lime, tomatoes and avocado. We ate the ceviche with chips on the beach, and then got back in the boat.
Then we drove to a spring called Chiquilá for lunch. At one point Carlos and I swam over to the boiling part and suddenly brown, gross, sulfur smelling nasty squirted up and the water turned brown. Oops?
After lunch at the spring, we drove back to the hotel to shower and rest since we were going turtle hunting at night. I took a shower, and passed out in bed for three whole hours. It was amazing. The guys all walked around town some and stuff during the break, but us girls were so sleepy, we didn’t even hear when they knocked to invite us!
We went to dinner at yet another sea side place. I had shrimp. We got ice cream. Then we drove to the turtle reserve place where Santiago gave us a presentation about turtles. At this time it was just 10, and the turtle egg laying wouldn’t start until 11, so we all walked down to a little carnival thing happening in the little town. Sketchy carnival rides are only amplified in Mexico. We just looked at things and had a Coke, and then I bought a pirated “My Sister’s Keeper” DVD. We’ll see if it works, or if it has some sketchy thing on it. It was just $25 pesos, and I disliked the book, so if the movie doesn’t work, it will be OK.
We went back towards the beach. Allison got to do the coolest thing of riding on the four wheeler with Santiago on the beach, finding a turtle, while the rest of us rode in the van, along the road until they called that they had found one. We couldn’t have the head lights on in the car because it would mess up the turtles, we drove with just the flashers on, really slow.
So they found a turtle and we walked blindly to the beach. The stars were insane! There was no moon out, and we could see more stars than I have ever seen in my life, it was awesome! So we found a turtle, but we couldn’t take pictures or turn on flashlights until the turtle started actually laying the eggs, so we would mess her up. It was like National Geographic or something, graphically seeing the eggs plop out of the turtle. It was so cool, and I had never seen that before. When we saw the Turtle as Akumal, there were a lot of people, so we only got to see the turtle digging her hole, but this time we saw the whole thing! After she covered the hole back, Santiago, took out, and counted the eggs, so they could move them to the safe growing place, away from other animals. Then we watched the turtle crawl back into the water. It was really, really cool.
That night we got back to the hotel around 2 AM, and I slept like a rock. The next day we drove a few hours to an archaeological site called Ekbalam. We saw an extremely cute litter of puppies in one of the buildings, and climbed to the top of a pyramid. The coolest thing was that from the top, we could see Chitchén Itzá in the distance.
Then we went to a cute city called Izamal. We had lunch at a nice place, and walked around the city and saw a big famous cathedral. The pope had spoken there before, so that was a cool fun fact. It was nothing compared to the huge insane cathedrals I saw in St. Petersburg last year, but it was still impressive, with a modest, Mexican touch, instead of the enormous Russian glamour.
After that we drove a few hours back to Merida. When we got back, we all (besides Adan), walked to the movies and saw the new Harry Potter. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. We weren’t cool enough to where our graduation robes though. It was a good movie, but some parts were a little difficult to stay awake through after spending all day in the sun and in the car.
After that, I had to help Laura get home, since she was helpless with no money and no bus or something. I was annoyed because I just wanted to go home, but I stayed with her until we got a taxi back.
I slept so well in my hammock last night! I woke up this morning around 10ish. The maid (who I think I’ve have learned her name to be Arelli or something), had made me a hot dog. My. Favorite. Psych. Unless I request something different, that is the default breakfast she gives me. A hot dog on a bun with onions, mustard and catsup. I asked Abel and Carlos if this was a Mexican thing or something and they thought it sounded crazy. Oh well, I just keep eating them for breakfast. I haven’t died yet.
This afternoon we are all supposed to go the US consulate’s house for a party. So I will do that around 4. Before then this afternoon, I’ll just do homework for tomorrow I guess.
Last night I had a dream that I went to another Mormon prom. I just remember LOVING the dress that I wore! All the other nights here, I have dreams about the people here. Like one two nights ago, where I was sick, so Mark took me to a doctor and we had to wait in a long line, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I forgot what was wrong with me so I just made something up.
Even though we still have two weeks left, it sounds like a long time, but it feels like it’s the very end, just because we only have on trip left, and six days of class. It will be different since the anthros will be there too.
Two in our group have birthdays next week. Joe’s 23rd on Thursday and Allison’s 20th on Sunday, so Tuesday Allison’s mom is throwing a birthday party for them, and another girl that lives at Allison’s house.
10:54 PM
The party at the consulate’s was pretty much what I expected. There was an air conditioned house, and a pool, and food, and us. As we pulled up, we imagined that this was where the drug lords live since the houses were huge with big fences around them. I didn’t eat. Because Arelli had given me the exact same thing for lunch –Puuc Chuc. Which is pork tacos. But it was nice to dip my feet in the pool, and sit in some A/C. And other than that it was just the usual us, sitting around, conversing about nothing.
After the party, some of us went down town. The Ecos minus Joe plus Curly Joe and Keilani. We just hung out downtown for a little bit. The bus ride back was different. I think since it’s Sunday or something, the line for my bus was really long! Usually, there are a few on the street waiting. Well, I didn’t mind standing on the bus so I crammed into it, like I was in Mexico or something. Eventually some seats cleared out and I sat down next to this 40 year old guy holding a 3 year old boy who looked like he was six or seven. The guy was speaking really fast and slurred together and kept asking me questions I didn’t understand. At least he was friendly I guess? He asked if I was Yucatan, which every time I’m asked that it means, “you are the first white person I have ever seen on a city bus. What are you doing here?”
Today at lunch la Señora told me that my Spanish skills were “bastante.” I took this as a complement even though I wasn’t advanced enough to know what bastante meant. So I looked it up in the dictionary and it means “enough.” I can deal with that. I thought that the word bastante sounded cool though, so I sung it for the rest of the afternoon.
Remember how I predicted I would lose weight at the beginning, well, now, even though I have no idea if I have shrunk or expanded, I have for sure gained an appetite for the food here. Well, corn tortillas are too much for me when they are offered at every single meal, but I just eat more, and I guess I’m not scared of the food like I was at the beginning. Also here, they rarely drink water, it’s always sugary fruity drinks and stuff, which secretly means calories one forgets about.
I just tested out the DVD I got in that town. It’s what I expected. A video screen filmed in English with Spanish subtitles. Something I could easily find online, but it works. And it didn’t explode my computer.
I sometimes dislike a person here but I shouldn’t write about it online. I just had to get that off my chest.
I’ll go hit the hammock now. Buena noche.
Lunes 20 de Julio 2009 9:10 am
Usually when I go downstairs for breakfast, it is just me, or just me and Arelli, or just me and Arelli and la Señora. But today, there were six extra people there. All of the family, talking about where to take their vacation I think. It was kind of overwhelming. Especially since my mind doesn’t think in Spanish until I’ve been up for a while.
The pictures are of flamingos, baby turtles, and the mother turtle.
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The Rio Largartos trip started off when we got picked up by good ol’ trusty “El Indo,” the small, intimate, bonding time van. Indian stickers on the back window and all. We were fine with it though, personal space is so over-rated.
We headed north east, and our first stop was about two or three hours away. We went to some ruins called Xcambó, pronounce Champeau. So I felt like home at the Mayan ruins of my ancestors.
After that we pulled over to the side of the road somewhere, where there was a little store where we got fresh coconut juice. They just chopped off the top and put a straw in it! For some more hours we drove around, stopping at different fishing towns and abandoned places from previous hurricanes.
The next stop, we went to “Peten Tucha.” This was the first place where we all seriously questions Mark’s site selection. He told us we were going to make a death march, but this was not the first time, so we figured we would survive. It used to be a place with a trail to a lake with crocodiles, and a observation tower and descriptive nature signs and rustic wooden bridges. Now it was an extremely overgrown bushwhacking/army-craw through starved mosquito territory to a observation tower with flesh eating ants and a lake with one croc in it. We ran out like this summer in Minnesota where there was that promised “moose sighting.” We all made it out, barely alive, with only a few scratches from crawling, and a few ounces of blood left.
One thing about this region of the peninsula is that it’s a really big salt mining place. So Fransisco pulled over El Indio and we climbed passed these no trespassing signs and saw the huge mounds of salt, and the pink water where it is harvested. It looked just like snow.
Next we went to a sea turtle conservation place where we watched two guys, one of them being Santiago, the future husband of me, Laura and Allison, since Roger (Row-hair) is too old. Anyways Santiago and the other guy digging and pulling out hatched turtle eggs and putting all the baby turtles in a crate to be released tonight. It was just like a Reading Rainbow episode the whole time! They find the mother turtles laying eggs at night, pull out the eggs, put them in a safe place from animals until they are ready to hatch, and then release them. The baby turtles we soooo cute crawling all over each other!
After that we went to the beach until after sunset, when we were going to be able to release the baby turtles!! For real! With our own hands! My favorite part about that was making friends with an eleven year old girl and thirteen year old boy. They both lived on the beach over summer and it was so fun talking to them in Spanish! They were just so friendly, and they helped us release the baby turtles too.
So next for the NEW coolest thing ever. Right after sunset, they gave us each two baby turtles and we set them down in the sand and watched them crawl into the water. Sure, statistics say that only one out of 400 survive until adulthood, but it was still so cool to feel like we were starting out their big lifelong adventure! They were so cute crawling in our hands and stuff!
After that we had dinner at this restaurant on the water. I had fish with shrimp inside. It was delicious!
So all in all, Thursday started out as a mean day, but in the end, we all were nice to each other, and bonded a lot. How great… we get to know and love each other more and more until it’s time to leave each other. Next week, the last trip, is a long, far trip with anthropology too, so we were all nostalgic because this was our last excursion together as “ecology,” which is so much better than anthro. I think we get along so well, because our group is too small to make cliques and stuff, so we are all each other’s best friends here.
Our two nights this weekend were at a clean hotel, which was only $40 USD a night, score! I slept AMAZINGLY while we were there in the wonderful air conditioning and soft bed! Thursday was a lot of time in El Indio.
Friday might have been our coolest day ever, but I say that for everything. But really, we did a lot of stuff this weekend that I would have never had the opportunity to do! We got up early, and were in boats around 7:30. We road around the whole Rio Lagartos all morning. First thing we did was go fishing off the side of the boat, I caught a fish too! All we caught was barracuda, but I don’t think I had ever caught one before, so I was still super excited over catching a fish!
We saw even more, and closer Flamingos than in Celestún! They just look so interesting when they stand and fly and eat and everything!
Cool thing number one for that day was swimming (illegally) in the hyper saline waters of the salt mines. It was just like people say in the dead sea and other places, you just float at the top without even trying! It was really cool!
Number two, right after getting out of the salt water, the guides started digging in the white clay to a certain depth and then started smothering us in the clay! We all covered ourselves/eachother all over, in our hair, faces… we were COVERED, until we were white clay monsters! I don’t have any pictures on my camera from that, but I will debo them from others. It was like an episode of Survivor I remember seeing when I was in like fifth grade, we were all totally white!! I remember seeing that on TV when I was a kid and thinking it looked so fun, and now we were really doing it! It was so fun!
