Travel Tapestry

2009-07-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

I have been back in Chicago for about two weeks now, dearly missing Mexico. Culture shock is expected when one travels to a different country, but nobody mentions how hard culture shock hits when returning back to one's homeland - and realizing things you never have before.

I will continue to put up random pictures from Mexico as I get them sorted. In the meantime, check out amandagru.tumblr.com.

Back to Chicago...

2009-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Despedida

2009-07-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

Homemade tamales...

2009-07-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Decoracion Mexicano

2009-07-02T22:34:00.001-07:00

A week's worth of bus tickets...

2009-07-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

My Last Time in Progresso

2009-07-02T22:29:00.002-07:00

2009-07-02T22:29:00.001-07:00

2009-07-02T22:28:00.001-07:00

Cuyo

2009-06-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back one of the host families offered a fellow student their beach house for the weekend. With no convincing at all, the five of us decided to pack up (I brought my disposible camera) and head to Cuyo, a quite beach town in the Carribean. Cuyo is mayan for cerro, or hill, as the town itself was built on a Mayan city. The pueblo originally had 60 people, but now is up to 2,000 - still few enough for a weekend getaway. The roads are solely sand and in the middle of town you can find local youth playing soccer.

The view from the Ria Lagartos causeway - a red lagoon highly saturated with salt

so saturated that this is me sitting on a pile of salt!

http://www.elcuyoyucatan.net/Historia.htm Espanol

http://www.elcuyoyucatan.com/ English

100 peso haircut, I love Mexico

2009-06-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

100 pesos = less than $10. That is a wash, cut, and straightening. Yeah!

2009-06-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

I was glancing at my blog the other day and realized that I had mainly highlighted my trips, my touristic outings throughout the country. While Mexico and Merida have offered me a lot of fun and entertainment, I have also been working alot with school and in the colonia Emiliano Zapata Sur, with some beautiful people. It is for this I am constantly busy, constantly tired, and lately unable to update my blog. Well, that and I am currently without my two cameras!

Initially in EZS I worked with women in a group of salud, which was created with the intention to talk about the mental illnesses that plague the community as well as nutrition and diseases. It turned into a physical health class with aerobics, dancing, and a lack of women. After others from my school in Chicago left things reshifted and I moved to the group of alimentacion, of food. This group began with some women, friends, who wanted to provide more economical food to the community. Currently the group works with the Food Bank of Merida, a NGO.

Every Tuesday women collect money from the families that qualified for this program (a strenuous process of red tape) and go to the foodbank to gather food. This is the process:

The women arrive at the community development center in the colonia where the food is dispensed. First they pay for next week; next they are given a number, this number will be their number in line to collect the food.

From there everyone waits for the food to arrive.

When the food gets in the women form an assembly line to unload the truck and divide the food into the four groups that make the one large group. Each of the four groups is a different geographical area and responsible for a certain number of families.

The food is sorted into the packets for families to buy. The families purchase these packages for 35 pesos - a great deal. It is good food, but too aged to be sold in the stores.

This is what I want for Christmas. A tricycle!

2009-05-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

I would be updating my blog today. Despite a broken camera and the fact that I left my other chiquito camera in Progresso, I finally have new pictures. Unfortunately I can't function. Too hot. 110 degrees Fahrenheit today. Can't even make complete sentences...

2009-05-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

2009-05-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

2009-05-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

las calles de mi ciudad

2009-05-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

2009-05-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I tried watching a video on youtube and was unable to because the video "is not available in the country you are in."

A different day I remembered my love for the tv show ER and tried to watch it on the website like I did in the US. Apparently you can't do that in Mexico either.

Today I tried to get music on rhapsody.com, from a German artist mind you, but it "detected that you are not in the United States" so therefore I couldn't.

Guess it's a good way to keep me off my computer and out and about in Merida.

2009-05-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

2009-05-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

The other day I spent an awesome day at the beach with my friend and his dog. Her name is Borracha (drunkard). The problem with this name is that when I am hanging out with her on the beach and my friend starts shouting "hey borracha, come here" everybody looks at me as if I am the drunk. So basically half the people in Progresso now thinks I am a drunk. Fabulous.

Borracha's first swim!

Shower Companions

2009-05-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went to the beach planning to have a day trip with my housemate and her friends because it was her birthday and last day in Merida. I had a great time and somehow did not make it back to Merida until late Monday night. At this point I was so ready to take a shower, so I rushed up to my room, tore off my clothes, opened the shower door, and found a HUGE cockroach. I was too tired to deal with it so I just went to bed and decided to shower the next day.

The next morning I woke up and was so excited to finally take my shower so I hopped in, was doing my thing, when I realized I was not alone in the shower. This little lizard had been hiding inconspicuously in the drain and deciding to come join me.

2009-05-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

my new favorite website, please check it out

2009-05-01T15:24:00.001-07:00

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

A text that I received today

2009-05-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

from my cell phone company ( a monopoly here):

"EN ESTOS DIAS DE ASUETO LAVATE LAS MANOS FRECUENTEMENTE. PERMANECE EN LA CASA. ATIENDE LAS INDICACIONES DE LA AUTORIDAD DE SALUD: GOBIERNO ESTATAL Y TELCEL."

Basically, in the days of this break wash your hands frequently. Stay in the house. Attend to the authority of health: the state government and telcel (the cell phone company).

Because, clearly, the first person I listen to in an emergency is that of the phone company.

2009-05-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

2009-05-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

What to do when there is a flu...

2009-04-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

With no school for a week and a half, no service, and now less friends as at least two girls (out of 7 of us) from my school are returning to the United States, it can sometimes get a little slow. Especially since the news of the morning is that all the businesses in Mexico are closed until Wednesday too. Therefore, with inspiration from a friend, I am learning to talk with my eyes. With the increased use of face masks here this skill could come in very handy soon. I will post when I get better at it, but here is what my and my poor computer camera have so far...

2009-04-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

So, in conclusion, it was an AWESOME trip!! Now I have the travel bug like no other and want to plan a trip to travel through Central America, and with luck, South America. If anyone is interested, just let me know...

