So, I apologize for pulling the old "girl meets boy and forgets all about everyone else" thing. It's annoying. I know. I'm back. :)
The past few weeks (or days? I've lost track) have been wonderful - full up with adventures at the Lamanai ruins, multiple run-ins with melon-sized spiders, speed reading, lots of experimental cooking, arts & crafts-ing, and good quality time with pooch, kitty, and boyfriend.
A couple fun stories:
On Saturday, Jake and I accompanied Betty and Tom (the kind of Peace Corps mom-n-dad in the Orange Walk area) and four other volunteers to San Estevan, a mostly Mestizo village about six miles from town. Betty had arranged an entire "fun day" for the village kids, complete with friendship bracelets, face painting, popsicle stick animals, Valentine card making, and a futbol game. We had tons of fun, and I spent three hours straight teaching a very capable group of pretty Mestizo girls how to braid, twist and tie the multicolored threads. Betty did a great job painting faces, and Coy and Jake had a blast tossing the football around with the kids. All in all, it was a productive and fun day - and I got my first real taste of what Peace Corps life is like. So much of it involves simply paying attention to these kids, letting them know that they're creative, bright, and worthy of one-on-one time. Easy enough, right? Especially for the bunch of kid-lovers that we are.
We also got the chance to catch the Super Bowl last Sunday... Jake and I went up to Corozal and stayed at the Sea Breeze - the same hotel that put me up when my initial attempt to get to Jake around New Years' failed. We had a really good time hanging out with Peace Corps volunteers - all of us reveling in the ultra-American combination of eating too much, drinking, shouting and watching football.
There are many more little stories I could write about, but I encourage you all, instead, to check out Jake's blog for a nice balance. He tends to write about all the wee details, while I just delve into a paragraph-long description of the sunset over the New River. :)
More later... We're headed to Caye Caulker tomorrow for a two-day Valentine's Day getaway. I must admit, I've missed the option of "taking a beach day", and I'll be delighted to wiggle my toes in pearly white sand again.
Love to friends and family alike.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Just a quick update, family and friends... I made it down to Belize safely, on Thursday of last week.. Wednesday night I left the ranch around five, and got to Tulum about an hour later. I checked to see if the famous Weary Traveler Hostel had any space (no), and instead opted for the quiet, air-conditioned and spotlessly clean room at the Hotel Maya, on Tulum's main drag. I had a wonderful dinner at Charlie's, a Mexican-owned Tulum institution, and wandered the streets for a bit before turning in early. I arose at dawn (my body is programmed to wake at 6:20 now) and had a surprisingly good cup of coffee before hopping on a Chetumal bus. I've been through the Chetumal terminal three times now.. enough to befriend Miguel, a fifty-something janitor at the bus station with a crooked smile and twinkling eyes. He put down his broom and gave me a big hug, rattling on and on in Spanish about how excited he was that I was going to see my boyfriend in Belize, and I promised to bring him back a souvenir upon my return back up the Yucatan coast in February.
The past week in Carmelita has been absolutely wonderful. Jacob has established such a community here, and there is nothing more wonderful than taking Moses the dog on an evening walk and hearing the shrill little voices of Carmelita's kids yelling out "mistah jekob!" from the houses and yards we pass. I got to meet Miss Linda and Jeneane, Emerson and Edward, and all of the good people that Jacob has gotten to know here. We watched two soccer games this week, had dinner served to us three times by Miss Linda (whose plate portions would kill a man if he ate every last bean and grain of rice), and went by the Carmelita school to see Jacob's garden. The kids at the school have done an incredible job of planting seeds and making sure they stay watered, and we're heading back to the village in just a bit to work on an art project for the garden. Each bed was planted by a group of kids, and we though it'd be a nice idea for them to paint signs for each row to take some ownership of their hard work.
All in all, life is wonderful here, and I can't wait to continue to get to know the multitude of people that have opened their houses and their hearts to Jake in the three months he's been here.
More to come later... Hope all is well in the States! Stay warm!
