I am starting to compile recommendations for families who would like to travel in this beautiful area of Mexico. This is the main motivation behind this blog, hoping that it might inspire others to give it a try.
I know that this country is not getting good press, and based on all the bad news in the media a lot of people have serious reservations about coming here for a vacation. So my first tip would be to consider that Mexico is a big country, and a lot of areas are very safe for you and your children. I have been coming to the Yucatan peninsula for 25 years, a few times on my own, and I never had a major problem to report.
The Mexico I know is very different from the one depicted in the newscasts. With the exception of Cancun (which I avoid altogether), the Yucatan peninsula is tranquil and safe - and people here are friendly and kind. The people is actually the part I love the most. Sure, it helps to speak Spanish... but even a fairly limited knowledge of the language will go a long way here.
If you are planning to travel in this part of Mexico, don't be scared to rent a car and explore. Driving around Yucatan is a fantastic way to discover it's true spirit, going through pueblos and ranch land. In this 3 month adventure, the driving was certainly one of the highlights for the four of us. So get yourself a good road map - and stick you neck out!
Now that you think that it might be a good idea to come this way with your family, there are 2 basic things I highly recommend to make your traveling more comfortable. The first one is a roof bag for your rental car. It does not require a rack to install it on the roof, it's easy to pack in your luggage when you fly in, it is waterproof, and the price is right for the convenience it provides. We place our clothing luggage on the roof, which leaves a lot of room in the trunk. I ordered ours at www.roofbag.com (the best I found), and they delivered to our Toronto home within 4 days.
The other item is a cooler. A styrofoam cooler is perfect, you can purchase one for about $5 when you get to the grocery store here. Get a pack of garbage bags to double line it, a bag of ice, and you have a mini fridge in your trunk! Cold beverages, bread, cold cuts, cheese and fruit. We traveled this way for 2 weeks around Quintana Roo and Campeche 3 years ago, and it was a very good way to save money, control what we eat, and when to eat. In rural areas, you may not find a restaurant for miles.
So that's pretty much my two cents worth for the traveling part. Next tips will be on accommodations - one of my favorite subjects!
Somewhere between Izamal and Sudzal, Yucatan.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
A Good Day
The North wind blew hard again all last night, and the power lines gave in this morning at around 7:30am. I was up and preparing to go to twon to teach, and I didn’t know if they had power at the school… that little classromm would be pretty dark. I was ready to postpone when Tim convinced me to go anyway. ‘the kids will be waiting for you’ he said. So I went and sure enough, they were thrilled to see me arrive (and they did have power). I introduced another set of activities and we had a great time. Looking forward to next week, we will repeat some activities of the last 2 classes and to end this fun series, we will dance with colorful scarves. I found some fabric in Progreso on Monday, and I was able to cut about 25 light scarves. I also found some maracas in the craft market, and was able to purchase 8 pairs for $25 – pretty good price! I will leave all of that at the school next week, together with the other instruments I brought from Toronto, a cd, and lyrics of a few songs we did (if I can get someone to correct the spelling…).
We are slowly getting ready to move to Villa Kasper on Friday, which is the 3rd house West of where we are right now. It’s a very slick 4 bedroom house, perfect for us and our visitors. We had no choice but to cancel our booking with the other agency, the guy really toyed with my patience and at the last attempt to cut him some slack I accepted to meet ‘his people’ at one of the houses he was offering. To make a long story short – nobody showed-up to meet me. While waiting I was chatting with the caretaker of the house, and he got the owner of the house on the phone to hopefully clarify the situation. She (the owner) told me that it would be hard for him to show me the house since he does not have a key… (by now, he is a ‘sleazy’ business man…) Furthermore, a couple of days before he had told me that to get that beautiful house we would have to pay extra ($325us) because the owner would not lower her price – he explained that she is very tough and unflexible. So since I had her on the phone, I asked her if we could rent directly from her, told her the price we initially wanted to pay, and she was very pleased to make the deal! I inquired about the conversation she had with the agent earlier in the week – well… it never took place (and he graduated to scum bag).
Even if everything was in place for us to have the beautiful Casa Pilar’s, we thought that it would not be a good idea to double cross a scum bag who knows where we live. So we cancelled the booking, and surprisingly I got the refund promptly (well, maybe it had something to do with me signing Julie Martin, Legal Advisor, Foreing Affairs and International Trade Canada : )
So with all that, I did run around a lot to managed the crisis for most of last week. We finally rented a beautiful house through our current agent, and we are looking forward to having fun in Villa Kasper.
It’s now 2:45pm, and the crew has been working all day to fix the wires along the road. The power is supposed to be back by 3pm… crossing our fingers! ...The power came back on at 5:30pm, just in time for sunset. Perfect!
This black out day was great after all, Tim made a little family movie, I painted with the boys, and Dylan started to write a long story. A very good day in Telchac!
We are slowly getting ready to move to Villa Kasper on Friday, which is the 3rd house West of where we are right now. It’s a very slick 4 bedroom house, perfect for us and our visitors. We had no choice but to cancel our booking with the other agency, the guy really toyed with my patience and at the last attempt to cut him some slack I accepted to meet ‘his people’ at one of the houses he was offering. To make a long story short – nobody showed-up to meet me. While waiting I was chatting with the caretaker of the house, and he got the owner of the house on the phone to hopefully clarify the situation. She (the owner) told me that it would be hard for him to show me the house since he does not have a key… (by now, he is a ‘sleazy’ business man…) Furthermore, a couple of days before he had told me that to get that beautiful house we would have to pay extra ($325us) because the owner would not lower her price – he explained that she is very tough and unflexible. So since I had her on the phone, I asked her if we could rent directly from her, told her the price we initially wanted to pay, and she was very pleased to make the deal! I inquired about the conversation she had with the agent earlier in the week – well… it never took place (and he graduated to scum bag).
Even if everything was in place for us to have the beautiful Casa Pilar’s, we thought that it would not be a good idea to double cross a scum bag who knows where we live. So we cancelled the booking, and surprisingly I got the refund promptly (well, maybe it had something to do with me signing Julie Martin, Legal Advisor, Foreing Affairs and International Trade Canada : )
So with all that, I did run around a lot to managed the crisis for most of last week. We finally rented a beautiful house through our current agent, and we are looking forward to having fun in Villa Kasper.
It’s now 2:45pm, and the crew has been working all day to fix the wires along the road. The power is supposed to be back by 3pm… crossing our fingers! ...The power came back on at 5:30pm, just in time for sunset. Perfect!
This black out day was great after all, Tim made a little family movie, I painted with the boys, and Dylan started to write a long story. A very good day in Telchac!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Living in the Moment
Living in the moment is something I have to work at, it doesn't come to me naturally. I tend to live in the future, always planning as far as 3 years ahead. It's not all bad of course, it brought us here for a great three month adventure! And it's very good to have a plan to navigate towards one's goals, no doubt. But it's important to learn to stop once in awhile, and turn off the planning engines. Just enjoy.
Lay down on the hammock... Ahhhh, yeah... how relaxing. And my mind starts to tingle again:
Left brain : 'hmmm, what should I make for lunch today?'
Right brain : 'who cares, let it just happen... someone will take care of it!'
Left brain : 'maybe some quesadillas... do we have flour tortillas? I should check'
Right brain : 'why exactly did you buy this hammock? Just chill you fool!'
Left brain : 'oh yeah, hammocks... I'll have to buy a couple next time we go to town, cheaper here, maybe when I go get those tortillas...'