I think that it is important to know what a country has to offer, so many people go to the beaches of Mexico but miss the beauty of Chiapas high and low lands. If you ever go to Mexico I would say it is one spot not to miss. Also, I love Belize!

2009-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

bridge to the outskirts of town

the house

"They say, old Fords never die, they just come to Belize. But Fords, Chevrolets even those hardy little Toyotas do die, eventually. We just never bury them in Belize. We leave their metal corpses to decay in the streets, or in front of our homes."

- Karla Heusner, Food for Thought, Chronicles of Belize

What I love about his is how true it is. Just driving down the road there are rusted out cars in front of several of the houses. Contrary to what one may think they are not there because they are unloved, they are there because they are greatly loved. They become part of the tour of the house, the essence. At this ranch I saw the fruit trees, the animals, the house, and of course this pick up truck, or as my guide says, "this is the truck that I learned to drive on." Poor guy.

hazelnut

star apple: purple deliciousness

i watched this juice being made!

in case you couldn't tell, this is the stove

i feel so bad for him!

so i know that some places shoes on a power line mean it's the house of a drug dealer, what the significance of shoes on a tree is i do not know...

Back to Semana Santa...

2009-04-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

So here I am in this town San Ignacio where everyone I ask what to do says "the coolest things are outside of town, take a tour." I thought about it. Actually the whole reason I went was the California chica lured me with talk of zip lining and cave tubing. Once I actually got to the town though I felt like instead of paying $100 to hang out with tourists and do stuff that is actually offered in the United States I wanted to get to know the town, really see the Belize mainland for the two days I had there.

The first day I walked along the river, through the town, and went to the "best" local bar. During the day I met up with some Canadians, Australians, and a Brit whom I went out with at night, a little extra security. I realized it was a beautiful town with colorful houses built into the hills and people relaxing with friends on every corner.

The second day I was about to do the same solo wandering when I met someone who offered to show me around town. A free tour from a local? Yes! We walked along the river where people were cooling off and passed by the jumping spot, a huge rock that rose above the river and provided the perfect platform for jumping into the water below.

After that we went back to his ranch. AWESOME. We picked all this fruits, many of which I have never seen before, straight from the tree and ate them. After walking around and seeing the land his sister cooked us a home cooked meal which showed me how self-sustaining the ranch actually is. Everything in the meal came from the ranch.

beans, tomatoes, and potato like thing - grown on the land

eggs - from chickens

orange juice - picked from a tree and fresh squeezed

water and ice - from the rain

It was incredible and shows how little you really need to be happy. A place to sleep, land, and a nearby river to dip in. As of 1989, when I was born, the ranch did not even have running water or electricity but they were doing great.

So Let's Talk About Swine...

2009-04-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

(I just happen to have these pictures from Belize)

I do not know how prevalent talk about the swine flu is in the United States or the rest of the world, but judging from NPR it is in the news quite a bit. I know in Mexico this is definitely the case. Slowly throughout the past three days talk and actions dealing with the flu have increased.

First, Saturday I began reading about it and talking with my mama here and we both agreed that my planned trip to Mexico City in May was a bad idea and not going to happen.

Then, Sunday I received 10 minute talk about the new rules in the house due to government ordinance (I think?). This is pretty serious considering I have been living here for 4 months without ever having a rule. Except one about losing keys, but that was after I had a few issues with losing my house key. Not preventative but more after the fact where I already experienced the consequences, like being locked out. Anyways, the new rule is simple and most definitely preventative: wash your hands. Wash your hand when you get home from "la calle" - the street. Wash your hands when you get to school. Wash your hands when you are going to eat. Very important too, do not touch your face or nose in between washing hands, especially when en "la calle."

Today, Monday, the actions took place. The president closed all schools in Mexico until May 6. Yes, this includes mine. For the moment I am still continuing service in the south side of the city, which I hope is possible to keep doing. When traveling there it is interesting to see all the people on the street with blue face masks. I guess that is a hot commodity now, maybe I should go to the store to get mine before they all run out...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103517402

2009-04-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

2009-04-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Belize's bus system

San Ignacio has two main bridges that for me set the scene of the peaceful town set in the hills. Each bride was one lane, the above bridge, Hawksworth Bridge, has the distinction of being the only suspension bride in the country.

this bridge has the distinction of still being in use despite some holes and janky construction

Macal River

The prime day of the local market is Saturday, where several farmers bring in a vast variety of fruits.

Nature's car wash. This is reflexive of the community's interaction with the river. All along it there were kids playing (such as those in the background), families gathered, teenagers hanging out, and most definitely swimming.

even biking through the river?

2009-04-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

After Thursday we had accomplished all we had wanted to on the island: relaxing on the beach, discovering the local hangouts, boating to Caye Caulker, and free snorkeling on a boat called "One Love" with the artistic work of a marijuana leaf on the side. (where I hugged a nurse shark and sting rays in the middle of the ocean!) Having seen a lot on the island I decided it was time to head to the mainland to a place called San Ignacio, which I had heard of the day before from a girl from California. All I really knew was that it was on the mainland and apparently pretty safe...

My friend T headed back to Merida as I boarded a cross country bus to go west into Belize into the Cayo district (Belize has 6 districts). The buses of Belize are one of the visible indicators of the poor economic situation of the country, especially in comparison to Mexico's smooth ADO bus line. In Belize City I boarded the old school bus for $3.50USD to get across the country in a 3 hour ride (which I am told is 90 minutes in a car). The bus was crowded front to back, with people spilling into the aisles. Despite the abundance of people, I stuck out as the only white passenger on the bus. It was an interesting feeling that I know several people live daily throughout the world and I am glad to have the experience. The majority of my experience was people taking turns sitting next to me and talking to me because I am different, even though Belize is a country of mixed ethnicities that live in unison. All in all I was glad to make it to San Ignacio without incident, such as the Canadians I met who had taken a similar bus where a passenger tried to stab the money collector. No worries though, it was resolved peacefully. My only problem was driving through nasty smoke that blew onto the highway from the area where the trash from Belize City is burnt. Yuck.

