Woodpecker sighting!

I have never seen a woodpecker before, according to Wikipedia they are worldwide EXCEPT in Australia and NZ. But when I heard the tap tap tap outside my bedroom window this morning it couldn't have been anything else. (The construction workers next door make a much heavier louder sound).

Looking out, I saw 2 of them (woodpeckers, not construction workers) at work on a dead tree in the property behind. The one closest to me was a male with a red head, and the other was tapping around the other side of the tree, maybe his mate?
It took me a bit of googling to discover they were Ladder-backed woodpeckers for the interesting black and white pattern on their backs. Here is a picture from the Amigos de Sian Kaan website - Sian Kaan is a huge biosphere which starts just south of here and continues almost to the Belize border, and a great place for birdwatching. It's also a wonderful absorber of Carbon Dioxide from the air.

The Ladder-backed woodpecker nests in cavities excavated from tree trunks, and bores into trees looking for insects or larva.  Here in Mexico they also eat the fruit of the cactus - there is a lot of that around at the moment so these little guys won't be starving any time soon.

A week of new beginnings!

I started the week with a new activity - water aerobics! I've been a fan for years in Australia but hadn't heard of any classes here, until a yoga friend told me her husband goes to a class just near me. She said it's a small hotel pool so they don't want the class to get too big. I'm not too large (yet) so I figured one more can't hurt.

As the class was from noon til one I packed my rash vest, hat and sunnies but was pleasantly surprised that most of the pool was shaded by trees. Everyone was very friendly and our volunteer teacher did a good job, although I miss Jan back home who really worked us hard. There were 13 of us, 12 women and Janet's husband Jim. After the class the girls meet in the bar for a cool drink, so hopefully I will make more new friends.

I have a new favourite lunch - mini bagels with cream cheese, avocado and Spanish ham! And after washing that down with a glass of sangria I needed a nanna nap! I'm obviously very out of practice in aerobic exercising!

I was pleased to find I had an email response from Angel Notions about volunteer work, and will go there on Thursday to find out how I can help.

Even more pleased to find an email from Coco's cat refuge to say they have a shy kitten who needs some TLC and could I foster her?

Well how could I say no to a sweet little girl like May? She only looks about 4 or 5 weeks old and I'm sure I can help bring her out of her shell with lots of cuddles (whether she likes it or not, at the start!).





My friend Lou says she'd like to try the salsa classes with me, so that's on the menu for next week's new starts. Things are really starting to pick up pace here and that's great.

Oprah's last show!

It's a big night tomorrow - not only the final of American Idol but Oprah's last show.

I've never been a real fan of Oprah, but then I haven't watched her show much. However I do think anyone whose show lasts 25 years, and who is as influential as she is, has gotta be doing something right.

I'm sure her last show is going to be her opportunity to go out with a bang. Congrats Oprah! Enjoy your retirement.

Volunteer work

Although I enjoyed my kitten-cuddling last Friday, I do think I could be doing more in the way of volunteer work, especially considering the poverty of many of the people here. I mentioned it to a yoga friend who I know helps out in a diabetes clinic, and she told me about Angel Notion.

It's a non-profit medical clinic helping families who cannot afford to have much-needed surgeries and medical treatment. They offer holistic treatment combining traditional medicine with natural therapies, and focus on prevention and education.

I have emailed them to ask them how I can help, and look forward to hearing from them soon. It seems to be a way I can really give something back to this country for whatever time I'm here.

I'll let you know what my experiences are.

Electricity

I was really pleased when I got my electricity bill today for the past 2 months, and it came to about $23. I've been turning on the air con in the living room for a few hours most evenings, and always leave the one in my bedroom to chill the room for an hour before I go to sleep, so I reckon that $11.50 a month is an absolute bargain.
The bill says that the cost of production is more than $100, but that the government has kindly contributed almsot $80 of that. Thanks Mexico!

Kitten cuddling Friday

Today I finally got out to Coco's Cat Refuge for kitten-cuddling Friday. Here are some of the cuties I got to play with.

This little sweetie was so tiny she curled up in my hand.

Having a drink of water exhausted her so much she just had a snooze beside the bowl.







I suppose one day this young man will grow into his ears!

Any time is a good time to have a snooze in a cardboard box.







The good news is that most of these little ones already have homes to go to when they get big enough to travel, many through international adoption. Returning US and Canadian citizens take them over the border and then their new owners collect them. Of course they are all desexed before they leave here.

Back to the real world

Now that Angela has returned home, the condo feels strangely empty. I miss the good conversations over breakfast while we both checked our emails. But life goes on, and I'm getting back to my routine.

I've been back at yoga each day, and wondered why I left it so long. The Ananda yoga school was one of the reasons I bought here in the first place and it's still as great as ever. I started off a bit slower, doing a class of restorative yoga on Wednesday, then a level 1 yesterday, and today I got up at 7.15 so that I could get to Melanie's 8.30am class and I wasn't disappointed. I was greeted warmly by the other students as well, and some even asked where I'd been, which was lovely.

