In Honor of Captain Norris

We recently received word of the death of a dear friend to us and many others. He passed away this morning after a battle with cancer. He will always hold a special place in our hearts. May he have eternal fair winds and smooth seas. 

To Norris -
One or the other must leave,
One or the other must stay.
One or the other must grieve,
That is forever the way.

That is the vow that was sworn,
Braving what had to be borne–
Faithful till death do us part,
Hiding the ache in the heart.

One, howsoever adored,
First must be summoned away
That is the will of the Lord,
One or the other must stay.

Vaya con Dios, Norris.

Not a Willywaw but Seemed Like One

You have to read this whole blog to get to the Willywaw part....
Since getting back from Cozumel on Monday, we have been hanging close to the house. Both of us have been nursing fever-blistered lips and a sinus thing of some sort. Damn the good life! It can be hard on the body. We had to laugh as the first night we were back the neighbor dog seemed to bark all night. I came very close to getting out of bed and screaming profanities at him (in English!).
Based on our day yesterday, here is a regular day just hanging at the house -
We wake up early when we start to hear the morning traffic and the doves cooing...sometimes accompanied by our barking dog. We could drown out the barking dog noise but have chosen not to. We still haven't needed, nor wanted, to turn on the mini-split. We drink coffee in bed and usually have a conversation in Spanish. It's great  because we are both pretty lenient on the others correct use of Spanish. Yesterday we got up and did some clothes washing. The hardest part about washing clothes is the wringing them out. It's a real work-out. Our clothesline is up on the rooftop so it makes for getting lots of sunshine. We LOVE the feel and smell of crunchy line-dried clothes. Wonder what they would think at Harborwalk if we strung a clothesline on the boat when we get back?!
Making breakfast is a two-person job --- it goes something like this. I usually chop/dice and Terry does the actual cooking . We have a real 4-burner gas stove....it even has a grill-type burner in the middle that's not all it's cracked up to be. A typical breakfast for us is scrambled, unrefrigerated eggs with chorizo, poblano pepper, and onion, served on a refried bean smeared tostado, topped with avocado, cheese and salsa that we wish we could bring back with us by the case....and it comes in a can. Sometimes we also have plantains, mango, or papaya. And a little glass of juice - whatever is in the frig. We eat every meal on the back terrace.
Then it is time for Spanish lessons...which we each go our separate ways and do on our own rather than together. The funny thing is - I learn more from eavesdropping on Terry's Spanish lessons than I learn from doing my own. It just kinda works that way.
Both of us do a lot of reading - we brought books, the Kindle, and we have three computers between us. Terry just got through reading Shutter Island, and I finished up an erotica novel. Never said I was down here to expand my mind! I have gotten somewhat addicted to reading blogs of expats in Merida. I have to keep an open mind because I have to admit most of them have some views that are very different from my own. But I follow the blog of the woman I realized lived across the street from us last year down on Calle 75. She posted something yesterday I found interesting regarding the recent earthquake in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The earthquake hit at 12:03 and measured 7.8 on the Richter. Well, it seems that back in February the Mexican state of Chiapas had decided to have a statewide earthquake drill. The drill was planned, in advance, to take place at 12:00 and would simulate a 7.9. The drill took place on the same day the earthquake hit Oaxaca!!!
Ok - so after reading we headed down to the Chedraui (big supermarket) which is about 10 blocks away...happens to be down on Calle 75. We try to find streets to travel on that we have not walked down  previously - it's getting harder and harder. We managed to take a new route yesterday that was a little out of the way, but worth it because it was new territory. It seemed fairly quiet in town yesterday and we are guessing it is because people have left the city for the beaches because of Semana Santa. Going to the supermercado is always an experience because we see so many things to buy we are unfamiliar with. Such things as tamarind seeds, guava paste, unusual cheeses, and lots of things in bulk barrels...just to name a few. What the hell do you do with tamarind seeds? I'm going to go online today and find out!
The panaderia gets us every time. We can never resist the postres and breads. Yesterday we came home with some great rolls for sandwiches (emparedados...for the record). And we bought some plastico adherente...plastic wrap. We were so glad we found the Saran-type wrap on our own as we had flashbacks to the sewing kit day. Neither of us would have had a clue how to ask for plastic wrap, except for the plastico part...and there are LOTS of things made of plastico down here. And of course, once again we didn't have the translator with us.
Terry made awesome emparedados and nachos for lunch. After lunch we did some more reading and surfing and napping. Then we decided to go hang out on the rooftop mirador. It was sometime around 1PM or so by then. The bar next door had already cranked up the generator but what the hay - we're used to it and we just turn up our music a little louder. We were about half asleep with the sun shining, a light breeze blowing, a few cumulus clouds floating around....and that's when the Willywaw thing blew through. It started out just a pick- up in the wind speed and it kept getting gustier and gustier - trees started shaking, leaves were blowing, the trees started dropping sour oranges and green mangoes, and our eyes got big. It wasn't rainy or cloudy or nasty weather or anything. It was crazy! Like a tornado blew right over the top of us. We could see it as it traveled over us and just kept right on going....you know, like a WILLIWAW! When I came back in the house - I noticed leaves and debris had blown in through the front door, and a picture that hung in the foyer was lying on the floor so I know it blew down the middle of Calle 70 as well. Crazy, huh?