Then we had to ride probably twenty minutes in the boat until we got to the most pure beach! We all jumped in the water and the clay dissolved from our bodies, although my hair still feels a little like straw. There was a boat near us and we went over and they had caught a GIANT nurse shark! I touched it, but Kyle still beats me about the swimming with them, even though I would have freaked out if I had to do that. This would be a good time to rub something in Kyle’s face, to the public. Two words, AP score. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
While we were swimming the guides made extremely fresh Ceviche (spelling?), from the barracuda we had caught that morning, fresh lime, tomatoes and avocado. We ate the ceviche with chips on the beach, and then got back in the boat.
Then we drove to a spring called Chiquilá for lunch. At one point Carlos and I swam over to the boiling part and suddenly brown, gross, sulfur smelling nasty squirted up and the water turned brown. Oops?
After lunch at the spring, we drove back to the hotel to shower and rest since we were going turtle hunting at night. I took a shower, and passed out in bed for three whole hours. It was amazing. The guys all walked around town some and stuff during the break, but us girls were so sleepy, we didn’t even hear when they knocked to invite us!
We went to dinner at yet another sea side place. I had shrimp. We got ice cream. Then we drove to the turtle reserve place where Santiago gave us a presentation about turtles. At this time it was just 10, and the turtle egg laying wouldn’t start until 11, so we all walked down to a little carnival thing happening in the little town. Sketchy carnival rides are only amplified in Mexico. We just looked at things and had a Coke, and then I bought a pirated “My Sister’s Keeper” DVD. We’ll see if it works, or if it has some sketchy thing on it. It was just $25 pesos, and I disliked the book, so if the movie doesn’t work, it will be OK.
We went back towards the beach. Allison got to do the coolest thing of riding on the four wheeler with Santiago on the beach, finding a turtle, while the rest of us rode in the van, along the road until they called that they had found one. We couldn’t have the head lights on in the car because it would mess up the turtles, we drove with just the flashers on, really slow.
So they found a turtle and we walked blindly to the beach. The stars were insane! There was no moon out, and we could see more stars than I have ever seen in my life, it was awesome! So we found a turtle, but we couldn’t take pictures or turn on flashlights until the turtle started actually laying the eggs, so we would mess her up. It was like National Geographic or something, graphically seeing the eggs plop out of the turtle. It was so cool, and I had never seen that before. When we saw the Turtle as Akumal, there were a lot of people, so we only got to see the turtle digging her hole, but this time we saw the whole thing! After she covered the hole back, Santiago, took out, and counted the eggs, so they could move them to the safe growing place, away from other animals. Then we watched the turtle crawl back into the water. It was really, really cool.
That night we got back to the hotel around 2 AM, and I slept like a rock. The next day we drove a few hours to an archaeological site called Ekbalam. We saw an extremely cute litter of puppies in one of the buildings, and climbed to the top of a pyramid. The coolest thing was that from the top, we could see Chitchén Itzá in the distance.
Then we went to a cute city called Izamal. We had lunch at a nice place, and walked around the city and saw a big famous cathedral. The pope had spoken there before, so that was a cool fun fact. It was nothing compared to the huge insane cathedrals I saw in St. Petersburg last year, but it was still impressive, with a modest, Mexican touch, instead of the enormous Russian glamour.
After that we drove a few hours back to Merida. When we got back, we all (besides Adan), walked to the movies and saw the new Harry Potter. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. We weren’t cool enough to where our graduation robes though. It was a good movie, but some parts were a little difficult to stay awake through after spending all day in the sun and in the car.
After that, I had to help Laura get home, since she was helpless with no money and no bus or something. I was annoyed because I just wanted to go home, but I stayed with her until we got a taxi back.
I slept so well in my hammock last night! I woke up this morning around 10ish. The maid (who I think I’ve have learned her name to be Arelli or something), had made me a hot dog. My. Favorite. Psych. Unless I request something different, that is the default breakfast she gives me. A hot dog on a bun with onions, mustard and catsup. I asked Abel and Carlos if this was a Mexican thing or something and they thought it sounded crazy. Oh well, I just keep eating them for breakfast. I haven’t died yet.
This afternoon we are all supposed to go the US consulate’s house for a party. So I will do that around 4. Before then this afternoon, I’ll just do homework for tomorrow I guess.
Last night I had a dream that I went to another Mormon prom. I just remember LOVING the dress that I wore! All the other nights here, I have dreams about the people here. Like one two nights ago, where I was sick, so Mark took me to a doctor and we had to wait in a long line, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I forgot what was wrong with me so I just made something up.
Even though we still have two weeks left, it sounds like a long time, but it feels like it’s the very end, just because we only have on trip left, and six days of class. It will be different since the anthros will be there too.
Two in our group have birthdays next week. Joe’s 23rd on Thursday and Allison’s 20th on Sunday, so Tuesday Allison’s mom is throwing a birthday party for them, and another girl that lives at Allison’s house.
10:54 PM
The party at the consulate’s was pretty much what I expected. There was an air conditioned house, and a pool, and food, and us. As we pulled up, we imagined that this was where the drug lords live since the houses were huge with big fences around them. I didn’t eat. Because Arelli had given me the exact same thing for lunch –Puuc Chuc. Which is pork tacos. But it was nice to dip my feet in the pool, and sit in some A/C. And other than that it was just the usual us, sitting around, conversing about nothing.
After the party, some of us went down town. The Ecos minus Joe plus Curly Joe and Keilani. We just hung out downtown for a little bit. The bus ride back was different. I think since it’s Sunday or something, the line for my bus was really long! Usually, there are a few on the street waiting. Well, I didn’t mind standing on the bus so I crammed into it, like I was in Mexico or something. Eventually some seats cleared out and I sat down next to this 40 year old guy holding a 3 year old boy who looked like he was six or seven. The guy was speaking really fast and slurred together and kept asking me questions I didn’t understand. At least he was friendly I guess? He asked if I was Yucatan, which every time I’m asked that it means, “you are the first white person I have ever seen on a city bus. What are you doing here?”
Today at lunch la Señora told me that my Spanish skills were “bastante.” I took this as a complement even though I wasn’t advanced enough to know what bastante meant. So I looked it up in the dictionary and it means “enough.” I can deal with that. I thought that the word bastante sounded cool though, so I sung it for the rest of the afternoon.
Remember how I predicted I would lose weight at the beginning, well, now, even though I have no idea if I have shrunk or expanded, I have for sure gained an appetite for the food here. Well, corn tortillas are too much for me when they are offered at every single meal, but I just eat more, and I guess I’m not scared of the food like I was at the beginning. Also here, they rarely drink water, it’s always sugary fruity drinks and stuff, which secretly means calories one forgets about.
I just tested out the DVD I got in that town. It’s what I expected. A video screen filmed in English with Spanish subtitles. Something I could easily find online, but it works. And it didn’t explode my computer.
I sometimes dislike a person here but I shouldn’t write about it online. I just had to get that off my chest.
I’ll go hit the hammock now. Buena noche.
Lunes 20 de Julio 2009 9:10 am
Usually when I go downstairs for breakfast, it is just me, or just me and Arelli, or just me and Arelli and la Señora. But today, there were six extra people there. All of the family, talking about where to take their vacation I think. It was kind of overwhelming. Especially since my mind doesn’t think in Spanish until I’ve been up for a while.
The pictures are of flamingos, baby turtles, and the mother turtle.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2825.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2838.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2852.jpg
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
Lunes 13 de Julio, 2009 9:58 PM
I don’t think that I have discussed the topic of the stature of the people here. They are all midgets. It would be pointless for them to watch Little People Big World, because they are all little people in a little world. And it’s not even how they are now, when we walk through the Mayan ruins, all of the entryways and tunnels are made for someone who is probably 4’ 10”. Even I, at 5’5” feel like I look down to everyone, including the men. The guys here who are over six feet must feel like freaks of nature.
That was just something I wanted to point out from dwarf land.
Nothing exciting about today. Spanish class. Home. Lunch. Nap. Eco class. Shop. Home. Now I have homework and sleeping. Such a strenuous life.
I’ve been thinking already about studying abroad again! I know, live in the moment, but I’ve just been thinking about it! I think Argentina would be sweet, but I don’t really want to live in a city like Buenos Aires. It’s way too intimidating. Another girl here was talking about how she’s thinking of going to Panama in the spring with FSU. I’ve looked at all the programs. I think I just need to talk with the advisor about experiences he has heard about with the different groups. I kind of picture myself going to Costa Rica, but it feels kind of cliché. I like the ideas of Chile and Argentina, but Costa Rica or Panama seem more conventional. And then there are the others like Peru and Ecuador and stuff. Any suggestions? To go in January, I have to be thinking now so I can apply in the fall!
I’m so beyond grateful to be able to study abroad. Not only once, but hopefully twice! This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I recommend studying abroad to everyone, it’s the best thing to do, ever. Just do it. Nike.
Thanks for the props on the pictures. There will be hundreds to come whenever I have better internet, and time, which may very well be when I’m back in Florida.
Martes 14 de Julio, 2009 4:50 PM
This morning before school, the maid told me that some guy who used to live with them was going to come over for lunch. I thought, “oh, cool! I’ll get to talk to some other kid in my house, sweet.” Well, he and his fiancé were weird and old and boring. He was learning Mayan and taught 7th grade Spanish, so I was scared to speak in front of him because I thought he was correcting in his head every word I say. It’s strange how I get so self conscious speaking Spanish in front of English speakers, but with the people who don’t know English, I just talk away.
I got up from a 1.5 hour nap. So sweet. I’ll probably study some for Spanish and hopefully someone will call me to do something tonight.
Tomorrow is ROSALYN’s birthday! I’m very excited about that even though she is in Bartow and I am here. So, if you even read this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
This weekend we will be going to Rio Lagartos. I don’t really know what that entails. It’s just three days. It’s our last trip, just as ecology, because the next week everyone is going together to the south. That will be an 8 hour drive. We were talking about movies we need to rent for the drive like Little Princess and stuff. It was so funny having a whole long conversation about that movie a few days back. I’m so scared that I can see the end in 2 weeks and 1 day! But no countdowns. Just think about each day and when it comes it will come.
One thing to look forward to when I get back is getting a new cell phone! It will be weird to be home for a whole week without Kyle around. And then we will go to the beach for a few days, and then back to school. Real school. The kind where I’m stressed and studying all the time. Blahhhh. But then again, it’s the real school where I’m with best friends, and always around people, and it’s fun!
Today I sent out some post cards… I think. So we will see if they get somewhere, or if they forever sit in that box, because I have yet to see a mail carrier, and the box was dusty, and under a stairwell, but we will see. Cross your fingers.
10:41 PM
Two cultural discoveries I have made, but forgot to write about. The favorite subject of my father and dear brother. Toilets. Here, 80% of the time you go to use the bathroom, there are no seats on the toilets. This used to freak me out. I would panic and wouldn’t know what to do and would just wait until I got somewhere else, but now, I forget that that used to be an issue.
