Mérida Cuarta Semana - Part Two (La Ultima Noche)

The last night started with a farewell dinner of all the students and the two directors of the institute, Eva and Christián.  We had a huge, delicious meal, received our diplomas, and enjoyed one another's company for one last night.

 

I even had chocolate cake through a straw - it works better than you'd think.

 

Afterwards, we met up with several of the guides for a night on the town.

 

 

 

 

... Things started to get a bit sad....

 

Luckily, after I went off to pout, Alicia consoled me.

... And then things started to get a bit silly....

          

All in all, a fantastic way to end our amazing experience in Mérida and enjoy the wonderful friendships we'd forged during the last month. 

Mérida Cuarta Semana - Part One

My final week of school! While I’ve improved much, I wish it were more and I considered just staying. Unfortunately, that won’t work out but I will figure out how to return soon. Pati and I are turning up the heat on my conversation – listening to songs on the radio, explaining what’s happening in my novel, etc. School this week has been very mellow. We even did some large group "classes" where we played some rigorous rounds of Caras y Gestos.

Monday my non-stop pace caught up to me a bit and I ended up going home right after school to nap, read, eat, and go to bed. How boring. But I think I needed it to be full-throttle for the last stretch of my visit. That and coffee: KFREEZE! Everyone is trying to make the most out of their last few days in Mexico. On the last day of school, Maia, Lauren and I had a conversation about what we would miss. And what we would not miss.

We decided we would not miss riding the bus or our shady corner where we waited for the bus.

Neither would we be disappointed to get back to the cool, coastal air of California after bearing the heat for 4 weeks.

We were loathe to part with the welcoming culture and active nightlife.

We would definitely miss our guides and the other locals we formed relationships with over the last month.

I particularly enjoyed the slightly-modified Spanish keyboard and am still trying to figure out how to get a legit one in the US.

Maia and I would bemoan the loss of KFreeze - an iced, blended coffee drink that was absolutely delicious and we indulged in almost daily.

I would also miss the random heart carved into the sidewalk that we passed each day on our walk to and from the bus.

Mérida Tercera Semana - Part Three

The next day, Lauren and Maia hit the beach but I stayed home because I had some pretty horrendous mosquito bites that I didn't think should be exposed too much to the sun and the sand. Instead, I had a lazy day of reading and movies. There was a huge storm with thunder and lightning. The streets filled to the curbs like rivers – a perfect day to stay inside and relax. We had pizza (!!!) for dinner and then Maia, Christián the director, our new friend Abraham (who runs several bakeries with very delicious treats) and his girlfriend went to VIP movies to see Hancock.

On Sunday, I went with Abraham and Christián to the sea and we spent the day on their friends' yacht. The couple who owns the boat, Efraín and Jimena, is great. He has a bunch of gas stations (30?) all around México and she owns a Crabtree & Evelyn in one of the main malls there. We met up with some of their friends and spent the day on the water. It was beautiful but the water was so warm it was almost uncomfortable; we were only in it for 20 minutes or less - with the exception of some excellent tubing. Afterwards, we all went to dinner at a restaurant along the way home and I had quite possibly the best guacamole I've ever tasted. Honestly, I am still dreaming about that guacamole.

Mérida Tercera Semana - Part Two

The next day during class, Pati and I had a lengthy discussion about the differences in romantic/sexual relationships between México and the U.S. It was very interesting to hear what the general cultural beliefs are. Mexicans look at Americans as very liberal and open-minded, but at the same time, I would say they are much more publicly demonstrative of their affection. Probably because the custom is for children to live with their parents until they are married. So, the street is really the only place they can make out. Most of the Mexicans I've talked to are stunned and somewhat awed by the fact that I haven't lived in a home with my parents since I was 17.

They also are very couple-centric (perfect for me!). What I mean to say is, being part of a relationship is highly regarded. As a general rule, there is little of the politically-correct in México – or at least what we consider politically-correct in the US. One of the first 5 questions you get asked when first introduced to someone is "Do you have a boyfriend?" (Another is "How old are you?" Not rude, but not considered courteous by most Americans.)