Right brain : 'la la la la... can't hear you!!!'
Left brain : 'I wonder what colour I should get, I should email Heather and ask what she would prefer...'
Right brain : 'oh no, whatever you do - do not open that computer!'
Left brain : 'oh and I should also email the agent to confirm that we're moving in on Friday...'
Right brain : 'Later, please please!'
Left brain : 'Okay, and I'll send her the PayPal payment too. But first I'll check the bank account to make sure it's all in order...'
Right brain : 'talk to the hand...'
Left brain : yep, yep, I should do that now before I get caught in something else and forget (...)
Right brain : But you've only been laying down for 1 minute and 43 seconds!'
Left brain : Hmmm you're right, I should try to make it to at least 3 minutes this time...'
Right brain : You're hopeless, but I guess it's better than nothing'
Left brain : 'Maybe I am hopeless. I should write about that on my blog today, after the emailing and the banking'
Right brain : 'At least bring the stupid computer to the hammock for crying out loud!'
Left brain : 'Okay!'
Right brain : 'I can't live like this, too demanding. I need to rest and recover my strength, please don't disturb me for awhile'
Left brain : 'Okay : ) '
Lay down on the hammock... Ahhhh, yeah... how relaxing. And my mind starts to tingle again:
Left brain : 'hmmm, what should I make for lunch today?'
Right brain : 'who cares, let it just happen... someone will take care of it!'
Left brain : 'maybe some quesadillas... do we have flour tortillas? I should check'
Right brain : 'why exactly did you buy this hammock? Just chill you fool!'
Left brain : 'oh yeah, hammocks... I'll have to buy a couple next time we go to town, cheaper here, maybe when I go get those tortillas...'
Right brain : 'la la la la... can't hear you!!!'
Left brain : 'I wonder what colour I should get, I should email Heather and ask what she would prefer...'
Right brain : 'oh no, whatever you do - do not open that computer!'
Left brain : 'oh and I should also email the agent to confirm that we're moving in on Friday...'
Right brain : 'Later, please please!'
Left brain : 'Okay, and I'll send her the PayPal payment too. But first I'll check the bank account to make sure it's all in order...'
Right brain : 'talk to the hand...'
Left brain : yep, yep, I should do that now before I get caught in something else and forget (...)
Right brain : But you've only been laying down for 1 minute and 43 seconds!'
Left brain : Hmmm you're right, I should try to make it to at least 3 minutes this time...'
Right brain : You're hopeless, but I guess it's better than nothing'
Left brain : 'Maybe I am hopeless. I should write about that on my blog today, after the emailing and the banking'
Right brain : 'At least bring the stupid computer to the hammock for crying out loud!'
Left brain : 'Okay!'
Right brain : 'I can't live like this, too demanding. I need to rest and recover my strength, please don't disturb me for awhile'
Left brain : 'Okay : ) '
Monday, January 24, 2011
Culinary Daredevil Me!
Okay, I'm ready for more. Ready to venture into the unknown. Take on a challenge that I have been contemplating for quite awhile... venturing deeper into Yucatan cuisine. I shall make a 'pibil' dish.
The better known version of this delicious dish is 'Cochinita Pibil', a piece of pork which is marinated in 'achiote' paste, and wrapped in a banana leave to cook slowly in the oven until the meat falls off the bones. It is very, very tasty. It can also be made with chicken or fish, so I have a whole new set of dishes to explore - fun! Best of all, the children are now excited about trying new dishes, they have widened their palate, and I am delighted.
Although I have not done it yet, I will share this one right away. It's a beautiful dish to bring some warmth in the heart of the winter, and it's perfect for hosting a dinner party. The amount of ingredients may seem a bit intimidating, but I assure you that it's worth it. So here it goes :
1 1/2 kilo of pork meat (shoulder or thigh)
Salt, pepper and 3 cloves of garlic
150 g of achiote paste (see below)
the juice of 3 sour oranges (see alternate juice in previous post entitled 'Tacos 101')
2 banana leaves ( and/or foil paper)
dried oregano leaves
Cut the meat in big pieces and season with salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Dilute the achiote paste in the bitter orange juice, and mix with the meat, coating every piece. Let the beat marinate as long as possible, overnight is great.
Soak the banana leaves in water for about 30 minutes. Unfold and place the banana leaves in a shallow dish so that the bottom of the dish is covered and the leaves stick out all around. Spread the pieces of meat on the bottom of the dish (on the banana leaves), add the oregano leaves, and wrap - folding the same leaves overtop of the dish. Cover the dish with foil to prevent the steam from escaping. Cook in the oven at 300 F for 90 minutes.
This traditional dish is served with white rice, a side of refried beans (home made please!), marinated red onions (see previous post entitled 'The North Wind Blowing'), and a pile of fresh corn tortillas.
If you decide to try making it - let me know how it goes! I will send you my side notes when my plate in empty : )
The better known version of this delicious dish is 'Cochinita Pibil', a piece of pork which is marinated in 'achiote' paste, and wrapped in a banana leave to cook slowly in the oven until the meat falls off the bones. It is very, very tasty. It can also be made with chicken or fish, so I have a whole new set of dishes to explore - fun! Best of all, the children are now excited about trying new dishes, they have widened their palate, and I am delighted.
Although I have not done it yet, I will share this one right away. It's a beautiful dish to bring some warmth in the heart of the winter, and it's perfect for hosting a dinner party. The amount of ingredients may seem a bit intimidating, but I assure you that it's worth it. So here it goes :
1 1/2 kilo of pork meat (shoulder or thigh)
Salt, pepper and 3 cloves of garlic
150 g of achiote paste (see below)
the juice of 3 sour oranges (see alternate juice in previous post entitled 'Tacos 101')
2 banana leaves ( and/or foil paper)
dried oregano leaves
Cut the meat in big pieces and season with salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Dilute the achiote paste in the bitter orange juice, and mix with the meat, coating every piece. Let the beat marinate as long as possible, overnight is great.
Soak the banana leaves in water for about 30 minutes. Unfold and place the banana leaves in a shallow dish so that the bottom of the dish is covered and the leaves stick out all around. Spread the pieces of meat on the bottom of the dish (on the banana leaves), add the oregano leaves, and wrap - folding the same leaves overtop of the dish. Cover the dish with foil to prevent the steam from escaping. Cook in the oven at 300 F for 90 minutes.
This traditional dish is served with white rice, a side of refried beans (home made please!), marinated red onions (see previous post entitled 'The North Wind Blowing'), and a pile of fresh corn tortillas.
If you decide to try making it - let me know how it goes! I will send you my side notes when my plate in empty : )
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Favorite Words
This trip has revived my Spanish, not as much as I would have liked to, but enough to want to pursue it. I learned Spanish before English, and I was once much more fluent. 25 years later my brain is not the thirsty sponge it used to be, but I still love the language. I like to listen to people chatting, and the Yucatan accent is very pleasant. A slower pace, with lots of tonal accents, very musical. And of course there are words that I like particularly. Like 'mariposa' (butterfly), just for it's softness. Or the verb 'esperar' (to wait), which is a relative to the French word 'espérer' (to hope). Because to wait is also to hope for something. I find this very poetic, and suddenly waiting is not so bad anymore.
