The Zoo

Today was a lazy day for everyone since nobody has classes on Friday. That's mainly to leave time for field trips, but since we're staying in Merida this weekend, it meant another day off.

So, in order to entertain ourselves, 5 of us took a trip to the zoo. Since it's free, it makes a nice little outing. For being a free zoo, it was pretty nice. The barriers between me and the animals were a little lacking at times (I could touch a flamigo if I wanted. I don't think flamingos normally attack people, but if they thought I was a shrimp, I would've been a goner!). The one cage that was strongly fortified was with some larger monkeys. Not gorillas or anything, just larger monkeys. The lions and tigers were only behind chain link fences. I'm sure glad they didn't get too hungry!

Overall, the zoo was pretty neat. As we were walking though the bird cage, dark clouds began to gather. So we decided we should leave. I didn't get to ride the train, but the bus ride back to the Casa Central certainly made up for it.

Our bus drivers today were crazy! The first one pulled over at a cell phone repair shop (I think... the sign was in Spanish) and hopped off the bus to do his errand! And the second bus driver drove this rickety old bus that was really noisy. He was a scary driver! When we'd hit a stop light, he would pull out his newspaper and started reading. We also had an inspector get on that bus. The inspectors just check to make sure the driver is handing out the tickets. If the tickets aren't given out, then the bus driver is likely pocketing some money, which is a big no no. I think I've been on a bus 4 times with an inspector, but they haven't ever asked to see our tickets. So I wonder how well they're inspecting...

I don't believe it has rained yet, but the clouds have been dark all afternoon and the wind has been horrible! And it got cold. How can I survive 75 degrees?!? :)

The Mysteriously Missing Hammock Photo

To the right is a picture of my roommate Cole in here hammock. We hang together....literally. We take siestas in our hammocks almost everyday in our room.


Here's me sitting in my hammock, or rather laying in it. Let me tell you, there's no good way to get a picture of someone in a hammock!













To the right is a picture of Myra attacking me in my hammock. Not an unusual Myra thing to do!
Oh, by the way...
See the end of the last post to understand the name of this post. :)

Photos!

After we disembarked from the boat in Celestun, we met a surprising little visitor: a huge (in my opinion) iguana! Here he is in all his glory. Iguanas are common animals around here, but they startle me a little every time I see them because I'm just not used to seeing a huge lizard creeping around in Iowa. We have an iguana that lives in the backyard of the Central House, and we saw him for the first time on Wednesday. He's smaller than this fellow here, but still fairly big!





Last Friday I finally had the chance to visit the ocean- for only the second time in my life! The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time, even though the water was really, really cold. This picture is the beach of Celestun. It's a quiet beach that doesn't seem to attract that many tourist. Although since it is January, I can't know for sure. At least it was calm while we were there!




These are pictures from the freshwater spring at Celestun.

The picture on the right is the freshwater spring, with a man and his son swimming in it. We talked with the man for a while, and then we were jealous that he got to swim in the spring. I had put on sunscreen so I couldn't swim in it, and we didn't have time. However, the water was amazingly clear and I was told it was fairly warm. Not like springs in Iowa!

The one below and to the right is where the freshwater from the spring is mixing with the salt water from the estuary. The cloudy part is the salt water. It looked really neat in person, and I was really happy that it showed up in the picture.

At the reserve in Celestun, we were taken around in boats, so that we could get close to the pink flamigos. Although we still had to view them from a distance, we got to see these amazing birds! The color doesn't begin to show how beautiful they are. They are just really neat birds! I have a ton of pictures of them.


Sorry if this post seems a little disorganized. My blog keeps reformatting itself as I go along, making it hard to organize. And the photo of me in my hammock has mysteriously disappeared. *goes off to hunt for photo* More pictures coming soon! (Thankfully we've had an internet upgrade, so now I can do this!!)

Humidity and Sore Muscles

It's finally starting to get warm (aka hot) here...and the humidity is quick to follow. This whole week has been in the 90s, with the humidity levels at least 50%, often higher. If I have to be in the sun, it's been horrible. Luckily the shade hasn't been too bad.

