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.........
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
keeping you guessing...
Its Sunday...I know, I know...not the usual day for me to be in town is it? Well ya know..i like to keep you all on your toes...
Its about 9am. I'm in the hotel breakfast area and Im streaming KINK-acoustic Sunday...just had my second cup of tea and a couple of pieces of toast. The other "diners" have all come and gone. they have places to be, sites to see, tours to take ...I have none of those. I have no place to be and all the time in the world to get there....cowboy junkies are singing "Im so lonesome I could cry". I'm alone, but not lonesome. My hubby has flown the coop-literally. he's winging his way to P-town as i write...actually, he's probably just starting his 8 1/2 hr layover in Houston. How much fun can one person have? Thats right up there with root canals and biopsy's...OK so maybe Im exagerating a tiny bit.....He's got business to attend to so he'll be gone for a week. As we've made these preperations, i can't tell you how helpful some of our friends have been. We have people who have gone out of their way- for months actually- to help us take care of things. These people are such a gift. That sounds cliche but I mean it. Im not one to place a lot of importance on "things' material things. These people, these friendships are so valuable to me. So, you can insure a car, a house, a painting. I've even heard of people insuring their legs. So why not a friendship? Because you can't put a price on it. It can't be replaced. What, would the insurance company send out a replacement friend? " Hi, the company sent me. I've reviewed you file so i know about all your relationship issues, childrens bios, medical history, your fears, hopes, aspirations. i think Ive been fully briefed and im ready to take over" Then they hand you a file with all the same info on them and you study it until you've committed it all to memory. Or wait! Im sure they could implant a chip with all that! Why waste time reading...OK, Im rambling..but you get my point. These people, these relationships are not replaceable and im so lucky to have them.
Now, lets switch gears.....the earthquake...how terrible (slight understatement sorry...). Really brings to the forefront one more time that we don't know what the day is going to bring. I was reading about it a bit ( we do not get news of any kind unless we look it up on line when we're at the hotel)and I see the only casualty in the states was a guy in california who was drowned as he tried to take a picture of the approaching wave...OK...really, come on now. What was the thought process there? "hey, this wave traveled 500 miles an hour across the ocean (the same speed as a jet) but I've got this"....what was this guy smokin'?! Then i read some quote by the gov. of cal.-Jerry Brown-wait, what? Jerry Brown is the Gov.? What year is this......then i read that the earth has shifted on its axis as a result of this earthquake. So if all this weird stuff has been going on prior to the earthquake, will this shift eradicate the weirdness or enhance it? Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Ok..one more topic. Ive told you, in fact i believe i have shown you a photo, of the dock out back that goes to the swamp. Picture if you will that nobody lives near us, so when you go back there, there is NOTHING around. Now that ive set that scene, picture that the water has receded because its been so hot so there is basically a mud bog-stinky mud bog-back there. If i were to step in it I would sink mid calf. now, Im back there the other day checking it out and i see a variety of footprints. There are bird prints, dog prints, and..what kind of prints are those? Wow, a foot about as big as mine and as far as i can tell, there are only 2. There must be 4 but I cant figure out the foot placement. So a few days later, we have these metal fabricators out from Dzidzantun taking measurements for a wall we're going to enclose. they are back on the dock with me to check it out and i ask them about the footprints. "What made those"? I ask..." a person" they reply in unison. wait....WHAT?! What person in their right mind....IN THEIR RIGHT MIND!!! ahhhhh!!!! creepy........so, we have a lunatic swamp monster person cavorting about in knee deep stinky muck that wandered through half the swamp to arrive in my back yard? I feel so comfortable finding this out just days prior to my husband leaving for a week.....I have to go out on my back porch ( the area that will soon be enclosed with decorative iron) to get to the bathroom. Well, life is an adventure right? Like I said, we never know what the day may bring...or night..........
Well, time for me to sign off. There is a pool waiting for me to lay by and finish my book before i pack up and head home where i will water my plants and await the night........