Once in San Ignacio I met up once more with the girl from California and found a comfortable, cheap place to stay for the night.

http://belizex.com/san_ignacio.htm

2009-04-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

outdoor bowling!

some friends from last time :)

the painting is cool, but the real ocean is way better

We went to go see the crocodile feedings that we were told happen daily at 4:30. This is where local guys tie dead chickens to ropes and drag the ropes around to draw crocodiles to the chickens and put on a show. Feeding crocodiles is illegal and has been for a while now, which has never stopped the guys from doing it. Except for the day that we went. Incidentally this was the same day the enforcers of the law came and put up a sign with the local newspaper there to watch. We recovered from our loss of a show and brightened the mood with a picture with the park enforcers and the new sign. At least we were there on a historic day!

Coconut Leo may lack teeth, but he has mad skills for climbing to the top of palm trees and doing backflips.

San Pedro is famous for its nightlife - clubs, dancing, drinking, etc. We decided to skip the crazy scene, such as lady's night at Wet Willy's, and go for some more local fun like the chicken dump. Here is how this works: Pay about 50 cents for a number, feed a chicken, put it in this numbered pen, and if the chicken takes a dump on your number you win money.

The catch: you have to clean the number first.

This goes for rounds and attracts visitors to the island and locals alike.

when I leave San Pedro it is always sad, but at the same time there is no way I could stay on an island forever..

2009-04-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

2009-04-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

2009-04-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

i wish i grew up on an ocean

2009-04-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

gotta love the sunny spot for shady people!

we took a boat over to Caye Caulker with the guys

where we found this man with a skill to make hats out of plants on the island

the cool thing about these glasses that all the boaters wear is how reflexive they are

(zoomed in) like this was a photo of the both of us! check me and my crown out in those lenses

this is "the split" - the prime swimming spot of Caye Caulker. it is at this spot that a hurricane literally ripped the island in half.

no this is not a swimming pool, just the clarity of Caribbean agua

there are three of us in this picture, thank you sun glasses

2009-04-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Caye Caulker is an thirty minute boat ride away from San Pedro. Though close in proximity, Caye Caulker has a complete different atmosphere. There are no cars, just golf carts, bicycles, and good ol' walking feet. The whole island is 5 miles long by 1 mile long. There is a split in the middle said to be made by hurricane Hattie in 1961, but debatably man made. Regardless, the split is the place to swim and where we spent most of our time. We took a boat over with some San Pedro locals and spent the day in the tranquility of the Cayes.

http://www.gocayecaulker.com

2009-04-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

San Pedro is a beautiful island (isla bonita), just ask Madonna. Unfortunately some of it is masked in between the development of hotels and resorts. We decided to venture away from the downtown of tourist shops and overpriced food to other parts of the island where people live their daily lives. We brought an artisan friend, Jorge, that we had met the night before. At the high school we found people playing music and consequently enjoyed dancing to a Selena song. Free music and dancing! From there we wandered through a few of their local grocery stores. Belize stores are the best ever. These ma and pop stores have what you need and nothing more. They are small, quaint, sometimes a bit dusty without the white atmosphere and florescent lighting of huge, overwhelming grocery stores in the states. Really, shopping in Belize is like shopping in someone's house. At times, literally. And, they have the best shampoo fragrances ever. Wandering the isles of canned food and bags of plantains made us a bit hungry so we went to a restaurant that a woman ran out of her house. Delicious home cooking for less than half the price of downtown food. Her friend's daughter would peek out at us and then hide and it became a continuous game. By the end of the meal she was brave enough to come poke me and run away laughing. After the good meal we set out once more and met a local artisan in his studio. His vibrant paintings reflected the bright attitude of the island, despite being a country plagued by the repercussions of years of colonization.

To me this backside of the island is the most beautiful part. It is too bad that many people who visit will never get to see it.

San Pedro

2009-04-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

street view

my favorite - beachfront

so I already know that I will have sooo many pictures of Belize up just because it makes me oh so very happy - beautiful beaches, beautiful people, my kind of life

one of our first friends on the island was Max - this cuddly little raccoon who just nestles up to you. we stole him from a kid on a pink bike who kept trying to sell us jewelry.

well, first he tickles a lot

one of my favorite things about Belize is the signs. it shows the loving and communal sense of the country. on our way in we passed places such as "frienship fastfood" who wouldn't want friendship with their food? Look here, this person will do fishing, or ANYTHING. that is going above and beyond for sure

read the news while it's HOT - saucy sign for a newspaper

2009-04-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

It was incredible to see the cascadas, rios, y selva de Chiapas, but that was only the beginning of my 11 day adventure. As my friend returned to Merida I took an overnight bus to reunite with Tenille, a girl from my Chicago university. Together we left the border town of Chetumal, Mexico, and took a van labeled "tourist" to San Pedro Island, Belize via Belize City. We intended to go through Corozal, but a friendly salt and peppered hair woman from Belize let us know that we missed that town long ago. This allowed us to see more of the country as we shared crackers and stories with the woman . We arrived in Belize City and took the 1 and 1/2 hour ferry to the island. It was a dramatic change from the jungle where there were trees as far as one could see to a flat horizon of clear blue Caribbean water.

Here is a geographical reference for those who, like my mother, do not know where Belize is or that it is even a country. Belize lies below Mexico and to the east of Guatemala. This gives it a huge variety of culture as the national language of Belize is English, but several languages from Creole to Spanish are spoken throughout the country. The islands I went to are up north right under the peninsula dropping down from Mexico.

Palenque - the town

2009-04-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

"clean street" thank you for not throwing trash

2009-04-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Getting close to Agua Azul it is easy to see Zapatista influence, whether real or of teenagers wanted to make their statement. Ocosingo (town painted over) saw some of the worst fighting in the 1994 rebellion, with 50 rebels being shot to death by military forces.