When I was teaching in Majahual I learned the word 'pañoleta' (kerchief or scarf), when I had the children dancing around with light scarves. It was quite magical and the word inspired a little song in 6/8, which fits the rhythm of this bouncy word (3 eight notes and one dotted quarter note for pa-ño-le-ta..). I will always associate this word with children dancing.
There is also the word 'bodega' (pantry or cellar), a word that I find sounds so grave and serious to designate such a simple thing. Suddenly, it makes the pantry sound like a suspicious place, hiding some dark secret. 'Where is the broom honey?' 'In the BO-DE-GA... wa ha ha!' It make me want to designate one in our house when we go back, just for the kick of having to say it once in awhile.
And then there are the food words. Like 'Poc Chuc' (marinated pork filets), which is said in two very short sounds, almost as if you don't pronounce the vowels. And so many others.
This is a very colourful language, and I love to speak it and exchange with people here. What a real treat!
When I was teaching in Majahual I learned the word 'pañoleta' (kerchief or scarf), when I had the children dancing around with light scarves. It was quite magical and the word inspired a little song in 6/8, which fits the rhythm of this bouncy word (3 eight notes and one dotted quarter note for pa-ño-le-ta..). I will always associate this word with children dancing.
There is also the word 'bodega' (pantry or cellar), a word that I find sounds so grave and serious to designate such a simple thing. Suddenly, it makes the pantry sound like a suspicious place, hiding some dark secret. 'Where is the broom honey?' 'In the BO-DE-GA... wa ha ha!' It make me want to designate one in our house when we go back, just for the kick of having to say it once in awhile.
And then there are the food words. Like 'Poc Chuc' (marinated pork filets), which is said in two very short sounds, almost as if you don't pronounce the vowels. And so many others.
This is a very colourful language, and I love to speak it and exchange with people here. What a real treat!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The North Wind Blowing!
Oh yeah baby! The North wind has been blowing hard since last night and surprise surprise - the sea has reclaimed most of the sea grass it has left last week. Not sure if it's only here... but it's good to know that we might be able to use the beach and play in the water!
We will be moving out of this house on Friday and we still don't know where we're going. Yesterday I went to see the house we rented in 2008 and it has been empty for quite awhile... Overall it's a great place if you are looking for a simple and spacious property, but that is not what we had in mind when we planned the special week with our friends. We've planned to be in a more upscale vacation home, and we're very close to finding the replacement from our original rental. I went to see the one located 4 houses down the road, now that the beach is clear around here that option has become much more appealing - it has everything we're looking for, for the same price, and with an agent who we know and trust. I have a meeting set at 4pm with the agency who is supposed to provide us with a replacement property, we will visit two houses. It was supposed to happen yesterday, but we were offline for a good part of the day and I was unable to contact him. My preference would be to not give them the business since they did let us down big time, but first I want to see what they have to offer, including the extra fluff for the trouble they caused. Dylan is my assistant, our visitors happen to be his best friend and his parents, so he is very happy to be involved in the choice of the house.
Apart from that ongoing house saga, I went to teach yesterday morning. One jk and one sk class. It was a lot of fun! The little school is very nice, I was impressed with the premisses and the quality of the teaching there. The school is for age 4 to 6 only, a quaint, clean and happy place. Looking forward to teaching there again for the next 2 weeks.
On the food front, I keep exploring and the latest hit for all of us is a condiment served in all market luncherias and taquerias around here : pickled red onions. Great on tacos of course, but also in sandwiches and as a side dish for grilled meats. You simply cut a red onion, fine julienne style (or diced if you prefer that...), soak the cut onion in hot boiled water for a minute or two - note that you want to onion to remain a little crispy. Strain, rinse under cold water a little to cool, and place in a sealable container. Cover the onion with the juice of 2 bitter oranges, and a little salt. You can replace the sour orange by mixing one part orange juice, one part grapefruit juice, and 2 parts lemon juice – and add some finely grated grapefruit zest. Let it marinate for at least one hour - et voilà!
We will be moving out of this house on Friday and we still don't know where we're going. Yesterday I went to see the house we rented in 2008 and it has been empty for quite awhile... Overall it's a great place if you are looking for a simple and spacious property, but that is not what we had in mind when we planned the special week with our friends. We've planned to be in a more upscale vacation home, and we're very close to finding the replacement from our original rental. I went to see the one located 4 houses down the road, now that the beach is clear around here that option has become much more appealing - it has everything we're looking for, for the same price, and with an agent who we know and trust. I have a meeting set at 4pm with the agency who is supposed to provide us with a replacement property, we will visit two houses. It was supposed to happen yesterday, but we were offline for a good part of the day and I was unable to contact him. My preference would be to not give them the business since they did let us down big time, but first I want to see what they have to offer, including the extra fluff for the trouble they caused. Dylan is my assistant, our visitors happen to be his best friend and his parents, so he is very happy to be involved in the choice of the house.
Apart from that ongoing house saga, I went to teach yesterday morning. One jk and one sk class. It was a lot of fun! The little school is very nice, I was impressed with the premisses and the quality of the teaching there. The school is for age 4 to 6 only, a quaint, clean and happy place. Looking forward to teaching there again for the next 2 weeks.
On the food front, I keep exploring and the latest hit for all of us is a condiment served in all market luncherias and taquerias around here : pickled red onions. Great on tacos of course, but also in sandwiches and as a side dish for grilled meats. You simply cut a red onion, fine julienne style (or diced if you prefer that...), soak the cut onion in hot boiled water for a minute or two - note that you want to onion to remain a little crispy. Strain, rinse under cold water a little to cool, and place in a sealable container. Cover the onion with the juice of 2 bitter oranges, and a little salt. You can replace the sour orange by mixing one part orange juice, one part grapefruit juice, and 2 parts lemon juice – and add some finely grated grapefruit zest. Let it marinate for at least one hour - et voilà!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Finding a house...
Oh my... this house thing has become kind of stressful. That's it. I"m stressed out.
It makes me smile to even say this... because in our misfortune we might have to live in a beautiful open concept, bright see through, slick architecture beach home in Mexico... but the patio and the pool are kind of small. Boo hoo.
In my efforts to find us a good home for when our friends will visit, everything we saw that had a good size pool and patio had other big set backs... and now the one house that the agent has been pushing for is looking pretty good indeed. I will go see 2 more houses tomorrow after I teach, and then I will cast my final vote so that we can settle this once and for all. Bam!
With all this, the boys have missed a few school shifts this week and we are behind on that front. We only have 3 weeks left, and part of me is dying to just let go and make it a carefree loosy goosy time, but for their sake I must keep it up... at least until the last week. They're in for a shock when they will go back to school... hopefully it will only be a couple of weeks to re-adapt.
Oh yeah, I did open my music books... was it on Monday? It lasted about 15 minutes. There are a couple of spanish kids songs germinating in my mind though... one about Ranchero Samuel, going by with his 10 cows, then with his 10 goats, and so on with any other farm animal. Another one is about Don Pichi, the joyful fellow who built the ranch house we rented. In the song, he is hungry and goes to the market to get... one taco, two salbutes, three panuchos, four flautas and five... something else. Counting songs and animal songs are a lot of fun, and they're great to teach a language.
Okay, I have to prepare for my classes now... and eat dinner for crying out loud!
It makes me smile to even say this... because in our misfortune we might have to live in a beautiful open concept, bright see through, slick architecture beach home in Mexico... but the patio and the pool are kind of small. Boo hoo.
