No picture today and , again I need to apologize for missing a week. Sometimes i feel i have nothing to say and don't want to just ramble. I don't know why not, i do it so often!
I've been wanting a bicycle but it hasn't been in the budget. Living is cheap here but we really have to watch what we spend in order to make it through the month. Good things come to those who wait though right? Well, sometimes ( sometimes they just miss out all together...). I was given a fabulous beach cruiser bike in almost new condition! John lowered the seat to fit my munchkin like legs and i was in business. He bought me a basket ( around $4.00) and I was off and running. Speaking of running, Lucky LOVES to go with me. He looks like a little trotter running alongside with his tongue flapping merrily in the breeze. He is not too street savvy so i was concerned about his response when a car approached but hes such a smart boy- i snapped my fingers to the right of the bike and he cruised right into position. Each day we have ridden a bit further. today we went to the other end of the village and back stopping at the beach where i discovered to my dismay there isn't sand but mud. i don't know what is going on in the gulf but it all landed here. he sunk up to his chest at one point but was undettered from bird chasing. Of course he had to have a bath when we got home after which I of course had to have a bath...
We were hanging out after. i on the stool at the breakfast bar, he laying by the door, then he decided he wanted out. I watched him stand with his nose pressed to the screen for a minute then he pushed..tentatively. Stopped. Pushed again then sort of bumped it with his nose. it opened!. he was surprised and unsure of his next move. he sat there a minute then pushed it again to see if he'd get the same result. it would open a few inches then come back to its original position ( there is no spring). Now standing, he carefully bumped it a third time and stuck his nose in it. The door hit it gently upon its return. He calculated this didn't hurt and there didn't appear to be a great risk. I could see him pondering for a moment then...bump, push, out! Now, i could have at any point just gotten up and opened the door for him saying "here, let me help you" but he wouldn't have learned a valuable lesson- he is capable of doing it himself. It made me think about how many people are enabled by people who are trying to be helpful but are really hindering peoples growth. I feel this is a universal idea whether its a parent doing for a child what they could do for themselves, people who are learning how to live on their own, entire countries of people who have become dependant upon aid ( I've recently been reading about what a crock most aid is...). It's like that old saying ( and i'm paraphrasing ) about give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll never go hungry ( well, as long as there are still fish to be caught!). Just like Lucky bumped his nose, people need to learn they can over come a little bump on the road to learning something. the other thing I saw was that he overcame his fear. It was scary to push that door open and walk out. He wasn't sure what would happen once he got past the point he was familiar with. it was an unknown but he took the risk and reaped the reward- he can now let himself out. He has more freedom. So many of us get stuck, held immobilized by the fear of " but what if...?"
Later, we are going to ride up to the manglar and see if we can catch a glimpse of one of the local crocodiles basking on his sunny little knoll. " but what if he comes after you?"...what if he does...what if he chases us down the road?! What if he's not there at all? We won't know if we don't go look. I encourage you all to push those doors open and walk out- even if you get a little bump on the nose.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
drive from Santa Clara to Dzidzantun
OK actually I lied...this isnt the road to Dzidzantun, this is passed there in Cansahcab, the next town.
This was in Dzidzantun. I snapped this as we were getting gas
This guy is sooo typical. Rubber boots, maybe a rifle slung across his shoulders and a load of sticks on the back of his bike. This was on the road from SC to Dzidzantun.
This beautiful shot is the santa Clara basurero- dump. Where we first saw our dog. As a pup, his litter was dropped off here to fight the vultures for scraps.
so there is a whole other blog- 2 this week. the other one is SC pictures...till next time, thanks for taking this journey with me.
Santa Clara
I try to be a woman of my word so, as promised, i am posting a few pictures of our village. I took several photos but can only post 5 at a time so, here is a tiny sampling. Guess i'll just have to show you a few more from time to time.
So- as we were leaving our house today to come into Merida, I was poised to shoot. First, as you approach the village ( we live on the outer edge..as if the village isn't remote enough, we live outside of it) from the west, I don't know if you can make it out or not but there is a chapel. One wall is open- always. You look in and see the pews, the virgin, you know, churchy stuff. Its the structure with the red roof in front of the red and white cell phone tower. you also see our trusty Ford Ranger that has been and continues to be one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Just passed that yellow sign, you turn right to head into Dzidzantun. If you continued forward, you would go to Dzilam de Bravo and the end of the road.
A left hand turn at the church, and you pass this cute little place. It, like most of the places in Santa Clara, is a vacation home. People come down for Semana Santa (2 weeks in April- like their spring break) and the entire month of August.
Just passed the little green house is the beach. Lots of fisherman come in and out of this spot. Some enterprising person installed a beer store just to the left of this concrete building. And to the right of these boats, is Quincy's house. He and his wife have been working on their mega structure for 3 years- for the two of them. It is enormous. She is a head hunter and works out of her home online. They are...how shall i say it...know to tip a few. a few buckets full!