Now I don't want to be butchering the Zapatista ideology from an outside perspective, so here are some sites to check out for more info

www.ezln.org.mx

chiapas.mediosindependientes.org

Watching the power of attraction of watering holes is a great reminder that despite all our technology and structure we are still just animals with basic needs - like staying cool. Nothing fulfills that need or brings people together like nature's water and beauty.

Note the scar on my stomach. It came in handy in Belize where everyone that I met thinks that it is a stab wound. Badass, don't mess with me points right there.

Tasty empanadas 3 for 10 pesos!

Agua Azul - "Blue Water"

2009-04-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Layers of water plummeting down on more layers of water, plummeting down upon more layers of water...

These falls started higher than I could see and were wide along the belt right before they pounded into a tranquil pool of water where Mexican families (whose license plates suggested were from neighboring states of Tabasco and Oaxaca) enjoyed the cooling feel of the water on the hot day. The water itself was marbled with clear blue and a light brown, where the mud was stirred up with the crystal water.

Climbing up along the side of the water the noise got louder and louder while never becoming overwhelming. The further we climbed the less people we encountered and the more serene the atmosphere became as we found little falls nestled in between trees that allowed only speckles of light through. These little falls will soon reach the thundering drop of water below, but for the time being there was nothing but tranquility.

Driving

2009-04-25T17:29:00.001-07:00

Driving through Chiapas is an experience like none other. The scenery changes in mere seconds from patches of corn to patches of palm trees. There are also large forests that hug the road that curves up throughout the foothills. Overall, it is not this picturesque landscape that makes the drive, it is the unique personality of the people that you encounter on the way.

The moment that we crossed the border into Chiapas from Tabasco, another state in Mexico, we were stopped by the Mexican military taking anti-rebellion precautions. "Where are you from?" "Why are you here?" "What is your occupation?" (except in spanish, of course) as others used a flashlight to look in and under the car.

The military did not hold all of the roadblocks on the road, as signs reminded us that we were in Zapatista territory and families reminded us of the poverty that promoted the rebellion to begin with. Families, including children as young as 4 or 5, held up ropes to prevent cars from passing. The car was surrounded by a steep hill going up on one side, a drop on the other, and the rope in front. 5 pesos to pass. 1 peso extra (less than 10 cents) made a child smile. They all also had goods to sell - coconuts, fruits, corn, etc. Over time we watched others and learn that the blocks were not harmful and if you just didn't stop and speed up the ropes were lowered. Still you can't help but wonder is this the future we are giving these children? Why are they blocking roads instead of attending schools?

patch of palm trees. i also like how the crops in the back somewhat resemble a mushroom, especially since it is Palenque where even the lonely planet travel's guide feels the need to caution that the mushrooms that people sell on the road are "the hallucinogenic variety"

along the way there were several houses hidden in the brush

we stopped to buy a coconut from one child and ended up with about five swarming the car, practically inside the car, who had "the best" coconut to sell. once realizing we were only buying one they decided they just wanted us to give them pesos.

stands of home-made Maya clothing and artisans were scattered along the drive

2009-04-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Misol Ha

2009-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Misol-Ha, "streaming water" is a magnificent waterfall named after the river that feeds it. The water streams over a ledge that looks like the edge of the world, the land just stops leaving massive roots dangling down from ancient trees. The water crashes down the 35 meter (120 feet) drop into the calm pool of water below. From this pool I looked up and saw the great open sky with waterdrops sprinkling down from the roots, the life, of trees above. Fluttering yellow leaves intermingled with the waterdrops, falling from the heights of the trees.

2009-04-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Palenque (noun): clearly the place to be for Semana Santa, which is why all the rooms in town, including campgrounds, were booked

which is how we got to stay in this lovely hotel our first night there

Conversation before I saw the room:

Constantino: "It's like a movie"

Me: "A good movie?"

"A Mexican movie"

Palenque (noun): a selva (jungle) town in Chiapas which holds significant Maya ruins (called Palenque but thought to have the Maya name of Lakamha or "big water") and with close proximity to large waterfalls.

our simple cabana overlooked this lovely swamp - a step up from the first hotel, except for that the campground lacked running water for a day. Luckily you don't need to shower in the jungle and the scenery was awesome!

Chiapas

2009-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

My trip began in the lowlands of Chiapas, the most southern state of Mexico. For me Chiapas is a spiritual place with beautiful scenery from the jungle of the lowlands to the mystic of the mountains. The people of Chiapas are beautiful and show an amazing resilience to the political problems that they face. Chiapas has the second largest indigenous population in Mexico and several different cultures with varying languages, customs, and clothing coincide within this state. Traditional lifestyle prevails in Chiapas with many indigenous communities relying on sustainable farming, at times without electricity or water. It is incredible to experience, but at the same time I am troubled on how tourism and my small part in it effects the community. Discrimination of indigenous populations in the region led to the Zapatista rebellion which began in Chiapas as the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion National (EZLN) stood up to demand better conditions for indigenous populations, highlighting the history of inequality and lack of power. Their first act was taking over several towns in Chiapas on January 1, 1994, the day that NAFTA began. Several days later this ended through conflict with the Mexican Army. Evidence of this rebellion continues to exist to this day. Even traveling through Chiapas we passed military checkpoints where the officials actually asked us questions about why we came, from where, occupation, etc. while checking out the car. Likewise, EZLN signs were everywhere.

Roadtrip

2009-04-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

we passed so much different scenery going from the city to the jungle, that I had to take pictures

even when it just felt like I was in Iowa again

2009-04-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Semana Santa

2009-04-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

Spring Break is a little different in Mexico. All of the schools have off the same weeks, Semana Santa and the following week. Two weeks! I was so excited and kept wondering where to go and how to get there - Oaxaca, Caribe, D.F., bus, plane, hitchhicking, or even enjoying Merida sin school. In the end, I decided to do a little of everything. I spent a large part of the first week spending time with friends in Merida. Many are from the north of Mexico and Mexico City, so its kind of like going there in the sense that a taste of the city came to me. From there my plan is a roadtrip with my friend to the jungles and cascades of Palenque, Chiapas. After that I am busing solo to Chetumal, Mexico where I´m hoping to meet up with a friend from my school and boat on over to Belize to enjoy some Carribean life with a friend I met there last time. Hasta luego!

