Since we've been here...

After leaving Merida, it is a short drive of maybe 20 minutes to Progresso. Progresso is a beach town where Meridanos go to get away from the city, especially in the summer months when it gets unbearably hot and anyone with any financial means gets out. This can vary from a student who has the bus fare to get out for the day and lounge around on a sugar white beach with water the color of a tropical island travel poster, to a wealthier group who actually ship all of their furniture down into a beautiful beach house for a month or two. the one thing everyone, including us, has in common is a stop at Aurora Bodega (photo). this is actually Wal-Mart. This one is like Fred Meyer- one stop shopping. We get everything from eggs ( which aren't refrigerated here. I've eaten dozens and have never suffered any ill affects) to clothes line, avacadoes, limes, cilantro, shaving cream, insect repellant, videos-you get the picture. once when we were down, they had a large bin of C.D.'s. it was an odd array of Marriachi, reggaeton, bad 70's and 80's music and an amazing selection of jazz. i couldn't believe my luck1 i was buying boxed sets for around $4.00. After picking up what we thought we'd need for a week, we were yet again on the road but it was only a short drive in comparison to what we'd been experiencing for the last two weeks.

As the familiar road rolled out ahead of us we took it all in- the little villages we passed through, the gulf waters and the never ending coconut trees. An hour later we were pulling up in front of our house.

I jumped out of the truck with keys in hand and unlocked the gate...our gate...we were HOME!!!