Vagabondette

Over the last few days I’ve gotten a couple of emails from people wondering if I’m still alive.  Apparently the news you all in the US are getting from Mexico is pretty bad.  I just want to reassure you that I’m not in any danger.  Most of what you’re hearing about is taking place in the border towns, not further south.  It’s also pretty much limited to those involved in the drug trade.  So, being the clean and sober and Yucatan living person that I am, I’m not in any danger.

I’ve actually been spending most of my time lately working on getting a new website launched so I’ve not had time for much else – hence the lack of posts.  I did, however, take a day trip to Celestun with some friends a few days ago and plan to get a trip report and pics posted sometime in the next couple days.

Thanks everyone for your concern it’s been great hearing from you and keep in touch!

Exploring new restaurants is part of the fun of visiting a new place and Merida definitely has a lot to offer.  I’ve been reading several review sites and decided to check out Pan & Vino (Calle 62 x 59 y 61) and I was not disappointed.  For about 80 pesos  (@ $5.70 US) you can get a place of fresh, home made pasta with the sauce of your choice.

I’ve been twice so far.  The first time I went alone and had gnocci with a spicy tomato sauce that was fantastic.  Tonight I went back with some friends and had gnocci again but this time with fresh tomato, basil and mozzerella with a little olive oil.  The sauce was not quite as good but the gnocci is some of the best I’ve ever had.

Now I just need to find some good Chinese and I’ll be set!

Meal cost:  200 MXN (@ $14.15 US) for an entree, dessert, 1/4 L. of good wine and tip.  Definitely not the cheapest place in Merida but a nice break from Salbutes.

I posted a while ago about my plan to live with a local famliy for a month but that ended changing.  Instead I’ve ended up renting a small one-bedroom apartment for the month.  The cost is 3000 MXN (@ $212 US) + Utilities.  Not too shabby.

It’s definitely not what I’m used to at home but it’s nice to be a bit settled.

I have a small kitchen, a good sized bedroom, a dressing/closet area, a large bathroom and a back patio.

It’s located about 8 blocks south of the main street through town (Calle 60) and it’s been interesting figuring out how/where to shop and discovering the shops in the area.

The biggest disadvantage is the lack of internet connection, but many of the parks in Merida offer free wifi so I’ve just been doing that.  They even have plugs that you can use so you don’t have to drain your battery.

So now I’m officially a local, even if it’s just for a month.

My target monthly budget for this trip is $20/day.  I started travelin January 23 which gave me 9 days of travel in January or a budget of $180 (This does not include my flight to Cancun, just travel once I arrived).

My January spending was:

Transportation: $21.72
Food:  $54.06
Lodging:  58.15
Entertainment:  $8.16
Misc*:  $21.27

Daily average:  $18.15

Monthly Total:  $165.35

Budget difference:  $16.65

* This includes buying a new dress and some antibiotics.

Even though I’ve spent much of my time in Merida flat on my back dealing with this cold I’ve still been doing what I can to find an apartment and today I struck gold.

I forced myself out of the hostel today in search of food and more drugs and while I was having lunch a local man struck up a conversation. He informed me of the proper way to eat the food I’d ordered (fold it up and eat it like a taco, don’t cut it into pieces) and we got to chatting. I mentioned that I was looking for an apartment but wasn’t having much luck and he told me he might know of a couple places. He invited me to meet him later that afternoon to go take a look.

He had two places in mind. The first was a place with a friend’s family. I would live with the family and be treated as a daughter. There are 2 parents, 3 girls, 1 boy and a granddaughter living in the house and my rent would include room and board. Since only the father speaks English, and that only a little, it would be a great chance for me to practice my Spanish. They also invited me to join them for a family trip this weekend to Palenque.

The second place was just around the corner from his apartment and is the guest studio of some friends of his. The second option was cheaper and I would have had more privacy but I would be required to sleep in a hammock (I’ve tried it a few times, can’t seem to get a handle on it yet). It was also a bit further out of town.

So, I chose the first option and I move to my new home tomorrow and I’ll officially be an adopted daughter.

While it’ll be a bit of a challenge I’m excited about the chance to live with this family and practice my Spanish. They seem very fun and friendly and I think it’s going to be a great experience. Also, when I told Eduardo it was my b-day in a couple weeks he got excited and said they would celebrate it Mexican style so this should be interesting!

Music is prevalent in Mexico.  All the time you hear everything from piercing mariachi music, to tribal drum bands to Guns ‘n Roses or Beyonce.  But whatever is playing, it’s always something.  Tonight I got my first taste of it live and up close.