In my efforts to find us a good home for when our friends will visit, everything we saw that had a good size pool and patio had other big set backs... and now the one house that the agent has been pushing for is looking pretty good indeed. I will go see 2 more houses tomorrow after I teach, and then I will cast my final vote so that we can settle this once and for all. Bam!
With all this, the boys have missed a few school shifts this week and we are behind on that front. We only have 3 weeks left, and part of me is dying to just let go and make it a carefree loosy goosy time, but for their sake I must keep it up... at least until the last week. They're in for a shock when they will go back to school... hopefully it will only be a couple of weeks to re-adapt.
Oh yeah, I did open my music books... was it on Monday? It lasted about 15 minutes. There are a couple of spanish kids songs germinating in my mind though... one about Ranchero Samuel, going by with his 10 cows, then with his 10 goats, and so on with any other farm animal. Another one is about Don Pichi, the joyful fellow who built the ranch house we rented. In the song, he is hungry and goes to the market to get... one taco, two salbutes, three panuchos, four flautas and five... something else. Counting songs and animal songs are a lot of fun, and they're great to teach a language.
Okay, I have to prepare for my classes now... and eat dinner for crying out loud!
Life in Telchac
Yesterday morning I met the founder and director of Telchac Education, Judy Abbott, in the main square of Telchac and we went to the elementary school together. She introduced me to the school principal, and took the time to give me some details about her relationship with the school. Judy is a strong minded person, and she takes care of business swiftly. Her organization sponsors children throughout their schooling, providing the uniforms and shoes, as well as all the required material. In return, they must do their best at school, and whenever one of them runs to her to say hello, she never fails to ask 'so, how are your grades?' or 'are you reading books at home?' with a few words of support, and she is quickly on her way to the next pit stop. These children report back with each report card, together with a written note. Now that all of her sponsored children are well equipped, she is using the available funds to purchase school supplies for the teachers. So yesterday she was delivering state maps for all the classrooms, and picking-up wish lists from the teachers. She will go and purchase the goods, and deliver them along the next few weeks. She is the Robin Hood of the town, taking (not stealing) from the rich and giving to the poor. The money is donated by the many Canadian and American home owners in the area. A lot of somewhat or very wealthy retired people who are glad to help out financially.
So with all that, the meeting with the school principal was not so successful. She is not all too pleased with Judy's popularity around town and around the school, and never wastes an opportunity to display her power of authority. She gracefully explained that since the idea was presented to her in late summer, the school program has expanded and there is not really any time to squeeze in a music program. However she is happy to let me use a room for afterschool classes, and will even give a good word for me to the President (Mayor) to get a space in the central square. I thanked her for her time, shook her hand, and Judy and I went directly to the Kindergarten school around the corner.
As I explained to Judy, if I volunteer my time while I'm here - I want it to have a real educational impact and unless I am in the classroom, it will not happen with school age children. However Kindergarten schools are usually much more open to my program as their curriculum is not as structured. The children and teachers learn all the activities together, and keep doing them after my departure. That's why my priority switched to the KD school of Telchac. As expected, they are welcoming my program within their regular hours of operations, and I will be teaching my first classes tomorrow morning. All good! I still have a bag of instruments, and I am looking forward to leaving it with them.
Oh and the house situation... well now apparently the agency can not reach the owner of the alternate house we have chosen, and are pushing us to go to our second choice - which has a small patio and very small pool. Although this is a beautiful house, slick architecture and very upscale, we do have 3 boys who need a lot of space to play. I insisted that he try to reach the owner again, and we'll take it from there. Our frinds are arriving next Friday, and time is running out... Although I am not really worried about it, I really want to settle this. The saga continues!
Going shopping for food in Progreso today, we will explore the public market there. Looking forward it - although I have some apprehensions as Progreso is a cruise ship port (as well as commercial), and most vendors there have the pushy attitude of highly touristic towns... which makes it almost impossible to have a genuine conversation with them,,, very unpleasant. I keep my mind open though, I might be surprised : )
So with all that, the meeting with the school principal was not so successful. She is not all too pleased with Judy's popularity around town and around the school, and never wastes an opportunity to display her power of authority. She gracefully explained that since the idea was presented to her in late summer, the school program has expanded and there is not really any time to squeeze in a music program. However she is happy to let me use a room for afterschool classes, and will even give a good word for me to the President (Mayor) to get a space in the central square. I thanked her for her time, shook her hand, and Judy and I went directly to the Kindergarten school around the corner.
As I explained to Judy, if I volunteer my time while I'm here - I want it to have a real educational impact and unless I am in the classroom, it will not happen with school age children. However Kindergarten schools are usually much more open to my program as their curriculum is not as structured. The children and teachers learn all the activities together, and keep doing them after my departure. That's why my priority switched to the KD school of Telchac. As expected, they are welcoming my program within their regular hours of operations, and I will be teaching my first classes tomorrow morning. All good! I still have a bag of instruments, and I am looking forward to leaving it with them.
Oh and the house situation... well now apparently the agency can not reach the owner of the alternate house we have chosen, and are pushing us to go to our second choice - which has a small patio and very small pool. Although this is a beautiful house, slick architecture and very upscale, we do have 3 boys who need a lot of space to play. I insisted that he try to reach the owner again, and we'll take it from there. Our frinds are arriving next Friday, and time is running out... Although I am not really worried about it, I really want to settle this. The saga continues!
Going shopping for food in Progreso today, we will explore the public market there. Looking forward it - although I have some apprehensions as Progreso is a cruise ship port (as well as commercial), and most vendors there have the pushy attitude of highly touristic towns... which makes it almost impossible to have a genuine conversation with them,,, very unpleasant. I keep my mind open though, I might be surprised : )
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Week 10
Feeling better, and the smell has eased up a bit. We even have good parts of some days with perfectly fine ocean air. El Norte has not arrived, it's dead calm out there this morning.
We took the little family to investigate on the alternate houses that we were offered to move into on January 28, and zeroed in on our first choice. Very nice house, about 10km from where we are now, and I have emailed our decision to the renter and waiting for his reply. I hope we can confirm that switch, crossing my fingers.
I have to go now because I am meeting the principal of the elementary school in about 45 minutes... hoping to line-up some music classes in the next couple of weeks. Can't be late!
We took the little family to investigate on the alternate houses that we were offered to move into on January 28, and zeroed in on our first choice. Very nice house, about 10km from where we are now, and I have emailed our decision to the renter and waiting for his reply. I hope we can confirm that switch, crossing my fingers.
I have to go now because I am meeting the principal of the elementary school in about 45 minutes... hoping to line-up some music classes in the next couple of weeks. Can't be late!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Troubleshooting and Managing it all
The smell has eased up a bit, and we're told that the North wind will blow hard on Wednesday. They call it 'El Norte' here, as well as on the Caribbean coast. It delivers their winter, cooling off the savana. It also swells the sea and we never know what it will leave behind, or take away. Apparently if we are lucky, the sea will take back the sea grass and leave clean beaches in the next few days. And I really hope it will - so that our little Leo can enjoy his stay here.
Another unpleasant surprise... we had booked a 3 bedroom house for one week with friends who will be visiting at the end of the month, and yesterday I was informed that the house has been rented to someone else for a much longer booking, and we are 'upgraded' to a 4 bedroom house. They give us a choice between 3 houses, so instead of writing my music in my free time during the next week, I will be visiting the houses and managing this situation. I'll try to do this asap and get it out of the way.