THE FREEZER:

2009-04-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

2009-04-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Edgar and his awesome jewelry.

Mi Mama

2009-04-07T19:34:00.001-07:00

Another adventure in Progresso

2009-04-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

Thursday started my Spring Break so to celebrate my friend and I went to the beach to hang out, take photos, and meet some new people.

Perfect pose! At first I thought he was a mannequin, but nope, just another man enjoying retirement.

Games at EZS

2009-04-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

2009-04-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Progresso from a different point of view

2009-04-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

When Melody was here we went to Progresso, the closest beach to Merida. We found ourselves joining a family outing/ drum circle of which Melody has some awesome pictures. I have awesome pictures too, but most are not mine. I gave my camera to a younger girl who took pictures from her perspective all day. To the left is the little girl.

here you have my torso, which is clearly more accessible than the top of my head

note how they are looking down into the camera

melody is dancing away...

self portrait

Here we go again...

2009-04-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I was lucky enough to have Melody come down. It was so nice to have someone visit from home. Last year for spring break we did SPRING BREAK in South Padre Island, Texas, so this year we calmed it down and did ruins and beaches - still quite the adventure.

The first place we went to is the local city and cenote of Dzibilchaltun. This city flourished from 1500 BC to about 1540 when the Spanish conquered the Yucatan. We climbed the ruins and cooled off in the cenote. It is getting hot in the Yucatan.

A few days later we headed to the Carribean to the city of Tulum. Here we stayed in an awesome hostel - Casa del Sol - where we slept in this lovely cabana and spent our days in the hammocks.

My first time sleeping with a mosquito net!

The day we went to the beach was a sand storm!!

We went to Coba, just a short journey away from Tulum. Coba was an earlier city than those such as Tulum and Chichen Itza, peaking at AD 800. The architecture is similar that to sites in Guatemala and the surroundings are breathtaking as they are inset into the jungle. These stones remind me how easy and natural communication can be - just two large rocks in the middle of a jungle with carvings.

transportation

To get around we rented bikes and rode along the sacbes (Maya for stone-paved avenue).

We ended the trip on a good note - Melody's first time eating pescado frito! Clearly it was fresh.

21 de marzo - Equinoccio de Primavera

2009-04-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

For the spring solstice my friend Nadia and I ventured to Chichen Itza. This is the decor of where we stayed - Piramide Inn in Piste, Mexico - the closest town to the Ruins of Chichen Itza

It is probably the only place I know of where a massive pile of rocks in the back is accepted as decoration, because "these remains of an ancient maya burial pyramid of chichen itza rulers contained columns & stairs" Where the columns and stairs are now, I do not know.

Our room was an outdoor palapa where we hung our hammocks - for 50 pesos (less than $5 USD) who can complain? We had full use of the banos, pool, and a place to leave our bags.

rum and coke already mixed - brilliant

We went to an all-night reggae festival that lasted from 8pm to 6am in the Piste baseball field, conveniently across the street from our hotel. We knew it would be a great festival the moment we boarded the bus to Piste alongside a group of street-performers who held a concert on the bus. This is the reason to take second class buses in Mexico - so much more interesting. True to our instincts, the festival was one huge dance party until early dawn came, the music stopped and the crowd began fire twirling

After the dancing/ mosh pit in the dirt my brand new brilliantly white shirt was a different color

Here is the baseball-field the morning after the party - I am amazed at how fast it was cleaned up!

The big event at Chichen Itza was around 3 pm when, thanks to Maya brilliancy, the light hits the piramide in just the right way to show a snake crawling down. This only occurs twice in the year - the two equinoxes. Unfortunately it was cloudy this day so the view was not too great.

We traveled with the Jamaican reggae band Black Star (headliner of the festival), for some people this was more of an attraction than the snake as strangers wanted pictures with the guys

It was still a spiritual event that drew people from across the world and brought them together, reminding us of how interconnected we all are.

2009-03-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on the blog like crazy, and for this I apologize. However, in the meantime I have been off having adventuring in all-night Mexican reggae festivals, spring equinox in a world wonder, and hanging with the hippies. Pictures are soon to follow... to subdue the excitement here is a photograph of Merida. No matter where my travels take me it is always nice to come back to a colorful city which I know and am coming to love.

2009-03-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

"Oaxaca en Merida" Oaxaca is another state in Mexico very different from the Yucatan. Please remember that Mexico is a country similar to the United States in that there are several states and regions, each with very distinct identities. Oaxaca has some special cuisines such as mole, queso, y chapulines. These are chapulines, which I had to try and were delicious! Chapulines in english? Grasshoppers.

Fuego Hombre

2009-03-17T02:48:00.001-07:00

A friend works at a cafe that I frequent often. Not only that, but on the side he takes photos, goes to school, oh, and throws fire. He gave us a personal show one night.

2009-03-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

The cool cats I spend Wednesdays and Thursdays with... I work mostly with their mothers, but always find time to play too.

Celestun

2009-03-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

We went to Parque Natural del Flamenco Mexicana (Celestun Biosphere Reserve) and saw the hundreds of flamingos that flock there every year. The flamingos here are some of the pinkest in the world due to large levels of carotene in the water. Flamingos are born white and in about a year and a half pick up the pink shades from the carotene and food.

met a nice man dragging a net for crabs

our boat took a sharp turn and we were suddenly engulfed in mangroves

inside the mangroves is this freshwater hole - ojo agua- where we jumped in for a swim. When you slap the water it fizzes from all the minerals in it - awesome!

Blowing in the Breeze

2009-03-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Arg! Pirata por un dia.

