It is a mystery to me

I have no idea why a store in a small Yucatecan town would be named "Taliban Fruits." I was reminded of a pool hall in a small town in Jalisco that was named "Yassar Arafat Billards." I always imagined Yassar and a few of his compadres slipping away from Palestine to enjoy a few days of shooting pool and knocking back Coronas once or twice a year. But the Taliban in Yucatan? Even my fertile imagination cannot come up with a good scenario for this one!

The wonders of modern technology...and youth

We have some hard-core Grey's Anatomy addicts in the group including yours truly. Imagine our disappointment when we learned that viewing the program via the internet was not an option outside of the US. Cable television with US stations was not an option because of the expense and because we are here to learn Spanish so having access to US stations and programs in English goes against the fundamental reason for our existence. I was prepared to wait until next year to see this year's season when it comes out on DVD, but I underestimated the combination of youthful addiction and technology. They were not going to wait until next year, next month or even next week to get their Grey's fix.
Thanks to Brandon and iTunes, we have designated Sunday nights as Grey's Night here at the house. Last night we watched the last 45 minutes of last season's finale and then the 2 hour season opener in the comfort of our palapa/classroom/dance hall. (As an aside, Devin mentioned this option to me when she was here in July, but she stopped when she saw my eyes rolling in my head. Sorry, Dev.)
Why Sunday? First, the program is downloaded to iTunes only after it has been show on the network which means we wouldn't have access to it until late Thursday night. Secondly, Thursday night is usually ladies night at one of the local discos so most of the group goes out. Well, to tell the truth, Friday and Saturday are also busy social nights. Finally, we have the custom of getting together on Sundays to cook and eat a meal together. The staff are off so we take over the kitchen and end up with some good meals. We agreed that seeing Grey's after dinner on Sunday would be a perfect way to end the weekend/begin the week. And we were right!

Going underground

This week's field trip was to a former hemp/sisal hacienda that reinvented itself to take advantage of the natural phenomena known in Spanish as "cenotes" which is translated as "sinkholes" but can be best be described as entrances to the underground rivers that criss-cross the entire Yucatecan peninsula. The closer to the coast, the closer to the surface are the entrances to the cenotes. Conversely, the farther inland, the deeper the entrance. This site, Cuzamá, is located in about the center of the peninsula.

When hemp was in full production (1880 - 1950), the harvested leaves were transported to the processing plant via mule or horse drawn carts on this narrow-gauge track pictured above. (We will be visiting one of the few still functioning hemp haciendas later in the semester. I will provide a more detailed explanation of the hacienda system and the production process then.) Today, these same carts (and what appear to be the same horses!) transport tourists to three cenotes that are located along a path that takes about 40 minutes to travel. We spent about 45 minutes at each cenote.

The first cenote is accessed via this ladder and is completely enclosed. I know my faithful readers will find it hard to believe, but I did not make the trip down the ladder. Here is Kyle on his way down. When I get photos from inside the cave from students, I will post them.

This photo of the group in the first cenote is taken from a small opening on firm land and with my camera set at its maximum distance range.

Here is Isaac climbing vines found in the second cenote.

This is a shot of the third cenote which is much more accessible, and as such, according to my young, healthy, and daring students, much less exciting and challenging, but this cenote was longer and wider than the other two.

Hobby Lobby on Crack

Hobby Lobby in Fort Dodge, Iowa, could take lessons from Galerias El Triunfo, Mérida, how on to really make use of space. Narrow those aisles to only about a foot each, stack items to the ceiling, build another floor to make more room for merchandise, and increase the "tacky" factor by at least 10.
Having said that, I have to admit I could easily become an El Triunfo addict. There is no Pottery Barn here, no Williams and Sonoma, no Crate and Barrel, no Goodwill. Worst of all, there is no Target. Where is a girl to find what she needs for her first dinner party except at El Triunfo? I am embarrassed to admit I needed things like a small pitcher to hold salad dressing, coasters, picture frames, two serving platters, and some ribbon. I found all of these items (plus a new yoga mat) for the low, low price of $19.13 USD. There is no need for a cart because a clerk is assigned to each customer to carry merchandise around the store, to the checkout counter and then to the car. The air conditioning is set at a comfortable 20 degrees below zero which is a wonderful escape from the outside temp of 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Will El Triunfo become a "must see" for all who come to visit me in Mérida along with the flamingo reserve, Maya ruins and the blue of the Caribbean? There is only one way to find out....

