Welcome to Loveland

Lucy the Coon Hound.

The sun finally just broke through the clouds after a chilly morning in the wild, green foothills near Salt Lake City, Utah. We were invited by some new friends to join them and all of their dogs at their rustic getaway cabin for the weekend. It's finally allowed me to take some time to catch up on my writing. Another beautiful place on our earth! More beautiful people to connect with!

Our final days in Mexico were really special. The great people we encountered made it difficult to cross the border and trek back into the "real world" of the USA. The kindness and generosity of the Mexican culture is something we can all take a lesson from. They give and give almost to a fault. We felt like we were treated as family everywhere we went.  On our last night south of the border, in Los Mochis, we Couchsurfed with a wonderful man with whom we shared our final Mexican sunset and a bounty of beautiful conversation. We were sad to part ways, as this has been a common theme for us for many years in many places. It's hard to sever the ties that we create with each special spirit that we cross paths with...though those invisible ties seem to remain forever intertwined within our soul memories.

We crossed into the USA in Nogales, Arizona. We hoped that our huge cacao stash wouldn't cause any issues as we passed on through. We were thoroughly searched and had to surrender our mangos and a half-rotten cacao pod. The guards questioned our boxes of cacao. They informed us that it's necessary to have all food items labeled with contents and point of origin. They then proceeded to shout "CA-CAO! CACAO!" As they made finger guns and pretended to shoot each other. Hilarious. And so very American. We always keep a decorated glass Mason jar with us, for the last couple of years at least. Of course, we brought it on this trip. It contains our positive intentions, affirmations and loving requests to the universe. It really works. As a border officer dug through the trunk of the car, he asked what the jar was. We simply said "it's our good vibes jar." He laughed and said "Cool. That makes sense." I said "I put some good vibes into that jar that would help us get through this border crossing smoothly. Let's see if it works...." Just then, his partner came back from consulting with her supervisor and gave us a packet of papers. She smiled and said we were just getting a warning. Next time, we should follow the rules.

We headed for Tucson, Arizona arriving at nightfall and found a quaint and very affordable motel room. The man behind the desk was not so friendly. Somehow it came up that we just crossed back into the USA after 5 months in Mexico and Central America. I was feeling like I just stepped out of a spaceship onto another planet being back in America. I said "I am glad we found this sweet motel. I feel..." And he interjected with "a lot safer?"  I paused and looked at him with a bewildered stare. I shook my head no. I felt like a fish out of water. On a unicycle.

So this is culture shock.

For the record: Mexico and Guatemala are both beautiful, welcoming countries full of regular people just like you and I. For many decades, North American media has portrayed these places, and much of our planet, as dangerous, violent and "out to get you".  It's simply not true! There was never, ever a single moment in the last 5 months that we felt we were in a hint of danger. The scariest thing is the USA border crossings! The worst thing that happened during our trip was that some of our favorite bumper stickers got peeled off of our car in Guatemala. (So we are replacing them slowly.) 

A bumper sticker from our 2013 USA trip 

We got used to all of the Mexican police and military check stops after passing dozens of them. We often got waved through with a smile. When we did get stopped, we felt like they just wanted to chat for fun. It was fun. We realized quickly that these people are just like us. Only it's their job to look intimidating and ask a lot of questions. It is definitely true that there is some corruption, crime and poverty in every place on the globe. The USA and Canada are no different. The biggest difference that I noticed in the Mexican and Guatemalan people is that they have an inner determination and self-sufficient attitude that many (certainly not all) Americans and Canadians just don't have. They aren't waiting around to be taken care of. Especially in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. I whole-heartedly support the stance that the indigenous (and other) people of that place continue to take. Independence. Freedom. Equality. Respect. Peace. Love. That's all any of us desire. Let's make it happen. Our future can be in our own hands. Grab it by the reins!

Tamaulipas to Yucatan

Our car got the royal VW treatment in Puebla, the VW capital of Mexico, where she was built over a decade ago. She got a new thermostat, a new heat sensor and a new water pump, all installed for about $250, Canadian. We were so grateful for our limited Spanish skills and the limited English skills of the mechanic shop manager. Plus, just before we crossed into Mexico, we purchased a Spanish-English which has been a lifesaver! 