The past week in Carmelita has been absolutely wonderful. Jacob has established such a community here, and there is nothing more wonderful than taking Moses the dog on an evening walk and hearing the shrill little voices of Carmelita's kids yelling out "mistah jekob!" from the houses and yards we pass. I got to meet Miss Linda and Jeneane, Emerson and Edward, and all of the good people that Jacob has gotten to know here. We watched two soccer games this week, had dinner served to us three times by Miss Linda (whose plate portions would kill a man if he ate every last bean and grain of rice), and went by the Carmelita school to see Jacob's garden. The kids at the school have done an incredible job of planting seeds and making sure they stay watered, and we're heading back to the village in just a bit to work on an art project for the garden. Each bed was planted by a group of kids, and we though it'd be a nice idea for them to paint signs for each row to take some ownership of their hard work.
All in all, life is wonderful here, and I can't wait to continue to get to know the multitude of people that have opened their houses and their hearts to Jake in the three months he's been here.
More to come later... Hope all is well in the States! Stay warm!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
so, jacob gets a glamour shot in his blog, and so do i.
here's a portrait that i hope will adequately showcase how i feel every morning, waking up in a beautiful tangled jungle full of tropical birds and venomous snakes, knowing that i'll be greeted by the yips and bays of eighteen attention-lovng dogs while I make my coffee and slowly stretch myself awake..most days preoccupied with thoughts about gardens and herbs and the handsome man anticipating my arrival in a little Belizean village hugged by sugar cane fields.
here's a portrait that i hope will adequately showcase how i feel every morning, waking up in a beautiful tangled jungle full of tropical birds and venomous snakes, knowing that i'll be greeted by the yips and bays of eighteen attention-lovng dogs while I make my coffee and slowly stretch myself awake..most days preoccupied with thoughts about gardens and herbs and the handsome man anticipating my arrival in a little Belizean village hugged by sugar cane fields.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The infrequency with which this country provides internet for everyone's use is borderline comical.
I stopped at the internet cafe in the pueblo, the cheaper one, to use their Skype in the fan-cooled white tile room.... however, the smiling woman who works there politely informed me that they were "out of internet." Bummer. I went across the highway to the pricier, tourist-riddled Internet Cafe, prepared to spend the astronomical 6 US dollars for an hour of internet, only to find it closed, with a For Sale / Se Vende sign duct-taped to its window. Double bummer. So I dug out my iPod, which can receive wireless internet where available, and was just in the middle of checking things on Facebook when the power died. My frustration level is rising.
So I'm here, at the Papeleria-cum-Internet Cafe, on a yellowing old IBM computer, having just endured two unexpected power outtages waiting for my gMail account to load.
Again, at this point, it's almost comical.
The past few days have nearly drowned the ranch - dogs, chickens, cats and all - in a torrential downpour of biblical proportions. I've been working mostly inside, doing some spring cleaning with Lucy (which involves me pulling down plastic cups and Pyrex dishes from high shelves, hoping that roaches don't land on my head)... and occasionally, when the rain tapers off to a sprinkle, running out to plant papayas and banana trees out by the WWOOF house.
The dogs are frustrated, too, cooped up due to the rain, sleeping on damp blankets that refuse to dry completely in the humid air, and we've had two terrifying dog fights in the past week. As I said to Lucy this morning, the strength of the 'pack mentality' is something one doesn't really understand fully until one witnesses an out-and-out brawl between the dogs. Pulling a Rottweiler off of a hardened jungle pup with teeth flying everywhere and primal snarls and growls from all sides is enough to make anybody a believer in the wild wolf origins of these seemingly domestic animals.
Thankfully, none of the dogs were wounded seriously, and Lucy and I were shaken up, but neither of us sustained any kind of injury, which is good. Just shaky knees and hoarse voices from screaming at them to stop.