Its about 9am. I'm in the hotel breakfast area and Im streaming KINK-acoustic Sunday...just had my second cup of tea and a couple of pieces of toast. The other "diners" have all come and gone. they have places to be, sites to see, tours to take ...I have none of those. I have no place to be and all the time in the world to get there....cowboy junkies are singing "Im so lonesome I could cry". I'm alone, but not lonesome. My hubby has flown the coop-literally. he's winging his way to P-town as i write...actually, he's probably just starting his 8 1/2 hr layover in Houston. How much fun can one person have? Thats right up there with root canals and biopsy's...OK so maybe Im exagerating a tiny bit.....He's got business to attend to so he'll be gone for a week. As we've made these preperations, i can't tell you how helpful some of our friends have been. We have people who have gone out of their way- for months actually- to help us take care of things. These people are such a gift. That sounds cliche but I mean it. Im not one to place a lot of importance on "things' material things. These people, these friendships are so valuable to me. So, you can insure a car, a house, a painting. I've even heard of people insuring their legs. So why not a friendship? Because you can't put a price on it. It can't be replaced. What, would the insurance company send out a replacement friend? " Hi, the company sent me. I've reviewed you file so i know about all your relationship issues, childrens bios, medical history, your fears, hopes, aspirations. i think Ive been fully briefed and im ready to take over" Then they hand you a file with all the same info on them and you study it until you've committed it all to memory. Or wait! Im sure they could implant a chip with all that! Why waste time reading...OK, Im rambling..but you get my point. These people, these relationships are not replaceable and im so lucky to have them.
Now, lets switch gears.....the earthquake...how terrible (slight understatement sorry...). Really brings to the forefront one more time that we don't know what the day is going to bring. I was reading about it a bit ( we do not get news of any kind unless we look it up on line when we're at the hotel)and I see the only casualty in the states was a guy in california who was drowned as he tried to take a picture of the approaching wave...OK...really, come on now. What was the thought process there? "hey, this wave traveled 500 miles an hour across the ocean (the same speed as a jet) but I've got this"....what was this guy smokin'?! Then i read some quote by the gov. of cal.-Jerry Brown-wait, what? Jerry Brown is the Gov.? What year is this......then i read that the earth has shifted on its axis as a result of this earthquake. So if all this weird stuff has been going on prior to the earthquake, will this shift eradicate the weirdness or enhance it? Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Ok..one more topic. Ive told you, in fact i believe i have shown you a photo, of the dock out back that goes to the swamp. Picture if you will that nobody lives near us, so when you go back there, there is NOTHING around. Now that ive set that scene, picture that the water has receded because its been so hot so there is basically a mud bog-stinky mud bog-back there. If i were to step in it I would sink mid calf. now, Im back there the other day checking it out and i see a variety of footprints. There are bird prints, dog prints, and..what kind of prints are those? Wow, a foot about as big as mine and as far as i can tell, there are only 2. There must be 4 but I cant figure out the foot placement. So a few days later, we have these metal fabricators out from Dzidzantun taking measurements for a wall we're going to enclose. they are back on the dock with me to check it out and i ask them about the footprints. "What made those"? I ask..." a person" they reply in unison. wait....WHAT?! What person in their right mind....IN THEIR RIGHT MIND!!! ahhhhh!!!! creepy........so, we have a lunatic swamp monster person cavorting about in knee deep stinky muck that wandered through half the swamp to arrive in my back yard? I feel so comfortable finding this out just days prior to my husband leaving for a week.....I have to go out on my back porch ( the area that will soon be enclosed with decorative iron) to get to the bathroom. Well, life is an adventure right? Like I said, we never know what the day may bring...or night..........
Well, time for me to sign off. There is a pool waiting for me to lay by and finish my book before i pack up and head home where i will water my plants and await the night........
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Carnaval!
So, we spent the day in town....I laid around the pool...not literally, I actually stayed pretty much in one spot....when I got too hot, I put my book down and dove in, swam a few laps then resumed reading. It was a tough assignment, but I was available.
