My first solo Odyssey was in 2007.  I traveled in Mexico for 8 weeks.  The year before, I went to Guadalajara to earn a Teaching Certificate to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL).  I spent 5 weeks with the most amazing group of people from many parts of the world. I lived in a posada, which is a step above a hostel, but below a hotel.  My posada was quite nice and became a gathering place.  The program itself was good, but what made it exceptional was the way our group bonded.  To this day, I am still in touch with a few from that program.  Paco, was one of those people.  
 
Paco went to teach in Campeche after the program concluded.  When I became footloose in 2007, he suggested that I come to Campeche. I stayed there for a month, then traveled by bus (solo) all around the Yucatan, to Vera Cruz, Jalapa and Oaxaca. This series of posts is from that
trip.

This series was sent out as a group
email, as blogs had not been invented yet, or maybe I was just not up to the
task. 

Enjoy!

Hello all,

Well, I have been remiss in sending off the last installment of Mexico.  In the meantime, I have spent 3 weeks in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, driving back and forth.  This was my third visit to SB.  It does call to me.  I did a lot of research there, looked at many commercial buildings and a few houses.  One house spoke to me – so I talked with it.  I have put in an offer on it and am currently in negotiations to buy it. Last fall, I found the website www.findyourspot.com.   It offers a questionnaire about many attributes one would consider in relocating. Mine came up Vermont and Wisconsin.  At about the same time, I had a dream that showed me the town I was supposed to live in, including my house.  The dream did not include an address.  So, I have been in search of this place and my house.

In February, I drove 900 miles in a loop around New England.  In April, I drove 6400 miles around the country, ending up in Sturgeon Bay before heading back to Seattle. In July, I drove the 2200 miles to Sturgeon Bay and back again.  This house and this town say “yes” to me.  The house deal still could fall
through, but I don’t think it will. It is an affordable place where I can have my business downstairs, live upstairs and travel 2-3 months during the winter.  Compared to Seattle rents and housing prices, SB is an incredible bargain.  It makes my ideal lifestyle possible.  And, it is the closest I have come to my dream vision. So, we will see what happens next!

Also, finally, here is my final installment on Mexico.  I hope you enjoy my vicarious travels.  There are more adventures to come!

Much love to you all,
Randi


 
Mexico 7 – The final phase…2007

Air travel in Mexico is quite expensive.  It was just about the same price from Merida to Oaxaca as Oaxaca to Seattle! The option was about 16 hours on a bus. I opted for the plane.  It seems that all flights go through Mexico City.  Flying over “De Efe” (as it is known here, much like DC in the States), you can see the gigantic sprawl of that city.  It is intimidating even from the air!  19.2 million people in the urban area. Many people choose to move elsewhere due to the unbridled crime….  Not my first choice of places to visit
in Mexico!

My hotel in Oaxaca was beautiful.  It is about 10 blocks from the Zocolo, in a remodeled grand home. There are 3 terraces with rooms encircling beautiful, mature gardens.  The breakfast café is located in the top garden with flowers, vines and birds greeting the guests in the morning sun.  My room is large and lovely.  All this and mid-range in price too!  
 
Oaxaca is a very different place from the Yucatan.  It has had some unrest in the past year, and I found out it ranks 2nd with the worst social conditions in the country - second only to Chiapas.  One third of the population of the state is indigenous, and basically disenfranchised. I found some pretty horrifying statistics about living conditions here.  The difficulties show in the faces and attitudes of the people.   Oaxaca City is an international tourist town.  It is a beautiful place, with fine old colonial buildings and plazas and
surrounded by green-velvet covered mountains.  It is full of art, food and craft.  There are also a lot of indigenous beggars and hawkers here.  The hawkers have no joy in their eyes.  They see the tourists only as people with the money they don’t have.  They are incredibly persistent and do not take a “no thank you” lightly.  This is so different than the Yucatan, where the joy of life is everywhere.

I took a trip to Monte Alban, a ruin site just outside the city.  It was a Zapotec ceremonial city, with the “people” living on the hillsides servicing the city.  It was occupied continuously for 13 centuries.  It has a remarkable strategic situation that overlooks 360 degrees of the surrounding valleys and mountains.  It is very beautiful and impressive.  I met some hawkers there too.  The old men of the family walk the hillsides, scratching the surface (or a bit deeper) for artifacts.  With so much history in the area, apparently they are not hard to find. I talked with them because I wanted to see what they had found.  They carry them discretely in shoulder bags, wrapped in scraps of paper.  One man I talked with for quite a while.  He had some truly remarkable things.  When I told him I was from Seattle, his face lit up.  He has a “friend”, a doctor from Seattle who is a collector of his special pieces. This fellow buys primarily jade, but other things if they are special.  The man showed me some of the pieces he was sort of saving for his Seattle doctor.  One was a hatchet type piece of carved, perfectly clear crystal.  I did end up buying a couple of small pieces from him.  I have no idea if they are really what they seem.  It will be interesting to find out more about them. 
One is a small Olmec face carved out of stone.  The other is a jade amulet of sorts with a carved hand at one end and a bird head at the other.  
 