2009-03-08T21:15:00.001-07:00

So we like Campeche so much we decided we needed to go back and explore the city through its history... by being pirates. We brought some rum, du-rags, and the desire to explore. We stayed at the Monkey Hostel, which has a beautiful rooftop balcony from which we watched the brilliant sunrise and stood in awe of the colorful buildings.

getting around was easy on the bikes that we rented

Ciudad de Tres Culturas

2009-03-08T20:58:00.001-07:00

Izamal

There are 17 towns in Mexico that the government has deemed 'magical' and this is one of them. The entire town is painted yellow and incorporates three cultures - Maya, colonial, and present day. It is called the city of hills and is nestled in the center of the Yucatan Penninsula, thought to be the oldest city in the Yucatan. Maya temples are settled in between modern houses and buildings throughout the city. The best way to see this is through a tour in a horse carriage. Another claim to fame of Izamal is the 1993 visit of Pope John Paul.

This is the Fanciscan convent from when the Spaniards conquered Izamal and rushed to convert the population to Catholicism. The convent is built over a Maya temple, using the stones from the temple for the structure. They destroyed more than the temple as the monk Fray Diego de Landa who burned all indigenous scripts. Later he attempted to rewrite what he could of the Maya.

Palenque + Campeche, the grand finale

2009-03-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

On a morning walk in the rain we noticed the peculiarity of walking down to your house from the sidewalk.

Driving along the roads the scene changed within an hour from the rainy selva (jungle) of Palenque to the clear skies of Campeche, capital of the Mexican state of Campeche.

The town square was beautiful and all the houses are painted bright yellows, greens, purples, and more. The colors stand vivid in the clean calles of Campeche.

Campeche was pillaged by pirates and built a wall and forts to protect the town. Parts still remain to see today and imagine what life would have been like in the 1600s for this important port city.

Carnaval was still going on so Nadia and I had fun with the live band and body paint. We were the only white people there and children would dare each other to go up and splash paint on us. We left Carnaval looking alot different than when we arrived. It was a fantastic ending to a trip that had it all - mountains, pirates, Maya from the past and present, and body paint accompanied by large cervezas!

San Cristobal

2009-03-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

The next day the landscape changed dramatically as we travelled into the highlands of Chiapas. Driving at sunset we were able to see the brilliance of the red rocks in the mountains, illuminated by the departing sun.

On our way to San Cristobal de Las Casas we stopped at the side of the road for food. The pescado frito (fried fish) was INCREDIBLE. The area is fascinating, there are the bluest rivers and the grandest trees. People are not as used to tourists and people would ask to take pictures with us.

San Cristobal de Las Casas is a gorgeous town that I could definitely live in. The colorful houses are settled in the mountains and the streets are lively with vendors, musicians, and dancers. Our favorite place was Cafe Revolucion, where live music plays every night. We danced to live salsa music and when the band was finished went across the street for live reggae. Amazing! Despite all the available activities the town is incredibly tranquil, only open to tourism a few years ago. Also the area is where the Zapatista movement in Mexico started in 1994 when San Cristobal was taken over by Zapatists.

During the day we visited the nearby pueblos of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. These are indigenous villages that have become tourist attractions as of the past few years. They are in an interesting place given this transition of maintaining traditional with incorporating tourism. The people of San Juan Chamula have come together to forbid taking pictures there. This is not enforced by Mexican police because the town voted against having them, instead it is enforced by local town members.

The church in San Juan Chamula is incredible. It has no pews, instead a tile floor with scattered pines filing the church with an earthy scent. Altars are all around and families come to church together to sit on the floor. They bring chickens to sacrifice and it is common to see people eating or drinking together (yes, even alcohol). When we walked in a three man band was playing upbeat music as the families lit hundreds of candles, illuminating the inside of the church while sending a blessing to the heavens. The church is a fusion of Maya beliefs and Catholicism brought over by the Spaniards.

While we were there carnaval was going on and many people were dressed in ornate costumes dancing traditional dances, not for tourists, but for themselves. Visiting these offset towns in the mountains was truly a spiritual experience I am so glad to have, but I cannot help but feel a bit guilty for contributing to the zoo-like tourism that is taking over the towns, visiting to look at the "different" people. I wonder what they will be like in 15-20 years as Lonely Planet and others start picking up more on them.

Back in San Cristobal we saw this set of stairs during a morning walk. We knew we had to get to the top, so with very labored breathing we climbed our way up.

The view was totally worth it.

Driving out of Chiapas we were in the clouds, presenting a mystic fog for the one of a kind trip.

The Trip to Chiapas Begins...

2009-03-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we visited Chiapas, another state of Mexico. It is about a thirteen hour drive in total, but as I would find out it is totally worth ever hour on the bus. Especially when you have a bus as cool as ours - look at the two doors!

the scenery throughout the trip changed dramatically and was incredible the entire way, even when it slightly resembled Iowa

The first town we stayed at was a pit stop - Villahermosa "beautiful city". We had an awesome rooftop pool though where we spent the evening after dinner. The city itself is pretty interesting too. In 2007 a huge flood hit and most of it was under water. The fact that the whole city is open now shows its strength. It is more "Mexican" than Merida however and we were told to not really go out or to go far. We had to see the city though and ended up eating at a taco stand in the market.

we also hit up a local club

The next day we went to La Venta museum/ park. It has stones from the Olmec, a Pre-Columbian people, as well as animals. The entire park is outdoors and has a jungle essence to it.

after that night we hit the road again for more scenery and awesome views to come

HEY CENOTE

2009-02-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Cuzama, a town famous for its three cenotes. I went with two friends knowing only the street corner in Merida where to catch the bus. Little did I know that the Cuzama bus does not actually make a pronounced stop in Cuzama so it is easy to get carried off to the small neighboring town. I learned that through experience. We asked how to get back to Cuzama and the answer was simple - by taxi. The taxi? A tricycle design with a bench on it. If lucky it was a motorized bike, if not then it was 100% manpower.