Second interesting thing about the toilet what I thought would bother me. No flushing of toilet paper. I though that this would freak me out, like putting used paper in the trashcan to sit for days until it gets changed, and at the beginning, I would accidentally, instinctively drop it down the toilet, but now, like when we are places like hotels where it’s OK to flush, we panic, not knowing how to handle the situation.
This week I have been having more positive feelings about my Spanish capabilities. Besides getting all intimidated by that Spanish-teacher-boring-guy who had lunch here today, I feel like I talk a lot at the house, and the Señora told me that she can tell I’m becoming for fluent. I feel like when I’m conversing, I don’t have to think of an answer in English and translate it, it just comes to me in Spanish! Another weird and sometimes annoying thing, is that when I am listening to my ipod, my mind translates the song into Spanish words while I’m listening to it. It’s crazy.
Thank you to all who have been complementing my writing. Thank you to those who actually read these, even though they are forever long. Even if you were lying, and just told me that it was entertaining because you thought I spent a lot of time on it, or really don’t read them but still tell me you liked them, thank you for the thought. That is what counts. I am also sorry that it takes years to read each novel long entry. They probably just seem good because I have extremely fun things to write about!
I have no intentions of publishing my writing, although isn’t putting it on the internet already making it public access? But I have a dozen or so journals or diaries and letters, over the past four years, which are less public, but I would like to make it known now, that when I die, or maybe I’ll decide just when I’m a little older, I would like them to be able to be read by friends and family or whoever is interested. It’s not that they are full of super secret spy stuff, it’s just that it feels like a lot of it is still happening, so it’d be weird to have current events be read like an autobiography of the past. To be honest, at the font of the journals I have written who was dominant during that time in my life in each notebook, so that that person can get around to reading it someday if they so desire. Put that in my will.
I’m not going to keep blogging when I get back home, that’s just too emo/livejournal. But when I hopefully study/live abroad again, I promise I’ll keep a tab for those who what to hear.
Miercoles 15 de Julio, 2009
Another blasted hot dog for breakfast. I'm outie to the west coast I think. Back on Saturday evening.
I don’t think that I have discussed the topic of the stature of the people here. They are all midgets. It would be pointless for them to watch Little People Big World, because they are all little people in a little world. And it’s not even how they are now, when we walk through the Mayan ruins, all of the entryways and tunnels are made for someone who is probably 4’ 10”. Even I, at 5’5” feel like I look down to everyone, including the men. The guys here who are over six feet must feel like freaks of nature.
That was just something I wanted to point out from dwarf land.
Nothing exciting about today. Spanish class. Home. Lunch. Nap. Eco class. Shop. Home. Now I have homework and sleeping. Such a strenuous life.
I’ve been thinking already about studying abroad again! I know, live in the moment, but I’ve just been thinking about it! I think Argentina would be sweet, but I don’t really want to live in a city like Buenos Aires. It’s way too intimidating. Another girl here was talking about how she’s thinking of going to Panama in the spring with FSU. I’ve looked at all the programs. I think I just need to talk with the advisor about experiences he has heard about with the different groups. I kind of picture myself going to Costa Rica, but it feels kind of cliché. I like the ideas of Chile and Argentina, but Costa Rica or Panama seem more conventional. And then there are the others like Peru and Ecuador and stuff. Any suggestions? To go in January, I have to be thinking now so I can apply in the fall!
I’m so beyond grateful to be able to study abroad. Not only once, but hopefully twice! This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I recommend studying abroad to everyone, it’s the best thing to do, ever. Just do it. Nike.
Thanks for the props on the pictures. There will be hundreds to come whenever I have better internet, and time, which may very well be when I’m back in Florida.
Martes 14 de Julio, 2009 4:50 PM
This morning before school, the maid told me that some guy who used to live with them was going to come over for lunch. I thought, “oh, cool! I’ll get to talk to some other kid in my house, sweet.” Well, he and his fiancé were weird and old and boring. He was learning Mayan and taught 7th grade Spanish, so I was scared to speak in front of him because I thought he was correcting in his head every word I say. It’s strange how I get so self conscious speaking Spanish in front of English speakers, but with the people who don’t know English, I just talk away.
I got up from a 1.5 hour nap. So sweet. I’ll probably study some for Spanish and hopefully someone will call me to do something tonight.
Tomorrow is ROSALYN’s birthday! I’m very excited about that even though she is in Bartow and I am here. So, if you even read this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
This weekend we will be going to Rio Lagartos. I don’t really know what that entails. It’s just three days. It’s our last trip, just as ecology, because the next week everyone is going together to the south. That will be an 8 hour drive. We were talking about movies we need to rent for the drive like Little Princess and stuff. It was so funny having a whole long conversation about that movie a few days back. I’m so scared that I can see the end in 2 weeks and 1 day! But no countdowns. Just think about each day and when it comes it will come.
One thing to look forward to when I get back is getting a new cell phone! It will be weird to be home for a whole week without Kyle around. And then we will go to the beach for a few days, and then back to school. Real school. The kind where I’m stressed and studying all the time. Blahhhh. But then again, it’s the real school where I’m with best friends, and always around people, and it’s fun!
Today I sent out some post cards… I think. So we will see if they get somewhere, or if they forever sit in that box, because I have yet to see a mail carrier, and the box was dusty, and under a stairwell, but we will see. Cross your fingers.
10:41 PM
Two cultural discoveries I have made, but forgot to write about. The favorite subject of my father and dear brother. Toilets. Here, 80% of the time you go to use the bathroom, there are no seats on the toilets. This used to freak me out. I would panic and wouldn’t know what to do and would just wait until I got somewhere else, but now, I forget that that used to be an issue.
Second interesting thing about the toilet what I thought would bother me. No flushing of toilet paper. I though that this would freak me out, like putting used paper in the trashcan to sit for days until it gets changed, and at the beginning, I would accidentally, instinctively drop it down the toilet, but now, like when we are places like hotels where it’s OK to flush, we panic, not knowing how to handle the situation.
This week I have been having more positive feelings about my Spanish capabilities. Besides getting all intimidated by that Spanish-teacher-boring-guy who had lunch here today, I feel like I talk a lot at the house, and the Señora told me that she can tell I’m becoming for fluent. I feel like when I’m conversing, I don’t have to think of an answer in English and translate it, it just comes to me in Spanish! Another weird and sometimes annoying thing, is that when I am listening to my ipod, my mind translates the song into Spanish words while I’m listening to it. It’s crazy.
Thank you to all who have been complementing my writing. Thank you to those who actually read these, even though they are forever long. Even if you were lying, and just told me that it was entertaining because you thought I spent a lot of time on it, or really don’t read them but still tell me you liked them, thank you for the thought. That is what counts. I am also sorry that it takes years to read each novel long entry. They probably just seem good because I have extremely fun things to write about!
I have no intentions of publishing my writing, although isn’t putting it on the internet already making it public access? But I have a dozen or so journals or diaries and letters, over the past four years, which are less public, but I would like to make it known now, that when I die, or maybe I’ll decide just when I’m a little older, I would like them to be able to be read by friends and family or whoever is interested. It’s not that they are full of super secret spy stuff, it’s just that it feels like a lot of it is still happening, so it’d be weird to have current events be read like an autobiography of the past. To be honest, at the font of the journals I have written who was dominant during that time in my life in each notebook, so that that person can get around to reading it someday if they so desire. Put that in my will.
I’m not going to keep blogging when I get back home, that’s just too emo/livejournal. But when I hopefully study/live abroad again, I promise I’ll keep a tab for those who what to hear.
Miercoles 15 de Julio, 2009
Another blasted hot dog for breakfast. I'm outie to the west coast I think. Back on Saturday evening.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Just do coke
Domingo 12 de Julio, 2009 5:51 PM
Today marks the middle day of my Mexico adventure. Halfway through. La Señora keeps talking about how close it is to the end and I’m like, “whatever shut up don’t even think about that.” In my head of course. Out of my mouth comes something like “No habla sobre el fin. No es importa. No quiero pensar sobre el tempo que salir!”
Another flipping awesomely cool weekend. I’ll start with the night before the trip in which was the Mambo Café Experience. Us girls met at Kiana’s house and then caught taxis together, and the guys just met us there. Getting to her house was slightly complicated, but we eventually made it. Mambo Café was the most fun I’ve had at a club. It looked all tropical inside and the music was good and then all of the sudden the screens playing music videos were gone and there was a live salsa band. It was way more fun than the clubs I’ve been to in Gainesville, even better than that one time we went to Jewish night and saw all the dreidels and menorahs on the walls. Haha. It was a ton of fun. Got home around 2, met at the school at 7:30 AM.
Thursday
Usually, we have gotten a probably 20 passenger bus for the around 13 of us who travel around, but this time, at the school when our bus pulled up, it was a 13 passenger van, for our furthest trek yet. At first we had our complaints, considering it was a four hour drive initially, but after the first day we didn’t mind the intimate bonding of the van too much.
Our first stop that day was in Cancún, basically just to say we’ve been there. We were in a different state, too. Quintana Roo. So after I get back from Mexico I will have been to 46 USA states, 2 Canadian Provinces, and 3 Mexican states. For those of you who did not know that Mexico had states, they do. I’ve been living in Yucatan this whole time, and this weekend we were in Quintana Roo and next week we will be in Campeche. No worries mom, I sang the crossing the state boarder song.
So now I can say I’ve been to Cancún. It consisted of stepping out of the bus, and standing on the beach for about 10 minutes before getting back in the bus for another hour or so. It was basically Orlando, WetnWild and all, but on the prettiest blue beach I’ve ever seen.
The first place we went to that day was a botanical garden near Cancún/Tulum. It was extremely hot. We hiked for two hours, looking at plants and a few ruins. We realized that every day we are outside all day in more than 100 degree, humid weather. All day we just are sweating and constantly drinking (even though you definitely call tell it’s hot, unlike in Merced) and I guess we just get used to always being hot. One of the cool things at the gardens was a high wire bridge we crossed in the trees. I didn’t even freak out at all like in Canada. At the end of the botanical garden hike, we saw some spider monkeys swinging from tree to tree. That was a first!
That night we stayed at a hotel called Akumal Beach Resort. It was all inclusive, which was a cool feeling, being about to just walk up and get a food or drink for with no money. It had a really cool pool, and that night we all sat on the beach and just talked as usual, and then we got to see a turtle lay eggs in the sand. I think it was my first time seeing that, so it was sweet.
Just laying hotel rooms with A/C is like heaven, considering I don’t even have AC at my house. I slept so, so well, at all of the hotels.
Friday
The next morning at the Akumal resort, we got up early and went snorkeling off the beach. We saw coral, and swam with turtles! There was one turtle with some fish on it’s back! My favorite was a baby turtle swimming around, it was so cute! The water was only like 6 feet deep, so they would come up for air right next too us!