I went to so many museums, learning about the Zapotec and the history of the area.  One truly incredible museum is the Ruffino Tamaya (I think that is it) Collection. He was a famous Mexican artist who started collecting ancient artifacts, primarily ceramics, in the early part of the 20th century.  He died in the 90’s and left his extensive collection to the City/State of Oaxaca.  The types of work he collected were aesthetically pleasing to him, and they truly reflect the artists who made them.  Some of them are amazingly whimsical,
surprising even a modern sensibility.  The collection is more impressive than anything I saw in all of my
travels.  In another museum, the Cultural Museum of Oaxaca, they exhibited a number of fine Zapotec pieces.  I kept looking for anything resembling the items I purchased on Monte Alban. I did find one bird head that was the same, but I can’t remember the dates.  The city shut down about 1300, so the
bird head was probably somewhere between 1100 and 1250 AD or so.  
 
I wanted to find textiles of the region, so I had my sites on a town of Santo Tomas Jalieza.  This town is know for its “faja” or sashes as well as other weavings.  I tried to find a bus or collectivo (a taxi that waits for 5 riders to a destination) that would go there, but it seemed it was too far off the beaten path.  I finally found a taxi that would take me there.  I accepted.  It turned out to be a bit expensive by Mexico terms, but it really was off the beaten path! When I arrived in time for the market, about 10 women were in the small shaded square with their weavings set up for sale.   Others were hitching themselves up to a post for their back strap looms.  Needless to say, it did not take me long in that market! Every one of the women looked at me as though I would buy everything.  I was looking for only the finest work, and found some, but it was from only one woman.  I wish I could have purchased everything to make these women happy…  By the time I was finished with my purchases, a collectivo taxi and a truck were waiting for passengers to go to Ocatlan where the major market takes place.  There was no one there but me for the taxi, so I took the truck for 5 pesos.  The ride was really no worse than the taxis! 
 
Ocatlan is a small village that comes alive on Fridays.   It is about an hour outside of Oaxaca and is THE market for that region.  It is huge.  It seemed like I wandered through miles of aisles just looking at the people, the merchandise and observing the life in the market.  I love markets.  They are the life blood of towns.  Everyone comes to eat at the stalls (which I learned how to do – I never did get sick in the 8 weeks I was in Mexico), shop almost daily for produce, meat, beans, peppers, etc.  There are a lot of flowers in these markets too.  The people in Ocatlan were not as dour as in Oaxaca.  I also believe I was the only gringa there!  I took a lot of pictures, but had to be discrete about it.  They were not particularly happy with my observing. Only one old woman asked for money. I got into the habit of carrying my small camera at waist height, just clicking away without really looking.  I think I did get some interesting shots. I loved the turkey sellers and the poultry sellers – especially the living “peeps”!  Poor little creatures…

Another day, I took a tour to Teotitlan del Valle, a major rug weaving town.  The tour was in a van with 4 other tourists – 3 from France and one from Guadalajara.  Our first stop was in Tule, the home of a 2500-3000 year old cypress tree.  A wonderful grand old tree.  The town economy is based around this fine specimen. The tour company has a reciprocal relationship with a weaving family in Teotitlan, our next stop.  They have a lovely studio and an impressive demonstration of the process of rug making.  They show the raw wool in 3 colors, the cleaning, carding and spinning of it, then the natural dyes that are used.  Finally they showed the weaving process itself on the fixed frame loom, and the many rugs that were finished. 
Clearly, we were supposed to buy.  The others were quite young and had no money for the rugs and I did not intend to buy.  However, I looked over a stack of them and found one that spoke to me and I bought it. 
 
I bought a number of things to take back as samples and to sell.  I occurred to me that the region is so dependent upon tourists to buy their products. Many of them are beautiful, and all of the artists have extensive inventory on hand.  My entrepreneurial mind was whirling – how can I help these people sell their
products?  I still have research to do on that topic.

The tour ended at Mitla, another ancient Zapotec city.  Beautiful architectural details in a small excavation from the late period of the Zapotec empire.

Back in Oaxaca, there were festivals, parades and other lively goings on – one celebrating the end of the school year and new moon with a parade that wound around the streets complete with 2 bands, huge paper mache people and dancing, drinking young people.  Then there is the zocolo.  The parades all end at the zocolo, or main plaza of the town.  I loved to just sit and watch people.  All life happens either in the zocolo
or the market.  The pictures show some of the action there.  People are more public in Mexico than in the USA.  Here, life happens in the streets.  

What did I learn from my travels? 
I learned that I am very comfortable and capable traveling alone.  I learned that I can connect with the
universal human element in the various locations/cultures.  One person told me that if you travel 50 miles in any direction in Mexico, you will happen upon an entirely different culture.  I have certainly found that to be true!  From Guadalajara last year, to Veracruz, Xalapa, Campeche, Isla Mujeres, Valladolid, Chicanna and Xpujil to Oaxaca.  I love it all.  I am still limited by language.  I know I will go back in the spring.  I have that time to study Spanish and research how to engage further.  I also learned that I need grounding somewhere, some place that I can regroup and return to.  I don’t exactly know where that will be yet.



Next stop, Wisconsin.



Love to all,


Randi


 

I’m now in my final days in Mexico for this trip.  I have covered a bit of ground here, but there is so much to this country I feel like I have only scratched the surface.  I have so much yet to learn about the language (certainly… although sometimes I can carry on a conversation), the people, customs, the myriad cultures and how I can possibly be of service.