Around 4 the traffic started being diverted, by 5 things were a mess, by 6 you were stuck, at 7 we brought our chairs outside the hotel, front and center. They had set up chairs all along the parade route and charged 10 pesos to sit in them. We waited, and waited...the parade started at 7 but it started up the road from us....and waited, and waited...you get my point.. At 9:00 a line of police officers spread out across the road, behind them came more police on motorcycles...FINALLY the first float appeared and we were off! The music was pumping, the bass was thumping, hips were shaking-and I might add, the men seemed to do a better job of this in some cases!-feathers were whipping..it was a lot of fun. Candy, bags of chips, whistles and plastice cups were being tossed to/at bystanders...I got candy, a bag of "globitos" ( one of the worst snacks ive ever tasted in my life) and a pen. All in all a good time was had, no arrests were made or fighting, at least that we saw. This morning we are packing up early and heading back to peaceful Santa Clara. Too much fun isn't good for a person....so they say......
Around 4 the traffic started being diverted, by 5 things were a mess, by 6 you were stuck, at 7 we brought our chairs outside the hotel, front and center. They had set up chairs all along the parade route and charged 10 pesos to sit in them. We waited, and waited...the parade started at 7 but it started up the road from us....and waited, and waited...you get my point.. At 9:00 a line of police officers spread out across the road, behind them came more police on motorcycles...FINALLY the first float appeared and we were off! The music was pumping, the bass was thumping, hips were shaking-and I might add, the men seemed to do a better job of this in some cases!-feathers were whipping..it was a lot of fun. Candy, bags of chips, whistles and plastice cups were being tossed to/at bystanders...I got candy, a bag of "globitos" ( one of the worst snacks ive ever tasted in my life) and a pen. All in all a good time was had, no arrests were made or fighting, at least that we saw. This morning we are packing up early and heading back to peaceful Santa Clara. Too much fun isn't good for a person....so they say......
Thursday, March 3, 2011
this and that....
Wow....its a bold and daring move , i must say i am surprising myself by publishing this..... my new thing is i walk the beach-this beach- for two hours each morning. An hour up, turn around, an hour back. As you can see there are no houses in sight. I do usually have an entourage though. By the time i'm walking back, its usually pretty warm so i walk in the shallows. there are schools of little, tiny silver fish that lead the way for me. On the edge of the sand are little birds that sheepishly skirt my progress. A bit farther out in the water are larger fish that swim in a circle than fan out. if I venture out a bit deeper, they too come close enough to try to find out what sort of creature I am. They all make me laugh, which I do out loud. Who is there to hear me? I will admit to you all, as much as I would love to dive in, I am a little gun shy of the sting rays. They lurk in the sand and if you step on them, their tail springs up and stings you. I hear its quite excruciating. i don't want to find out. I did take the inflatable kayak out the other day though. It was soooo nice but I if I'd of gotten out there a bit earlier, the water was like glass. i discovered i had a bit of a leak though so had to keep coming in to blow it back up...Ill have to get that taken care of........
Do you see how clear that water is!! And how calm? This is what i missed the morning I kayaked because i fooled around too long and the wind came up.
Do you see how clear that water is!! And how calm? This is what i missed the morning I kayaked because i fooled around too long and the wind came up.Hello out there! So it's been brought to my attention that I have not posted in 2 weeks....say it aint so!!! Wow....what HAVE I been doing? I'm actually a little brain dead right now, its late and it was in the 90's today with no breeze..sweltering! Thats in Merida, its much cooler with a nice breeze in Santa Clara...So nothing too profound tonight, just some random tid bits.....
This little guy is the only one of his kind I've seen....he was out front eating birdseed with the big boys...
On our way out of town last week, we stopped at Wal-Mart. i was walking along when a white haired, stately looking woman approached me and started speaking spanish to me. I told her that I only spoke a little spanish "well I speak english too" she proudly announced. "I lived in New York!" This woman was 94 years old. What a gem. She was grocery shopping with her caregiver. She was very mobile and sharp. She had stopped me to tell me how she found my tattoos to be beautiful...I LOVE that! A 96 year old woman.....what a gal. We chatted for a few minutes- she was very lively- than we continued our shopping. I'll bet she's got some stories to tell. She had lovely skin, a traditional dress which is white with a lot of embroidery around the neck and hem . there is always a long slip sort of thing that hangs out the bottom that is very lacey. They have a name but sadly I don't know it. She also had a long silver necklace that was quite old and a pair of sandals with a little heel. Sassy she was! I'll bet she was not to be trifled with in her day. She still carried a very strong presence.