This afternoon I'm heading to Coco's Cat Refuge for their "Kitten-cuddling Fridays". I met Laura at the market last week and told her I'd love to do some fostering, so maybe I will even come home with a houseguest today.

Yesterday I decided to treat myself and have a pedicure. Since Angela had her nails done, a pedicure, hair colour and cut, it was definitely my turn. I had discovered Lucia's by chance but it turns out she is a very skilled nail technician with years of experience, and she loves to practise her English.

I think that's why my pedicure lasted 2 1/4 hours, but I'm not complaining! I came out with my feet as smooth as a baby's bottom, and my toenails painted hot pink, with a tiny flower and a diamante on the big toes. How wonderful it felt - first the bubbling vibrating footbath, then a foot scrub, cuticle remover, nails perfectly clipped, then a nice long foot and lower leg massage and finally an expert paint job. I felt a million dollars!

Lucia is more than happy, when she has no bookings, to meet me for coffee so we can help each other perfect our second languages. It's great to be making new friends in my new home.

And at only 100 pesos ($8) for a pedicure I'll definitely be visiting her more often. What a bargain!

Isla Mujeres & Dolphins part 2

The bus made record time, although the air con was on full bore and the temperature cold enough to hang meat! We arrived in Cancun at the dock just after 9am, Angela and I were let off and others remained on the bus and continued on.
They checked the vouchers again in the terminal and told us that because we had arrived late, our ferry had left, but not to worry because he would put us on another boat, which was also due to leave but they were holding it for us, so we had to hurry.
Off we went at a cracking pace across the road and down the dock to a lovely catamaran, where guess who was waiting? all the other people from our bus. Ours is not to wonder why.....

Ah! Caribbean sea!

As soon as we were aboard, the boat left, and drinks were served - beer, juice or coffee. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining and the Caribbean a brilliant turquoise, but we were in for another unexpected bonus. Instead of just a shuttle to Isla Mujeres for the dolphin swim and return, this was a full day trip, including a guided snorkel trip off the island, then a visit to the man town for shopping. All accompanied by great music, wonderful friendly crew and unlimited drinks.

Although most of the coral was unfortunately dead, we did see some wonderful tropical fish on our snorkel trip, where all the equipment was provided and we even got to keep the snorkel mouthpiece.
We had enough time to do a quick circuit of the town and buy some postcards, and for me to know that it's a place I could enjoy exploring more if the opportunity presents itself.

Madonna & her baby

Then off to the other side of the island to Dolphin Discovery, where first we had a buffet lunch. I did have to pay $15 for the lunch but it included an open bar so we had several pina coladas and were feeling very mellow by the time the dolphin group was called. The 50 minute experience included having the dolphin push you on a boogie board, dancing with it, a kiss photo opportunity, and then a ride on its belly while you held its fins. It turned out that Angela's dolphin had been badly scratched previously by someone's acrylic nails and so every time it went near her to do the belly tow it took one look at her nails and scampered off. They had to take her to another dolphin in the pool next door.

Party time on the catamaran

We had another 2 hours to relax and drink more pina coladas at the park, then the catamaran put up the sail and we headed home, accompanied by tequila shots, music and dancing. It was a wonderful day and I can really recommend the tour company. We got home around 8pm and could do little more but have a coffee and toast and collapse into bed!

Angela catches a few zzzzs on the way home

My only suggestion is that they might consider moderating the bus air con, we were all trying to protect ourselves with our towels but cold air and a wet towel doesn't help much! Still, if the meat department at the supermarket ever needs extra room I can recommend something for them now!

Swimming with dolphins part 1

Swimming with Dolphins was on Angela's "Bucket List", and since the prices here started at $A75 compared with more than $A400 at Sea World on the Gold Coast, it was a great opportunity to tick that one off.
We had booked to go on Friday but she came down with a dose of montezuma's revenge on Thursday evening. The company wanted a drs certificate to avoid a cancellation fee, so we went to the doctor's office at the pharmacy and she saw a lovely lady who, after a thorough examination, told her it was something she had eaten (we suspect at the Chichen Itza buffet). The visit cost 35 pesos (less than $3). She was prescribed an antibiotic, some lactobacillus and guava pills to calm the stomach - a good combination of modern and traditional treatments, and the lot cost $20.
By Saturday morning she was feeling back to normal, and we set off from home at 7am for our pickup point at 7.20 (actually we caught a taxi and arrived at 7.07). Another couple was waiting there too.
7.30 came and went, no sign of a bus, then 7.45. We were just thinking of phoning the agency when the bus pulled up at 7.50. The driver looked at the 4 of us and told us there was a problem, because he only had 2 seats left! He checked everyone's vouchers and then got on the phone. From what I could hear, it seemed that extra people had gotten on at the previous stop. I thought he should have asked them to wait for the next bus, but no, he said there was another bus on the way and it would be sorted out then. By this time we were getting thirsty - the sun here is still hot at 8am and we had been promised drinks on the way, and it was important for Angela to keep her fluids up. We asked could we go to the supermarket 1 min away to get some water. No, he said, the bus will be here in 5 mins, better stay here. You can get water at the restaurant on the corner. We did that, paying 25 pesos for a small bottle which would have cost 2 in the supermarket, and the bus took at least 10 minutes.
But it was when it arrived that we were surprised. Instead of herding us onto the buses, the drivers removed 2 seats from the back of the new bus and inserted them into the old bus. The other bus took off and finally we were on our way at 8.15 - I was very conscious that I would have enjoyed that extra hour in my bed instead of waiting in the sun, but at least all would be fine now.