Oh look! Its my navigator on this tour...we are3 driving along the beach. this cute little house on the left was built by a gringo realtor and was sold to gringos. it was one of the first to bring in the big bucks which sort of set a new precident (sp?) for selling prices here.
Oh I DID include a picture of the mega structure....this really does not display the grandeur of this place. It towers over everything else around. Well, except for another home to the left of ours on the beach. it was the first giant gringo house built in the village. I will be staying in it, as a matter of fact, for a month as the woman who lives there is having hip surgery and will need help. She's a nice woman. Lives in the big house alone.....
Well, I must say, these pictures really don't show you a darn thing. im going to have to do a series of these. I am in fact going to post a drive to Dzidzantun right after this...a bonus post! The snowbirds are starting their migration. Carol and AJ from Texas via Dubai, Singapore and points unknown, will be down in 2 weeks, Peggy and Tom from Ontario and Newfounland will be down in 3 weeks, Rosealia and Wayne will be down next week from Woodstock, NY just to name a few. Its so odd, when they all left in May I thought Id get bored or lonely I find that i greatly enjoy my solitude. Our routine of playing gin, yard work, chasing the dog around the yard, sweeping sand out of the house, tending to the pool, reading and taking siesta pretty much fills our time. Now that we've been here over a year, i have reference points-when the flamingos come and go, when the window birds start banging on the glass and when they go, when the leaves fall off one bush in the front and when the die hards remain behind as the rest flee. We have come to the conclusion that those of us who have chosen to move down here are all a bit....odd? different? weird? eccentric? offbeat? dropouts?alcoholics? crazy?anti-establishment? all of the above? but those of us who stay here for the duration, through the heat of a Mexican summer, the crowds that swarm the beach in August, the hurricane season...are we even crazier? maybe...maybe crazy like a fox ( a drunken, one eyed, addled, lunatic fox!!)
So- as we were leaving our house today to come into Merida, I was poised to shoot. First, as you approach the village ( we live on the outer edge..as if the village isn't remote enough, we live outside of it) from the west, I don't know if you can make it out or not but there is a chapel. One wall is open- always. You look in and see the pews, the virgin, you know, churchy stuff. Its the structure with the red roof in front of the red and white cell phone tower. you also see our trusty Ford Ranger that has been and continues to be one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Just passed that yellow sign, you turn right to head into Dzidzantun. If you continued forward, you would go to Dzilam de Bravo and the end of the road.
A left hand turn at the church, and you pass this cute little place. It, like most of the places in Santa Clara, is a vacation home. People come down for Semana Santa (2 weeks in April- like their spring break) and the entire month of August.
Just passed the little green house is the beach. Lots of fisherman come in and out of this spot. Some enterprising person installed a beer store just to the left of this concrete building. And to the right of these boats, is Quincy's house. He and his wife have been working on their mega structure for 3 years- for the two of them. It is enormous. She is a head hunter and works out of her home online. They are...how shall i say it...know to tip a few. a few buckets full!
Oh look! Its my navigator on this tour...we are3 driving along the beach. this cute little house on the left was built by a gringo realtor and was sold to gringos. it was one of the first to bring in the big bucks which sort of set a new precident (sp?) for selling prices here.
Oh I DID include a picture of the mega structure....this really does not display the grandeur of this place. It towers over everything else around. Well, except for another home to the left of ours on the beach. it was the first giant gringo house built in the village. I will be staying in it, as a matter of fact, for a month as the woman who lives there is having hip surgery and will need help. She's a nice woman. Lives in the big house alone.....
Well, I must say, these pictures really don't show you a darn thing. im going to have to do a series of these. I am in fact going to post a drive to Dzidzantun right after this...a bonus post! The snowbirds are starting their migration. Carol and AJ from Texas via Dubai, Singapore and points unknown, will be down in 2 weeks, Peggy and Tom from Ontario and Newfounland will be down in 3 weeks, Rosealia and Wayne will be down next week from Woodstock, NY just to name a few. Its so odd, when they all left in May I thought Id get bored or lonely I find that i greatly enjoy my solitude. Our routine of playing gin, yard work, chasing the dog around the yard, sweeping sand out of the house, tending to the pool, reading and taking siesta pretty much fills our time. Now that we've been here over a year, i have reference points-when the flamingos come and go, when the window birds start banging on the glass and when they go, when the leaves fall off one bush in the front and when the die hards remain behind as the rest flee. We have come to the conclusion that those of us who have chosen to move down here are all a bit....odd? different? weird? eccentric? offbeat? dropouts?alcoholics? crazy?anti-establishment? all of the above? but those of us who stay here for the duration, through the heat of a Mexican summer, the crowds that swarm the beach in August, the hurricane season...are we even crazier? maybe...maybe crazy like a fox ( a drunken, one eyed, addled, lunatic fox!!)
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