I left the house at about 11:30 this morning and headed in. I had the ipod hooked up in the truck and was grinning ear to ear as i drove through the countryside. Wide open expanses of blue sky surrounded me dotted with clouds the size of icebergs. Rock walls, an old hacienda in ruins and yellow butterfiles passed by as Ray Charles, Feist and morroccon musicians entertained me as i rolled on. Passing through villages, my face stood out to the locals who turned to take in it or my music. I wasn't sure which. Tiny dark skinned men peddled bicycles with bundles of wood tied on the back, gramas in traditional long white dresses with embroidered necklines and hems toddled off to buy the days tortillas. Slim, young girls poured themselves into blue jeans and t-shirts while the young men sported hairstyles that reminded me of cockateels. Bicycles and scooters flowed in and out of cars and knots of people while those with nowhere to go held down a chair in a shady doorway.
A little over an hour later i'm entering Merida. At the edge of town there's a police check point. This was a little disconcerting when we first got here but now I just smile and wave as I pass through. Soon I'm in the flow of city traffic. Most of the cars and trucks are new. There are very few old cars. Mercedes, BMW, Lincoln, SUV's, lots of Ford Rangers and Volkswagens. At one of the lights, vendors try to sell me candy. At another, the window washers land on the cars like insects " no gracias' i tell him after he's already begun. this one is obstinate, he doesn't stop. " No! gracias...no dinero "i tell him. " Only a dollar' he says in english " i have no money. My husband has it all" I answer in spanish. he smiles and walks away.
In another 10 min. i pull into the hotel parking lot and I feel like Im home. Roger, the desk clerk greets me. I tell him I need to go to the bank machine. That I tried to get money in Dzidzantun but it wouldn't take my card. " no problem" he says and after some chit chat about the solsice he hands me my room key. I drop things off in the room and head out to the ATM two blocks away. Once again, its not working for me. I have about 40 pesos so I buy myself a sandwich, an iced tea and some cookies. Once back at the hotel, I inform Roger. " Can I do anything?" he asks. i explain that when John gets in tonight he''l have money. " You pay in the morning than. And here.." he hands me 50 pesos "for your dinner". Now, remember that this guy makes about 170 pesos a day. This is so kind. I hate to, but I take it , knowing we'll return it to him in the morning. I call the english library to see if theyre open ( Roger informed me its a holiday-the birth of a president 80-100 years ago...poor, self educated, became president ...sounds like Abe Lincoln..) Sure enough, the library is closed. I was going to meet a friend there so i call her and let her know whats going on. She wants to come bring me money. At this point, I remember I have Skype and look up the number for US Bank..I get a nice guy on the phone who feels bad but has to inform me my card has been deactivated for no apparent reason and it can't be turned back on. Now, if I wasnt married I would be screwed. if this was my only resource, what would I do? And what about when I travel? I use my ATM card to access funds in other countries.I decide whats the use...first of all, im powerless over US Bank and secondly, none of those scenarios are going on. Im fine. Ive got 50 pesos in my pocket, another offer of money and a few other people I could get help from if I needed to. My husband and his bank card will be here in about 4 hours. My needs are met and then some.
so, a few quick updates and random tidbits.....the mom and her pups that vanished? I saw them! My concern was that they had been poisoned. no, she just moved the family to a new location. The footprints in the swamp? Just someone looking for little shell creatures they use to make ceviche. They are like a mussel. A lot of work, but a person could make 60-70 pesos in a day. And that big moon? Didn't see it...while John has been gone, I lock myself in at night. Once it's dark, the doors close up and Im in. I'm still a city girl and being out where its pitch black and there are no people around......during the day i love it! but come sundown....my friend Jane kept me company more then once with a greatly appreciated phone call..When it was time to go to bed,I put seinfeld in the laptop and played back to back to back to back episodes...the first few days it was Glee.....Ive been saving the last episode i had-Episode 10 season 2-savoring it ...delaying gratification...the anticipation building until i couldn't wait anymore..i put it in and pushed play...A CHRISTMAS EPISODE!! No!! say it ain't so! what a letdown....thats it. No more Glee. Im out. i've watched all the seinfeld so many times even I, a huge fan, am tired of the seasons i have. I've sewn dresses, painted pictures, painted a wall mural, cleaned the whole yard, walked on the beach, cleaned the house,read a book, played solitaire, spent the night with a friend, went to visit some other friends...it's been a busy week. Now, I find myself with no moneyand a closed library. I've killed about 5 very large mosquitos while Ive written this and Ive been listening to KINK streaming live...( oh..FYI...if you are looking for the radio station, its kink.fm. do NOT put in kink in the search bar unless you want a real eyefull........)so, I guess that about sums it up. I think I'll take my 50 pesos up the street and get a tamale and a drink. My honey will be here in about 4-5 hrs. he'll bring money, 2 new seasons of Seinfeld, a new french press, a humming bird feeder and some CDs from my daughter.
I was out in the front yard the other morning when a couple guys we know came by on their way to work. We stood around chatting about this and that and before they left, Manolo told me " you are Yucatacan now". The day before I had made a pot of beans in my barro pot and ate them with some corn tortillas Id bought at the tienda in Dzidzantun the last time Id been in. i have a tortoise shell hanging in a coconut tree in my back yard and ive learned how to say snake and leaf this week. Does that make me Yucatacan? I think its the " tranquilo" attitude more than anything else. What's there to get upset about? Ive got 50 pesos in my pocket, friends near and far and I was just handed a can of bug spray. Life is good.........
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