We didn’t really like the Akumal as much as the other places we’ve stayed at just because it didn’t feel Mexican. Everyone spoke English and there were activities and the food had no authenticity of anything. One thing about every place that we have been to though, is that they all seem abandoned. The combination of the economic situation, and the swine flu media scare, have for sure paid a toll on all these restaurants and hotels. It’s like we are the only ones there! We stay at these really nice places, like the one the second night that used to be a club med, and we were wondering if all of the money of our program is just put towards these luxury hotels, but then we found out that a room was just like $70 a night, and there’s 2 or 3 people in it. Mexico is the place to go! No gringos are left and it’s cheap! Ignore all swine flu, drug violence media garbage.
After swimming with the turtles, we went to Tulum archeological site. If I was a Mayan back in the day, I would totally pick Tulum to live at, it’s on the BEACH! It was so pretty there. The other ruins we had seen were kind of in the desert, but this was so tropical and there was a great cenote nearby! The most funny moment there was when Allison was going to do the ZTA symbol on an iguana, and all the sudden it ran, and we all screamed and I got the BEST picture of her face, screaming in shear terror of the iguana!
I really liked the next hotel we went to that night! The rooms looked like caves, and the pool was sweet. That night and the next morning, we had to eat at this sketchy restaurant. There were dead flies in the honey, and these eggs Clay and Joe got smelled like fresh poop. There was a little girl who’s dad owned the restaurant and she grabbed a drink out of the refrigerator and we were joking like she was stealing it, or that the little four year old worked there. It was so funny. I’m trying to write in more jokes that we had even though no one that reads this will understand the comedy probably, but I don’t want to forget. Actually, we are constantly joking, having our “nice days” and “mean days,” so that we don’t kill each other. It’s good that we are all friends, more like siblings, because it’s not like we CHOSE to spend every second together, bickering and joking. But we all get along, and never run out of conversation.
So, after dinner that night, we had to walk on the side of the road to find herpes AKA herps AKA frogs and bugs. Looking back, it is kind of strange that we were walking along a Mexican highway, in the middle of no where, looking for animals. I just got the image of Laura against the wall in my head.
I’m really glad that we have gotten to see the WHOLE Mexico. We had been seeing the nature and villages like Macganu, and cities, like Merida, but now we saw the tourist area, where you don’t even have to see Mexico, while in Mexico.
So I made Office characters for us. Not relationship wise, but personality wise, and kind of authoritative wise, within the group:
Me: Holly, Laura: Merideth, Allison: Phyllis, Clay: Ryan, Joe: Andy, Addison: Oscar, Mark: Michael, Roger: Pam. I didn’t do the Mexican guys though, cause it’s not always easy to peg someone’s personality, but they are all super nice and funny. Oh, how we love Roger. Our Mexican professor. He always gets the job done and is so sweet and nice!
Saturday
Saturday was for sure a coolest thing I’ve ever done day! Poor Mark was under the weather Friday night and Saturday morning, but Roger got the job done. First we went to some ruins called Cobá. They were the second favorite I have seen because they were more in a rain forest, and there were trees growing on them and through them, and it was just so cool! We climbed the biggest ruin there, the other girls kind of freaked out by the steep height factor, but I was really proud of them for getting to the top.
Next was the coolest part ever, we went to this cenote and it was in a cave! We had to go down these winding stairs, and at first we thought it was pitch black, but then they suddenly turned the lights on and it made it much better to climb down. We get to the bottom and it was an amazing huge cave with crystal blue water! None of the pictures do any justice at all to this sweet place! We could so straight down 60 feet to the bottom! We all jumped in and swam, and were the only ones there! I was probably cooler than swimming in Crater Lake and Oregon. It was so cool! Afterwards I came back in my bathing suit and tennis shoes, which always feels awkward, haha.
So, since Saturday was a “nice day,” we played the “my favorite thing about you” game where you go around and say the best thing about each person. So summer camp, but we just did it because we felt like it. It was good though, since we had all been attacking each other with knives (not really). But anyways, they liked how I’m the kind of person who you couldn’t even tell if I’m high or drunk, because I’m “high on live,” doofing around and loving and seeing the good in everything. How I am always, deeply, honestly laughing, and how I’m nice and cheerful, and I thought it was cool because I felt like it was them seeing my joy and gratitude in Christ glowing out of me! So many times, here, like at Akumal that night just watching the moon rise over the Ocean, or seeing the monkeys, or swimming the cenote, I just think of how awesome and powerful God, the creator of all, is. It’s amazing how this God who created all that is beautiful, created me, and lived and died for me. It’s so cool, I just wish that others could be able to appreciate that.
After swimming in the cave, we did yet another coolest thing ever. We went to Punta Laguna, which is a spider monkey reserve. These spider monkeys are as entertaining as Mrs. Wood’s spider monkeys, but they are REAL! I mean, monkeys really do swing from tree to tree, and hang from their tails, and fight and play with each other! It’s not just on TV or the Lion King! It’s real, and that is the coolest thing about it! I just remember thinking, “I am standing in the middle of the Yucatan jungle looking at monkeys. SO. COOL.” The weather was nicer at this place than usual, since it was more of a rain forest, and it was probably only 99 degrees instead of 23090233 degrees. Next we drove to a city called Valladolid, where we stayed in a cute yet again abandoned place. We went into the city after napping for dinner. When we got there Addison pointed out that it looked just like Abuelo’s in Lakeland, except for it’s the REAL thing!
A funny story from bonding that night with the Mexicans was when two of the guys were going to have to stay in the same bed, one of the UF ones and one of the UADY ones, and Carlos put flowers in their bed and called it the honeymoon sweet. I love when we have those hilarious moments with the Mexicans guys, which is all the time.
Sunday
Today we went to the Disney World of Mayan Ruins, Chichén Itzá. It was cool and big, but I just like these less popular ones Mark knows about where we are able to climb on the ruins, and there aren’t people around and a million venders trying to sell you the same tourist crap.
After Chichén Itzá we went to lunch where people did a dance with bottles on their heads, and drove back to Merida. On the way back, we stopped by this prison that Mark knew about where I bought a hammock. Mark said that the ones there were the best quality even though they were a little more expensive than in the city. They had so many design choices, I got a green and white one. So I just need a place to hang it when I get back. Maybe somewhere in the back yard, or else, I was thinking if I could put it between two bunk beds in a dorm. We’ll see. I love hammocks though and have wanted one for years, so I got myself one.
I finished my book, “My Sister’s Keeper.” I hated the beginning, the middle and the end, especially the end. I want to see the movie even though the story was wacked. Allison read it too at the same time so we were able to dislike the book together. I mean, it was kind of entertaining to read, but I didn’t like the story at all, especially the end.
This is the world’s longest entry probably. The pictures I’m posting are of the Me at Tulum, Me, Addison, and Clay at Cobá, and then me and Allison at Chichén Itzá. Awesomely cool weekend. I don’t even want to think that we only have two left. Spanish Midterm Wednesday.
The title of this entry was created by Addison Vawters as we sit in the school library.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2700.jpg
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Today marks the middle day of my Mexico adventure. Halfway through. La Señora keeps talking about how close it is to the end and I’m like, “whatever shut up don’t even think about that.” In my head of course. Out of my mouth comes something like “No habla sobre el fin. No es importa. No quiero pensar sobre el tempo que salir!”
Another flipping awesomely cool weekend. I’ll start with the night before the trip in which was the Mambo Café Experience. Us girls met at Kiana’s house and then caught taxis together, and the guys just met us there. Getting to her house was slightly complicated, but we eventually made it. Mambo Café was the most fun I’ve had at a club. It looked all tropical inside and the music was good and then all of the sudden the screens playing music videos were gone and there was a live salsa band. It was way more fun than the clubs I’ve been to in Gainesville, even better than that one time we went to Jewish night and saw all the dreidels and menorahs on the walls. Haha. It was a ton of fun. Got home around 2, met at the school at 7:30 AM.
Thursday
Usually, we have gotten a probably 20 passenger bus for the around 13 of us who travel around, but this time, at the school when our bus pulled up, it was a 13 passenger van, for our furthest trek yet. At first we had our complaints, considering it was a four hour drive initially, but after the first day we didn’t mind the intimate bonding of the van too much.
Our first stop that day was in Cancún, basically just to say we’ve been there. We were in a different state, too. Quintana Roo. So after I get back from Mexico I will have been to 46 USA states, 2 Canadian Provinces, and 3 Mexican states. For those of you who did not know that Mexico had states, they do. I’ve been living in Yucatan this whole time, and this weekend we were in Quintana Roo and next week we will be in Campeche. No worries mom, I sang the crossing the state boarder song.
So now I can say I’ve been to Cancún. It consisted of stepping out of the bus, and standing on the beach for about 10 minutes before getting back in the bus for another hour or so. It was basically Orlando, WetnWild and all, but on the prettiest blue beach I’ve ever seen.
The first place we went to that day was a botanical garden near Cancún/Tulum. It was extremely hot. We hiked for two hours, looking at plants and a few ruins. We realized that every day we are outside all day in more than 100 degree, humid weather. All day we just are sweating and constantly drinking (even though you definitely call tell it’s hot, unlike in Merced) and I guess we just get used to always being hot. One of the cool things at the gardens was a high wire bridge we crossed in the trees. I didn’t even freak out at all like in Canada. At the end of the botanical garden hike, we saw some spider monkeys swinging from tree to tree. That was a first!
That night we stayed at a hotel called Akumal Beach Resort. It was all inclusive, which was a cool feeling, being about to just walk up and get a food or drink for with no money. It had a really cool pool, and that night we all sat on the beach and just talked as usual, and then we got to see a turtle lay eggs in the sand. I think it was my first time seeing that, so it was sweet.
Just laying hotel rooms with A/C is like heaven, considering I don’t even have AC at my house. I slept so, so well, at all of the hotels.
Friday
The next morning at the Akumal resort, we got up early and went snorkeling off the beach. We saw coral, and swam with turtles! There was one turtle with some fish on it’s back! My favorite was a baby turtle swimming around, it was so cute! The water was only like 6 feet deep, so they would come up for air right next too us!
We didn’t really like the Akumal as much as the other places we’ve stayed at just because it didn’t feel Mexican. Everyone spoke English and there were activities and the food had no authenticity of anything. One thing about every place that we have been to though, is that they all seem abandoned. The combination of the economic situation, and the swine flu media scare, have for sure paid a toll on all these restaurants and hotels. It’s like we are the only ones there! We stay at these really nice places, like the one the second night that used to be a club med, and we were wondering if all of the money of our program is just put towards these luxury hotels, but then we found out that a room was just like $70 a night, and there’s 2 or 3 people in it. Mexico is the place to go! No gringos are left and it’s cheap! Ignore all swine flu, drug violence media garbage.
After swimming with the turtles, we went to Tulum archeological site. If I was a Mayan back in the day, I would totally pick Tulum to live at, it’s on the BEACH! It was so pretty there. The other ruins we had seen were kind of in the desert, but this was so tropical and there was a great cenote nearby! The most funny moment there was when Allison was going to do the ZTA symbol on an iguana, and all the sudden it ran, and we all screamed and I got the BEST picture of her face, screaming in shear terror of the iguana!