Not sure if it's my mood right now, but I feel the weigh of all the organisation required to keep everyone happy. Food, laundry, schooling, banking, work, and now the house thing. I want to be free and smell the flowers! Oh no no no... I don't want to smell anything around here... Anyway, maybe I should just open my music books and see if the world will stop turning!
Another unpleasant surprise... we had booked a 3 bedroom house for one week with friends who will be visiting at the end of the month, and yesterday I was informed that the house has been rented to someone else for a much longer booking, and we are 'upgraded' to a 4 bedroom house. They give us a choice between 3 houses, so instead of writing my music in my free time during the next week, I will be visiting the houses and managing this situation. I'll try to do this asap and get it out of the way.
Not sure if it's my mood right now, but I feel the weigh of all the organisation required to keep everyone happy. Food, laundry, schooling, banking, work, and now the house thing. I want to be free and smell the flowers! Oh no no no... I don't want to smell anything around here... Anyway, maybe I should just open my music books and see if the world will stop turning!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fishy...
...scent. Yep - this entire chunk of the coast smells like dead fish. Very unpleasant. We purchased all kinds of stink busters at the store today - like plug-ins, spray, and cinnamon sticks and clove to boil. It seems to work, until we open the door! Darn... I'm not sure I can endure this foul smell. We talked about it, and are open to the possibility that we might have to move somewhere down the coast. It's too bad, this little house is so nice! Oh well. Maybe the wind will turn, and take the stink away, way way away!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Moving to the Gulf coast
Left the Kalax Wayak ranch of the little town of Sudzal at 10am this morning. The ranch was our longest stay among the various places we are visiting. Five weeks, and it went by in a flash. It was very good for the kids to experience a little taste of farm life, and Leo is particularly fond of the animals here. Samuel noticed that in Leo, and today as he was getting ready to bring his horse to his stall, he stopped and asked Leo if he wouldlike to go for a little ride. Oh joy! It was very sweet of Samuel, and Leo was delighted to go for a ride on his own (ie without us). Watching them coming back on the little back road, I had another moment of perfect happyness. What a beautiful place this is.
Of course there are pros and cons about that house, but overall I must say that I find it kind of embarassing to mention the glitches while in such a priviledged position. We are the very first people to rent the house, it’s a new sideline venture for the Cervera Calero family. This is a perfect vacation rental property, and in that category they have no competition in the area. I have offfered them to make a series of recommendations, and they are welcoming the feedback. Small improvements can easily be made to the overall operation (filling water tanks regularly, providing basic info upon arrival, etc.), and it will be a top notch – gringo proof destination.
I must say that in my endless quest for Yucatan spirit, Izamal was my greatest discovery. After coming to the Yucatan peninsula so many times over the past 25 years, enjoying its culture and people, I feel that Izamal has it all. I have gone back a few times to make sure it wasn’t only one of my ‘kumbaya’ moments, and sure enough, I really fell for that beautiful town. It’s very pretty and the people are beautiful. It has a kind soul, ancient and wise. It feels very good.
Farewell to this beautifulplace, it’s time for us to move on!
We are now in Telchac Puerto, settling in Casa Zuno until January 28. Right away, we are impressed with the comfy couches, washer and dryer, and wireless internet – cool! Funny how these are things we have at home…
Of course there are pros and cons about that house, but overall I must say that I find it kind of embarassing to mention the glitches while in such a priviledged position. We are the very first people to rent the house, it’s a new sideline venture for the Cervera Calero family. This is a perfect vacation rental property, and in that category they have no competition in the area. I have offfered them to make a series of recommendations, and they are welcoming the feedback. Small improvements can easily be made to the overall operation (filling water tanks regularly, providing basic info upon arrival, etc.), and it will be a top notch – gringo proof destination.
I must say that in my endless quest for Yucatan spirit, Izamal was my greatest discovery. After coming to the Yucatan peninsula so many times over the past 25 years, enjoying its culture and people, I feel that Izamal has it all. I have gone back a few times to make sure it wasn’t only one of my ‘kumbaya’ moments, and sure enough, I really fell for that beautiful town. It’s very pretty and the people are beautiful. It has a kind soul, ancient and wise. It feels very good.
Farewell to this beautifulplace, it’s time for us to move on!
We are now in Telchac Puerto, settling in Casa Zuno until January 28. Right away, we are impressed with the comfy couches, washer and dryer, and wireless internet – cool! Funny how these are things we have at home…
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Week 9
Getting ready to leave the ranch on Saturday, and looking forward to our next destination : Telchac Puerto. I started to pack, we took advantage of some great finds in Izamal and purchased some souvenirs – and although Manon took some of our things back to Toronto, we do have some more baggage now. Not to worry though, because we did not have our full luggage allowance on our flight in so we can buy an extra bag and fill it. Also, the house purging we did to prepare for our trip have made us somewhat better at letting go of unnecessary goods. So we will leave some things behind.
School is taking most of my time right now, I want to make sure that the boys are not behind when they return to their respective class – in about four weeks! It’s challenging to prepare the right exercises in a sufficient amount so that they get to assimilate the concepts – we only do about 3 hours of school a day. Keeping them motivated is equally challenging. I have a much better understanding of what teachers go through, and a lot of respect for their work. I have a hard time providing adequate individual attention and feedback to my two boys, so a class of 20 (or more) requires incredible dedication.
With school and business back in full force I have not looked at my repertoire of songs since we’re at the ranch. So much for taking the time to do it… time seems to escape me even here in Mexico. I am hoping to work on it when we will be in Telchac.
I will attempt to restore contact with Telchac Education, for some reason I have never heard back from the lady after she confirmed my teaching engagement at the elementary school there. Telchac Education is a small charitable organisation which sponsors children throughout their school years. It’s ran and was founded by a couple of american women, Judy and Susan – and Susan is the lady we are renting the Telchac house from. I hope I can still go to that school, even if it’s not for all the classes.
We are about to begin the last third of our big adventure, and I am reflecting on what this all means to me and what I have learned. We each have our own set of learnings, likes and dislikes with this journey, and I am looking forward to talking about it with Tim and the boys in a few months – once the main thoughts have matured and taken their rightful place in our brains and in our hearts.
One thing I know for sure : You can take me out of Mexico, but you can not take Mexico out of me ! This trip has made me reconsider a big project that I had, and reprocess it through my little idea factory. Smaller is better in this case, and I’m glad I didn’t go forward head down like the good aries-capricorn that I am. : )
School is taking most of my time right now, I want to make sure that the boys are not behind when they return to their respective class – in about four weeks! It’s challenging to prepare the right exercises in a sufficient amount so that they get to assimilate the concepts – we only do about 3 hours of school a day. Keeping them motivated is equally challenging. I have a much better understanding of what teachers go through, and a lot of respect for their work. I have a hard time providing adequate individual attention and feedback to my two boys, so a class of 20 (or more) requires incredible dedication.
With school and business back in full force I have not looked at my repertoire of songs since we’re at the ranch. So much for taking the time to do it… time seems to escape me even here in Mexico. I am hoping to work on it when we will be in Telchac.
I will attempt to restore contact with Telchac Education, for some reason I have never heard back from the lady after she confirmed my teaching engagement at the elementary school there. Telchac Education is a small charitable organisation which sponsors children throughout their school years. It’s ran and was founded by a couple of american women, Judy and Susan – and Susan is the lady we are renting the Telchac house from. I hope I can still go to that school, even if it’s not for all the classes.