I'm winding down here at the ranch, not so much losing steam or motivation... just becoming preoccupied with dreams about Belize. I love working here, and I love Mexico on the whole, but the old itch is nagging at me and I'm ready to move along. Working at Lucy's has been an enriching, exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable experience, but ultimately the property belongs to her, and for all of the work I've done, I won't reap any of the benefits. I'm not upset about this fact in the least... on the contrary, I know that the ranch runs more smoothly with the help of volunteers and I care about Lucy's stress level enough to feel satisfied in just helping things along here, for her sake. I'm excited, though, to get my hands in the dirt of Belize and plant herbs and veggies and flowers that Jake can enjoy for the next two years. Even if it's not me using the homegrown cilantro for salsa, it's someone I care about... and it'll be fun to hear about the progression of the garden once I'm back Stateside.
Que mas.... Thank yous are in order for both my wonderful Nana and my extremely generous Papa, without whose help I probably wouldn't be able to do this whole soul-searching, solo-traveling shebang. Thank you, thank you. :)
More to come as I move on down the coast. Until then,
abrazos
Suzy
I stopped at the internet cafe in the pueblo, the cheaper one, to use their Skype in the fan-cooled white tile room.... however, the smiling woman who works there politely informed me that they were "out of internet." Bummer. I went across the highway to the pricier, tourist-riddled Internet Cafe, prepared to spend the astronomical 6 US dollars for an hour of internet, only to find it closed, with a For Sale / Se Vende sign duct-taped to its window. Double bummer. So I dug out my iPod, which can receive wireless internet where available, and was just in the middle of checking things on Facebook when the power died. My frustration level is rising.
So I'm here, at the Papeleria-cum-Internet Cafe, on a yellowing old IBM computer, having just endured two unexpected power outtages waiting for my gMail account to load.
Again, at this point, it's almost comical.
The past few days have nearly drowned the ranch - dogs, chickens, cats and all - in a torrential downpour of biblical proportions. I've been working mostly inside, doing some spring cleaning with Lucy (which involves me pulling down plastic cups and Pyrex dishes from high shelves, hoping that roaches don't land on my head)... and occasionally, when the rain tapers off to a sprinkle, running out to plant papayas and banana trees out by the WWOOF house.
The dogs are frustrated, too, cooped up due to the rain, sleeping on damp blankets that refuse to dry completely in the humid air, and we've had two terrifying dog fights in the past week. As I said to Lucy this morning, the strength of the 'pack mentality' is something one doesn't really understand fully until one witnesses an out-and-out brawl between the dogs. Pulling a Rottweiler off of a hardened jungle pup with teeth flying everywhere and primal snarls and growls from all sides is enough to make anybody a believer in the wild wolf origins of these seemingly domestic animals.
Thankfully, none of the dogs were wounded seriously, and Lucy and I were shaken up, but neither of us sustained any kind of injury, which is good. Just shaky knees and hoarse voices from screaming at them to stop.
I'm winding down here at the ranch, not so much losing steam or motivation... just becoming preoccupied with dreams about Belize. I love working here, and I love Mexico on the whole, but the old itch is nagging at me and I'm ready to move along. Working at Lucy's has been an enriching, exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable experience, but ultimately the property belongs to her, and for all of the work I've done, I won't reap any of the benefits. I'm not upset about this fact in the least... on the contrary, I know that the ranch runs more smoothly with the help of volunteers and I care about Lucy's stress level enough to feel satisfied in just helping things along here, for her sake. I'm excited, though, to get my hands in the dirt of Belize and plant herbs and veggies and flowers that Jake can enjoy for the next two years. Even if it's not me using the homegrown cilantro for salsa, it's someone I care about... and it'll be fun to hear about the progression of the garden once I'm back Stateside.
Que mas.... Thank yous are in order for both my wonderful Nana and my extremely generous Papa, without whose help I probably wouldn't be able to do this whole soul-searching, solo-traveling shebang. Thank you, thank you. :)
More to come as I move on down the coast. Until then,
abrazos
Suzy
Saturday, January 10, 2009
They say that the passing of time in Mexico is akin to watching honey drip off of a spoon. It's slow and sticky and sweet, and you get really good at waiting, watching and savouring. However, there are moments interspersed that seem more akin to a fast-flowing river, and if you're not paying attention, you'll look up and see that two weeks have gone by.