Chichen Itza - New 7 Wonders of the World

Angela was keen to visit Chichen Itza (that’s chee-chen not chicken) as it’s one of the controversial New 7 Wonders of the World, so we booked ourselves onto a tour.
 

Ik Kil Cenote

Chichen is close to a 500km round trip so it was a long day. We were collected from the travel agency at 7.50am and didn’t get home till about 8.30pm. As well as Chichen we visited the Ik-Kil (Mayan for “the Place of the Winds”) cenote, and then the colonial city of Valladolid.

 

El Castlllo, the main pyramid of Chichen Itza, is quite spectacular and very well-preserved (or restored).

Its perfect alignment to the heavens causes the snake phenomenon at both the equinoxes. As the sun hits the side of the pyramid, it looks like a snake is slithering down it. The snake is Kukulcan, the feathered serpent, the Mayan name for Quetzalcoatl. He is everywhere on the site. There are good photos of the equinox effect on Wikipedia if you are interested in finding out more.

Temple of the Jaguar

The ball court is the largest known in Mesoamerica, and the carvings show the game and the sacrifice of a player afterwards. There seems to be disagreement between whether the sacrifice was the leader of the winning or losing team. Either way, they saw it as an honour to go to their death this way.

There are lots of other buildings including the temple of the Jaguar, the Platform of the Eagles, the Observatory and the Temple of the 1000 columns (which by the way has about 500 columns, just a slight exaggeration!) There are paintings inside many of these buildings, and in fact several of the pyramids have smaller pyramids inside them, and statues and carvings inside them. Unfortunately time and the environment has meant that many of these have been lost and the others completely closed off to the public, and even more unfortunately, there are no external copies on the site so that the public could see what they were like. It’s a real shame and it seems strange they haven’t done it, maybe a question of funding.

Kukulcan the Feathered Serpent

It’s a large site and the temperature is usually around 40’, so it can be tough walking around but fortunately there are trees for shade. I had seen Chichen when I travelled around Central America tour in 2008 and obviously nothing had changed but it was good to refresh my memory, and good to experience the tours first-hand so that I can recommend them to my visitors.

Trip to Tulum

Hi all, I have a friend visiting from Aus and we’ve been busy exploring Playa, shopping and drinking margaritas, so I’ve been too busy to blog. But I know you’ll forgive me because life is for living isn’t it?

We visited the Mayan archeological site of Tulum, which is less than an hour from here. The ruins are Tulum are, well, ruins - they are not well-preserved, nor are they well-described in the signage. So it does make it a little difficult to imagine the site as it once was.

However this is the ONLY Mayan site in Mexico built right at the edge of the water, as you can see where I’m standing, and that’s what makes it so unique and spectacular.

The amazing colours of the Caribbean have been incredible this last week - from pale aqua all the way through indigo. Add a white sand beach and some palm trees, and then some romantic ruins and it’s really special.
You can climb down a big staircase and go swimming right under the ruins.

We wondered whether, having climbed down, we’d have the strength to get back up, so we took our weakness to a café and drank 2 Pina Coladas each and followed that up with some burritos and quesadillas and felt much stronger and able to face the trip back.

Ships in the night with Luis Miguel

I have a friend coming to visit me from Friday, and while searching for things to do, I discovered that my favourite Latin artist Luis Miguel had a concert in Cancun the same night I flew back in from my holiday in San Miguel. I could have gotten off that plane and gone straight there, well after dropping off my excess luggage somewhere....

I've been a huge fan of Luis for several years and I think I have all his CDs. I can't believe he was so close and I missed him - like ships in the night......

This was the end of the Mexican part of his tour; he's hugely popular here and is known as El Sol (The Sun). Although he wasn't born here, he was raised in Mexico and identifies very strongly with it, and the Mexicans with him. He's now gone off to Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA and Canada. The only chance I might get to see him is if I pop up to Las Vegas in mid-September when he is appearing at Caesar's Palace. Never been to Las Vegas and have been considering a visit, so this might be the clincher. Better see if Santana or Cher are there too. I know Barry Manilow has a show there, so I could really kill several birds with this one visit. Stay posted....