I really liked the next hotel we went to that night! The rooms looked like caves, and the pool was sweet. That night and the next morning, we had to eat at this sketchy restaurant. There were dead flies in the honey, and these eggs Clay and Joe got smelled like fresh poop. There was a little girl who’s dad owned the restaurant and she grabbed a drink out of the refrigerator and we were joking like she was stealing it, or that the little four year old worked there. It was so funny. I’m trying to write in more jokes that we had even though no one that reads this will understand the comedy probably, but I don’t want to forget. Actually, we are constantly joking, having our “nice days” and “mean days,” so that we don’t kill each other. It’s good that we are all friends, more like siblings, because it’s not like we CHOSE to spend every second together, bickering and joking. But we all get along, and never run out of conversation.
So, after dinner that night, we had to walk on the side of the road to find herpes AKA herps AKA frogs and bugs. Looking back, it is kind of strange that we were walking along a Mexican highway, in the middle of no where, looking for animals. I just got the image of Laura against the wall in my head.
I’m really glad that we have gotten to see the WHOLE Mexico. We had been seeing the nature and villages like Macganu, and cities, like Merida, but now we saw the tourist area, where you don’t even have to see Mexico, while in Mexico.
So I made Office characters for us. Not relationship wise, but personality wise, and kind of authoritative wise, within the group:
Me: Holly, Laura: Merideth, Allison: Phyllis, Clay: Ryan, Joe: Andy, Addison: Oscar, Mark: Michael, Roger: Pam. I didn’t do the Mexican guys though, cause it’s not always easy to peg someone’s personality, but they are all super nice and funny. Oh, how we love Roger. Our Mexican professor. He always gets the job done and is so sweet and nice!
Saturday
Saturday was for sure a coolest thing I’ve ever done day! Poor Mark was under the weather Friday night and Saturday morning, but Roger got the job done. First we went to some ruins called Cobá. They were the second favorite I have seen because they were more in a rain forest, and there were trees growing on them and through them, and it was just so cool! We climbed the biggest ruin there, the other girls kind of freaked out by the steep height factor, but I was really proud of them for getting to the top.
Next was the coolest part ever, we went to this cenote and it was in a cave! We had to go down these winding stairs, and at first we thought it was pitch black, but then they suddenly turned the lights on and it made it much better to climb down. We get to the bottom and it was an amazing huge cave with crystal blue water! None of the pictures do any justice at all to this sweet place! We could so straight down 60 feet to the bottom! We all jumped in and swam, and were the only ones there! I was probably cooler than swimming in Crater Lake and Oregon. It was so cool! Afterwards I came back in my bathing suit and tennis shoes, which always feels awkward, haha.
So, since Saturday was a “nice day,” we played the “my favorite thing about you” game where you go around and say the best thing about each person. So summer camp, but we just did it because we felt like it. It was good though, since we had all been attacking each other with knives (not really). But anyways, they liked how I’m the kind of person who you couldn’t even tell if I’m high or drunk, because I’m “high on live,” doofing around and loving and seeing the good in everything. How I am always, deeply, honestly laughing, and how I’m nice and cheerful, and I thought it was cool because I felt like it was them seeing my joy and gratitude in Christ glowing out of me! So many times, here, like at Akumal that night just watching the moon rise over the Ocean, or seeing the monkeys, or swimming the cenote, I just think of how awesome and powerful God, the creator of all, is. It’s amazing how this God who created all that is beautiful, created me, and lived and died for me. It’s so cool, I just wish that others could be able to appreciate that.
After swimming in the cave, we did yet another coolest thing ever. We went to Punta Laguna, which is a spider monkey reserve. These spider monkeys are as entertaining as Mrs. Wood’s spider monkeys, but they are REAL! I mean, monkeys really do swing from tree to tree, and hang from their tails, and fight and play with each other! It’s not just on TV or the Lion King! It’s real, and that is the coolest thing about it! I just remember thinking, “I am standing in the middle of the Yucatan jungle looking at monkeys. SO. COOL.” The weather was nicer at this place than usual, since it was more of a rain forest, and it was probably only 99 degrees instead of 23090233 degrees. Next we drove to a city called Valladolid, where we stayed in a cute yet again abandoned place. We went into the city after napping for dinner. When we got there Addison pointed out that it looked just like Abuelo’s in Lakeland, except for it’s the REAL thing!
A funny story from bonding that night with the Mexicans was when two of the guys were going to have to stay in the same bed, one of the UF ones and one of the UADY ones, and Carlos put flowers in their bed and called it the honeymoon sweet. I love when we have those hilarious moments with the Mexicans guys, which is all the time.
Sunday
Today we went to the Disney World of Mayan Ruins, Chichén Itzá. It was cool and big, but I just like these less popular ones Mark knows about where we are able to climb on the ruins, and there aren’t people around and a million venders trying to sell you the same tourist crap.
After Chichén Itzá we went to lunch where people did a dance with bottles on their heads, and drove back to Merida. On the way back, we stopped by this prison that Mark knew about where I bought a hammock. Mark said that the ones there were the best quality even though they were a little more expensive than in the city. They had so many design choices, I got a green and white one. So I just need a place to hang it when I get back. Maybe somewhere in the back yard, or else, I was thinking if I could put it between two bunk beds in a dorm. We’ll see. I love hammocks though and have wanted one for years, so I got myself one.
I finished my book, “My Sister’s Keeper.” I hated the beginning, the middle and the end, especially the end. I want to see the movie even though the story was wacked. Allison read it too at the same time so we were able to dislike the book together. I mean, it was kind of entertaining to read, but I didn’t like the story at all, especially the end.
This is the world’s longest entry probably. The pictures I’m posting are of the Me at Tulum, Me, Addison, and Clay at Cobá, and then me and Allison at Chichén Itzá. Awesomely cool weekend. I don’t even want to think that we only have two left. Spanish Midterm Wednesday.
The title of this entry was created by Addison Vawters as we sit in the school library.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Today is 7/8/09
Tuesday 7/7/09 9:06 PM
The beach after class was fun today. Since we went last week, we knew how to get there and everything was more efficient. It was nice sitting in the water, and under the shade, talking and stuff. At first I didn’t really want to go because on Thursday we are leaving for 4 days in the Caribbean and I was just kind of tired, but I’m glad I went, because I would have had nothing else to do today.
I feel like I get a lot of sleep. I’m pretty sure a huge part of that is the fact that I do not have internet at the house, so instead of staying up til who-knows-when on facebook or on the phone or whatever, I just read a little bit after doing my homework and go to bed. Life at home would be so much more efficient without these distractions!
It’s not that big of a deal, because class doesn’t start until 10:30 and the maid makes me breakfast at like 8:30, so I eat and get to school around 9 and just go online until class, and sometimes for a little bit after class. It’s a good deal.
Spanish class is sooo long! Two and a half hours straight, three days a week. It’s kind of grueling. We get a little break in the middle, but it’s just a long time to be learning the same thing. So many times I just stare off into space right when the teacher decides to call on me. There’s only 6 of us in the class, so it’s really personal, but it’s just so looooong.
Tomorrow our first ecology presentation is due. It’s not really a big deal I don’t think. We all just picked a part to present and tomorrow after Spanish class we will put them together on a powerpoint and we’ll be good to go. There are only 3 groups of 3 in our class, so it’s not like the other groups’ presentations will be a huge surprise.
Thursday until Sunday we will be in the Caribbean. I really know no details besides that. Four days is a pretty long excursion, but it should be good!
A lot of people have had their bout of turista or Dominican delight or whatever you want to call it, but I’ve been in the clear. I’m just scared that it would attack at the worst possible time, like in the Caribbean, or the week after that when we are an 8 hour drive away, or EVER. I’ve been brushing my teeth with the water and I’m fine, but if it’s going to happen, I would much rather it be at home or school, and not on an excursion. Knock on wood knock on wood knock on wood. I don’t really worry about it, and I shouldn’t even write about it in fears of jinxing myself. Knock on wood again.
Tomorrow marks two weeks. It feels like it’s been two weeks. And even though there are still 4 and a half left, I’m so scared that they are just going to fly by!
Oh yeah, I forgot to write about last night. Last night was this ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the program. The city commissioner of Gainesville was there and all this important stuff was happening I guess but I really don’t know because it was all in Spanish. Afterwards there was this really fancy thing with music and drinks and food. All the parents came.
I still haven’t done my Spanish homework. Lights out ladies!
The beach after class was fun today. Since we went last week, we knew how to get there and everything was more efficient. It was nice sitting in the water, and under the shade, talking and stuff. At first I didn’t really want to go because on Thursday we are leaving for 4 days in the Caribbean and I was just kind of tired, but I’m glad I went, because I would have had nothing else to do today.
I feel like I get a lot of sleep. I’m pretty sure a huge part of that is the fact that I do not have internet at the house, so instead of staying up til who-knows-when on facebook or on the phone or whatever, I just read a little bit after doing my homework and go to bed. Life at home would be so much more efficient without these distractions!
It’s not that big of a deal, because class doesn’t start until 10:30 and the maid makes me breakfast at like 8:30, so I eat and get to school around 9 and just go online until class, and sometimes for a little bit after class. It’s a good deal.
Spanish class is sooo long! Two and a half hours straight, three days a week. It’s kind of grueling. We get a little break in the middle, but it’s just a long time to be learning the same thing. So many times I just stare off into space right when the teacher decides to call on me. There’s only 6 of us in the class, so it’s really personal, but it’s just so looooong.
Tomorrow our first ecology presentation is due. It’s not really a big deal I don’t think. We all just picked a part to present and tomorrow after Spanish class we will put them together on a powerpoint and we’ll be good to go. There are only 3 groups of 3 in our class, so it’s not like the other groups’ presentations will be a huge surprise.
Thursday until Sunday we will be in the Caribbean. I really know no details besides that. Four days is a pretty long excursion, but it should be good!
A lot of people have had their bout of turista or Dominican delight or whatever you want to call it, but I’ve been in the clear. I’m just scared that it would attack at the worst possible time, like in the Caribbean, or the week after that when we are an 8 hour drive away, or EVER. I’ve been brushing my teeth with the water and I’m fine, but if it’s going to happen, I would much rather it be at home or school, and not on an excursion. Knock on wood knock on wood knock on wood. I don’t really worry about it, and I shouldn’t even write about it in fears of jinxing myself. Knock on wood again.
Tomorrow marks two weeks. It feels like it’s been two weeks. And even though there are still 4 and a half left, I’m so scared that they are just going to fly by!
Oh yeah, I forgot to write about last night. Last night was this ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the program. The city commissioner of Gainesville was there and all this important stuff was happening I guess but I really don’t know because it was all in Spanish. Afterwards there was this really fancy thing with music and drinks and food. All the parents came.