We are about to begin the last third of our big adventure, and I am reflecting on what this all means to me and what I have learned. We each have our own set of learnings, likes and dislikes with this journey, and I am looking forward to talking about it with Tim and the boys in a few months – once the main thoughts have matured and taken their rightful place in our brains and in our hearts.
One thing I know for sure : You can take me out of Mexico, but you can not take Mexico out of me ! This trip has made me reconsider a big project that I had, and reprocess it through my little idea factory. Smaller is better in this case, and I’m glad I didn’t go forward head down like the good aries-capricorn that I am. : )
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Taco 101
Aaaah... Tacos. Not to be underestimated, a meal of tacos can be very delicious and healthy if prepared with the proper ingredients. A taco feast is composed of a variety of dishes to fill the tacos, and a pile of fresh warm corn tortillas. You should prepare the various dishes first, so that the freshly made tortillas are still warm when you are ready to eat.
The various dishes can include refried beans (black bean dip from Mooswood cookbook is fantastic) and guacamole (see recipe in previous blog entry), as well as a simple dish of grilled meat. However to add interesting choices to your taco feast, here are a couple of very good and simple recipes you should include :
Papas con chorizo. It consists in simply dicing about 4 potatoes (small cubes), and pan roast them together with the shredded filling of one chorizo sausage. The chorizo should be sufficient to flavour the potatoes.
Another Yucatan staple which is usually served as a main dish is the Poc Chuc. This is a filet of pork (can also be made with chicken breast) marinated in the juice of 2 or 3 sour oranges – a fruit found here in Yucatan. You can replace the sour orange by mixing one part orange juice, one part grapefruit juice, and 2 parts lemon juice – and add some finely grated grapefruit zest. Marinate the meat in the juice, with some garlic, salt and pepper, for at least one hour. Grill it, and cut in small pieces to fill tacos.
A side dish of caramelised onions is also very nice, some salsa, and pico de gallo (finely chopped tomatoes and white onions, salt and cilantro).
Get you fresh corn tortillas, and make your taco with two corn tortillas – a trick from Tio George that we also noticed in other taco snack bars later. Making your tortilla double will make it easier to handle all the yummy stuffing you put in it (will not break). And this is the typical soft taco fair here in Yucatan.
Other fillings you may want to google are : Chicken Tinga, and for fish lovers - Ceviche.
In Mexico city, we also had tacos which were filled with chicken (or other meat), rolled-up, and fried until crisp all around. Nice too, but much more work and of course, kind of oily.
Provecho!
The various dishes can include refried beans (black bean dip from Mooswood cookbook is fantastic) and guacamole (see recipe in previous blog entry), as well as a simple dish of grilled meat. However to add interesting choices to your taco feast, here are a couple of very good and simple recipes you should include :
Papas con chorizo. It consists in simply dicing about 4 potatoes (small cubes), and pan roast them together with the shredded filling of one chorizo sausage. The chorizo should be sufficient to flavour the potatoes.
Another Yucatan staple which is usually served as a main dish is the Poc Chuc. This is a filet of pork (can also be made with chicken breast) marinated in the juice of 2 or 3 sour oranges – a fruit found here in Yucatan. You can replace the sour orange by mixing one part orange juice, one part grapefruit juice, and 2 parts lemon juice – and add some finely grated grapefruit zest. Marinate the meat in the juice, with some garlic, salt and pepper, for at least one hour. Grill it, and cut in small pieces to fill tacos.
A side dish of caramelised onions is also very nice, some salsa, and pico de gallo (finely chopped tomatoes and white onions, salt and cilantro).
Get you fresh corn tortillas, and make your taco with two corn tortillas – a trick from Tio George that we also noticed in other taco snack bars later. Making your tortilla double will make it easier to handle all the yummy stuffing you put in it (will not break). And this is the typical soft taco fair here in Yucatan.
Other fillings you may want to google are : Chicken Tinga, and for fish lovers - Ceviche.
In Mexico city, we also had tacos which were filled with chicken (or other meat), rolled-up, and fried until crisp all around. Nice too, but much more work and of course, kind of oily.
Provecho!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Meeting Victor Velasquez
Saturday afternoon on Holbox, Tim was playing his mandolin on the street while I was shopping for a little dress and two musicians stopped to introduce themselves to him. They told him that there is a very good music teacher on the island, who also makes mandolins in his workshop by the beach. Tim tracked him down later, and found him in one of the oldest cafes in the central square – El Colibri. I later joined them and had a great chat with him. It turns out that he is not the man we saw signing in the central square (who also teaches music). He is Victor Velasquez. One of a kind, and a fascinating person.
28 years ago he got tired of the city and moved to Holbox. There was no power on the island back then, and on his quest for freedom he decided to build a sail boat. No need for gasoline, just pure wind. And so he did, and sailed along the coast of Yucatan for a few years, and always returning home to Holbox. He always played music, and one day a friend introduced him to the mandolin and 17th century repertoire – which he enjoyed very much. And as life on Holbox may seem calm, terrible storms are bound to hit hard once in awhile and one day a big hurricane caused a lot of damage to his boat. He tried to fix it, purchased some good wood and arranged to have it delivered to the peer of Chiquila, ready for the ferry to Holbox. The wood got stolen, and Victor Velasquez decided that this must be a sign and instead of fixing his damaged boat, he would take it apart and use the wood. That’s how he started to make string instruments. Improvising and making his own special tools, he began to make mandolins. And he began to teach music to the children of the island. Other hurricanes came and many times he had to start over. New wood, new house, new instruments. He says that life brings him gifts and he is grateful, humbly making the very best he can with them.
On Saturday night at the Colibri on isla Holbox, Victor Velasquez sang a song about the Mexican soul, and I will cherish that moment forever. An incredible stroke of good fortune made my path cross his that night. What a privilege. Deeply inspiring.
28 years ago he got tired of the city and moved to Holbox. There was no power on the island back then, and on his quest for freedom he decided to build a sail boat. No need for gasoline, just pure wind. And so he did, and sailed along the coast of Yucatan for a few years, and always returning home to Holbox. He always played music, and one day a friend introduced him to the mandolin and 17th century repertoire – which he enjoyed very much. And as life on Holbox may seem calm, terrible storms are bound to hit hard once in awhile and one day a big hurricane caused a lot of damage to his boat. He tried to fix it, purchased some good wood and arranged to have it delivered to the peer of Chiquila, ready for the ferry to Holbox. The wood got stolen, and Victor Velasquez decided that this must be a sign and instead of fixing his damaged boat, he would take it apart and use the wood. That’s how he started to make string instruments. Improvising and making his own special tools, he began to make mandolins. And he began to teach music to the children of the island. Other hurricanes came and many times he had to start over. New wood, new house, new instruments. He says that life brings him gifts and he is grateful, humbly making the very best he can with them.
On Saturday night at the Colibri on isla Holbox, Victor Velasquez sang a song about the Mexican soul, and I will cherish that moment forever. An incredible stroke of good fortune made my path cross his that night. What a privilege. Deeply inspiring.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Oh My Oh My!
No bed bugs here! But now we know that sleeping downtown Holbox can be just as noisy as downtown Toronto... or more! Our little pad is pretty much next door to a bar with live music, and it is now tried and comfirmed: a palapa is absolutely useless for soundproofing. The bands stop playing at 2am... but it did not prevent us and the kids from sleeping (and the band was okay). Woke up early and went to the juice and smoothy baron the ground floor just below us - the building is owned by Diego and his wife, and they just acquired it 3 months ago. It's larger than their previous location - good for business. a very friendly environment. The room we have is the second floor just above the fruit/juice/coffee bar, it consists in a room with one queen and one double bed, a kitchenette with full size fridge, and a bathroom with hot water. There is also a nice little terrace with view of the ocean one block down the road. I will get his email address and publish it on this blog, this is a great deal for travelers who are not looking for a five star accommodation.