The worst part about the warmer weather is that I was dehydrated all day yesterday. Let me tell you, dehydration isn't fun if you don't have a cool place to escape to. All morning long I was very dizzy and barely made it through class without throwing up. After lunch I was able to take a siesta, which helped a lot. By evening I was feeling a lot better, as I had consumed several bottles worth of water! Thankfully I felt good enough to participate in dance class.

Our dance class wasn't quite what I expected. We began by doing warmups to music, which suddenly turned into dance moves. We spent a whole hour dancing and twirling and shimmying and shaking our hips. And I didn't even fall! Although when we did our partner dance I did wind up with a squished toe- which was entirely my fault. I found out that I have feet which just don't like to listen to my head. Not surprising!

This morning Erin and I went to our second Pilates class. I thought I was going to die! Man it was quite a bit harder than our first one! I made it through the torturous hour and I'm planning on going back tomorrow- if I can move. We'll see about that one!

Pilates

Tuesdays are shaping up to be nice days for me. I only have one class and it's at 7pm-8:30pm. So my day is pretty much open. A great time to work on homework and internship stuff. The bad part was that I only had one assignment, and it was pretty easy. So I didn't have an exciting day...except for the Pilates.

Yup, I've joined a Pilates class- amazing for me! The place is a few blocks away from the house, and they use reformer beds, which are super cool. You basically lay down on a bed and use springs and pulleys for resistance. It makes Pilates easy but really effective. I took an hour long class today, and I'm not hurting too much. I also didn't fall, or kick anyone in the head, which is what happened the last time I did Pilates at Central... (sorry Amanda!)

I'm gonna go to class at least 3 times a week, and I'm pretty excited. Hopefully I'll come back to the US tanned and toned...although the tanning part isn't working out too well. My skin isn't so receptive to the sun's rays. (maybe it's the SPF 50)

I'm still totally in love with my hammock. I sit in it, I sleep in it (not all night yet- too cold!), I read in it. I even have some quality computer and Facebook time in it. It's an all-purpose addition to any style decor. I wonder if I can get Central to add hammock hooks in the the walls of my dorm room.

Classes

Today was our first day of classes here in Merida. No more vacation time for me! Well, I suppose since my first class isn't until after 10 and I have time for a 2 hour siesta in the middle of my day, I can't say it's like living in Pella. I actually only have classes 3 days a week, so having a four day weekend every weekend is pretty neat.

My 2 morning classes are both in Spanish, so by the time lunch rolled around at 1, I was in the Spanish mode. That was a good thing because we can only speak in Spanish over lunch. During our other meals we may speak English, but lunch is reserved for Spanish. I like it! When I come back to the US, you guys may have to put up with me talking in Spanish over meals! Quiero la mantequilla, por favor!

My afternoon course is Mexico and US relations, and is in English. It's already shaping up to be a great course. Valerie, our program director, is our professor. Everything here is pretty casual for classes, since our largest class is only 8 or so people. Well, except for our dance class.

Yes, I did say dance! Tonight is our first Latin American dance class. It's taught in Spanish, and it will hopefully teach me how to dance. More likely it'll teach me how to fall on my bum in front of a room full of people. :) It should be interesting!

A Bullfight and Merida en Domingo

This weekend has been interesting, mainly because we've been able to do anything we wanted. Freedom in Merida! :) It's been nice to have a very relaxed schedule and just hang out and wander around the city.

Saturday afternoon, nearly all of us went to a bullfight. Big mistake! As much as I love to learn about and see Mexican culture, I doubt I'll ever appreciate a bullfight. We had to walk for about 40 minutes to get there, which wore me out! We had to arrive early to get tickets because the fights are few and far between, so they're a popular thing. After an hour or so of being there, the fight started. Out walks 2 little boys all dressed up with their capes. I thought "how nice they're going to walk around and introduce the real bullfight." Wrong! An 11 year old boy WAS the matador! I couldn't believe it! The kid fought 2 bulls, and then 5 of us left because we just weren't having fun. He ended up fighting all of the bulls that day, which was 6 bulls, with a little help from a 9 year old.