The remainder of the day was spent lounging around reading and surfing. Then about 4:30 (I wear a watch/Terry doesn't) we started discussing what time we would start Happy Hour. We decided 5:30 was a good time. Happy Hour consisted of 39% rum and Light Coke for me and Sols with lime and salt for Terry out on the terrace. 

We had our usual dinner-at-home last night - Ground pork meat mixed with salsa, fideo, poblanas, and onion served with cheese, refried beans and tostados followed by our postres bought earlier. I guess it could sound rather redundant, but it's that good. We eat it alot...with a few variations.
After dinner we watched the latest episode of "Justified" that Terry had downloaded earlier in the day. And, folks, that concluded our day! BTW - the dog was very quiet last night, and so was the bar next door.

Cozumel...in the Rearview Mirror

Arrived back in Merida via bus around 7:45 last night...had a fantastic trip.

Here is a recap of the trip...as best I can remember it...

 Thursday -
We took ADO from Merida to Playa del Carmen, then hopped the ferry across to Cozumel.

Stayed at a quaint little hotel within a block from the ferry dock so that was nice/convenient --- right in the middle of downtown. Doing what we do best, we headed to a waterside bar/restaurant and had a few drinks then came back downtown and ate ceviche. It was funny because we had a flashback to last year when we were in Cozumel and met a guy we called Forrest Gump. We really think we saw him in the bar. That brought back some memories so we went to scout out La Pirata...a little bar we haunted last year. It was closed with a Se Vende sign on the front door. Trust me - that is probably just as well. Did some walking around, and it was a pretty early night for us. The hotel had said "continental breakfast" included. What a nice surprise! It turned out to be a full breakfast each morning with some of the best coffee ever. Every morning we had seasoned scrambled eggs, refried beans, homeade breads and patries, and then a daily surprise of some sort, ie, fideo one morning, chicken w/ peppers & onions, scalloped potatoes....and the last morning it was omelets made to order. As Terry always says: "You have to build a base!". Thank goodness for all the walking we have been doing - because we did a lot of walking in Cozumel. I wish I had a peso for every head shake we made to the constant stream of taxi drivers that would honk to see if we needed a ride.

Ferry from/to Playa del Carmen & Cozumel

Friday
We ended up at Papa Hog's around mid-morning - such a great vantage point to watch the activities along the waterfront. It is actually a very busy diving emporium with lots of boat activity, a small beach area with lounge chairs, great waitstaff, a swimming area, and very cold beer...which is cheap by Cozumel's standards.

Spent the day at Papa Hog's lounging on the beach with great bar service from Viviana Beatrice, then walked back into town...stopped along the way and went to an upstairs waterfront table to watch the people head back to their cruise ships --- there were either 5 or 6 in port that day. We had some damn good margaritas. "I should've known because when I drink tequila Terry gets mean." Eventually went to dinner and had more margaritas along with a fabulous dinner of Camerones Coco and Chile Relleno.

Camerones Cocos



Chili Relleno

 That's where we could've turned left, or could've turned right and went back to our room. We chose "LEFT". Ended up at some little local tequila bar with a Canadian girl that could sing and play the guitar, two self-proclaimed gay guys, a techno-disco Mexican DJ, and the owner Jorge who we decided looked like a Mexican version of our friend Wayne Kucera if Wayne were to wear a toupee. (You have to use your imagination!) Flashbacks to Key West kicked in and we were ready for the night! We ended up leaving and going down the street to Wet Wendy's. It was a little outside bar with a live band and a "not so easy to dance on it" dance floor...but we didn't care. The music was good and we decided it was time for dancing. When we got on the dance floor all of a sudden everybody else got on the dance floor too, and we danced til closing. I suppose it was Wet Wendy, but I didn't dare ask, but she came over to our table and thanked us for livening the place up. When we got our tab she had comped us several drinks. And Terry had made a new friend --- Bubba-Loon. Turns out it was Bubba Luna and he lives in Cozumel....he's from Arkansas.