We rented a golf cart and packed a lunch earlier today, and went to have a great picnic on the beach. It was one of the best beach scene I have ever experienced in my life (and I have seen some wicked ones). Natural (ie not raked), endless and uncrowded, beautiful shallow blue water with gentle surf - perfect for swimming or for kids to play. Photos to come soon...
Tim has finally met some musicians, and he is going to sound check right now - also might go and play with them tonight. There is a music teacher on the island, so there are local musicians, and 3 bands with steady work. Impressive for such a small place! The teacher plays in the park every night at about 6, just casually sitting on his own - we saw him yesterday but did not know who he was. Tim will talk to him tonight, apparently he teaches violin, guitar and mandolin. Great!
I met a Francophone woman and her husband who are spending one month in Mexico with their 2 girls (4 and 5 years old). She would like to travel for a longer period of time with her family, and will keep in touch for some tips and tricks to make it happen. She is also an entrepreneur, it was great to meet her - I hope we will indeed keep in touch.
Leaving Holbox tomorrow, and I am trying to convince Tim to stay overnight in Tizimin instead of undertaking the 5 hour drive after the ferry. We shall see!
Holbox rocks and rules!
We rented a golf cart and packed a lunch earlier today, and went to have a great picnic on the beach. It was one of the best beach scene I have ever experienced in my life (and I have seen some wicked ones). Natural (ie not raked), endless and uncrowded, beautiful shallow blue water with gentle surf - perfect for swimming or for kids to play. Photos to come soon...
Tim has finally met some musicians, and he is going to sound check right now - also might go and play with them tonight. There is a music teacher on the island, so there are local musicians, and 3 bands with steady work. Impressive for such a small place! The teacher plays in the park every night at about 6, just casually sitting on his own - we saw him yesterday but did not know who he was. Tim will talk to him tonight, apparently he teaches violin, guitar and mandolin. Great!
I met a Francophone woman and her husband who are spending one month in Mexico with their 2 girls (4 and 5 years old). She would like to travel for a longer period of time with her family, and will keep in touch for some tips and tricks to make it happen. She is also an entrepreneur, it was great to meet her - I hope we will indeed keep in touch.
Leaving Holbox tomorrow, and I am trying to convince Tim to stay overnight in Tizimin instead of undertaking the 5 hour drive after the ferry. We shall see!
Holbox rocks and rules!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Isla Holbox - arrival
Well, it was a five hour drive from the ranch (near Izamal, Yucatan) to the Chiquila dock, but a very fun drive. We took the Merida-Cancun highway and got out at Valladolid, and wiggled our way through to the state of Quintana Roo on secondary roads, driving through a number of little pueblos. We stopped for lunch in the town of Tizimin, a fair size town which was buzzing with festivities today. If you have accommodation with kitchen on Holbox, I would recommend buying some food in Tizimin - last call for a good size grocery store (and cheaper!).
Not only were they celebrating the Dia de los Reyes in Tizimin (Jour des Rois, Kings Day), but it was also the celebration of the Patron Saint of Tizimin. We had some street food, and Tim went way in the market and came back with a dumpling filled with fresh onions and a special sauce (he can't seem to describe it...). Dylan got a free churro from a bunch of girls at a stand - he went to buy it but they did not want him to pay, they were all giggling - I found out that they all had a big crush on him.
So we finally got to the dock just in time to catch the 4pm ferry, about 30 minutes later we were docking at Holbox. Hopped on a golf cart taxi (no cars here), and found a room with a small kitchen in the centre of town for $50. This is a very laid back island, on the verge of becoming more touristy... but still a bit too complicated to get here for mainstream tourists. We will explore the island tomorrow - and will keep you posted! Good night, sleep tight, and please let there be no bed bugs...
Not only were they celebrating the Dia de los Reyes in Tizimin (Jour des Rois, Kings Day), but it was also the celebration of the Patron Saint of Tizimin. We had some street food, and Tim went way in the market and came back with a dumpling filled with fresh onions and a special sauce (he can't seem to describe it...). Dylan got a free churro from a bunch of girls at a stand - he went to buy it but they did not want him to pay, they were all giggling - I found out that they all had a big crush on him.
So we finally got to the dock just in time to catch the 4pm ferry, about 30 minutes later we were docking at Holbox. Hopped on a golf cart taxi (no cars here), and found a room with a small kitchen in the centre of town for $50. This is a very laid back island, on the verge of becoming more touristy... but still a bit too complicated to get here for mainstream tourists. We will explore the island tomorrow - and will keep you posted! Good night, sleep tight, and please let there be no bed bugs...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Ranch life and tacos
Went to Izamal again a couple of days ago, and I'm here again with Dylan today. It’s a lovely town and the closest city from the ranch – very pretty, and the market is the best! We had a lot of food from the mega grocery store from our trip to Merida just before Christmas, and those supplies have served us well while we had company, as planned. Now that those reserves are gone, we are back to shopping local and I love it. I went to get some ground beef from one of the butchers, got fresh veggies and fruit from the various vendors, fresh bread at the bakery, and the non perishables like pasta and canned tuna in the little grocery store besides the market. This is the way it should be! We got fresh warm corn tortillas in Sudzal on our way back to the ranch, and made a big taco feast – Tio George style. We learned about real tacos in his snack bar in Majahual, and Goerge himself educated us about the making of good tacos. He sowed us not only the dishes, but the raw vegetables too so now I can buy them in the market – they are various local veggies that I never saw before and I can never remember what they are called. This is my next challenge. Interested in knowing how to make real good tacos? Okay… but I will have to break it down into a few postings, it involves many dishes… and more importantly : no cheese.
We also found a wireless café in Izamal – the only one. It makes it so much easier and faster to use our own laptops when emailing documents – awesome.
And that was the good part of the day on Tuesday. Unfortunately on most days the difficult part is schooling. Dylan is pretty independent and easy going on following the program, but Leo has a volatile attitude towards anything that has to do with school. I have a tendency to lose my temper when confronted with lack of effort and wining – so this is a fairly bad combination. The afternoon session was one of the worst argument we’ve had so far… I was ready to put him on a direct flight to Toronto.
We took a break from each other, and we eventually made up. Went for a walk together, following the sheep coming in at the end of the day and Léo carrying one of the little puppies – and for me these few minutes walking down that path was a moment of perfect happiness. Life is very good here. We hung out with Samuel and his 7year old nephew who took Leo in the little barn to pick-up a lamb in his arms – he was so happy. The world was turning the right way again, and we came home to finish the math project he had to do today. We were both soothed by our walk and our visit with the sheep, Leo is very fond of the animals around us. The tension was replaced by a sweet feeling of serenity. All good since.
Going to Isla Holbox tomorrow morning (yepee!), will stay 2 nights and come back on Sunday. Next update on Monday - Cheers!
We also found a wireless café in Izamal – the only one. It makes it so much easier and faster to use our own laptops when emailing documents – awesome.