I still haven’t done my Spanish homework. Lights out ladies!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Another side of Yucatan
Sunday July 5th, 2009 3:41 PM
I wish I was more fluent than I am. Last night and today, the Señora’s daughter, Jhenny has been over. She lived in North Carolina for two months teaching Spanish or something, and she started speaking English to me and I feel like I just want to cheat all the time because it’s so much easier. I feel like when it’s just me and the Señora and the maid, even if I don’t know what is going on I can just say sí and who knows what will happen, but when she’s here too, she can tell that I don’t understand and I feel dumb and she explains it to me in English.
I really like Jhenny. She’s 30, and works at a bank. Today she and la Señora and I went to this store, I think it’s called Charo or something, I can’t remember. But it was really American, like a JCPenney or Dillards. With the same brands and everything! It was cool to see, but the prices of the things were the same as they are at home. I wouldn’t mind Jhenny being around more because she’s nice and cool and younger, but I just let myself slip into English with her. Haha.
Today was my first time sleeping in in forever! I slept til 10:30 and it felt so good. The maid gave me another blasted hot dog for lunch. Yuch. I just eat it. I learned a mayan word. Cho’ ok, I think it is. It means vamos which means let’s go.
I’m in a dumb rut. Like I feel dumb now. At first I thought I was smart since I got put in the second highest Spanish and all, but now I feel like I hit a wall and I’m not learning like I was. I guess at the beginning I just learned a lot of common expressions I had never used, but now all I have to learn is everything else and it isn’t coming as fast.
I did homework for a couple hours this morning, I still have to finish it, but it’s not bad. In a little bit the Stephen’s friends are going to pick me up and take me somewhere. Haha, I never know what is going on.
Today I found out that me and the maid are going to take my laundry to the laundry place tomorrow, so I’m glad they solved that mystery before I even asked.
10:51 PM
Today was a good day! Got to sleep in, did some stuff different than usual with different people. In the afternoon, the people the Stephens hooked me up with, Ricardo and his wife picked me up and took me to two churches. The first one was pretty much in a garage with about five families there. The next one was a lot bigger and nicer and I think it was the one our church used to work on. If Tim Timmes or someone reads this: Ricardo could use lots of help if you are looking for a place to send mission teams. He has ideas for the church that is in the garage. My favorite part was getting to know his daughter who was the same age as me! It’s just cool to see different churches in different places.
I just figured out where I live on the map, so that’s an accomplishment, not like I can do much with that. Ricardo’s daughter told me that I live in one of the nicest areas of town so that’s pretty cool! Even though la Señora doesn’t have a car, I could tell they were well off just by how she and her daughter present themselves.
The worst thing about Mexico may be that they have so many speed bumps! Even on high ways and stuff it seems like there are speed bumps every five seconds! And not just normal ones, huge spherical ones that give you whip lash every time you pass one!
I feel like I’m in an awkward stage in knowing Spanish. I’m beyond the basics, and I can get by, but I’m not fluent. So many times I hear people talking and don’t even hear words. I feel dumb at the house a lot of times, because today they told me they have usually had grad students who are fluent and coming back to learn Mayan and crazy stuff. While I’m just a sophomore with 5 years of practically remedial high school Spanish, and hardly any experience. I keep thinking how fun it would be to go back and take or teach the beginning Spanishes again. Haha. Maybe I’ll give up on Spanish and work on mastering Mayan. That would be useful! Haha
I have not watched a TV or spoken on a phone or texted in almost two weeks, that has to be a record. I don’t miss having a phone. Less stressful to not have to deal with constant buzzing and quick responses. Just planning things and meeting. I kind of like not having a cell phone where people can know exactly where I am at all times. There are a lot of times when I think of someone to tell a friend, can’t text right then, and never remember to e-mail the next day. Haha. No es importa.
I wish I was more fluent than I am. Last night and today, the Señora’s daughter, Jhenny has been over. She lived in North Carolina for two months teaching Spanish or something, and she started speaking English to me and I feel like I just want to cheat all the time because it’s so much easier. I feel like when it’s just me and the Señora and the maid, even if I don’t know what is going on I can just say sí and who knows what will happen, but when she’s here too, she can tell that I don’t understand and I feel dumb and she explains it to me in English.
I really like Jhenny. She’s 30, and works at a bank. Today she and la Señora and I went to this store, I think it’s called Charo or something, I can’t remember. But it was really American, like a JCPenney or Dillards. With the same brands and everything! It was cool to see, but the prices of the things were the same as they are at home. I wouldn’t mind Jhenny being around more because she’s nice and cool and younger, but I just let myself slip into English with her. Haha.
Today was my first time sleeping in in forever! I slept til 10:30 and it felt so good. The maid gave me another blasted hot dog for lunch. Yuch. I just eat it. I learned a mayan word. Cho’ ok, I think it is. It means vamos which means let’s go.
I’m in a dumb rut. Like I feel dumb now. At first I thought I was smart since I got put in the second highest Spanish and all, but now I feel like I hit a wall and I’m not learning like I was. I guess at the beginning I just learned a lot of common expressions I had never used, but now all I have to learn is everything else and it isn’t coming as fast.
I did homework for a couple hours this morning, I still have to finish it, but it’s not bad. In a little bit the Stephen’s friends are going to pick me up and take me somewhere. Haha, I never know what is going on.
Today I found out that me and the maid are going to take my laundry to the laundry place tomorrow, so I’m glad they solved that mystery before I even asked.
10:51 PM
Today was a good day! Got to sleep in, did some stuff different than usual with different people. In the afternoon, the people the Stephens hooked me up with, Ricardo and his wife picked me up and took me to two churches. The first one was pretty much in a garage with about five families there. The next one was a lot bigger and nicer and I think it was the one our church used to work on. If Tim Timmes or someone reads this: Ricardo could use lots of help if you are looking for a place to send mission teams. He has ideas for the church that is in the garage. My favorite part was getting to know his daughter who was the same age as me! It’s just cool to see different churches in different places.
I just figured out where I live on the map, so that’s an accomplishment, not like I can do much with that. Ricardo’s daughter told me that I live in one of the nicest areas of town so that’s pretty cool! Even though la Señora doesn’t have a car, I could tell they were well off just by how she and her daughter present themselves.
The worst thing about Mexico may be that they have so many speed bumps! Even on high ways and stuff it seems like there are speed bumps every five seconds! And not just normal ones, huge spherical ones that give you whip lash every time you pass one!
I feel like I’m in an awkward stage in knowing Spanish. I’m beyond the basics, and I can get by, but I’m not fluent. So many times I hear people talking and don’t even hear words. I feel dumb at the house a lot of times, because today they told me they have usually had grad students who are fluent and coming back to learn Mayan and crazy stuff. While I’m just a sophomore with 5 years of practically remedial high school Spanish, and hardly any experience. I keep thinking how fun it would be to go back and take or teach the beginning Spanishes again. Haha. Maybe I’ll give up on Spanish and work on mastering Mayan. That would be useful! Haha
I have not watched a TV or spoken on a phone or texted in almost two weeks, that has to be a record. I don’t miss having a phone. Less stressful to not have to deal with constant buzzing and quick responses. Just planning things and meeting. I kind of like not having a cell phone where people can know exactly where I am at all times. There are a lot of times when I think of someone to tell a friend, can’t text right then, and never remember to e-mail the next day. Haha. No es importa.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
This is the coolest thing I've ever done!
Two thoughts frequently go through my head periodically when I catch myself spelunking in Yucatan caves, speaking Spanish to get around, and climbing ancient ruins:
1. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done!
2. This is the real Mexico!
The cool factor, I don’t even have to go into detail with, just telling stories and showing pictures already makes the entire thing a coolest thing ever!
The second one, I can explain just by saying that I’m getting the whole package. I mean, it’s cool to learn about the Yucatan and the Mayans in school, and I always learn about the places I go to when traveling, and I thought I was immersed in new culture during missions trips, but actually living the life of the locals and seeing every aspect of it all shows me the big picture of everything. Like, I see tourist spots on vacations and I see slums on missions trips, but here, I see it all! Mark takes us to all of these ruins and places that are famous, but most of the places we go to have NO ONE there, like they are some secret treasure! And then walking through cities, and villages… I’m just getting the whole picture of the real Mexico, not just the cool tourist attractions or the impoverished needy areas. It’s so cool!
OK. So now let me get on to the daily breakdown.
Thursday we met early in the morning, we went south to a village called Maxcanu to see kitchen gardens. In the DR, we saw things similar to these, but here we for sure got a very in depth lesson of what each medicinal plant does and how the honey bees are kept. How we got to these home gardens was a story in itself: Our bus couldn’t make it through the neighborhoods to get to the house, so we got off downtown and then got on these motorcycles or bikes with seats on the front and a Mexican guy would deliver you to the location, like a bike taxi. So everyone got on one and I was with Laura and we started going and then realized that everyone took off on their motorcycle taxis and we had a 12 year old kid, panting on a bike. We felt so bad, like we looked like these diva gringas making this poor kid pedal us up hills, eventually we got out and walked. Later, we found out that the kid didn’t know where to go so we went around in a circle and then he saw another guy with a motorcycle taxi and we finally made it to this house. It was quite the adventure.
After that we went to a very gross bathroom and I just remember me and Laura and Allison laughing and something about floaters… haha. Anyways.
Next we went to this town called Cochholoch and we got out of the bus and went down into this little cave where these little ladies were making straw hats! The were like the habana jack or whatever it’s called kind and we could get them for just 50 pesos! It was awesome! The craziest part was for sure going into the little cave to find the little ladies making the hats.
After that, it was so random! A bunch of kids who were in the village were bored, so they got on our bus and came with us to these ruins that we went to called Oxkintok. It was kind of cramped having an exra dozen people on the bus, but it just added to the experience. We picnicked at the ruins and it was so crazy that yet again we were the only ones there! There are so many times that the bus is going down some long dirt road and we are just like, whatever Mark, we’ll see where we end up!
After that was the coolest thing we’ve done on the entire trip so far! We went to Calcehtok cave. We had to climb a latter to get in and we were full out spelunking with head lights and flashlights and all! We got so dirty, covered in bat poop. At one point we were admiring the vampire bats flying around and studdenly Mark says, “wait, those are vampire bats! We have to get out of here.” And started going really fast. That was an adventure. When we got out of the cave it was raining and it was cool to see the water falling in from the top. So we waited for a while for the bats to suddenly fly off, but they never really did, so we climbed out and they all swarmed out at us from the top. It was awesome!
By this time it was around 9 at night, so we went to the place where we were going to eat and stay which is another adventure in itself. We got there, and as usual, we were the ONLY ones around. The place didn’t have soap in the bathrooms and there was an empty swimming pool, and a random toilet seat on the ground. So we had dinner and went to our huts. While we were eating, we noticed that they had turned a hose on in the pool, so we felt like we had to swim or else it would be rude, so we all got into this random swimming pool, with only two feet of water in it at the time. It felt so good though after sweating all day!