I suppose I'm at that latter stage, completely baffled as to how it got to be January 10th, two thousand and nine. And in addition, I keep having these out of body experiences ... I'll look up from my book or my coffee or my plate of huevos rancheros and wonder how in the world I got here and what in the world I'm doing. If I were still in the States, these questions would probably unnerve me, but I'm becoming more content with not knowing the answers. Life is slow and easy here, and there is something wonderful about working your body in the heat of the day, cycling into town, walking the three miles to the beach, cooking your dinner from scratch - it's exhausting in the satisfying way that life ought to be exhausting - and I sleep like a baby at night.
Anyhow. I'm in Playa del Carmen at the moment - the most cosmopolitan, vibrant, European, crowded, goodlooking, good smelling, overstimulating place I've ever been. I made the trip up here with Elaine and Simon and their friend Cormac who recently flew from Ireland to travel with them for a few months. We're staying at a rundown, quirky place called Urban Hostel that seems to be populated entirely by disarmingly good looking Argentinean women and a pack of shirtless Italian men. Everyone is beautiful in that haughty, off-putting kind of way, but we four gringos are thankfully secure enough to just shake our heads and smile at them all.
Playa is nice in the way that I'm sure Miami is nice.... it is probably the most luxurious of places if you have money (there are spas and cafes and stores selling Gucci sunglasses on every corner) ... but if you're on a budget, it's a bit overwhelming. We went to a posh club last night on the beach with white leather square couches and a ton of beautiful people, but I found myself standing around a crowded bar, trying to seem taller, thinner, and prettier in order to get the barman's attention. Everything seems to be a competition here, and after a while that kind of environment starts to mess with your head. Like I said, though, it's an outrageously entertaining place.... I'm just ready to head back to my sleepy ranch now. :)
More to come... Jake and I have decided that February is not only the shortest month we could've picked for a visit, but he'll also be gone for the last week to Belmopan for Peace Corps things.. So I think I'll be heading down to Carmelita early - in about ten days - to lock in as much time as possible before I head out again. I hope everyone is happy and healthy and safe and warm - I miss and love you all!
Suzy
I suppose I'm at that latter stage, completely baffled as to how it got to be January 10th, two thousand and nine. And in addition, I keep having these out of body experiences ... I'll look up from my book or my coffee or my plate of huevos rancheros and wonder how in the world I got here and what in the world I'm doing. If I were still in the States, these questions would probably unnerve me, but I'm becoming more content with not knowing the answers. Life is slow and easy here, and there is something wonderful about working your body in the heat of the day, cycling into town, walking the three miles to the beach, cooking your dinner from scratch - it's exhausting in the satisfying way that life ought to be exhausting - and I sleep like a baby at night.
Anyhow. I'm in Playa del Carmen at the moment - the most cosmopolitan, vibrant, European, crowded, goodlooking, good smelling, overstimulating place I've ever been. I made the trip up here with Elaine and Simon and their friend Cormac who recently flew from Ireland to travel with them for a few months. We're staying at a rundown, quirky place called Urban Hostel that seems to be populated entirely by disarmingly good looking Argentinean women and a pack of shirtless Italian men. Everyone is beautiful in that haughty, off-putting kind of way, but we four gringos are thankfully secure enough to just shake our heads and smile at them all.
Playa is nice in the way that I'm sure Miami is nice.... it is probably the most luxurious of places if you have money (there are spas and cafes and stores selling Gucci sunglasses on every corner) ... but if you're on a budget, it's a bit overwhelming. We went to a posh club last night on the beach with white leather square couches and a ton of beautiful people, but I found myself standing around a crowded bar, trying to seem taller, thinner, and prettier in order to get the barman's attention. Everything seems to be a competition here, and after a while that kind of environment starts to mess with your head. Like I said, though, it's an outrageously entertaining place.... I'm just ready to head back to my sleepy ranch now. :)
More to come... Jake and I have decided that February is not only the shortest month we could've picked for a visit, but he'll also be gone for the last week to Belmopan for Peace Corps things.. So I think I'll be heading down to Carmelita early - in about ten days - to lock in as much time as possible before I head out again. I hope everyone is happy and healthy and safe and warm - I miss and love you all!
Suzy
Monday, January 5, 2009
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