So, on to the major highlights of different places:

Isla Mujeres.
This island is just off the coast of Cancun.  It is much more quaint than the planned resort/tourist city of Cancun, although much of that culture is creeping onto the Isla.  Two years ago, hurricane Wilma devastated the place.  I talked with one restaurant owner who said they did not have any electricity or water for a month.  Needless to say, he did not have any business for quite a while.  He is still recovering.  He said it will be another 2 years before he will be in the black again. Meanwhile, he had to give up his apartment and car and is living in a converted warehouse space in back of the restaurant.  His life is his restaurant.  He is also supporting 4 kids from 2 previous marriages…  Mexico doesn’t have any kind of “safety net”.  I heard from another waiter about the economic system of Mexico.  He was part of a “make a fast buck off the Cancun casino mafia” when he was still a teen-ager.  Luckily, he was able to skate through his connections as “just an honest kid”.  He did, however, suffer from the party life. He became an alcoholic and spent the fast money he received.  At 38, he has been sober for a year and a half, and managing to save some
money, although he too, is supporting a child from an early brief encounter.  
 
The Isla is being rebuilt at a fairly rapid pace. Spill over development from Cancun and Playa del Carmen has settled in Isla, taking a toll on the people and the infrastructure.  It still is a quiet, slow paced place in the off season (now), except when tourists come in by ferry during the day.  It was pretty rainy when I was there and many people who would normally venture out of their sheltered hotel enclaves of Cancun stayed
away.  There were many days when little activity was going on, much to the shop-owners’ chagrin. It is such a small place, that those of us who stayed there for a week or so, saw each other often and became “regulars” at the restaurants and evening music/bar scene.

I did take a golf cart one sunny day to tour the island.  Up until a year ago there were few cars on the island and transportation was by golf cart, motorbike or bicycle.  The island is only 7.5 kilometers long and about 5 blocks wide.  It doesn’t take long to tour the entire island, even at the lawn mower speed of the cart!  There is a turtle raising eco-farm (to return them safely to the ocean), a place to swim with dolphins, a restaurant with a dental-free shark to swim, hold and take pictures of, an amusement park on the reef, and a minor Mayan ruin.  On the Caribbean side of the island the beach is a rough limestone slab, on the north and inland sides is has beautiful white sandy beaches.  The water really is turquoise blue!  I pampered my very pale skin most of the time, but did take one day to swim in the beautiful warm water, and even under an umbrella I got badly burned! Powerful sun, here…. I’m still peeling.

My hotel was right on the water – actually over the water.  It is an older, Casablanca-type hotel with few windows and lots of shutters. Literally, my deck was over the seawall. The waves crashed below me constantly, and everything was slightly damp… I did not have to venture out to experience the ocean!  It constantly hovered around 90 degrees, with the humidity ranging from 70 to 100%. That was a week of 3 showers a day! Very sticky weather….

From Isla Mujeres, I traveled inland to Valladolid.  This town is half-way between Merida and Cancun.  It is a small, laid-back colonial town that has a very Mayan population.  Everywhere, there are ladies dressed in the traditional garb.  An impromptu market occurs daily, where Maya set up their wares along the fence of the central plaza.  I stayed one night in a reasonably nice hotel, but woke up in the middle of the night to surprise “muchas cucarachas” of the small and medium sized variety!  Needless to say,  I checked out and moved to a better hotel down the street.  Some native populations I just don’t care to get to know that well…..  

In my wanderings about town, I found a fabulous shop with beautiful textiles and other craft.  I asked a lot of questions, wanting to know everything about the textiles. There was also a dress there that had my name on it.  I did not try it on that first day, but went back the next day to do so.  When I walked in, the staff alerted the owner that I was the one asking so many questions.  Her name is Maruja Clark.  We hit it off immediately.  She was born in Merida, but has lived in France and the US.  She raised her 3 children in the
US and speaks perfect English.  It was a treat to connect with someone with whom I can actually have a meaningful conversation and so many interests in common. She tried to connect me with the craft collectivos in the area, the women who are doing the weaving and embroidery. I stayed another night in Valladolid just to see if that could happen.  Maruja is a tremendous resource to all of the textile and craft in Mexico.  She seems to know everybody and is very happy to help me in that arena.  She is truly a gift and a wonderful new friend.  By the way, the dress fit perfectly, as if it were made for me! 
 
I took a day trip to Rio Largatos, a very small village directly north of Valladolid, located in the biosphere
wildlife reserve on the north coast of the Yucatan.  It is know for the flocks of flamingos as well as other birds you can see in the reserve. This was an experience right out of the television travel stories. I took a bus ride (an adventure in itself) to the town, and was immediately taken by a very friendly bicycle rickshaw fellow to the boats.  I hired a boat captain and went into the lagoon.  I was the sole passenger in the boat
with the captain, who did not speak any English.  However, his Spanish was so clear and slow that I could understand just about everything he told me during our 2-1/2 hour tour.  There is low jungle all around the lagoon that was littered with a large amount of dead trees.  Eduardo, my guide, said that during Hurricane Wilma, a storm surge covered the spit of land that separates the lagoon from the ocean (about 2 kilometers) and flooded the town.  The result was the tree die-off.  Mother Nature certainly affects people more directly out here!

We finally got to the flamingos.  The first place we came to there were less than 50. I thought that this
was nice, but not was I was hoping to see.  However, Eduardo continued on to another shallows.  Here, there were hundreds of them.  Beautiful graceful, colorful birds.  They talk to each other - there is a constant chatter among themselves.  Apparently, they mate for life and always return to the same spot to
nest.  Eduardo said in August, there are hundreds of young birds learning how to be proper flamingos.  The deep color of this flock, he said, was due to the diet that was rich in shrimp larvae. We got close enough to them to intrude a bit (getting slightly stuck in the process) and the birds flew to another area.  They are truly awe-inspiring!  On the way back, we looked for crocodiles along the sides of the lagoon and came upon one snoozing in the hot sun.