The huts were… an experience. The anthropology kids stay in nice hotels every night, but Mark lets us ecology kids rough it. The hut had two beds, but there were three of us, so they put in a hammock. I started in the hammock, but it wasn’t as nice as my one at home so I ended up in Laura’s bed with her. We laughed a lot that night about flesh eating moths, other bugs that would land on us while we laid in bed, the sketchy windows and doors of the place. And there was not soap and no towels. We played cards and bonded. But the building it self was really cool! Cement walls and floors and palm roofs!
Friday we established as our “nice day.” We all harass each other a lot, like we’ve been friends since we were born, and come Thursday night, we decided that we needed a nice day, so we didn’t kill each other. It was just really funny to me when someone would make a comment and the other person one turn to them seriously and say, “hey, it’s nice day.” We will probably have to establish a lot of those.
One good thing that came out of this weekend, besides everything, was that we really bonded with the three Mexican boys in our class. We never really knew how much English they spoke and they didn’t know each other, but this weekend they we all talked and they are cool and part of us for sure now. Our traveling troupe is three girls, 6 guys, 2 teachers and a driver. Lots of fun. We got assigned our project groups. Each has one girl, and American guy and a Mexican guy.
Friday we went to a lot of ruins. The more touristy one we went to was called Uxmal. I like to pronounce it Ox-mall even though it is like ush-mul or something ridiculous. We went to a lot of sites that day. All Mayan ruins, all really cool, all hot, all fun.
That afternoon we go to the hotel where the anthro kids were staying as well. They were working hard on presentations. They seem to have a lot of busy work, while we explore things and experience things, like actually staying in those intense huts. I like a lot of the anthro kids though so it was fun to have more interaction besides ourselves.
Another adventure happened there, in the city of Ticul. We had a couple hours before dinner so we just walked around the town, just us eco kids. And so we found out that the only cool thing in the entire city is this tall hill you can climb up and see the whole city. So we followed a million directions to get to this place. The other two girls had to turn around before we got to far for something, so later is was just me and the 6 guys. We walked through really different kinds of areas, like the city with shops, to urban homes that reminded me of the “mountain” of the DR. We saw the hill and on the top of it was a restaurant. We went to the top right as a storm was coming in and it was so cool to see the clouds some and surround the city. Soon it started storming! And palms were falling from the roof and stuff, but later we got a taxi back to the place and had dinner at a pizza place.
That night we just hung out with some anthros and got to know the Mexican kids in our class a lot more. At the hotel these Mayan historians played us real Mayan music. That was interesting, with instruments like turtle shells and wood and stuff!
Today we got up early as usual and had breakfast at the hotel. We went to this private reserve called Kaxil Kiuic. I really liked this place, because usually we just kind of roam around the ruins, but the guy in charge of the place spoke English and described all the buildings to us. It was really interesting. Later we climbed up to this hill with a really high tower on top. It was scary and fun to climb to the top! We had lunch there, kind of picnicking and then we drove and would stop in random towns along the way. In one of the towns, we saw the cathedral where the guy burnt all the papers of the Mayan religion once a long time ago. That was kind of interesting, but when I write about it, it sounds like I know nothing of what I’m talking about.
Much of the day was spent in the car, and when we got home we had no energy to celebrate to celebrate the 4th.
Awesome excursion! Really tired though! Happy independence day USA! Tomorrow is the Mexican election! Here's three links:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2579-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2624.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2646.jpg
This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done!
1. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done!
2. This is the real Mexico!
The cool factor, I don’t even have to go into detail with, just telling stories and showing pictures already makes the entire thing a coolest thing ever!
The second one, I can explain just by saying that I’m getting the whole package. I mean, it’s cool to learn about the Yucatan and the Mayans in school, and I always learn about the places I go to when traveling, and I thought I was immersed in new culture during missions trips, but actually living the life of the locals and seeing every aspect of it all shows me the big picture of everything. Like, I see tourist spots on vacations and I see slums on missions trips, but here, I see it all! Mark takes us to all of these ruins and places that are famous, but most of the places we go to have NO ONE there, like they are some secret treasure! And then walking through cities, and villages… I’m just getting the whole picture of the real Mexico, not just the cool tourist attractions or the impoverished needy areas. It’s so cool!
OK. So now let me get on to the daily breakdown.
Thursday we met early in the morning, we went south to a village called Maxcanu to see kitchen gardens. In the DR, we saw things similar to these, but here we for sure got a very in depth lesson of what each medicinal plant does and how the honey bees are kept. How we got to these home gardens was a story in itself: Our bus couldn’t make it through the neighborhoods to get to the house, so we got off downtown and then got on these motorcycles or bikes with seats on the front and a Mexican guy would deliver you to the location, like a bike taxi. So everyone got on one and I was with Laura and we started going and then realized that everyone took off on their motorcycle taxis and we had a 12 year old kid, panting on a bike. We felt so bad, like we looked like these diva gringas making this poor kid pedal us up hills, eventually we got out and walked. Later, we found out that the kid didn’t know where to go so we went around in a circle and then he saw another guy with a motorcycle taxi and we finally made it to this house. It was quite the adventure.
After that we went to a very gross bathroom and I just remember me and Laura and Allison laughing and something about floaters… haha. Anyways.
Next we went to this town called Cochholoch and we got out of the bus and went down into this little cave where these little ladies were making straw hats! The were like the habana jack or whatever it’s called kind and we could get them for just 50 pesos! It was awesome! The craziest part was for sure going into the little cave to find the little ladies making the hats.
After that, it was so random! A bunch of kids who were in the village were bored, so they got on our bus and came with us to these ruins that we went to called Oxkintok. It was kind of cramped having an exra dozen people on the bus, but it just added to the experience. We picnicked at the ruins and it was so crazy that yet again we were the only ones there! There are so many times that the bus is going down some long dirt road and we are just like, whatever Mark, we’ll see where we end up!
After that was the coolest thing we’ve done on the entire trip so far! We went to Calcehtok cave. We had to climb a latter to get in and we were full out spelunking with head lights and flashlights and all! We got so dirty, covered in bat poop. At one point we were admiring the vampire bats flying around and studdenly Mark says, “wait, those are vampire bats! We have to get out of here.” And started going really fast. That was an adventure. When we got out of the cave it was raining and it was cool to see the water falling in from the top. So we waited for a while for the bats to suddenly fly off, but they never really did, so we climbed out and they all swarmed out at us from the top. It was awesome!
By this time it was around 9 at night, so we went to the place where we were going to eat and stay which is another adventure in itself. We got there, and as usual, we were the ONLY ones around. The place didn’t have soap in the bathrooms and there was an empty swimming pool, and a random toilet seat on the ground. So we had dinner and went to our huts. While we were eating, we noticed that they had turned a hose on in the pool, so we felt like we had to swim or else it would be rude, so we all got into this random swimming pool, with only two feet of water in it at the time. It felt so good though after sweating all day!
The huts were… an experience. The anthropology kids stay in nice hotels every night, but Mark lets us ecology kids rough it. The hut had two beds, but there were three of us, so they put in a hammock. I started in the hammock, but it wasn’t as nice as my one at home so I ended up in Laura’s bed with her. We laughed a lot that night about flesh eating moths, other bugs that would land on us while we laid in bed, the sketchy windows and doors of the place. And there was not soap and no towels. We played cards and bonded. But the building it self was really cool! Cement walls and floors and palm roofs!
Friday we established as our “nice day.” We all harass each other a lot, like we’ve been friends since we were born, and come Thursday night, we decided that we needed a nice day, so we didn’t kill each other. It was just really funny to me when someone would make a comment and the other person one turn to them seriously and say, “hey, it’s nice day.” We will probably have to establish a lot of those.
One good thing that came out of this weekend, besides everything, was that we really bonded with the three Mexican boys in our class. We never really knew how much English they spoke and they didn’t know each other, but this weekend they we all talked and they are cool and part of us for sure now. Our traveling troupe is three girls, 6 guys, 2 teachers and a driver. Lots of fun. We got assigned our project groups. Each has one girl, and American guy and a Mexican guy.
Friday we went to a lot of ruins. The more touristy one we went to was called Uxmal. I like to pronounce it Ox-mall even though it is like ush-mul or something ridiculous. We went to a lot of sites that day. All Mayan ruins, all really cool, all hot, all fun.
That afternoon we go to the hotel where the anthro kids were staying as well. They were working hard on presentations. They seem to have a lot of busy work, while we explore things and experience things, like actually staying in those intense huts. I like a lot of the anthro kids though so it was fun to have more interaction besides ourselves.
Another adventure happened there, in the city of Ticul. We had a couple hours before dinner so we just walked around the town, just us eco kids. And so we found out that the only cool thing in the entire city is this tall hill you can climb up and see the whole city. So we followed a million directions to get to this place. The other two girls had to turn around before we got to far for something, so later is was just me and the 6 guys. We walked through really different kinds of areas, like the city with shops, to urban homes that reminded me of the “mountain” of the DR. We saw the hill and on the top of it was a restaurant. We went to the top right as a storm was coming in and it was so cool to see the clouds some and surround the city. Soon it started storming! And palms were falling from the roof and stuff, but later we got a taxi back to the place and had dinner at a pizza place.
That night we just hung out with some anthros and got to know the Mexican kids in our class a lot more. At the hotel these Mayan historians played us real Mayan music. That was interesting, with instruments like turtle shells and wood and stuff!
Today we got up early as usual and had breakfast at the hotel. We went to this private reserve called Kaxil Kiuic. I really liked this place, because usually we just kind of roam around the ruins, but the guy in charge of the place spoke English and described all the buildings to us. It was really interesting. Later we climbed up to this hill with a really high tower on top. It was scary and fun to climb to the top! We had lunch there, kind of picnicking and then we drove and would stop in random towns along the way. In one of the towns, we saw the cathedral where the guy burnt all the papers of the Mayan religion once a long time ago. That was kind of interesting, but when I write about it, it sounds like I know nothing of what I’m talking about.
Much of the day was spent in the car, and when we got home we had no energy to celebrate to celebrate the 4th.
Awesome excursion! Really tired though! Happy independence day USA! Tomorrow is the Mexican election! Here's three links:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2579-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2624.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2646.jpg
This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
One week has passed!
June 30, 2009 Tuesday 9:28 PM
I’m so frustrated right now. Two nights in a row I have had an epic bus saga. Well, I think that both nights I did the same wrong thing, but both nights I blamed them on something else. In both cases, I missed my stop, and took an extra hour to go through the whole route. You see, there are two buses that I take downtown and back. They approach my neighborhood from different locations so the place where I get off looks different than when I take the other bus. To make a long story short, I am looking for my stop on the wrong bus both times. Last night was more epic because the driver went all the way out to the gas station! Tonight, I was just frustrated for making the exact same mistake twice. I just feel so dumb when I do that!
I think my least favorite thing about Mexico is looking different than anyone else. The diversity of races makes me appreciate America. But here, I have never seen a black person or an asian person, and pretty much all the white people I see are tourists. I feel like when I walk around or ride the bus or anything every one just stares at me like they’ve never seen a white person in their life! The people here are all reeeeeally nice, and if I’m ever lost or something, or ask something to a stranger they are always really helpful, but when they just see me on the street, I catch people staring at me! I wish I didn’t look different so I wouldn’t feel like an alien.