We weren't expecting a kid to fight. He had the help of older matadors if he got in trouble, but it was still scary. Apparently there's some controversy here about allowing such young kids fight in such a dangerous sport. We certainly shared that sentiment!

Sunday was a bit more relaxing. Erin and I went to the Centro to enjoy Merida en Domingo, which means Merida on Sunday. They shut down several streets from traffic and set up all sorts of vendors and do authentic Mexican and Mayan dances. We strolled around and watched some dances while avoided vendors. Looking like an American has it's drawbacks since every vendor heads towards us and begins to harass us. Man I need to get tan! (Not like that will help...)

We enjoyed some wonderful ice cream on the Plaza Grande then caught a bus back. Then I fell asleep in my hammock, which is always nice!

Celestun

On Friday we went to Celestun, which is a town on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We first stopped at a nature reserve which had thousands of pink flamingos. Those birds are just awesome! As we're riding along on our boat, we see a faint line of pink in the distance, which turned out to be tons of flamigos. I expected a pink bird, but the color of the flamigos is stunning. When our internet is working better, I'll try to post pictures.

Flamingos are pink because they eat tons of shrimp, by the way. If you're ever on Jeopardy, I hope that helps!

After we left the nature reserve, we headed to the beach. I've only seen the ocean once before, so seeing it on a clear, blue day still takes my breath away! It made me feel small, to say the least. I enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach, windy and warm with lots of sun. I even avoided a sunburn, except on the top of my feet and a few random patches of skin that missed the sunscreen...

Last night was my first experience with tamales. Let me just say that I do not like them! I had toast, but that has been the first meal that I haven't enjoyed. I still love the food here, for the most part!

Our internet has been down almost all day at the house, which is a little frustrating. So I hope it begins to work soon so I can post pictures!

Buses

Yesterday our assignment for orientation was to get on a bus and ride until we don't know where we are, then get back home. To me, that sounds a little scary since I have no sense of direction and Merida is huge! However, my group was lucky, or so we thought. Our assignment was just to get on the Circuito Colonias bus and ride the whole circuit. This meant we were in for a long bus ride. The Circuito Colonias is a large street that ends up running through the whole city, and stops where it starts. Our bus didn't actually go the whole circuit, it went nearly half the way, then did a u turn and headed into the neighborhoods near the Circuito. We spent about an hour in those neighborhoods and the bus driver actually got off and ate lunch while we were on it! Finally we headed back to the Circuito and made it back home, an hour and half after we left. We were exhausted, but lucky that we never had to get off the bus. All the other groups had to get back on another bus.

After the bus adventure, I took a nap in my hammock. I love my hammock! It's so comfortable! I can't wait until it gets warmer out so I can sleep in my hammock all night long. Right now it gets cold at night, and hammocks make you cold since you're just hanging in midair. So I have to wait.

Today is our first field trip. We're headed to Celestun in about an hour, which is a national wildlife reserve where thousands of flamingos live. We also get our first chance to swim in the ocean! I'm excited!

El Centro

Yesterday was a very interesting day. After a delicious breakfast, we had our first bus ride. Buses in Merida are always 5 pesos, no matter where you go or how far, which works out to be less than 50 cents. Great deal! Anyways, we got on a bus and headed to El Centro, which is the downtown area. We were lucky and ended up on an bus which took a direct route, so it was only like 10 minutes. We got off and started walking to the Gran Plaza, which is the main square in Merida. It's beautiful. It's bordered by all sorts of trees, and beautiful building line the square. Some of the buildings were built in the 1500s, so it's very historical and humbling to see.

After we wandered around the square, looking like tourists, we got on a tour bus. We took a 1-1/2 to 2 hour tour of Merida. Since the weather was only in the 70s and the bus had open sides, it was chilly! I only had on a tee shirt, and some of the group only had on shorts and tanks. The local people were wearing sweatshirts! I suppose it is January, so cold weather is to be expected!