Danced the Night Away at Wet Wendy's

Saturday 
We slept later than we intended as we were excited and ready to meet Ken and Lorraine who were coming into Cozumel from Galveston via Carnival. We wanted to be waiting for them when they got off the cruise ship. Missed that opportunity but it's because we still aren't on DST down here whereas the cruiseship was going by Galveston DST time. Met up with them with no problem and all got a taxi downtown. Lorraine and I went to do some shopping and left the guys at the bar.

So funny to think we are all saltwater souls together at Harborwalk but where should we all meet up ---- at the water, of course. They had a fabulous time on the cruise and it was fun sharing stories with them. Seems the night before as we were drinking margaritas the two of them were drinking martinis!!! Was probably good as we were all moving the same pace - slow motion. We helped them spend some money by making sure Ken didn't get on the ship without first buying a pair of really nice (and expensive!) western boots...wanted to post a picture of them but he wouldn't model them with his shorts once he left the store. Hit the pharmacy, the jewelry stores, etc., etc. Was such a great day of laughing! One of the funniest things was when we got ready to go hang out at the cruise ship terminal for awhile --- 4 of us and the littlest taxi you've ever seen.



"I'm Not Getting in There..."

 Lorraine wanted to wait for the van...or the stretch limo, maybe. Her words: "I'm NOT getting in there!" Right before we all crammed in the taxi. Did the Fat Tuesday thing --- you know, where everybody has too much to drink and the girls all think they can poledance and that they are beautiful with less clothes on, and they want to kiss each other. It was hard to say ADIOS to Ken and Lorraine, but it was such a fun day and they still had two more nights of cruising ahead of them.
We walked back the 4 miles or so to town, but stopped along the way to have a couple of beers, watch them head off into the sunset, as we wished them Smooth Seas.



Adios!



Wishing Smooth Seas to Ken & Lorraine

Went back and got dressed for Guido's for dinner --- seared tuna with creamed spinach and pasta for Terry, and a seafood pasta dish for me----along with wine, and coffee w/ hot, toffee gooey cake for dessert. We were in heaven! early that night.

Sunday
Were moving very slow --- Terry spent a day of sneezing and runny, watery eyes. Sunday is generally "no cruise ship" day in Cozumel, but there was in fact one ship at the dock. It was pretty quiet around town. We felt sorry for the locals as some of them did have to open shops and work whereas normally Sunday is totally reserved for family time. The cool thing was - we decided to just go veg at Papa Hog's, and when we got down there the workers were working the cruise ship traffic, but it was like all the employees brought their familias to Papa Hog's with them. It was so funny to see all the little local kids swimming and horseplaying right where all the boats come in to dock. The divers and snorkelers carrying their several hundred pounds of gear just had to step over them. Hey --- Sunday is definitely their day! We ended up eating dinner at La Mission again and I got to order the coconut shrimp. Terry had this fantastic grilled seafood platter with huge chunks of lobster, fish, and shrimp on it. And their margaritas are WHOA!

Monday

After a breakfast of fantastic omelets, we went walking down into the older part of San Miguel (I think)...the town we always refer to as "Cozumel town". We didn't realize the population is as big as it is --- 70,000...and on a busy cruise ship day the population can double! That is so amazing...Saw some nice homes, pretty park, and church we had never seen before. We left Cozumel on the noon ferry and headed back to Playa. Went to the main avenida in Playa and grabbed a bite to eat along with the 2 FOR 1 Beer Special. When we got our check it was the most expensive meal we had eaten! That was after they added 10% to our bill for something called "M&S". They said "taxes" of which there aren't any. And the beers brought to us as 2 FOR 1 just meant twice the rip-off! We aren't really meaning to complain, but it didn't leave a good taste in our mouth for the one, small experience in Playa. And, we thought we were better at picking our places than that. Oh Well! Guess we just got caught up in the moment. We walked the 8-9 blocks to the bus station and waited for our 3:30 bus back to Merida. Wow - they are so efficient and show up and leave with absolutely no fanfare..and always on time. Got back to Merida and walked the 5-6 blocks back to the house. Thank goodness for traveling with backpacks and light packing!