Here's another random piece- there has been a mother dog and her 5 puppies living nearby for a few weeks now. These feral dogs are really common. I don't know how she manages to keep it all going. What really amazes me is how they dont follow her when she takes off to forage. they all find their way into our yard to access water. Sometimes you hear her lapping in the middle of the night. we never see her in the yard but the pups come in now and then. I have put leftovers out for them but am not going to take over their care. Its hard. We have seen pups at the dump and there are two that I have to walk by when I go to the beach. It breaks my heart but i cant save them all. There are also a lot of females who've had so many litters they are worn out. Its really heartbreking, especially these pups. The ones that come in our yard are very leary but they know my whistle and they know which plate the food comes on. One is a little braver that the rest so he gets the lions share ( the strays share in this case...)
Well, there you have my completely disjointed ramblings....sorry...i warned you that I was tired....Feral dogs, sting rays.......sun, 90 plus degree heat....that probably sounds unappealing to some of you out there but I'll tell you what, I find it dreamy..............
Friday, February 18, 2011
Mr. crocodile...
its a bonus blog! Don't be fooled...i posted another one before this so read past thsi when you're done. Just wanted to show you the lovely terra cotta pots we got ( there's one on each side of the front porch). We bought them at a huge nursery from Mr. Jorge Pina- George pineapple. Thats really his name!
Hers tyson out on the dock..this was where i listened to the bird uproar
This plant is a trumpet flower. It will become a small tree that gets enormous, sweet smelling flowers. i had bought several plants at a little nursery( really someones house...) and when i left, i noticed he had a big , beautiful tree of trumpet flowers. i commented on it and he promptly broke off a piece and told me to stick it in the dirt. At first it was a limp, pathetic speciman that was bent over almost in half. with lots of water, I watched it slowly stand upright and now, as you can see, its growing like crazy!
And here is the torpedo with a tail ( and teeth0 , mr. Crocodile. He's only about 4 or 5 feet long....for now.......
Hers tyson out on the dock..this was where i listened to the bird uproar
This plant is a trumpet flower. It will become a small tree that gets enormous, sweet smelling flowers. i had bought several plants at a little nursery( really someones house...) and when i left, i noticed he had a big , beautiful tree of trumpet flowers. i commented on it and he promptly broke off a piece and told me to stick it in the dirt. At first it was a limp, pathetic speciman that was bent over almost in half. with lots of water, I watched it slowly stand upright and now, as you can see, its growing like crazy!
And here is the torpedo with a tail ( and teeth0 , mr. Crocodile. He's only about 4 or 5 feet long....for now.......
Finally some pics...
Finally I have a few photos to share though I must say, i don't think they really do justice. This first one is of our front yard, well, part of it. The newest editions are a couple more oleanders, beach lavender (which smells nothing like its namesake-actually smells a little like vanilla), a palm, and I transplanted some chaya from the back. There are a number of variables that determine plant placement here; sun (blistering sun) , shade, salt content in the air, wind ( an el norte can shred the leaves) and lizards. We have two that live around the house and they LOVE to eat papaya and chaya. My poor plants...they will get 3 or 4 leaves and start to take off...the next morning they are nothing but a stalk, and sometimes, that's broken in two (they're big lizards...). So I finally wised up and transplanted some into the front yard. For some reason this is a lizard free zone. I left the papaya in the back but my friend Peggy turned me onto a mixture of tobacco and some kind of powder she bought. You mix it with water and spray it on the plant. Supposedly insects and lizards will be repelled. More will be revealed on that......
The front yard has lots of succulents due to the wind, etc. but there are also 5 oleanders, palms, coconuts (of course), a hibiscus, an orange tree, bougainvillas (4)so there is more than what you see here....you can see the vacant lot next door. Our lot was once wild like this.
Last week our son and grandson were down for 5 days...they flew into Cancun ( a mistake many people make because they think they can save a few bucks) . Cancun is about a 4 hour drive away. Its easy to catch a bus( it runs every hour) between Cancun and merida but it still takes 4 hrs. So basically, a one week vacation turns into a 5 day visit. As luck would have it (bad luck) an el norte came in and most of the visit was spent indoors due to cold and heavy rain....At least the first day at the house was nice and while we were walking on the beach we found a dead sea turtle.( His shell now resides at our house......)