Next, I was off to Merida.  I spent a day and a half there wandering in and out of museums, meeting
people and listening to music.  They close off streets on Saturday night and the area around the Zocolo
becomes an outdoor party with bands, and restaurants spilling onto the streets.  I wandered around the
scene for a while, watching the dancing of a middle aged couple, when a man came up to me and offered me a rose. I refused at first, but he was a perfect caballero, asking that I accept it.  He said he mother taught him to present flowers to ladies he especially thought attractive.  He expected nothing more from me.  Amazing. Later, as I headed back to my hotel, some Chiapasanas came by trying to sell me something (groups of women and children from Chiapas are everywhere).  I gave one of them my flower.  She gave me one of her bracelets in return along with a warm, grateful smile.  A very nice night!

The next morning I took a plane to Oaxaca.  The tales continue in episode 6.


 
Love to all,


Randi


 

As some of you may know, I have been interested in the Mayan culture for some time.  Living in the Yucatan is certainly the place to learn more (or at least one of the places….).  Paco is learning the Mayan language and is very interested in the current and past Mayan cultures.  He talks to everyone!  He spots someone in
the market that may be Mayan, speaks to them in Mayan and if they respond, he has a conversation!  He is a wonderfully gregarious guy!  I love wandering the markets with him.

We took a half day trip to Edzná, a Mayan ruin about 1 hour south of Campeche. It is not a well known site, as it is not easy to get to.  We took a tumble down, but serviceable bus there for 20 pesos, seeing the
countryside with orange, papaya and mango orchards, corn fields and other crops, as well as tiny villages.  (As a side note, the buses in Mexico are great.  I have been taking 1st class buses all over.  They are very safe and comfortable.  Plus, you get to see the diverse countryside!  The trip to Veracruz was 12 hours by overnight bus – a bit grueling, but inexpensive and reasonably comfortable.)

Edzná was a large city in its day, and the site is well excavated.  Interestingly, we were the only ones at the site for the first hour or so!  It is an amazing feeling being in a large, abandoned and ancient city all by ourselves, the birds and iguanas!  It is a very tranquil place.  We climbed to the top of the tallest building and looked over the miles of jungle all around.  We explored every building on the site, and then headed back to the bus stop in hopes of catching one of the unscheduled buses passing by.  We were just headed into shade to wait when a pick up truck stopped and offered us a ride.  We even got to ride in the cab!  Paco did not have his hat and was feeling the heat of the late morning by then, so the ride in the cab was a treat.  The picture of lots of Mexicans riding in the back of a pick up may seem primitive in the States, but here, it is a means of transportation – sometimes the only means! We had the luck of the draw – the driver was a good one and was on his way to Campeche anyway.  It was probably something I would not
do on my own, but with Paco, life is always an adventure!

The last week in Campeche was a bit of a whirlwind.  I had 5 days of classes to try to plug Spanish into my brain, Paco was intent on showing me things I had not seen in Campeche, and La Familia planned a party for me on Friday evening.  In the midst of my funk, I booked a ticket for Saturday morning, instead of waiting until Sunday.  Carlos, my landlord and part of La Familia, heard a lot about my eviction…  but there was nothing more to do at that point.  He had rented my apartment for 4 months and he could not turn that
down.  I had a wonderful last day with Adriana, and then the party.  It started at 8:30 pm and continued until 2:30 am!  It was at Condita’s house, between Paco’s casita and my apartment.   10 people were there, with food, LOTS of beer, tequila, wine, etc. and dancing. This is a family who truly enjoys being together and loves to party.  They do it very well.  Even Abuela (grandmother) enjoys it all!  Someone besides me was taking pictures with my camera, so I have many pictures that capture the joy of the group.  I even prepared a little speech for them, which they loved, and gifts were exchanged all around.  Martita and Condita both wore their Campechana dresses for the occasion and gave me one too as I am now an adopted Campechana!  Very sweet people.  They are fully expecting me to come back next year.  I am happy to oblige.  I do love the Yucatan…. And Mi Familia!  Paco mentioned going to Cuba too….  I’m up for it all!

So, Saturday, I was ready to go to the bus station heading to Xpujil and Chicanna.  Paco and his lady, Nora came with me to the station, then Luis and Martita arrived bearing yet another gift!  This one was as a result of the party – a cd of Nat King Cole singing Mexican songs in Spanish!  Luis was having fun with that one…

Xpujil is in the jungle – the middle of the bottom of the peninsula.  It is an area with significant ruin sites.  Chicanna is also where Paco had his first teaching job here – teaching English to Mayan guides.  He connected me to the EcoVillage there, where I stayed for 2 nights.  It is a beautiful place nestled in the
jungle with many birds to identify right on site.  I had a tour within the first hour of my arrival and saw about 20 different kinds of tropical birds.  I had a beautiful stay there, visiting 3 sites and swimming in the pool in the moonlight with no one else around except for geckos and bats!

The following morning, I met up with Noemi, a student of Paco’s and a guide for the ruins.  As it turned out, she did not retain any English except for a few bird names. We were heading out to walk to the first site when another guest of the Ecovillage asked if we wanted a ride.  He is German, but has lived in Mexico  City for 45 years. He also had a year in London, so he spoke English quite well.  We became a 3 some for the two nearest sites of Chicanna and Becan.  He was a great bridge for both Noemi and me, and we conversed, crossing over between English and Spanish for the morning.  Becan is the major site here, with Chicanna a few kilometers away, as a secondary site of the great city of Becan.  Within this general area, there are
many sites with various degrees of restoration and excavation.  The jungle does take over quickly.  
 