If you answer "no" to the significant other question and you are as good looking as a mailbox, you then get asked "why not?" and immediately set up with eligible friends. I was told at least a dozen times that I needed to find a Latin lover or a Mexican boyfriend. And when I asked what I was to do with him at the end of my trip, I was informed I could either "love him and leave him" or get married and bring him home with me or stay in México with him. Good to know my options.

As funny as it is, the Mexican preoccupation with being in a relationship got pretty annoying after a while because they really seem to think that everyone should be involved and they cannot let it go. Although, it is encouraging to see family and coupledom have such a high societal value and for marriage to be a solid goal of the culture.

That night, we went to the movies, VIP of course, to see La Locura del Amor en Las Vegas and then went out for dinner. Nachos arrancheros (arranchero is a lean, delicious cut of beef – NO idea what its parallel is in English). I swear, I don't think I've eaten as much beef in my entire lifetime as I have during this trip. Beef and ice cream. Oh my goodness, do they have delicious ice cream! I eat it almost every day. I think there are only two things keeping me from becoming 90 kg (200 pounds): the heat (a two-fold reason: curbs my appetite and also results in the daily loss of 10 pounds of water weight via sweat) and my lack of sleep (which I'm convinced keeps my metabolism in hyper-drive since my body never rests). Anyway, that night we were introduced to an ice cream place that I have since happily visited several times – my favorite flavors: pistachio and coconut. YUM.

Thursday afternoon we tried to play pool with our guides but couldn't properly coordinate the buses so instead we checked out some local outdoor art exhibits and went to a restaurant for snacks and drinks.

A pretty tame day, all in all. Friday, too, was uneventful until the evening. Maia, Maureen, Joey and I went to a restaurant downtown close to one of the major monuments and had cocktails and chatted. Maia's guide for the week, Christian, met us and we strolled one of the main streets, Montejo, and went to another spot for pitchers.

Mérida Tercera Semana - Part One (Zoo)

During my third week, classes went very well - basically, more of the same exercises to practice my conversation skills. A few of my fellow students and I went to a local dance studio for a salsa lesson Monday night. It was extremely fun and extremely hot. However, sweating out half my body weight kept my skin slick enough to make the turns a little easier. Dancing has a huge presence in the Mexican culture and it's incredible how many people can keep the rhythm and move well. They definitely put us Americans to shame during that class.

Tuesday afternoon we took a group trip to the zoo. In reality, we have been a zoo ourselves so the trip wasn't all that necessary – but at least we got to see some animals. We went with our guides – my new one this week is Cristi. She's super smart and has a hilarious dry wit which is sometimes hard to keep up with in Spanish, but I do my best.  

The inhabitants were fairly typical of what you'd find in most U.S. zoos – zebras, giraffes, hippos, monkeys, alligators, etc.

There was a large variety of jungle cats but it was so hot most of them were either pacing or passed out in the shade and panting.

   

They also have an extensive, subterranean reptile house with all sorts of creepy crawlies – mostly large, venomous snakes – which I did not particularly enjoy and therefore did not photograph much.  

And some other odd characters.

The zoo has an impressive collection of birds, including a giant aviary where visitors could walk through (think Jurassic Park 3 with ducks instead of pterodactyls). I saw my first live pelican up close and personal – oddly, I think that was the favorite animal of my visit, although the baby monkey was quite adorable. Those of you who are familiar with my long and sordid history with bird (usually seagull) droppings will probably be just as shocked as I am that I left the aviary clean. Although we were narrowly missed two or three times.

 

 

Seeing the peacocks reminded me of the family's peacock farm in Knoxville, TN.  Maybe that will be my next trip....

 

After our time with our guides, Lauren, Maia, and I hit the pool at the Fiesta Americana. This time, we got busted for not being guests of the hotel but the staff was very nice and it worked out in the end. We even spent time in the hot tub before heading back home to the Casa de Las Finus.