The front yard has lots of succulents due to the wind, etc. but there are also 5 oleanders, palms, coconuts (of course), a hibiscus, an orange tree, bougainvillas (4)so there is more than what you see here....you can see the vacant lot next door. Our lot was once wild like this.
Last week our son and grandson were down for 5 days...they flew into Cancun ( a mistake many people make because they think they can save a few bucks) . Cancun is about a 4 hour drive away. Its easy to catch a bus( it runs every hour) between Cancun and merida but it still takes 4 hrs. So basically, a one week vacation turns into a 5 day visit. As luck would have it (bad luck) an el norte came in and most of the visit was spent indoors due to cold and heavy rain....At least the first day at the house was nice and while we were walking on the beach we found a dead sea turtle.( His shell now resides at our house......)It was so nice to see Tyler and Tyson. We really love living here and have no regrets but we know its been hard on our kids and of course we miss them like crazy. I guess there really is no perfect world....damn!
Backyard....again, this really isn't a good picture but it gives you an idea. The plant in the foreground was on the front porch in a big terra cotta-barro-pot but it was too windy for it. I was at a beautiful hacienda and these plants were growing up a tree and looked like something from Jurrasic park so thought Id try that out. You see the neighbors house? It is our ONLY neighbor and we've never seen anyone there. The influx of gringos buying up Santa Clara continues...John went to the store the other day and brought back a woman........he brought her over to see our house and introduce her to me. She just bought a 3 bdrm house NOT on the beach, amazingly enough, though she is one lot back from it. She just happens to be the labor commisioner for the state of north carolina. She said they had already purchased a home in merida that they had gutted and redone but she felt she "needed a view' so they bought this house here too. They will still live in N. carolina so im not too sure how much they'll be here in santa clara. I tell you, it's like a little series here...I will not go into too many details of peoples lives but i will say,we do not need TV to be entertained........
This fellow is called a bananaquit...yes, I confess, we do have a bird book and we look these things up. He ( or she) arrived a couplw eeks ago and as of yesterday , I saw three of them hanging out together. Speaking of birds, I was just getting up a couple of days ago, it was one of those still, silent mornings and i was just starting to enjoy my tea when I noticed a cacophony of sound coming from the direction of the manglar. I walked outback and headed to the dock. What a racket! It was like a convention of drunken salesman having poolside cocktails...loud raccous shouts arose along with what sounded like cannonball dives. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of birds..pelicans, egrets, herons and a multitude of others i can't name, all engaged in a feeding frenzy. They were screeching and cawing and throwing themselves headfirst into the swamp. Like a bird rave it was! I got in the truck and drove to where I could get a better view. It seems as though there was some sort of a smelt run going on. Oh! That reminds me, while i was watching this show, Mr. Crocodile appeared, well, his eyes anyway. I was going to include that pic for you. Maybe I'll add it in when i'm done here.
And last but not least, i will include this shot of my Tue. ladies group ( which is currently on hold). Starting from the left- Peggy ( whose husband, Tom, is johns new pal), next is Linda, who lives 10 miles down the road in Dzilam de Bravo. She has lived down here for 15 years. To my right is carla who lives in Italy, England and Phoenix, throwing in a 2 month stay, give or take, down here. She is a lovely woman who cooks a delicous pasta( she made tuna spaghetti...i know, sounds gross, but it was excellent)and last but not least is Marcie (of Marcie and Will) . These are my beach buddies. I have a few friends in Merida as well but no photos of them yet. We've had so many visitors, i haven't spent much time with these ladies. I think thats how it goes down here.
So there you have it...nothing too interesting or entertaining, just a little snapshot of our life. Hope you liked it. I'll keep you posted on whether or not my tobacco-lizard repellant worked.....