Another side note:  one friend asked if he would find me with a bone in my nose.  The jungle here is not the Amazon.  It is dry most of the year and the trees are not particularly tall, but the undergrowth is very dense.  You cannot walk through it without a machete.  It is the home to 350 species of birds, many reptiles, monkeys and jaguars.  I asked Noemi if she had seen a jaguar.  She had, at Calakmul, two times.  She said it was a powerful experience to see one.  Calakmul is a very large and important site of this region far into the jungle.  There you can see monkeys and maybe a jaguar, as well as many birds.  It is a full day to get there and back, which I did not have this trip.

I chose a few pictures of Chicanna and Becan, as well as another site, Hormeguero.  Paco hadrecommended Calakmul, and further into the jungle, Balam Ku which was discovered in 1990.  Noemi suggested Hormeguero.  We took a cab (she cleverly negotiated the rate with me inside a building – again, I was one of few tall white people wandering around the town of Xpuhil) the 16 kilometers to the site.  It is not a well known site as it is not easy to get to.  8 kilometers is paved, 8 is not.  The unpaved road is one car’s width, fully rutted and potholed.  The cab driver was very talkative.  I could catch about half of what he was saying, but the issue of water is a key here.  The rainy season should have started at the beginning of May, but it had not.  Apparently, the Mayan cities were abandoned partly due to the lack of water.  Without water, there is no food.  Without food, there is no life.  Currently, the issues are still the same.  There is a
reservoir on the way to Hormeguero and many people in various vehicles were there to gather water.  There was one truck, but also a horse, and several wheelbarrows to carry jugs of water.  A number of men were in the process of building a dock to project over the water for better access.  The taxi was an interruption and a curiosity.  When we actually reached the site, the driver waited with the one attendant, and Noemi and I
walked to the excavated area.  We were the only ones there.  Only 2 buildings are visible here, but it is a truly magical, mystical place.  This place must have been the religious site.  It has a power that I did not feel in any other site.  It was like a vortex of energy that just hits you as you enter the sacred ground.  

The first building is a large temple with a monster’s mouth forming the central portal to the temple.  It is well preserved and very beautiful – and powerful. We climbed all over this site, and then went to the second building, just around the back of the first.  It is a smaller temple built on top of a small pyramid.  The site is not fully excavated and there are no stairs leading up to the top.  We scrambled up the side of it, mountain climbing style.  When we got there, however, it was breathtaking.  The jungle is alive and full of the
sound of birds, crickets and cicadas.  However, when we looked out over the jungle from the temple site, it was totally silent. Not any sound at all.  The building is small, probably 6’ by 12’ on the inside with a doorway overlooking the temple.  Both of us were silent absorbing the energy of the place.  I wanted to stay there for a long time, but was conscious of our driver waiting.  After a period of time, we left, scrambling down the side.  As we left the upper building, the jungle came alive again. Just above us in the tree were we descended, were hundreds of butterflies!  Butterflies were everywhere!  I tried to take a picture of them, but they are difficult to make out. I have read about butterfly trees, and wanted to experience it – and here
it was!  It was like a bee hive of butterflies!  All the way out of the jungle on the unpaved road, butterflies filled the air.  Noemi said Hormeguero was her favorite place.  It is now mine too.  I will go back there.

From Chicanna and Xpujil, I traveled by bus to Chetumal and spent the night at Tulum, on the other side of the peninsula from Campeche – the Caribbean side.  Tulum is the site of another Mayan ruin, much later than the ones I had visited.  I had not booked a hotel before arriving in the town, and was offered a
beach cabana by a hawker at the station.  I accepted.  I spent the night in basically a hut with bathroom area and mosquito netting over the bed on the beach. The palm roofed huts are amazingly sound – it rained during the night without me knowing about it!  It rained the next morning too.  I was planning to go to the ruin site, but the rainy season had begun on the coast.  The rain was a downpour….  I had a leisurely
breakfast, and the rains let up enough to allow me to do what I had planned.  I had read that Tulum was
not a major site.  Its peak was during the decline of the empire, just before the arrival of the Spaniards.  It survived for some years after, but then as totally abandoned.  The site was a major port for the Maya, with a beach and lookout over the water.  The site is very different architecturally, reminding me more of Roman ruins than Mayan. It was interesting to see the differences.

So, this brings me to my current location at Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun.  More of that in the next episode.

As always, enjoy the photos, and comments are welcome.

Love to all,

Randi

Mexico is not what most Americans think it is.  Mexico is a rich, diverse country with many different cultures, attitudes and economic systems.  I’m here in the Yucatan where the culture is definitely Mayan, definitely warm, open and friendly.  It is a place where an outsider can feel at home with a tiny amount of effort.  Just a smile and a greeting opens the world for you. Any attempt at conversation in their language makes you one of them.  

I loved living in Campeche.  I enjoyed getting into the rhythm of that small city.  Paco’s Familia became my Familia.  I was immediately absorbed into it all.  My stay, however, was cut a week short by a miscommunication of sorts.  My apartment was rented out from under me. It did cause a bit of turmoil in my mind…. It is interesting to see what tricks your mind can play while traveling alone for a period of time (longer than the usual vacation).  Paco told me once about loneliness.  It is a thing to work through.  Being evicted by La Familia stung.  I was ready to leave right then, but I was committed to classes for the coming week.  I did miss my last week of classes that I had scheduled, but I guess it was time to move on. I have now been away from Campeche for a week, and fully realize what I had there. My last week was filled
with many things to do and people to be with.  Obviously, I worked through what I needed to….  
 
