A Very Long Update

This is gonna be a long post, folks, so pour yourself a tall one and settle in.

We (Senor B, myself and our friends Dave and Marny) arrived to Cancun on Oct 30th after an uneventful flight. We were an hour late leaving but the pilot put the pedal to the metal and, combined with a strong tail wind, we arrived only 20 minutes behind schedule.

Senor B had booked a van to take us, and our luggage, to a quaint boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen called The Aventura Mexicana* where we spent 3 nights.

The first day there we shopped along Fifth Avenue. Marny got her hair braided and got a henna tattoo. I passed on both. Eventually, we ended up at Senor Frog's* and had a blast there.

The second day we went to Xel-Ha.* The weather was cool and rainy in the morning but by noon it was warmer and sunny.

The next day saw us switching to Kin-Ha Villas* in Cancun. We got another van to take us there. Marny ended up being sick enough to see a doctor which the receptionist at Aventura was kind enough to call. Our friends were amazed that doctors here make house calls. Poor Marny ended up having bronchitis. On the way to the other hotel, our van driver stopped at a couple of pharmacies so she could fill her scripts and went in with Dave to translate and to make sure everything was good.

We spent that day just relaxing at the hotel so Marny could rest up. The next day we went to Isla Mujeres. We rented a golf cart and went motoring around. We stopped for lunch at the little restaurant at the south end and then made our way back to the ferry. We had brought bathing suits in case we went to the beach but we all decided to pass on it.

We had planned on doing the pirate ship excursion in the evening but we had a big mixup with the bus getting back to our hotel and got back too late to be able to go. It was just as well. Some wet weather moved in and Marny still wasn't feeling well. The wet and the wind wouldn't have been good for her so it was just was well that we were late.

The next day, we left for Progreso, stopping at Chichen Itza* on the way. We pulled into Progreso late in the afternoon, stopped to get groceries and then went the condo. Aaahh...home sweet home!

The following day was the Blogger's Conference.* Before leaving Canada, I had Google Earthed the street view from the Autoprogreso station to where the conference was. It was within walking distance and I had no problems.

The next day was Sunday in Merida. Several streets around the big square (Grand Plaza?) near the bus depot are closed to traffic to allow people to walk around. There are many vendors, both food and handicrafts, around the square. We ate street food and I introduced Marny to churros, which she loved. I wanted to take her to the big market, Mercado de Galveraz (?) but I couldn't find it. By this time it was late and we were tired so we decided to go home.

Monday we had a down day and just chilled at home. That night we went to Le Saint Bonnet* for supper. It was ok. Not great but ok.

Tuesday we went to Uxmal* and spent a great day there. We also stayed for the light show which was pretty spectacular. Senor B had booked a room at the Hacienda Uxmal but when we went to check in, they sent us to the sister hotel, The Lodge at Uxmal*. We got a free upgrade which was pretty cool.

Las Grutas de Loltun* was our destination the next day. Of course, Senor B didn't ask for directions before leaving Uxmal and he turned left instead of right. We drove and drove and drove and ended up on a one lane back road. We finally found someone to ask where the caves were and discovered that we had gone the wrong way. We'd gone a long way so it was a very long way back to the caves.

It was late by the time we got back to Progreso so we got pizza at Domino's. There was a hair salon across the street so I stopped in to buy some shampoo and conditioner. I had forgotten mine at home. Can you believe it? A hairdresser and I forgot the most important thing a woman needs! I did have a travel pack of curly-hair products that my boss had picked up and wanted me to try, so I had brought that to try in Mexico's much more humid climate. Still, there wasn't enough there to last me 5 weeks with this mop of hair that I have.

Thursday our neighbour, Liz, took me and Marny in to Merida to do some shopping. Marny has a good eye for decorating and I wanted her to help me add some flourishes to the condo. She gave me some ideas and, as much as I hate shopping, I did manage to spend some money. Got some new lamps and a big floor vase with some stick things in it for the living room. Also new placemats for the kitchen table. We stopped at the store that made our bedroom furniture and I ordered a mirror. I didn't like the ones they had there so I'm having one custom made. I'm just waiting for a quote.

For supper, we took our friends to Flamingos for their last supper here. It's my favourite place to eat. I had my usual there...Yucatecan chicken. It was as yummy as ever. Theirs is the best of any I've had. Everyone had a good meal and I was happy about that. Marny was having a hard time finding things that she liked.

Friday we took Dave and Marny back to Cancun to catch their flight. It was an early day and a long one. We returned the van we had rented for this past week and rode back on the ADO Platina.* Senor B had planned out how to get from Cancun to Merida but he hadn't figured out how to get us from Merida to Progreso. A guy at the ADO station showed us where we could catch the Autoprogreso across the street. We just had to wave it down. Easy enough to do in the daytime but very difficult in the dark when you can't tell which bus is which until it's whizzing past. A security guy must have been watching our failed attempts because he came and asked us if we were trying to catch the AP bus. When we said yes, he showed us where the actual bus stop was, over on the next block...where a bus was just pulling away. Luckily, the buses run every 10 minutes or so, so it was no big deal to wait for the next one. We finally made it home.