Backyard....again, this really isn't a good picture but it gives you an idea. The plant in the foreground was on the front porch in a big terra cotta-barro-pot but it was too windy for it. I was at a beautiful hacienda and these plants were growing up a tree and looked like something from Jurrasic park so thought Id try that out. You see the neighbors house? It is our ONLY neighbor and we've never seen anyone there. The influx of gringos buying up Santa Clara continues...John went to the store the other day and brought back a woman........he brought her over to see our house and introduce her to me. She just bought a 3 bdrm house NOT on the beach, amazingly enough, though she is one lot back from it. She just happens to be the labor commisioner for the state of north carolina. She said they had already purchased a home in merida that they had gutted and redone but she felt she "needed a view' so they bought this house here too. They will still live in N. carolina so im not too sure how much they'll be here in santa clara. I tell you, it's like a little series here...I will not go into too many details of peoples lives but i will say,we do not need TV to be entertained........
This fellow is called a bananaquit...yes, I confess, we do have a bird book and we look these things up. He ( or she) arrived a couplw eeks ago and as of yesterday , I saw three of them hanging out together. Speaking of birds, I was just getting up a couple of days ago, it was one of those still, silent mornings and i was just starting to enjoy my tea when I noticed a cacophony of sound coming from the direction of the manglar. I walked outback and headed to the dock. What a racket! It was like a convention of drunken salesman having poolside cocktails...loud raccous shouts arose along with what sounded like cannonball dives. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of birds..pelicans, egrets, herons and a multitude of others i can't name, all engaged in a feeding frenzy. They were screeching and cawing and throwing themselves headfirst into the swamp. Like a bird rave it was! I got in the truck and drove to where I could get a better view. It seems as though there was some sort of a smelt run going on. Oh! That reminds me, while i was watching this show, Mr. Crocodile appeared, well, his eyes anyway. I was going to include that pic for you. Maybe I'll add it in when i'm done here.
And last but not least, i will include this shot of my Tue. ladies group ( which is currently on hold). Starting from the left- Peggy ( whose husband, Tom, is johns new pal), next is Linda, who lives 10 miles down the road in Dzilam de Bravo. She has lived down here for 15 years. To my right is carla who lives in Italy, England and Phoenix, throwing in a 2 month stay, give or take, down here. She is a lovely woman who cooks a delicous pasta( she made tuna spaghetti...i know, sounds gross, but it was excellent)and last but not least is Marcie (of Marcie and Will) . These are my beach buddies. I have a few friends in Merida as well but no photos of them yet. We've had so many visitors, i haven't spent much time with these ladies. I think thats how it goes down here.So there you have it...nothing too interesting or entertaining, just a little snapshot of our life. Hope you liked it. I'll keep you posted on whether or not my tobacco-lizard repellant worked.....
Monday, February 7, 2011
football and decor
OK, OK....what can i say? I'm out of excuses....still no photos for you. I actually got the camera out as we were getting ready to head into town and decided 'what do i take a picture of?" We were invited to a superbowl party and I knew the house would be fabulous so i almost brought it for that. " Hi, Im Jill and I've never been to your house, but would you mind if i just strolled around taking photos so that i can later post them on my blog?"..........see what i mean?
So I will try to paint you a picture with words......
First of all, visualize a city scene. The centro district is the old, colonial part of the city. The buildings remind me a bit of New Orleans or Europe with their high wooden doors and tall windows covered in beautiful ironwork.There is no seperation between homes, they are all connected. Entirely different stories are lived out on opposite sides of the same wall. Yellow, orange, various shades of blues and pinks color the fascades like participants in an Easter parade as you stroll down streets that thunder with the sound of hurtling busses and the clip clop of horse drawn wagons. Bougainvilla drape themselves seductively over walls and rooftops. I love to stroll at night when windows offer glimpses into the secret domains. If a door is ajar to catch a breeze on a hot evening, you can catch sight of the beautiful, antique tile floors or an enormous wooden bookshelf stretching itself from floor to ceiling, ornate chrystal chandeliers light foyers teasingly allowing only a glimpse. Often there are inner courtyards surrounded by high arches that house cooling water fountains or pools. When you are within these courtyards, the sounds of the city are silenced by the thick concrete walls and the gurgling of a fountain and the swishing of a great ceiling fan are all that can be heard beyond the cooing of doves. The tile floors that have supported generations of bare feet, are as cool as stone by a river.
Not every door reveals the same scene. After taking in one of these elaborate homes, the next window you look in could reveal a long, narrow, austere home with only a small wooden table and a hammock. A small kitchen with the bare essentials unseen but emanating the sounds of a meal being prepared.