Today we had our second day of Spanish class. We only have ecology on Mondays and Wednesdays so we had a free afternoon so about 8 of us found out how to take the bus to the beach in Progresso. It was pretty fun, and figuring out how to get there was an adventure! It was five of us Eco kids, and 4 Anthro kids. It was fun to integrate a little bit more for sure! The only group who is alienated is the Lombardi’s, but they give us something entertaining to joke about.
Spanish is Spanish. It’s all in Spanish. It’s going to be harder than my last Spanish class I think. I didn’t understand what my teacher said yesterday so I didn’t do all of my homework, so now I have even more for tonight. It’s not like it’s a ton or anything, but I’m just tired and don’t want to think. That class is so draining, like calculus or something because I have to think so hard and the teacher speaks less English than I speak Spanish I think. She’s nice, but in the echo-y room it’s hard to hear what she’s saying and I just zone out sometimes.
I will not be surprised if I have lost a lot of weight when I get back home. I rarely feel hungry here, and when I do eat, it’s not a lot. Usually breakfast is something like a sandwich and fruit or something. Lunch is the biggest meal. Like chicken with tortillas and black beans or some other meat instead of chicken. If I have dinner, it is usually something small, like a sandwich or a bowl of cereal or fruit or something. All the food is good, but I guess maybe because of the heat or something I never have much of an appetite.
I think I’ve gotten used to no A/C. Even last night in my hammock, I was actually cold and had to turn the fan down!
I love the Señora and the maid! They are so sweet and patient listening to my Spanish and helping me with my bus issues.
July 1, 2009 Wednesday 2:26 PM
Siesta time! Today I got home from class, and the maid had made soup, watermelon juice, and a whole fish for me. They feel like I never eat enough, and that I’ll get home and mom will ask if they starved me or something. So anyways, the maid made this piece of fish that was fried and was the size of an entire fish. It was really delicious, but by the 23423234th pound, I was just sick of eating it and they were watching me, chanting for me to eat it all. So now I lay in my hammock stuffed with the entire left half of a whale probably.
Spanish class was better today. I had done all my assignments and we did a play of Cinderella, which was entertaining.
In a little bit I have ecology class. I’ve missed the six of us being together! Yesterday Joe didn’t come to the beach because he was sick and we felt off balance. Like too many girls or not enough macho or something. Haha.
Tonight a bunch of people want to go to this club called Mambo Café. I think I’ll go if everyone else is going, but I feel like I haven’t had any downtime. That’s OK though, but it’s just tiring, especially on the days where I spend an extra unnecessary hour on the bus, ha. Also, tomorrow we leave early for our excursion so if I’m out late I’ll be tired. I shouldn’t be complaining though, I should just be trying to get the most out of everything I guess.
Tomorrow we leave for our first over night excursion. The anthro kids said that last week they stayed at a luxury resort during their trip, so we’ll see if Mark has us camping in the huts of local tribes or something. It is a very Mark thing to do, plus it would be really cool even though I doubt we would do that.
Let me explain Mark. Any other professor would be called Dr. Brenner, but he’s Mark. Every day he wears light knaki pants, a white long sleeve button down shirt, a huge brimmed safari hat with a tie under his chin. He accessorizes with a fanny pack, knife on his belt, camera on his belt, and a safety pin on his left pocket- to prevent pickpocketers of course. Huge glasses and he used to have huge hair but today he got a Mexican hair cut. He has a little earing on his left ear. We all adore him! He is CONSTANTLY smiling and never has anything negative to say, and no matter what he tells us about ecology, we just believe him.
9:35 PM
I’m so tired on not being able to take the bus from downtown to home! Tonight was saw the bus that I usually get on incorrectly and I asked the driver if he was going to my neighborhood and he said no, made me pay him the fare and get off! There was this little old lady that tried to direct me to where I needed to go, but I was on this road I was not familiar with and I was just like, whatever I’m done. So I waved down a taxi like a coward and gave up. Monday afternoon there is a celebration for the 25 years of the UADY program with UF, and la Señora will be there, so afterwards we can ride home together, and then I will know.
I just got an e-mail from some friends of the Stephens aka Olivia, and we are going to meet up on Sunday, that should be cool. I bet they know a lot of people from church from the good ol’ days.
Eco class was entertaining. Ripped up a lot of papers and put them on Addison. We all tried not to laugh.
Went to a guitar concert for a little bit.
Tomorrow at 7:30 we are leaving for 3 days and we are going to see some stuff in the south of the state. I’m told we are going to see home gardens and tomorrow night we are going to be staying in a traditional mayan house. But of Friday night we are staying in a hotel with air conditioning! What a treat! Haha. We’re all looking forward to it.
One kids said the transportation situation perfectly in his facebook status: "is back in middle school, no car, no phone, one hour bus ride, cant stand any of my classmates." (completely sarcastic about the last part of course!) Besides getting mad at myself for not being intelligent enough to use public transportation, everything is awesometasmic!
I’m so frustrated right now. Two nights in a row I have had an epic bus saga. Well, I think that both nights I did the same wrong thing, but both nights I blamed them on something else. In both cases, I missed my stop, and took an extra hour to go through the whole route. You see, there are two buses that I take downtown and back. They approach my neighborhood from different locations so the place where I get off looks different than when I take the other bus. To make a long story short, I am looking for my stop on the wrong bus both times. Last night was more epic because the driver went all the way out to the gas station! Tonight, I was just frustrated for making the exact same mistake twice. I just feel so dumb when I do that!
I think my least favorite thing about Mexico is looking different than anyone else. The diversity of races makes me appreciate America. But here, I have never seen a black person or an asian person, and pretty much all the white people I see are tourists. I feel like when I walk around or ride the bus or anything every one just stares at me like they’ve never seen a white person in their life! The people here are all reeeeeally nice, and if I’m ever lost or something, or ask something to a stranger they are always really helpful, but when they just see me on the street, I catch people staring at me! I wish I didn’t look different so I wouldn’t feel like an alien.
Today we had our second day of Spanish class. We only have ecology on Mondays and Wednesdays so we had a free afternoon so about 8 of us found out how to take the bus to the beach in Progresso. It was pretty fun, and figuring out how to get there was an adventure! It was five of us Eco kids, and 4 Anthro kids. It was fun to integrate a little bit more for sure! The only group who is alienated is the Lombardi’s, but they give us something entertaining to joke about.
Spanish is Spanish. It’s all in Spanish. It’s going to be harder than my last Spanish class I think. I didn’t understand what my teacher said yesterday so I didn’t do all of my homework, so now I have even more for tonight. It’s not like it’s a ton or anything, but I’m just tired and don’t want to think. That class is so draining, like calculus or something because I have to think so hard and the teacher speaks less English than I speak Spanish I think. She’s nice, but in the echo-y room it’s hard to hear what she’s saying and I just zone out sometimes.
I will not be surprised if I have lost a lot of weight when I get back home. I rarely feel hungry here, and when I do eat, it’s not a lot. Usually breakfast is something like a sandwich and fruit or something. Lunch is the biggest meal. Like chicken with tortillas and black beans or some other meat instead of chicken. If I have dinner, it is usually something small, like a sandwich or a bowl of cereal or fruit or something. All the food is good, but I guess maybe because of the heat or something I never have much of an appetite.
I think I’ve gotten used to no A/C. Even last night in my hammock, I was actually cold and had to turn the fan down!
I love the Señora and the maid! They are so sweet and patient listening to my Spanish and helping me with my bus issues.
July 1, 2009 Wednesday 2:26 PM
Siesta time! Today I got home from class, and the maid had made soup, watermelon juice, and a whole fish for me. They feel like I never eat enough, and that I’ll get home and mom will ask if they starved me or something. So anyways, the maid made this piece of fish that was fried and was the size of an entire fish. It was really delicious, but by the 23423234th pound, I was just sick of eating it and they were watching me, chanting for me to eat it all. So now I lay in my hammock stuffed with the entire left half of a whale probably.
Spanish class was better today. I had done all my assignments and we did a play of Cinderella, which was entertaining.
In a little bit I have ecology class. I’ve missed the six of us being together! Yesterday Joe didn’t come to the beach because he was sick and we felt off balance. Like too many girls or not enough macho or something. Haha.
Tonight a bunch of people want to go to this club called Mambo Café. I think I’ll go if everyone else is going, but I feel like I haven’t had any downtime. That’s OK though, but it’s just tiring, especially on the days where I spend an extra unnecessary hour on the bus, ha. Also, tomorrow we leave early for our excursion so if I’m out late I’ll be tired. I shouldn’t be complaining though, I should just be trying to get the most out of everything I guess.
Tomorrow we leave for our first over night excursion. The anthro kids said that last week they stayed at a luxury resort during their trip, so we’ll see if Mark has us camping in the huts of local tribes or something. It is a very Mark thing to do, plus it would be really cool even though I doubt we would do that.
Let me explain Mark. Any other professor would be called Dr. Brenner, but he’s Mark. Every day he wears light knaki pants, a white long sleeve button down shirt, a huge brimmed safari hat with a tie under his chin. He accessorizes with a fanny pack, knife on his belt, camera on his belt, and a safety pin on his left pocket- to prevent pickpocketers of course. Huge glasses and he used to have huge hair but today he got a Mexican hair cut. He has a little earing on his left ear. We all adore him! He is CONSTANTLY smiling and never has anything negative to say, and no matter what he tells us about ecology, we just believe him.
9:35 PM
I’m so tired on not being able to take the bus from downtown to home! Tonight was saw the bus that I usually get on incorrectly and I asked the driver if he was going to my neighborhood and he said no, made me pay him the fare and get off! There was this little old lady that tried to direct me to where I needed to go, but I was on this road I was not familiar with and I was just like, whatever I’m done. So I waved down a taxi like a coward and gave up. Monday afternoon there is a celebration for the 25 years of the UADY program with UF, and la Señora will be there, so afterwards we can ride home together, and then I will know.
I just got an e-mail from some friends of the Stephens aka Olivia, and we are going to meet up on Sunday, that should be cool. I bet they know a lot of people from church from the good ol’ days.
Eco class was entertaining. Ripped up a lot of papers and put them on Addison. We all tried not to laugh.
Went to a guitar concert for a little bit.
Tomorrow at 7:30 we are leaving for 3 days and we are going to see some stuff in the south of the state. I’m told we are going to see home gardens and tomorrow night we are going to be staying in a traditional mayan house. But of Friday night we are staying in a hotel with air conditioning! What a treat! Haha. We’re all looking forward to it.
One kids said the transportation situation perfectly in his facebook status: "is back in middle school, no car, no phone, one hour bus ride, cant stand any of my classmates." (completely sarcastic about the last part of course!) Besides getting mad at myself for not being intelligent enough to use public transportation, everything is awesometasmic!
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