From there we were taken to "the cenote" - or a cenote out in the middle of nowhere. Basically, a huge black hole in the ground with bats flying out and back in. Naturally we had to go in to explore and we found clear blue water in a mystical underground land. However, it was as clear as the water that this is not one of the three cenotes of Cuzama that we came to see. We climbed the rope back up to land and caught another taxi.

protection

This taxi peddled us to Cuzama where he said we needed to get off and get on another taxi to go to the cenotes. The driver peddled the 300+ pounds that we consist of up and down little hills for 5 kilometers until we arrived at the horse that would take us to the cenotes. The horse pulled a wagon that ran on a miniature track. Galloping, it brought us to the three distinctly different cenotes where we descended into the crystal clear water that once quenched the thirst of the maya and continue to serve as brilliant swimming grounds.

transportation

so there is one track and two directions that horse wagons come from...

CENOTE 1

CENOTE 2

CENOTE 3

So About Valentines Day...

2009-02-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

Steph and I went on an awesome date to the Museum of Anthropology. We explored the small, but intense building and the large quantity of Maya artifacts within. After that we had tea at our usual cafe, El Hoyo "the hole", and went on to dinner at Cafe Chocolate. It was delicious! To cap off the night we went to Noche Mexicana at the end of Paseo Montejo, a classic street lined with mansions and trees.

2009-02-15T22:01:00.000-08:00

even the birds were enjoying Valentines Day

UXMAL: "oosh-mahl"

2009-02-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Uxmal is a Maya city in the Yucatan. It is a BEAUTIFUL post-Columbian city placed in the only hills throughout the flat land of the Yucatan. The problem at Uxmal was a lack of water supply so there were some innovative methods to get water and great care for Chac, the god of rain.

Futbol

2009-02-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today after EZS we went to a shady bar by the bus stop to watch the soccer game between the United States and Mexico. For the first goal that the US scored a guy at the table next to us was so angry he dropped his glass and it hit the floor with a bang as glass shattered everywhere. They weren't too happy about the second goal either...

Fiesta en la Escuela

2009-02-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

The other day we went to school an hour earlier for tutoring. After that we had class, but the teachers surprised everyone who has a birthday during the time here with a fiesta! There was cake and music at 9 am, what more could we ask for?

my teacher

Facultad de Anthropologia

2009-02-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Today Stephanie and I had an archaeology student from our University (UADY) take us to the Department of Anthropology of the University. We thought this would be close to the Merida, but it turned out to be a twenty to thirty minute bus ride from our school. We passed the outer suburbs into dry grassy/cactusy fields.

The school is beautiful. Built about four years ago it is accompanied by a massive social sciences library. Both buildings are designed to resemble Maya temples... so awesome! Just these two giant structures in the middle of nowhere hosting several artifacts from major dig sites throughout the Yucatan and to hundreds of anthropology books.

We received a tour of the facilities and saw boxes of artifacts of bones, rock, and much more covered in dirt. Some of the boxes in the laboratory even said para National Geographic. I am in love!

the bus stop at the school

a peek inside the lab where they organize and photograph artifacts

National Geographic! Enough said. Almost, they had rooms of boxes of human remains and other artifacts from ruins in the Yucatan

the library

2009-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

2009-02-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

On Monday I went running with a friend at this awesome outdoor sports complex Merida has. It has a regular track and stadium, tennis courts, a weight room, racquetball, soccer field, swimming pool, long jump, several basketball courts under a HUGE roof, workout machines minus the machine because they use your own body weight (ingenious on so many levels!), and a huge dirt track (800m +) enclosing it all. This is all free and open to the public - amazing!

The stadium stands strong in colonial style - pictures to come

2009-02-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Picasso

2009-02-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

Today I went to el centro (downtown) where the streets were full of dancers, artisans, and food vendors. I walked through the crowds and strong smell of cinnamon churros to the Olimpio Cultural Center, a massive white building which holds several activities in Merida. Until March it is currently home to a collection of Picasso sketches and lithographs that are open to the public... for free!! His transformation to cubism was incredible to see throughout the sketches. Also, I am in awe of all that Merida offers.

2009-02-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Belize

2009-02-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

home sweet home for a night... i finally got to stay in a yellow house!

Last weekend a few people from the group and I took a trip to Belize. It is a five hour bus ride to Chetumal, a Mexican border town. We arrived there at 5 am and took a cab to the border, walked the border, and hopped on a bus that we hoped would take us to the ferry we needed from the Belize town of Corozal. Luckily it did and we boarded the ferry to San Pedro Island, the inspiration of Madonna's song La Isla Bonita ("Last night I dreamt of San Pedro...") All I know is that I am definitely a Caribbean kind of girl.

we arrived to take the ferry at about 6am on a foggy morning where the horizon did not seem to exist

the local beer - Belikin

the next night we went to Caye Caulker, a nearby island that has no cars or paved roads. so, the weather wasn't perfect, it was still so relaxing and worth visiting. it is cheaper than San Pedro, less touristy, and was split in half by a hurricane, leaving a fantastic swimming hole.

Yummy, Messy Mango

2009-02-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

I've had mango before, and I really like it. Until yesterday though I had not ever had a mango that was not already cut. Little did I know you had to slice a part off, scoop up the fruit with a spoon; slice another part off and repeat. After that you are left with the center, a hard core. Peel this and then eat around the core. All I know is that it was a mess and my mom here laughed at me, she thought I needed a picture to show my mom at home.

El Caribe: Dia Tres

2009-02-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

One member of the group has a guidebook that lists the top 10 things to do in the Yucatan. We have already done several of the things. One that we hadn't done yet was watched the sunrise from Isla Mujeres, so we woke up super early to watch it. It was a beautiful morning, except for the massive clouds tat blocked the sunrise!