The tour stopped at a little mall on the Paseo (I think...) Inside were a few restaurants and several shops where I plan to go to find some souvenirs. On our way out, one of the shop workers came out to talk to Myra and me. I was happy that I was able to communicate with him without a problem. We talked about the program and his merchandise (shot glasses- not my choice of a gift!) Then we had to get on the bus. It's nice to have so many chances to talk Spanish, and that the people don't judge or laugh when we mess up!

In the afternoon we had more orientation stuff. We talked a lot about the layout of Merida and where things are. Since Merida has over 1 million people, it's a pretty large city, and there's certainly a lot to see! After that, we set up meetings with Valerie to finalize our classes and talk about internships and service learning projects. I'm very happy because I got an internship working with Valerie. I'm really excited because I'll be helping her with all sorts of projects and learning how to work in a professional manner.

I have to say that I'm getting very used to the amazing food served by the house staff. A lot of our food is made with cream and other such unhealthy things, so we definitely have to worry about portions! But it all tastes so good! I honestly don't know if I'll be able to readjust to processed American food and the cafeteria food...

Hammock Time!

Yesterday we had one of our first vital lessons: how to buy and hang a hammock. It was pretty neat! While most of you may think buying a hammock is silly, especially since they aren't cheap, it is actually a necessity. While we do have beds here at the house, buy the end of the semester it gets really hot here. Around 105 or higher with 99% humidity. And sleeping in a hammock is much, much cooler than sleeping in a bed. Also, on one of our trips to a village, we must bring hammocks because they don't have beds for us.

I was a little nervous about sleeping in a hammock, but last night I was reading in mine and found sound asleep. It was really comfortable; I felt like I was sleeping in midair. Although I slept in my bed last night, I'm definitely going to sleep in it at siesta all the time until I get absolutely used to it.

If you have every tried a hammock and found it uncomfortable, I'm willing to bet you sat in it wrong. There is an art on how to sit comfortably and without falling out, and once you nail it, the hammock is more comfortable than almost any chair or bed!

I ended up buying a hammock because the people who came supported fair trade hammocks, which means the ladies who make them receive a fair profit. We got a discount so the sellers ended up not making a profit off them, which was really nice for us! Mine is blue, green, and light purple- the colors of the Caribbean. I'll have to post pictures soon, as soon as I take some!

Other than hammocks, we took our first trip to the Mega Mercado. The Mega is basically a Walmart like store. It was interesting because the options were more limited than I'm used to. However, I was able to find some notebooks, a towel, and Pepsi (Yes!). I was ready for some caffeine by the time we walked there. It's several blocks away, and across some busy streets. We also got wrong directions to the Mega by Keith, one of the 3 guys studying here this semester. But we made it and figured everything out. Except that we didn't know we were supposed to tip the bagger, so now I feel really bad. Lesson learned!

Today is our trip downtown...that should be interesting!

Around the neighborhood

Yesterday was our first chance to see the town, or rather city of Merida. We started our orientation with an hour or so long walk around the neighborhood. The Central House is in a pretty busy neighborhood. The house is on a corner, and one of the streets is the Circuito Colonias, which is a six lane street. There is a lot of traffic at all hours of the day and night, but I'm quickly getting used to it. I didn't wake up at all last night, which is pretty much a miracle since I wake up all the time in my quiet home in Iowa!

The neighborhood is beautiful and diverse, at least economically. On our walk, we saw huge mansions with private courtyards and ducks (strange!). On the other hand, we also saw teeny tiny run down houses and mansions sitting in ruin. Also, Mexico has no zoning laws, so a lot of businesses are popping up between houses. Right near the house is a Starbucks (!!!), an Oxxo (convenience store), and a Chapur (like Yonkers). Unfortunately the Oxxo is on the other side of the Circuito Colonias, so crossing the road to get there is an adventure!

We live a few blocks down from the Paseo Montejo, which is another main street in Merida. I believe it goes all the way into the downtown. Last night we ate at a restaurant on the crossroad of the Circuito Colonias and the Paseo Montejo. The crossing becomes a roudabout with a beautiful fountain in the middle.

Towards the end of our walk, I showed my true talents and fell down, becoming the first injury on the trip (is anyone surprised?) I have 2 skinned knees to show for it, but all is ok. I have plenty of bandaids!!