¡Viva México!

Mexico declared its independence from Spain on September 16, 1810. The festivities typically take place over two days. We began with a traditional Mexican lunch of pozole (hominy) that the students ate as if it were their last meal. Pozole is served with cabbage, radishes, oregano, cilantro, onions and limes....everyone took the preparation of their bowls very seriously. At the end of the meal, the cooks were called out of the kitchen to receive a standing ovation for such an outstanding meal. Later tonight the students (Please notice I said "the students." I will be tucked safely in my bed long before midnight when the shoutiong starts.) will gather with thousands of others on the main plaza of the city to hear the governor read the declaration of independence. At the end of each section, the crowd shouts, "¡Viva México!"

This scene is reenacted throughout México from Mexico City where an estimated 50,000 people crowd into the zocalo each year to the smallest village where there may be a crowd of only 10. there. The president, governors, mayors or the only literate person in town reads the same proclamation. Fireworks are a must as are music and alcohol. So all together now, let's hear it: ¡Viva México!

Celestun...the adventure continues

This is one of the boats that ferries tourists around the reserve.
In addition to observing the flamingos, we explored the mangrove swamps that surround the reserve.
This, believe it or not, is a termite nest. The trees in the swamp are full of the nests. This was the biggest one that could be see from the boat.
Yes, actually, everyone in this group is always photo-ready. Lindsey, the photographer of the flamingos is shown here in the green top. (Another clue to her identity is the telescopic lens.) Even though we came within about 20 feet of the flamingos, only the photos taken by Lindsey did them justice.
Here is a photo of the whole group to mark our first official field trip.

More flamingos and a few shells....

Not your mother's pink flamingo...

Did you know flamingos are white when they are born? They gradually turn pink (which is more of a coral than a pink) because they feed exclusively on shrimp larvae. The underbelly and lower body turn pink first; the neck and head are the last to change color. There were many more young flamingos to be seen last week than mature flamingos. But whether they are old or young, real, live flamingos are breathtaking.

Found while walking on the beach

Our field trip on Friday was to the flamingo reserve and beach of Celestun, a small fishing community located on the Gulf of Mexico about an hour west of Merida. You will have to wait to see the photos of the flamingos, the mangrove swamps and our boats until I obtain photos from Lindsey who was the only student with a telescopic lens. Her photos are incredible and made the rest of ours look awful in comparison. She is in the process of editing them.
After completing the "academic" part of the day, we had lunch along the beach and then enjoyed a couple of hours swimming and sunning before returning to Merida. I spent most of my time looking for shells. Celestun's well-deserved reputation for being a great shelling beach was confirmed when I found the starfish shell pictured here. Were I a scientist, I would have taken a photo of the shell "in situ" so as to document its authenticity, but I had left my camera behind. Thank goodness I am not a scientist and so scooped this baby right up. I still cannot believe the shell is in one piece nor can I believe the size of it. Now to find just the right place for it.

Shall we dance?

There was some serious hip action going on in the palapa last night as the first dance class of the fall semester got underway. Verónica, the instructor, is a professional dancer who has taught for Central about 5 years. During the course of the semester, students will learn a variety of salsa dances including son, mambo, chachacha, merengue and regetton. If you are ever in the neighborhood on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:30 - 8:30, be sure to stop in.

Getting started

Orientation week was a complete success. We ended the week with an exercise in which I asked the students to draw a mental map of the city of Mérida. Throughout the week, I emphasized the need to recognize landmarks, to have a sense of distance and time of where these landmarks are from the Central House, and to travel independently using public transportation. The mental maps were wonderfully detailed and useful. Of course, you all know why I did this particular exercise....I can get lost in a parking lot and wanted to spare the students that particular indignity.
Classes formally began on Monday. There was some grumbling about coursework and assignments, but the good news is that the assignments are being taken seriously....at least for now.