We've been invited behind the doors of three of these homes. All have been amazing. Last night we were invited to a superbowl party. Now, I'm not a fan, but if i had to choose a team to watch it would be Green Bay because I found out years ago the team is actually owned by the city of Green Bay Wisconsin. In these days of stories of the super rich and corporations, I found the idea quaint. So after accepting the invitation, I was happy to find out that they would be playing. We approached the house with anticipation. Theirs was one door of many on the street. All seemingly the same. When our lovely hostess opened the 10 -12 foot door, a lovely entryway, beautifully tiled in a pink and green pattern, was revealed. The walls were lined with wonderful art-some paintings, some photographs. Lovely embroidered pillows were lounging on a loveseat. Faye, our hostess, took me on a tour. She told me she had brought her art with her, but once she actually settled in, she found it didn't fit. I told her i had experienced the same thing and knew exactly what she meant. It all seems so stuffy and cold here. This is a place of bright colors, simplistic paintings, folk art masks and statues. Its a wonderful mix of beauty and fun. A wooden mask of a jaguar, carved and brightly painted, hangs beneath a chrystal chandelier. A pillow made of crudely woven fabric and embroidered can be sewn onto a border made of plastic coated tablecloth material and placed on an ornately carved chair.
I don't even know how many bedrooms this house had. It seemed to go back forever. In the center was a courtyard surrounded by high arched walls and a large pool was held within. One wall of the pool was covered with a sculpture of palm trees. I couldn't help but wonder what was on the other side of the wall. We had a large , flatscreen Tv that was hooked up to Bose speakers that were mounted on thee wall. chairs were set up in rows so that everyone had a good view. It was like being in an out door theatre. The day had been hot and as the sun began to set, a cool breeze blew in. Snacks and beverages were laid out on long tables, introductions were made and kisses on checks were exchanged, than we all settled in.
Now, I have to tell you, this is the first superbowl I have ever seen the beginning of. Truthfully, its the only one ive ever seen from start to finish. As the preliminary chatter hooplah began, I was struck but the whole "god and country" hoohaw that was going on. It reminded me of back in the stone age when TV actually went off at night. Just before it signed off, you had a playing of the national anthem accompanied by the sight of a flag waving majestically.This was followed by a prayer and when that was over, a "test pattern" came on with a siren like noise and that was all you got until early morning when it came back on like the opening eye of a sleeping giant. I leaned forward to a guy in front of me and asked "do they always have this stuff at the start of the game?". He looked at me uncomprehendingly. 'All this patriotic stuff" i answered his look. "yeah" he answered like i ws a crackpot and turned around. Now, adding to this surreal experience, is the fact we are sitting in a colonial home deep in southern mexico. Here comes the girl from Glee to sing America the beautiful, later Christina Aguilera sings the anthem, the camera pans fans with hands over their hearts, a player is actually tearing up........let the games begin! The refrigerators with arms and legs enter the playing field, the injuries begin, the expensive commercials that make or brake advertising firms jockey for position, the halftime extravaganza plays out and the nail biting over the last quarter winds down as another champion is crowned... gladiators...the superbowl is evidently as american as mom and apple pie.....you know, I never had a fondness for either...........
We are americans but we live in mexico and love it. Our friends and family are in the states but we have new friends and newly developing lives and lifestyles here. Maybe thats why I have such an interest in and affinity for these old colonial houses-entirely different stories are being lived out on opposite sides of the same wall.
So I will try to paint you a picture with words......
First of all, visualize a city scene. The centro district is the old, colonial part of the city. The buildings remind me a bit of New Orleans or Europe with their high wooden doors and tall windows covered in beautiful ironwork.There is no seperation between homes, they are all connected. Entirely different stories are lived out on opposite sides of the same wall. Yellow, orange, various shades of blues and pinks color the fascades like participants in an Easter parade as you stroll down streets that thunder with the sound of hurtling busses and the clip clop of horse drawn wagons. Bougainvilla drape themselves seductively over walls and rooftops. I love to stroll at night when windows offer glimpses into the secret domains. If a door is ajar to catch a breeze on a hot evening, you can catch sight of the beautiful, antique tile floors or an enormous wooden bookshelf stretching itself from floor to ceiling, ornate chrystal chandeliers light foyers teasingly allowing only a glimpse. Often there are inner courtyards surrounded by high arches that house cooling water fountains or pools. When you are within these courtyards, the sounds of the city are silenced by the thick concrete walls and the gurgling of a fountain and the swishing of a great ceiling fan are all that can be heard beyond the cooing of doves. The tile floors that have supported generations of bare feet, are as cool as stone by a river.
