Ok- so yesterday was pretty terrific. Left in the morning and met the group at the cathedral. We all went to Los Dos cooking school- ahh! It is essentially in a gringo’s house- chef David Sterling- and it has been featured on Martha’s shows, Oprah’s, in the NY Times, etc. etc. The classes are actually in the chef’s house en el centro. He showed us the before pictures of what the house looked like when he bought it- trees growing inside, crumbling walls, etc…it’s beautiful now. The dining room has a mural that wraps all the way around it of el centro and essentially, “life in Merida”. It is beautiful. His kitchen is covered in tiles with cast iron pans hanging; the terrace has beautiful plants and a pool- look at the pictures!! (http://www.los-dos.com/galeria/index.php). To begin the class we tasted different spices and fruits. After, we went to the Market- it was terrific. There were a lot of indigenous people selling fruits, little “street vendors”- it was incredible. So hard to put into words and describe. It was a happening place- but oh so very local. After we went back and at different stations made the food. Tostadas, panuchos, and more- the chile habanero was the hottest thing I have ever tried in my life- it burned, my face burned, it was incredible. Definitely need to work on my “pica” tolerance. The food, all in all, was great- and I learned a lot about the spices and forms of cooking. The difference between “yucateco” and “Mexican” is huge here, there are definitely two distinct things- regarding culture, the people, the food, the music- it’s a huge difference. A lot of times yucatecos don’t want to be considered Mexican and it seems that there is a very strong current of underlying resentment between the peninsula and the rest of the country. Makes for an interesting history lesson!!
After the cooking lesson, the group went on a bus tour- in a bus from Puerto Rico- brightly painted and sticking out like a sore thumb. The bus tour, truth be told, wasn’t that great. The guide was hard to understand and it mostly went through el centro, which I walk through every day and have been asking many questions about as I go. I’m not sure if it was the heat, that I was tired, or just what- but I definitely think that the bus ride/tour could have been a lot better!
After the bus ride, a few of the other girls and I went to an air conditioned restaurant for bebidas- you need to hydrate and stay cook as much as you can during the middle of the day, you can’t function otherwise!! After, we went shopping- I bought an adorable dress for 70 pesos (less than $7). Shopping was a lot of fun, and also really funny- all the clothes are just a big too short!! Having tired of shopping, two of the other girls and I decided to attend the Catholic mass at the cathedral en el centro. It was really interesting to go- hear everything in Spanish (not understanding a lot due to the echo), and see the way people worship here. Mexico is so very Catholic, but the way it is practiced here is a lot different than the states. There are mixes of folk religion, there is a large GLBT community here but it isn’t openly practiced, very interesting how the social aspects of life mix with the religious ones. After the service- I left my bag with my dress in it under the pew, went back for it 10 minutes later and it was gone, damn it. Learned my lesson- and I at least make sure I have my purse close to me at all times, and haven’t been carrying around anything important.
Went home, and rested for awhile- massive thunderstorms and rain. Tried to call a taxi to go over to a friend’s house before going to the disco. My phone wouldn’t work, I couldn’t understand anything they were saying, it was raining outside- what a mess!! My host mom finally called for me from the house phone- and the taxi picked me up about half an hour later. I had planned to arrive at 9, but didn’t until well after 10- you gotta love Mexican time. The taxi driver was so incredibly nice- he wanted to tell me all about his family and asked me a lot of questions. I now have his cell phone number (which is what you do when you find a good driver) so I can call him when I need to- that way I won’t get ripped off by prices- there usually aren’t meters. Got to Jen’s house- met her sister and her sister’s boyfriend (from Oaxaca) who are backpacking around Mexico, and are in Merida now. They were supperrrr nice- and it was awesome to have a native speaker- not a gringo with us.
Got to the disco and met some friends there- $7USD cover charge- that includes an open bar. It was packed. Now, mind you, I was wearing heels- but regardless, was latter than ¾ of the people there- and two gringas walking around together attracts a lot of attention- something I guess I need to get used to. Wow, can the guys here dance. So much more fun than a club back home- everyone dances, and everyone dances well!! Some of the guys were a bit creepy- nothing serious or worrisome, but we eventually met a group of very nice guys and a girl. They started teaching me some salsa- hard, but fun!! We stayed, dancing until about 3 in the morning- left, took a taxi home. It was so much fun! AHH! I can’t quite get over how much I enjoyed myself- I really, really need to learn how to salsa now! The music is great, a mix of American and Hispanic dance music and rap with the occasional salsa song. Watching people dance to MC Hammer segueing into a salsa is the greatest thing ever, and they make the transition seamlessly. I’m in love with the discos (or at least, the one I have been to).
So Today:
Woke up (easier said than done) showered, ate, made it to the bus stop by 10:15 with some friends and bought round trip tickets to Progresso (the local beach, about 25 minutes away) for $25P- about $2USD- gotta love the price of transportation here. Got to Progresso- it was packed with locals- NO other gringos- not a one! Walked around trying to find a calm spot or a halapa to sit in that wasn’t too expensive. Eventually settled on a halapa we had to order food to stay at- ate pico de gallo and guacamole. The water was crystal clear, a beautiful blue. The water was also nice and refreshing- not too cold, not too warm. Interestingly enough, most of the people there swam in their clothes- different than any of the other beaches we had been to. There were a few other people in bathing suits. We basically sat at the beach all day- swimming, eating, and in my case, sleeping. There are now some lovely pictures of me, asleep on the beach with my mouth hanging open.
Truth be told, the beach was a bit frustrating- once again, we were a complete spectacle. People stared at us, someone took pictures, ugh. I know that I need to get used to this eventually, but this is also the first time in my life that I have been the clear minority. It doesn’t help that I happen to be American, white, and “tall”- definitely a lot of interesting looks, questions, and the men can be a bit annoying and objectifying. I know that this all comes with the territory, but this is just something I have to get used to. Yes, I did put on sunscreen- although, I don’t know that it helped. I am leathery, sore, and red. I suppose this had to happen sooner or later- and hopefully won’t be repeated too frequently. We went to a nice restaurant- local but not a whole in the wall- with music, a nice deck, and view of the Gulf. I ended up ordering a salad and French fries because nothing else was vegetarian- what are you going to do? I feel like I have less luck when I eat out because the menus don’t typically have anything vegetarian, at the same time, I feel like I am completely spoiled by my host mom and experiencing local food this way. Dinner was great and we lingered until around 8. Took the bus home- took a shower to clean off all the sand and am here. Nursing my sunburns and updating my blog.
Tomorrow is the first day of classes; I don’t have any “real” classes, only scuba diving. I am really nervous about meeting local people and classes- it’s like freshman year all over again, but worse. The communication issue, the fact that I stick out like a sore thumb, etc. etc.
I know that I am still in the “honeymoon” phase of study abroad, but this really may be the happiest I have ever been. I don’t want to leave- there is something about this place that just feels “right”. AHH! Still sad to see people back at Geneseo and sad to be missing out- but what an experience! I couldn’t ask for a better situation- I’m so lucky!
And to quote a friend’s tattoo (seems to be a recurring theme): “Este momento es el major en mi vida.”
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