While our car was in the shop, we had time to explore the historic city center of Puebla. We went to the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and the Rosary Chapel. Neither of us are church-goers, but these buildings were breathtakingly beautiful. The details inside and out were astonishing. We happened to be in el centro on a Sunday, the Sunday after Christmas, so we had to squeeze in for a look between the 6 masses. 

After the churches, we went to an outdoor cafe for some lunch. There were two amigos playing marimba, a beautiful, carved wooden xylophone-type instrument, for the patrons. While we waited for a table, a teen girl and her family approached us and asked en Espanol if we would pose for a photo with her. We laughed and said of course. Then later that afternoon, we sat in the setting sun in the courtyard of the Cathedral de Puebla. Two ladies approached us and asked if they could each take a turn sitting with us for a photo. We agreed and thought it was so funny that this happened twice in one afternoon. Are we that strange?!

There was lots of celebrating in the square and thousands of people swarmed around the downtown. Lots of characters in costumes like Disney World posed for photos. There was even a "snow box" like a sand box, for the kids to play in. There was also an ice skating rink and a climbing wall, all set up for the festivities. We walked the streets that evening and looked at all of the vendor booths selling everything from soda to bananas to meats and cheeses to cooked meals, to toys and clothing and pottery-and everything else you could imagine. It was extreme stimulation to every one of the senses! We came across a beautiful yellow church and walked in to explore the courtyard. There were niñas chasing pigeons and laughing together... and the colors in Mexico are so perfect for beautiful photos. 

We departed Puebla the next day and headed east toward Villahermosa. We drove over winding mountain passes that were covered in lush jungle. We came to an area where at every overpass on the highway, there was a vendor selling fresh piña juice. After we passed a few, we decided to indulge. We bought one liter for $2 from an elderly señor. After we tasted how insanely delicious it was, we stopped at a second vendor and bought two more. There was a whole family selling together at this stand. The two little girls were so adorable and were showing off their dolly and posing for photos. 

Something we have noticed about Mexico is that as a traveller, you will never go for more than a few minutes without being offered food and drink. At every toll booth and bridge and at all of the tope speed bumps, there are vendors selling snacks and juices. It's a good idea to keep some pesos in your car's ashtray or console in case you are hungry or thirsty on the road. We enjoyed some platanos fritos, or fried plantain chips, on several occasions. Mmmmmm!

We arrived in Villahermosa after dark and there was major highway construction so it was very dusty. The air was also thick with smoke from fire nearby. We pulled into an auto motel. I had never heard of such a thing. We slept upstairs in a hotel room and our car slept below us in a private garage. It was a very bizarre place and it was so loud there all night that if we had better Spanish skills, we would have asked for a refund. Luckily, it was inexpensive!

The next morning we exited Villahermosa and headed for our first destination, Merida, in the state of Yucatan. We enjoyed our 7-hour drive up the gulf side of the peninsula. There were hundreds of various ocean birds floating along beside us. We passed many pescadores selling their morning fish catch on the sides of the roads. There was even one man selling turtles on a stick. Poor little guys. At one point, we passed a small herd of camels grazing on the side of the road. Unexpected, but not that surprising. We passed through several small pueblos and the locals had so many decorations out for the holidays. Christmas lights, trees, nativity scenes, Virgin Mary shrines and old man mannequin-scarecrows that people created to represent the old year that passed. We were told that at midnight on New Year's Eve, they light TNT and fireworks and explode and burn them to represent letting go of the old year and welcoming in the new.  

We approached Merida as it was getting dark and we got a bit lost. We stopped at two different OXXO shops, which are an equivalent to 7-eleven at gas stations. We bought a map and it took 6 of us to figure out how to get where we needed to be. Two employees, two patrons and us. It was quite a scene. The Mexican people are so hospitable and helpful. We finally made it to Ciudad Caucel in Merida. We arrived at the home of our friends and we were pooped. It is so much hotter and more humid on the peninsula than up in the northern half of Mexico that we sweat while doing nothing at all.

I'll stop there for now. I have lots more to share but I'm exhausted from the New Years celebrations. Buenas noches mi amigos.

Xoxo