The food here in the Central House is amazing! I don't know if I can ever go back to the Central Market. Breakfast was French toast and about 7-8 different kinds of fruit. Lunch consisted of BBQ chicken, salad, and carrots with some sort of creamy cheese sauce on it. It may sound gross, but it was absolutely delicious! Our dinner was ham and cheese quesadilla things with salad and cookies. In Mexico, lunch is considered the large meal of the day, and we must speak Spanish at the table during lunch. We also get fresh squeezed juices with our meals. Man lemonade is great when it's fresh.

The great thing about Mexico is the siesta. Between 1-3pm, after we eat our dinner, we can do whatever we want during that time: nap, go to Oxxo or MegaMercado, sit in the sun, whatever! It's awesome!!

Well, breakfast is coming soon...it smells yummy!

At Last!

I'm finally here in Merida, and I still can hardly believe it. The weather is wonderful-for now. It's about 70 out and a little humid, kind of like a nice warm spring day in Iowa. Tomorrow will be a different story- high 80s and high humidity. It will take a while to get used to, but I'm so glad to be here finally!!

Landing in a foreign country at night is amazing. Approaching Merida was beautiful--the maze of lights amid the pitch black darkness was the perfect way to welcome me to the city.

The warmth of Merida hit me as soon as I walked off the plane. All I could think was "Wow! It's hot!" I still can hardly believe that it's January but the windows are wide open and I'm sitting in a t-shirt.

Getting a taxi wasn't too hard because we had some help from Eduardo, a lab assistant who goes to Central in Pella but lives in Merida. I had to laugh in the cab when I heard the radio announcer say KISS FM. American stations can be found down here, even if the music is a little different!

I'm exhausted but exilerated! I'm headed to unpack a bit then hit the hay. I promise I'll write more soon!!

One more day!

Well, tonight is my last night in the US for a while, and I have to say that I'm not disappointed. I'm ready to go!! It looks like the weather is going to be great for my flights tomorrow, and I'm praying that nothing goes wrong with any of my travel plans. The trip down to Kansas City went smoothly, even if my Dad can be a scary driver! We managed to get lost twice, and ended up at the airport twice-a whole day early. I suppose that's the hazard of getting a hotel so close to the airport-any missed turn means you end up in the parking lot of the airport! And anyone who knows my navigational skills knows that they shouldn't ask me where to turn! I have a feeling that was our problem.

Well, it's time to open my fortune cookie from our yummy Chinese delivery! Hope everyone enjoys the cold weather!

Jen

One Week to Go!

Well, I'm down to the final week, and I've finally realized that I have a lot of things to do before I leave! Packing is proving to be a difficult thing, since I'm pretty indecisive at times. :) I sure hope I can finish packing before I leave.

I wanted to let you know how you can contact me while I'm abroad. You can email me at daughertyj1@central.edu or at spanishjen@gmail.com. I check both emails regularly, so feel free to email me as much as possible. For those of you who use Skype, I have an account. You can search for me under my spanishjen@gmail.com email account. Feel free to call me on Skype whenever you wish! If you don't know what Skype is, check it out at http://skype.com/ . I will not be taking my cell phone with me, so don't call or text me after 10 am on Sunday the 19th. I won't get the messages until May if you do!

On Friday, the temperature in Merida was 97 degrees! I can't get wait to get to a warmer climate, but I hope it's not too warm!

The excitement's building!

Hello everyone!

I only have 2 weeks left until I leave for Merida, and each day makes me more excited. Considering the super cold weather today, I certainly am looking forward to the warm weather that will greet me in Mexico!

I've started to pack, and I've realized that I have a lot of stuff to fit into my suitcases. I've resigned myself to taking two bags, so at least I'll have plenty of room for souvenirs on my return trip! I have a lot of small things to do before I leave, so this week will be spent running errands and making sure I have everything taking care of before I leave the US for four months. And I still have all my shopping left to do! I'll certainly be busy, which will keep my mind busy (hopefully)!

Adios!
Jen