We tried to give our friends a variety of experiences, both touristy and "the real Mexico". We showed them how some of the very poor live and showed them some very nice homes that rivaled many back in Canada. We took them to places they said they never would have gone to had we not been with them. We took them on the combis and the Autoprogreso during the day as well as in the evening. We took them uptown at night. We made them try new foods.

Today was a much more relaxing day. We just sort of hung out. I did a bit of housecleaning that had gotten away from me. Went to the pool for a couple hours and one of the guys mentioned an event that was happening tonight in Chicxulub.

Some locals had decided to share Hanal Pixan with us foreigners. There was an explanation on what it was and of some of the customs that go with it. We then had the opportunity to view a couple of different alters that had been set up. Some dancers did several perfomances and one had dance steps that were remarkably similar to those of the native people of Canada. After all this, we could buy food that had been prepared for the event. The money raised went to support the food bank. I had tamales which I'd had, and enjoyed, in Merida on Sunday for the first time. They also served pib which was delicious. Both would have been better if they'd been hot but they were still good cold. I even tried some atole nuevo. It tastes like very thin cream of wheat. It was tasty but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had had a bit of sugar to sweeten it. It was a very enjoyable evening and we were both glad we went.

Now that our friends have left, I'll be able to blog more often. It just seems very anti-social, to me, to be on the computer when other people are around.


*These will all get separate posts later.

And Snow it Begins

Had our first dusting of snow last night. Just a light skiff that'll be melted off before the end of the day. Thankfully, there isn't any more snow in the near forecast. Still, I'm beyond happy that we'll be hitting the beaches of México a week from today. Woo Hoo!!!

Biding our Time

Twenty six more days until we fly out. And 41 months until we're officially retired. Not that we're counting or anything. *grin*

Fall is in The Air

I have a love/hate relationship with fall. I love the colours and I love the lack of insects. Where we live, we don't get the stunning reds and oranges of the maple trees. They don't grow in this area. We have to content ourselves with yellows, browns and a sort of orangey colour. We have a Virginia Creeper vine that grows on the fence we share with our neighbour. It turns a brilliant scarlet, but this year most of the leaves got blown off before they could turn.

The name of the yellow tree is unknown to me. Poor thing is the first to lose its leaves. It shudders in its nakedness as the wind tears at its last vestiges of decency. The vine behind it is in the same predicament this year. But the elm tree. Ahhh, this is a tree after my own heart. It stays verdant, defiant against the shorter days that urge it to shed its green in the same way that I refuse to give up my shorts and sandals. It's starting to succumb, though, just as I've succumbed to the chill in the air and now have to wear a light jacket.

The overnight low is supposed to reach the freezing point in a few days and the air has that slightly metallic smell signalling the arrival of frost. It might hit the low lying areas tonight but it's windy and that usually helps to keep Jack at bay.

The hate part of my relationship with fall? It means winter is on its way and I truly despise winter. I hated winter even when I was a kid. What kid doesn't like winter? I don't like being cold and my aging joints are disliking it more and more, as well. I don't do well with winter's shorter days. Barely 7 hours of daylight makes for a grumpy Barb.

Ah, well. Only 3 more years and I can say adios to the 6 month deep freeze.

I'm gonna be really ticked off if the world *does* come to an end in 2012.

Some Creepy Crawlies

This green bug was on the outside of the screen door one night. I tried to shoo him off with my sandal but he was pretty much glued to the screen. He ended up coming inside, so I sprayed him with Raid, or whatever it is that we have down there, and closed the interior door, trapping him between the two doors. In the morning, there he was on the walkway. I wish I'd put something beside him for size reference. I seem to recall him being about the size of a quarter.

There was also this orangey-red caterpillar that was crawling along the edge of the pool. He's got spines and someone there said he was poisonous.

Anybody know what these are?

Latin American Bloggers Conference

The 4th Annual LA Bloggers Conference is scheduled for Nov 5th, 2011.

I went last year and had a great time. I'm incredibly shy so it was really difficult to be in a roomful of people I'd never met. I'd read most of their blogs but hadn't done much commenting so didn't even know these folks "cyber-ly". Many of the attendees write professionally or did in the past. I felt like a first grader amongst a bunch of graduates. But they all made me feel welcome and some have since extended the hand of friendship. I'm so glad I went.

We'll be in México when the conference is on. I'm hoping to be able to go again. Our friends who are coming down with us will still be here so I'll have to see how things work out.

The Flight's Been Booked

We booked our flight today. We'll be coming down Oct 30 and departing Dec 2. Almost 5 glorious weeks of fun in the sun. Well, it won't be all fun. We're homeowners, after all, and there's always some maintenance to do whenever we come down. But, hey, no snow shovelling for 5 weeks so it's all good. :-)

The couple who used to live next door to us, and with whom we're still good friends, will be flying down with us and returning on the 11th. They've never been to México before, other than a quick trip over the border when they've been visiting friends in Arizona. I'm excited to be able to share "our" México with them.

We're flying into Cancún and staying in Playa for the first 3 days, then a couple days in Cancún before heading over to Progreso.

In a previous post, I mentioned doing Snoopy's happy dance. Doin' it again. (Pic pinched from Google)