However we did find an Indiana Jones truck! Liscense plate Belize, which is next weekend!

driving out of Cancun we went through the backside, the more unseen side where the people who work at all the fancy hotels live

from there we went through Valladolid again and I bought this awesome pair of leather sandals. this is where the cattle are raised and products are made to be sent to touristy spots to be sold for 5x more than what I paid ($10 USD). the soles are made of tires!!

the process of making them is as cool as the sandals

we then went to climb the ruins of Ek'Balam

this is a respected tree of the Maya

El Caribe: Dos

2009-01-27T22:31:00.001-08:00

The second day we drove to Tulum, Mayan ruins on the Caribbean - best of both worlds

there were lizards all over just bathing in the sun

after Tulum we drove through the nastiness of Cancun and took a ferry over to Isla Mujeres where our hotel was

and they loved us

El Caribe: La Primera Dia

2009-01-26T22:30:00.001-08:00

This weekend we went to the Caribbean as a group for sun, ruins, and el mar. The first day we visited Chichen Itza, an old Mayan city and one of the new seven wonders of the world. There is a huge temple, an observatory, game field, cenote, and more. As if that is not cool enough, on March 21 (spring solstice) the light hits the large temple just right, allowing the shadow of a snake to creep down and back up the temple, completed by a snake head made of stone that adorns the temple. Who will be there to watch this? Me and about 45,000 other people.

the crew

the main attraction

the observatory to track the stars, especially since in Mayan theory the Earth does not move

the cenote within the city where the Mayans would get intoxicated by and then throw people into as sacrifices, or so scholars say

along the way there were definitely goods for tourists, hammacas as always

we stopped at the Ikil cenote near the ruins for a quick dip and a high jump

(photo courtesy of Stephanie as my memory card decided to quite working)

after Chichen Itza we stayed in a colonial town called Valladolid

the hotel had an awesome view from a large balcony. not only that, but it also had a restaurant where they made the best guacamole right at the table. delicious!

little did we know of the festival going on - much like the Iowa State Fair

or of the parade that would take us there straight from the plaza at the front door of the hotel

there were so many rides ranging from 4 different bumper car stations to a roller coaster

not to mention the mechanical bull that Nadia braved

the food was awesome

For now I am just throwing pics up, but once I have time to sort out and edit you bet there will be more and awesomer pics up!

Mercurocromo

2009-01-26T22:12:00.000-08:00

Today I got band-aids. They are the kind with an antiseptic right on them to disinfect the cut, like neosporin. These, however, are not neosporin. They have mercurocromo, a chemical that has been unapproved by the FDA and is unavailable in the U.S. I guess it has mercury in it and they are not sure if it is enough to be harmful or not. I'm kind of like a test subject...

lavanderia

2009-01-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

So I just got my laundry done for the first time. If you're like me when I read "laundry mat" in the orientation packet you might assume this means I go to a place, put my clothes in the washer, sit and wait, maybe have ice cream, put them in the dryer, and leave. You would be wrong.

"Doing laundry" means taking my clothes to the lavanderia (which like so many things previously posted has an accent that I don't know how to insert) and drop it off with a guy who at first appears to be a girl given his slim figure, long hair, and that he wears more mascara than me, and then pick it up the next day. In my case I picked up my laundry as well as a few accidental pieces of someone else's laundry, someone else who had a few pieces of mine. That is how I do laundry, all for under $5 USD. The perk? Not doing my own laundry and the awesome scent that Mexican laundry has. So great!

out with the old, in with the young

2009-01-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

So I thought that it wouldn't be as exciting to be in another country for inauguration, especially after witnessing firsthand the excitement built up for Obama in Chicago throughout the election. I could not have been more wrong. It is awesome to see the enthusiasm for Obama in Mexico and other countries throughout the world. The newspaper is jam packed with articles of Obama and more importantly, people here speak highly of our new president and have high hopes for what is to come.

After writing this post I went to the center where I encountered a group that is actively against Bush and his pro-war policies...

(the bloody hatchet says Irak)

Ruinas, Cenotes - just the beginning

2009-01-19T13:37:00.001-08:00

Saturday was a day trip to Dzibilchaltun, a site of Mayan ruins close to where I live. The ruins there are nothing compared with what is coming up in future, but are awing nonetheless. There was also one cenote. The Yucatan does not have many lakes or rivers running on the surface, but underneath there are several cenotes (underground lakes and rivers). They have the bluest water and are inviting to swim in.

After the ruins, we tried to get to the beach and catch a ride in the back of a truck, but were unable to get all the way to the beach. After an hour of waiting for a bus we went back to Merida to reward our great day with dinner in the market and drinks at a cafe.

so i LOVE my wide-angle lens, hands down the best christmas present ever

house of seven dolls, but i can assure you it took more than seven stairs to get there

my underwater camera definitely rivels the lens as the best present ever

the other ruins that we sat by forever waiting for the bus - i'm pretty sure the mayan ruins were better preserved as this probably had a roof at one point

accessories for lunch; today and every other

the crew

Feliz Cumpleanos

2009-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Thursday was Tiffany's birthday, so we definitely all had to go out and celebrate DePaul style. We went to her host family's house for cake, out to dinner as a large group, and then topped the night off with dance party at Tequila, a disco near my house. We danced for hours and definitely lived up to the name of the club ;)

me and the birthday girl! (oh, and steve in the background)

at the restaurant - tourist, what?!

Cafe Maya...

2009-01-19T13:10:00.001-08:00

... probably the greatest idea that coffee has ever seen! Not to mention the perfect way to top of a night at Merida en Domingo. Here is the deal: a glass rimmed with an orange and sugar then filled with coffee, kahlua, and ice cream. The process of putting it together incoporates an eight minute show with fire, ohs and ahhs, and much deliciousness.

for some reason this is so Arabian nights

the final product

baile en la calle

2009-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

Merida has several festivals throughout the week, several of which contain dancing of all sorts. I have seen dancing Yucatecan, Spanish, Mexican, Native, etc. Additionally, there is a festival going on for the month of January that has free events of the arts. There are street perfomances, theater, and so much more available -for free! The other day I went to see a comedy. I'm not quite sure everything that was said, but it was still hilarious! The body language in theater says it all. As if that is not enough, the museum of contemporary art has an exhibit of Picasso until March.

Every Sunday Merida has a festival called Merida en Domingo with tons of food, craft vendors, and most certainly dancing. The streets are blocked off and become filled with dancers moving to the beats of live bands.

making my mom proud, helado mexicana

The festivals also allow the youth to speak out. This was a group singing songs and calling for an end to the Gaza/Israel issue and anyone was free to light a candle.