After arriving at my hostel in Tulum I befriended two couples (one American, one Swedish) and the American’s son.  The Swedish couple had been in the area for a week and had scoped out the local action so invited us to dinner at a local restaurant.

Charlie’s looks pretty basic from the outside, but after walking through the bar you discover a huge back patio area with a stage and dance floor.  By the time we arrived the locals had claimed their territory and were waiting for the band to start.

A mix of Latin and reggae, they had a unique sound that just compelled you to dance to the bongo beat – it was easy to see why they were so popular.  There was hardly a person in the place that wasn’t on their feet shaking their – remarkably loose – hips.  Watching was fun, but after a couple bottles of liquid courage we all couldn’t help but join in.

Nowhere near as skilled and loose jointed as the locals, we had a great time none the less. 

This is what Mexico is about.  Drinking ice cold beer while listening to great music and making new friends.

I had my first dose of real Mexican tacos today and boy were they good.  I think I had beef but I’m not sure because the woman operating the stand spoke no English and her Spanish was on fast forward. 

She chopped the meat up into thin strips and reheated it (it was pre-cooked) on a grill right in front of me.  She added some sort of sauce, topped it with chopped onions, cilantro and a slice of avocado.  Add a mixture of the mild and the hot sauce on display and you have a very satisfying meal which, as one restaurant owner assured me while trying to lure me in, “isn’t like Taco Bell.”

I’ve also learned that there is a right way and a wrong way to eat a taco.  Apparently it’s a science.

How to eat a taco – step by step guide

1 – Never take the first tortilla from the warm pile in the basket.  Instead, lift the stack with your fingers and grab one from the middle.  These will still be warm and moist.

2 – Place the fillings on the correct side of the tortilla.  You should use the inflated side which is the result of heating the dough during cooking.

3 – Once the filling has been placed on the tortilla, roll it up and carry it to your mouth using your thumb and the first 3 fingers only.

4 – Only prepare one taco at a time, not all at once, so they don’t get cold.

5 – As you lift the taco to your mouth, lean forward.  This will prevent filling leak.  If, however, you notice fillings trying to escape from the other end, it is acceptable to turn it around and bite it off rather than letting it fall.  This is acceptable in even the most formal situations.

6 – Once you’ve lifted the taco from the plate you are expected to finish it.  It is considered very bad manners to return it to the plate, allowing it to unroll and get cold.

All my bags are packed
Im ready to go
Im standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
Its early morn
The taxis waitin
Hes blowin his horn
Already Im so lonesome
I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Theres so many times Ive let you down
So many times Ive played around
I tell you now, they dont mean a thing
Evry place I go, Ill think of you
Evry song I sing, Ill sing for you
When I come back, Ill bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
Ill be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I wont have to leave alone
About the times, I wont have to say

Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

But, Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

It’s been about a month since I left Portland on my goodbye tour of the US (which has lasted longer than anticipated unfortunately).  In that time I’ve stayed with several different friends and family members, with a few nights at a hotel thrown in for good measure.

Aside from one short night at a hotel in Chicago I am now alone for the first time in a month.  The friends I’m currently staying with have fled DC to escape inaugeration chaos and I have 4 days of just chillin’ solo in front of me and honestly, I’m going to cherish every one of them.

It’s not that I don’t love being around the people I’ve been staying with, but as someone who has been living by myself for the last 3+ years, a month solid of being a guest in someone else’s house has been  challenging.  So while I give huge thanks to every one who has put up with me occupying their guest rooms, I also have to thank my current hosts for giving me the last few days of me time I’ll probably have for a while.

Thanks guys!  You rock my world!

Although I know you can get some fabulous deals on ebay (and I’ve gotten a couple for my trip), I rarely use it because it just seems like so much PRESSURE.  You have to keep looking all the time and someone almost always swoops in at the last minute to out bid you and then you’re screwed.  Too much for me…I’d rather just go to the store even if I have to pay a bit more.

Well, if I thought buying on Ebay was stressful, it’s nothing in comparison to selling!  With selling, not only am I monitoring it constantly but I’m worried about getting a good price and if the person is going to screw me and if something bad is going to happen…I swear, it’s giving me grey hair!

But, it will all be worth it if I can unload this laptop!  I almost wish I could keep it because it’s a great machine, but by selling it I’ll fund about a month worth of travel so off it goes.  So far it’s up to $202.50.

Anyone want to take bets on how many times I’ll check this auction before it ends on Thursday?  I’m guessing it’ll be close to triple digits!

BTW – if anyone is in the market for a brand spanking new laptop, check it out.