And that was the good part of the day on Tuesday. Unfortunately on most days the difficult part is schooling. Dylan is pretty independent and easy going on following the program, but Leo has a volatile attitude towards anything that has to do with school. I have a tendency to lose my temper when confronted with lack of effort and wining – so this is a fairly bad combination. The afternoon session was one of the worst argument we’ve had so far… I was ready to put him on a direct flight to Toronto.
We took a break from each other, and we eventually made up. Went for a walk together, following the sheep coming in at the end of the day and Léo carrying one of the little puppies – and for me these few minutes walking down that path was a moment of perfect happiness. Life is very good here. We hung out with Samuel and his 7year old nephew who took Leo in the little barn to pick-up a lamb in his arms – he was so happy. The world was turning the right way again, and we came home to finish the math project he had to do today. We were both soothed by our walk and our visit with the sheep, Leo is very fond of the animals around us. The tension was replaced by a sweet feeling of serenity. All good since.
Going to Isla Holbox tomorrow morning (yepee!), will stay 2 nights and come back on Sunday. Next update on Monday - Cheers!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Land of the Scorpions
Many scorpions here. Found one (big and half dead) in our bedroom the very first night we arrived at the ranch. Manon and Richard found two in their bedroom on the morning they left, and Tim found one on the wall beside our bed yesterday morning. Makes it extra exciting to go pee in the middle of the night! Apparently they come in from the shower drain, which is why we should always leave the tap on. Hey, I can do that! Nevertheless, I am not looking forward to emptying all our bags and shaking everything off… Although they are not the dangerous ones (which are yellowish and apparently live ‘way over there’ according to Daniela… who also told me that they do not climb on walls…) I would rather deal with giant cookarachas… trade in one scorpion for two of those no problem!
To add to the excitement, we do lose power from time to time. It happened two nights in a row, the power goes at about 2am and it cant take a few hours to come back. The scorpions do come out in the dark you know… no wonder everyone sleeps in hammock here in Yucatan, smarty pants!
One unexpected arrival in our ranch life – two abandoned puppies! They were following one of the ranch dogs around early this morning ,and as soon as they saw me they came right over and now, it’s me they follow everywhere… bow wow wow! Apparently someone left them by the road and they have been hanging around for a couple of days. I woke the kids, they were delighted! The puppies are pretty young so I gave them cereal softened in warm milk, they devoured it. Some fresh water to top it off, and they were very happy. They had a long nap all cuttled up together, so cute! Leo decided to name them Zosso and Hungry. Then he changed Humgry’s name to Ambre, the Spanish version… a better name anyway. I wonder if dogs keep the scorpions away…
To add to the excitement, we do lose power from time to time. It happened two nights in a row, the power goes at about 2am and it cant take a few hours to come back. The scorpions do come out in the dark you know… no wonder everyone sleeps in hammock here in Yucatan, smarty pants!
One unexpected arrival in our ranch life – two abandoned puppies! They were following one of the ranch dogs around early this morning ,and as soon as they saw me they came right over and now, it’s me they follow everywhere… bow wow wow! Apparently someone left them by the road and they have been hanging around for a couple of days. I woke the kids, they were delighted! The puppies are pretty young so I gave them cereal softened in warm milk, they devoured it. Some fresh water to top it off, and they were very happy. They had a long nap all cuttled up together, so cute! Leo decided to name them Zosso and Hungry. Then he changed Humgry’s name to Ambre, the Spanish version… a better name anyway. I wonder if dogs keep the scorpions away…
Monday, January 3, 2011
Back to business
Counting time. Half way through our big adventure already, and twelve days left here at the ranch. Manon, Richard and their kids left yesterday, leaving a big void in our daily life and in our spacious house. Their visit was refreshing and fun for all of us, and they had a grand time – too short.
It surprises me that we are not having more visitors here. This is a prime property on a fully operating ranch, with all kinds of very interesting excursions all around including the nearby town of Izamal – by far the prettiest quaint little town I have ever seen here in the Yucatan peninsula. The price doest not match the package here ($500 for the month). I wish we could share this great finding with more friends.
Back to business, emailing schedules to clients, registrations for afterschool series, invoices, and lining-up some teaching work for myself in the spring. It will be a very busy spring, gearing up for the expansion of Le Petit Atelier in 2011-2012. The plan is on track so far, stepping back before the big push was a healthy and timely move. I never step back completely though… this trip is most definitely part of the expansion plan. I tested my Spanish program, and the management of both businesses from a remote location and extended period of time. Making key contacts, scoping out different locations and communities, and slowly the concept is shaping up for a Spanish language division. Thank God for technology… but in reality it always comes down to having the right people in place. Thank you Steve, Véronique, Manon, and Donna. The right equipment is usually easy to find, but the right people is the real treasure and driving force behind any business (but please allow me… except banks which are operated by computers and staged with ‘hired voices’ to read the screen…). And so I am in no hurry, taking the time to find the right people, one by one.
School is back too, and since I have not heard from the boys teachers in awhile I took the initiative to prepare a number of exercises for Leo and Dylan, and made a daily schedule and program for the next few weeks. Tim will be involved too, he will be the host of the Weekly Quizz, and the arts teacher. Trying to make it fun and lively for them. Communicating with the school will be challenging until we move on to the next house, I put everything on my precious USB key and go to town to connect. On January15 we will be in our new location, in a beach house in Telchac Puerto, with wifi. Very timely for everything – school and business.
Planning some excursions for the next couple of weeks – possibly San Felipe in the Rio Lagarto biosphere reserve. Or maybe check out the booming real estate sensation of El Cuyo… apparently the new and sensational beach community in the state of Yucatan. We’ll see.
It surprises me that we are not having more visitors here. This is a prime property on a fully operating ranch, with all kinds of very interesting excursions all around including the nearby town of Izamal – by far the prettiest quaint little town I have ever seen here in the Yucatan peninsula. The price doest not match the package here ($500 for the month). I wish we could share this great finding with more friends.
Back to business, emailing schedules to clients, registrations for afterschool series, invoices, and lining-up some teaching work for myself in the spring. It will be a very busy spring, gearing up for the expansion of Le Petit Atelier in 2011-2012. The plan is on track so far, stepping back before the big push was a healthy and timely move. I never step back completely though… this trip is most definitely part of the expansion plan. I tested my Spanish program, and the management of both businesses from a remote location and extended period of time. Making key contacts, scoping out different locations and communities, and slowly the concept is shaping up for a Spanish language division. Thank God for technology… but in reality it always comes down to having the right people in place. Thank you Steve, Véronique, Manon, and Donna. The right equipment is usually easy to find, but the right people is the real treasure and driving force behind any business (but please allow me… except banks which are operated by computers and staged with ‘hired voices’ to read the screen…). And so I am in no hurry, taking the time to find the right people, one by one.
School is back too, and since I have not heard from the boys teachers in awhile I took the initiative to prepare a number of exercises for Leo and Dylan, and made a daily schedule and program for the next few weeks. Tim will be involved too, he will be the host of the Weekly Quizz, and the arts teacher. Trying to make it fun and lively for them. Communicating with the school will be challenging until we move on to the next house, I put everything on my precious USB key and go to town to connect. On January15 we will be in our new location, in a beach house in Telchac Puerto, with wifi. Very timely for everything – school and business.
Planning some excursions for the next couple of weeks – possibly San Felipe in the Rio Lagarto biosphere reserve. Or maybe check out the booming real estate sensation of El Cuyo… apparently the new and sensational beach community in the state of Yucatan. We’ll see.
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