Not every door reveals the same scene. After taking in one of these elaborate homes, the next window you look in could reveal a long, narrow, austere home with only a small wooden table and a hammock. A small kitchen with the bare essentials unseen but emanating the sounds of a meal being prepared.
We've been invited behind the doors of three of these homes. All have been amazing. Last night we were invited to a superbowl party. Now, I'm not a fan, but if i had to choose a team to watch it would be Green Bay because I found out years ago the team is actually owned by the city of Green Bay Wisconsin. In these days of stories of the super rich and corporations, I found the idea quaint. So after accepting the invitation, I was happy to find out that they would be playing. We approached the house with anticipation. Theirs was one door of many on the street. All seemingly the same. When our lovely hostess opened the 10 -12 foot door, a lovely entryway, beautifully tiled in a pink and green pattern, was revealed. The walls were lined with wonderful art-some paintings, some photographs. Lovely embroidered pillows were lounging on a loveseat. Faye, our hostess, took me on a tour. She told me she had brought her art with her, but once she actually settled in, she found it didn't fit. I told her i had experienced the same thing and knew exactly what she meant. It all seems so stuffy and cold here. This is a place of bright colors, simplistic paintings, folk art masks and statues. Its a wonderful mix of beauty and fun. A wooden mask of a jaguar, carved and brightly painted, hangs beneath a chrystal chandelier. A pillow made of crudely woven fabric and embroidered can be sewn onto a border made of plastic coated tablecloth material and placed on an ornately carved chair.
I don't even know how many bedrooms this house had. It seemed to go back forever. In the center was a courtyard surrounded by high arched walls and a large pool was held within. One wall of the pool was covered with a sculpture of palm trees. I couldn't help but wonder what was on the other side of the wall. We had a large , flatscreen Tv that was hooked up to Bose speakers that were mounted on thee wall. chairs were set up in rows so that everyone had a good view. It was like being in an out door theatre. The day had been hot and as the sun began to set, a cool breeze blew in. Snacks and beverages were laid out on long tables, introductions were made and kisses on checks were exchanged, than we all settled in.
Now, I have to tell you, this is the first superbowl I have ever seen the beginning of. Truthfully, its the only one ive ever seen from start to finish. As the preliminary chatter hooplah began, I was struck but the whole "god and country" hoohaw that was going on. It reminded me of back in the stone age when TV actually went off at night. Just before it signed off, you had a playing of the national anthem accompanied by the sight of a flag waving majestically.This was followed by a prayer and when that was over, a "test pattern" came on with a siren like noise and that was all you got until early morning when it came back on like the opening eye of a sleeping giant. I leaned forward to a guy in front of me and asked "do they always have this stuff at the start of the game?". He looked at me uncomprehendingly. 'All this patriotic stuff" i answered his look. "yeah" he answered like i ws a crackpot and turned around. Now, adding to this surreal experience, is the fact we are sitting in a colonial home deep in southern mexico. Here comes the girl from Glee to sing America the beautiful, later Christina Aguilera sings the anthem, the camera pans fans with hands over their hearts, a player is actually tearing up........let the games begin! The refrigerators with arms and legs enter the playing field, the injuries begin, the expensive commercials that make or brake advertising firms jockey for position, the halftime extravaganza plays out and the nail biting over the last quarter winds down as another champion is crowned... gladiators...the superbowl is evidently as american as mom and apple pie.....you know, I never had a fondness for either...........
We are americans but we live in mexico and love it. Our friends and family are in the states but we have new friends and newly developing lives and lifestyles here. Maybe thats why I have such an interest in and affinity for these old colonial houses-entirely different stories are being lived out on opposite sides of the same wall.
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