I am now into week 6 of my stay in Mexico this year.  I realize I have been remiss about writing.  So many things have happened along the way, I will try to catch up.  

My classes were great.  I had three terrific instructors.  Adriana, my conversation teacher, became my soul sister.  We had so much in common, we just bonded.  She will be 25 next week, is learning English and will come to the USA in August.  I am hoping to catch up with her there too.  We are about in the same place learning each other’s language, which provided a guidepost to learn more vocabulary and proper pronunciation on both our parts.   All I had to do was say “Como se dice….” and the words appeared – in either language.  Sometimes, just hearing simpler words and phrases in Spanish allows me to understand more.  I can now carry on a halting conversation in Spanish.  I am in Isla Mujeres right now, a tourist town, where a lot of English is spoken.  I do not get the practice I had in Campeche or Xpujil (more about Xpujil later), but I will be out of the way of most tourists soon.

La Familia, specifically Luis, Martita and Condita (Martita’s sister) invited me to go to a festival in Tenabo. 
I had no idea what to expect, so I just said yes. Paco was not feeling well, so he declined.  None of La Familia speaks English, so we had a somewhat quiet evening….  That was week two in Campeche.  The Feria de La Maiz is a Mayan festival for the planting of the corn.  Tenabo is a tiny village between Campeche and Merida.  The entire village was transformed for this festival.  Apparently, at the beginning/middle of May, many of these fertility festivals take place around the Yucatan.  Tenabo is a larger one that takes place
every year.  La Familia had never been there before either. I was their excuse to show me around their world.  We arrived about 9:30 pm.  We wandered around the town looking at the kiddie rides, food booths and crafts arranged around town for the event.  Two orchestras were set up at either end of the main plaza.  One played intermittently.  At about 10:30, things started to become active.  The event actually started at 11 pm. One person said it would go on until about 5 am!  The procession started with the Cabeza del Cerdo – a pigs head set in a sort of shrine made from corn cobs, husks, etc. – set upon the head of a young man. A live rooster in a basket on a pole was also paraded up front.  The Cabeza had many ribbons attached to it, much like a May pole.  Colorfully dressed young women picked up the ribbons and danced along with the Cabeza.  Several of these processionals came by, with various ages of participants, from older men and women to children.  Then came the presentation of La Reina, or queen of the festival.  More processionals followed, all to the rhythms of the orchestra.

At one point, a shaman-like character came dancing backwards in front of the Cabeza with a maracas made from a gourd bowl with dried corn wrapped in a handkerchief.  He invoked a good planting with plenty of rain for a bountiful harvest. Then, the dancing began.  Dancers from Campeche, Merida and Yucatan (several villages) were represented, each with their regional style of dress and dance.  As you can see from
the photos, it was a very colorful and a truly magical event.  I am also certain that I was the only very tall, very white person in the crowd!  I am “una curiosa”!

And the food…. Yucatan food is wonderful.  Paco introduced me to panuchos in the first few days here. 
They are freshly fried (not greasy) small tortillas filled with relleno negro – turkey cooked in a black mole sauce – a bit of salad and fresh salsa.  Delicious!  Then there are tamales, puerco con frijol (served only on Monday’s), sopa de lima (a lime, chicken soup) and many other local specialties.  I bought a cookbook so I can make some of these treats too.

Other excursions – Paco got sick, a rare event in his hearty life, just as we planned to go to Veracruz together.  I went by myself.  Veracruz is a very old city, a native port long before the Spaniards arrived and continues to be an important port to this day. For a very long time it was the only port on the east side.  A
railroad was completed between Veracruz and Mexico  City in 1872 which caused further international
co-mingling.  Then came the wars in Europe when many Spaniards and French settled in the city.  Cuba was also in its heyday and influenced the city with music.  The local genre is called Jeracho, which uses a small harp, guitars of smaller sizes and voice.  It is a very mellow and captivating combination.  Veracruz is alive with music and dance.  The Zocolo, or main plaza is a focal point every evening.  Another influence of Spain and Cuba in this part of Mexico is Dansón, a stately ballroom dance. Each night I was in Veracruz, an
orchestra played and clubs danced the Dansón.  There are many more dances here than just salsa, and much more music than just mariachi. Music is everywhere in Veracruz.  The Zocolo is alive just about all hours of the day, but particularly at night.  It is a cacophony of sound with competing marimba bands, mariachi, jeracho and Dansón all going at the same time! Amazing!  I did get to spend a day on the Veracruz playa too, sipping cerveza and watching people under the shade of an umbrella.

I took a side trip to Xalapa (home of the jalapeno pepper). Xalapa (pronounced Halapa) has a truly world class museum of anthropology specializing in the prehispanic cultures of the region.  The state of Veracruz has been rich in culture for thousands of years.  I spent most of the day at the museum, then headed to their main plaza at observe people on a Sunday afternoon.  Sundays are a time when the families go out together, and the parks are vibrant with food booths, chatchkeh booths and street performers.  I ate the best tamal ever there – made with fresh corn and stuffed with savory chicken.  Yum!

Both Xalapa and Veracruz are University towns.  Both have a lot of diversity and culture.  Veracruz
is hot and humid, right on the Gulf.  Xalapa is 2 hours northwest of the city at the foot of the
mountains.  It is called La Ciudad de Flores.  It has a temperate climate with a profusion of flowers and evergreens.  The weather was cool and refreshing after the heat of Veracruz.  A very beautiful small
city.

I’m getting more practiced at this travelogue now.  This episode ends here with accompanying pictures. To be continued with Mexico 4.  I found out from some of you that my previous pictures were too
large.  I have resized these for better viewing.  

Enjoy!

As always, comments are welcome….

Love,


Randi 

Hi All,

As my second week begins here in hot and humid Campeche, my plans are solidifying for the rest of my adventure in Mexico.  Next week, there are several days of no school, so Paco and I will go to Veracruz and check out the sites there.  I think it will be an overnight bus ride.  We will also explore more local sites like Edzna, Ciudad Carmen and Uxmal.  There are many Mayan ruins in this area and Paco has not seen many of them except around Xphil.  Those will most likely be day trips, with maybe an overnight around Uxmal.  When I leave Campeche, I will go south and then across the peninsula then up to Isla Mujeres for a week there.  I'll fly out from Cancun to Oaxaca for a week then back to Seattle for Paco's daughter's wedding for a week, then off to Wisconsin for 3 weeks or so.  This travel bug is infectious!  I am enjoying my languid life here.  It has achieved a comfortable rhythm of school, study, several walks during the day, siestas, cervazas, comida, etc....

The other day, Paco took me to his "eglise", his "Cheers" bar.  Paco is a jovial soul.  He enjoys life to its fullest - especially the gustatorial delights.  He loves to eat and drink and does it quite well.  One of my Spanish teachers here said he is a testimony to the good Campechano food!  He is also very adventurous. 
I have no idea where he will take me next.  I just allow the experience to happen.  I know it will be interesting....

The bar was no exception.  Walking in - the floor is littered with peanut shells, the place is packed with Friday afternoon post-work working men.  There is a din of animated chatter, and a guy with a guitar strumming and singing in the back.  There are no tables available.  The place is small - only a bar with stools,  and four or five tables.  The "Madre Grande" presides, seated behind the bar taking the money.  There is a small wiry fellow behind the bar popping beer tops and making drinks as fast as he can.  There are "botanas" - snacks given free with drinks (little plates of tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, frijoles, mango, tomato and lime) flying across the countertop.  And beer.  Did I say Paco likes his beer?

I was the only woman in the place except for La Madre Grande.  I am a curiosity in this city.  My blue eyes, fair skin and white hair are definitely different than the locals.  I get a lot of stares wherever I go.  I have made it a policy for myself to greet everyone with a genuine smile and a Spanish greeting.  It does work wonders.  Paco had advised me that they won't initiate a greeting, but they will happily return it.  I have received nothing but warm greetings in return - from everyone.  In the Bar, I was greeted as the only woman AND a curiosity - and she doesn't speak much Spanish!  Mas curioso!  So, I sit on my stool next to Paco - the only gringos in the place - and this guy next to me starts a conversation.  I understand a bit more than half of what is said to me most of the time, but my mouth feels like Papageno with a padlock on it.  This guy was trying to have a conversation with me and looks hopefully to Paco for some help, but realizes he needs another tack.  Paco is wearing a "Pirates" shirt - the local baseball team here.  So, the topic is about the Pirates.

There is an interesting custom here:  people ask where are you from and then how old are you.  In the US, it would be considered rude, but here, it is the custom and a bit of a surprise at first.  Well, this guy first tells me he is 44, is married with 3 kids and a wife that he indicates with his hands as a bit wide and then slashes his throat with his finger.  I get the picture.  Then, he asks me how old I am.  I tell him, but he doesn't believe me.  I guess the climate agrees with me!  He does the usual chit chat and we get along in my stumbling Spanish and his few words of English.  He clearly does not want to go home.  He bought a pirated cd from a kid who brought in a pile of copied cd's and wants to take Paco and me for a ride in his car to listen to it.  It is thankfully time to leave.

I went out walking, looking for adventure Friday night.  In my neighborhood, there is a concert shell in a park.  That night, there was live music.  I stopped to listen a bit.  It was one of those up-beat, a bit hokey
religious services - unmistakable in its preacher style and go-go dancers for Jesus.  I walked on.  I heard music coming from one of the casas and peeked in the open door.  There was some kind of religious service going on.  About 15-20 women were sitting, singing facing a doll dressed in red velvet Mary garb.  A man was sitting outside on the sidewalk waiting for it all to end....

Mexico is a culture of babies and young children.  They are everywhere and totally doted upon.  I figured out that they have so many to extend the experience of babies as long as possible - the wonder, the preciousness, the beauty of these babies, the excitement and the unconditional of them and for them.  It is truly amazing and beautiful to watch extended families openly caring and affectionate for each family member.  We could learn a lot from them.  However, when it comes to church, that seems to remain the
women's domain.  Many men go to the services, but quite a number just hang out outside the churches, waiting for it all to end....

I have started my private lessons.  They are good - and challenging.  At the first class I was given worksheet as homework.  I struggled through a little more than half of it.  It seemed it was a final exam for College Spanish 2B without the benefit of the class! It is truly a humbling experience to learn how little I know! 
It is also interesting, as I get further into it, that language is simply a code.  The basic patterns of the code are universal. It just requires inserting the new vocabulary and some unique structures, but then voila! – all languages are similar!  I find my brain coming out with quite a bit of French and a little Italian here and there, which is confusing to the unaware to say the least!  We should all be programmable, as in The Matrix, with discrete packets of info we can just tap into at will.  Life would be easier!  Or at least communication would be.  Now, if we could only de-program violence and stupidity…..

I got a call yesterday from my last custom client before I left for Mexico.  He finally received his jacket and was thrilled.  His order created a new market for me.  He wanted an ivory brocade smoking jacket to wear for his wedding.  He painstakingly matched his fiancé’s fabric to his and then waited.  I saw it when it was partially completed – it was partially completed – it was gorgeous then. When he called me, he could not contain his excitement.  He is a tall black man with beautiful caramel colored skin (he e-mailed me pictures so I could get an idea of fit).  I knew this would be a very special piece for him as well as an opportunity to tap into the wedding market.  His wedding is May 12.  He has not shown the jacket to many people yet, not even to his fiancé.  He is going to wait for the surprise on his wedding day. He said they both may faint from the sheer beauty of each of them, but he said his mother is a nurse and that’s ok. He was really over the top in his gushing about his jacket.  He has promised pictures that I can put on my website.

It is truly amazing to be here in languid Campeche, studying Spanish and taking siestas, and still have business coming in. 
I can live with this!



More
later…. 

Hello all!    

I apologize in advance for the group e-mail, but it really is the best way for me to keep you all updated on my adventures.  I will answer any e-mails personally, should you wish to reply.  I do appreciate the mail down here.....

I arrived in Campeche last Friday night.  My journey was complete with a number of difficulties, but I
am using my own image of the sandpiper flying engaged, but detatched over the waves of chaos.  Once here, life is interesting with few challenges.  Friday night, I met up with my friend Paco who gave me a brief tour of the city, at least in that neighborhood.  The hotel I chose from the Lonely Planet guide turned out to be less of a good deal.  The hotel is in an old colonial mansion, fitted out with small cell-like rooms.  The "bathroom" was a partitioned off corner with a toilet (no seat), shower head and sink in the space of about 4 square feet.  The plumbing is all external and quite Rube Goldberg-like.  For example, the toilet flushing mechanism was a big wheel valve that you open to let in water, then shut it when it is flushed sufficiently.  The "cell" had room for a single bed and a dresser or two and a ceiling fan. It was clean, but.....  It seemed like either a prison or nunnery.  Paco saw it and said I could do better.  I did not bother to unpack.  

Saturday, I met up with Paco and his lady-friend Nora for breakfast and then we went to look  at an apartment 2 doors down from Paco.  It was a bit more than I wanted to spend, and we looked at another posada nearby that had rooms and apartments.  They were more expensive and less inviting than the first
apartment.  I took the apartment.  It is sort of like a dorm apartment with two bedrooms (the other room is available for a roommate, which I would not mind), 1 & 1/2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a terrace where the "washing machine" is - a sink and clothesline.  The bedrooms have air-conditioning, the main room has just a fan.  Did I mention that is cools down to the mid 80's here at night?  During the heat of the day it is in the mid-upper 90's with about 80% humidity.  Yes, it is sticky.

Sunday, Paco & I went shopping.  He took me to the mercado where I bought fruits and took in the local sights.  I love international markets.  Here, the local specialty is dog shark.  They are all over the market.  I have not eaten it yet, but plan to shortly.  Paco has a "familia" here - a local family that has sort of adopted him.  I got invited with him to join in a festiva for one of the "children" turned 21.  It was also for the Day of
the Child, which was yesterday.  It was a wonderful time.  Even though I cannot speak much Spanish, they were very accepting and patient with me.  The dinner featured an incredible posole - a sort of stew of 3 meats, hominy and vegetables in a savory broth.  Plenty of beer and then dancing.  The family is extended - the grandparents live there along with 2 sibling families and their children.  It is a sort of compound that has been there for 75 years.  Luis very proudly showed the place off to me and told me it's history.  I can understand more than I can speak, fortunately, but even that is totally inadequate for any kind of conversation.  But, all were very patient with me.

Monday, the Day of the Child - a holiday.  Paco took me to the university to get a schedule going for my lessons.  Then Luis picked us up and gave us a tour of the city.  Campeche is an ancient city that has never
been much of a tourist stop.  It was a port in the 1600's  and a significant city by 1741 when pirates invaded frequently.  Consequently, it was a walled city with forts at either end of it.  The city has taken great
pains to clean up the center of the city and it is very charming.  My apartment is just outside of the walls.  The city has a population of just under 200,000, and feels like a small town.  It is very walkable and Paco
has introduced me to the bus system.  The university is a 30-40 minute walk away, with an easy bus ride back.

Tuesday - today is Labor Day.  It started with a parade.  Paco thought it would be no more than an hour long, but it turned out to be 3 hours long with what seemed to be the entire population of the state of Campeche walking in it.  The governor and mayor were there, and many protest signs indicated the dissatisfaction with the corruption that is rampant all over Mexico.  
 
I am getting into the rhythm of life here.  It is slow and in keeping with the weather.  The Gulf is right here and the malacon or sea wall road is a wonderful place to walk.  Great breezes and sunsets.  My days are starting to get regulated to going out in the morning, having "dinner" about 1:30pm, a siesta, then study, an afternoon outing, study and internet, and another outing.  Not to mention at least 2 showers a day!  Today I
went to a city museum inside one of the many fort ruins (not very ruined at all).  It is small but interesting with great views of the city and sea from the roof.

That is all for now.  I am certainly getting attention here.  Paco said there are about 4 Americans here including me.  I do look different from the locals!  One of the family said he wanted to trade my eyes!  Blue
eyes, fair skin and white hair are CERTAINLY different!  I get many turned heads.  I just smile and say Buenos Dias.....

Life is a fun adventure!

More soon.

Randi