Houses of Cozumel

Waiting for the ferry...they had the cutest little drug-sniffing dog too!









Watching the people spend money in Playa del Carmen

 

Playa del Carmen





Stooped to a New Low

When we went to Progreso the last trip and bought a liter of Sol and shared it in order to save a few pesos I thought we had stooped to an all-time low. But, I made a discovery this morning that beats that one to heck. I walked in the bathroom and there was a little pile of four tissue squares lying on top of the roll of toilet paper. It seems that when Terry paid 2 pesos to go to the bathroom at the Progreso bus station he didn't need the toilet paper so he brought it home in his pocket. He placed it neatly on top of the roll of toilet paper that resembles an old-fashioned roll of adding machine tape - not very wide and very scratchy.

______________________________________________________________________________
We're washing clothes today and getting ready to head out tomorrow on the 7:40 bus to Playa del Carmen, then take the ferry over to Cozumel and hang out for a few days. Will be meeting up with Ken and Lorraine on Saturday when they come into Cozumel on the Carnival cruise ship. Excited to see them!

Oops...Semana Santa Has Begun

Spring Break/Easter holiday is celebrated down here for up to three weeks of no school, families going to the beach, lots of eating, and just major/general Mexican Family Time. I mean they load up kids, grandkids, grandmother and head to the beaches. It starts three weeks before Easter and continues through Easter. We had never heard of it until we were down here last year.
Well, yesterday we decided to go to Progreso with the idea of then going from Progreso over to Chelem - another little fishing village just to the west of Progreso. So, we headed out to the Progreso bus station. When we got there it was packed. Semana Santa had begun! All the Mexican families were headed to the beach in Progreso. Now, here's where the observations began. The line to buy bus tickets was one line with one cashier working the window. The line was about 50-75 feet long, ie, all the way to the street. We got in line and let me tell you - there is absolutely no pushing, no shoving, no line cutting, and no frustration about the long line...only patience is observed. And because everything is on a cash system down here - the line moved fast as there are no PIN nos. that people can't remember, no credit cards that won't work, no delays in the slow credit card machines --- just the smell of cold hard cash. And everybody knows what the heck their intent is before they get to the window and exactly how much cash they need to buy the ticket(s) to Progreso. We were on the bus in about 10 minutes time from the minute we walked into the station. I had to question it and compare it to, say, a mall in Houston at Christmas time. Is it because we have all developed a feeling of powerlessness, or what? Is it a tiny feeling of power to be the one being waited on and take an inordinate amount of time? What makes us get frustrated at the guys in front of us when we are checking out, but when we get up there, we tend to take our time and dawdle just like the ones before us? Am I exaggerating this? Would we not be mumbling under our breaths? Frustrated? We being Americans. This is just one of the small things that adds to the feeling that you have stepped back in time to the 50s or 60s...a time when everybody seemed to have more time, tolerance, and patience.
Well, anyway -
When we got to Progreso, it was very busy with the Carnival cruise ship from Galveston in port plus the local Mexicans on holiday. I couldn't help but wonder what the cruise ship people thought about being elbow to elbow with all the locals on the beach.

Progreso Malecon During Samana Santa

Crowds at Progreso Beach

Vendor and Pier at Chixulub

We ended up walking about 5 miles down the beach to the east of Progreso to a small town called Chixulub. We walked the beach just looking. When we got there it was filled with Mexican families as well. It is an interesting contrast since there are beautiful houses with large, secluded yards directly in front of the beach but one street over you might see houses not much more than shacks. We ate our packed, picnic lunch and caught a combi back to Progreso. In addition to Terry and me, there were several locals on the combi and this little 3-4 year old boy rolled up the window - and it was hot, really hot. But none of us said anything to him. We just sweated and when we got to Progreso and everybody got off the combi we were all covered in sweat from head to toe. So funny! Damn little kid.  

Whole Liter of Sol --- 21 pesos+6 peso deposit

Got back to Progreso and stooped to a new low ---- Terry bought a liter of Sol for 21 pesos plus a 6 peso deposit---that's CHEAP beer. We shared it on the beach just like a couple of really, true beach bums. When we were done, Terry took the bottle back and got his 6 pesos back...until next time! Headed back to Merida before the crowds.

Spanish Lesson - How to Say "Needle and Thread"

On Sunday morning we got up and did the Champs Elysee of Merida walk. With the street closed to car traffic, it makes it an easy four-mile or so hike round trip from the Gran Plaza, over to Paseo de Montejo and back. Paseo is an interesting combination of the old, beautiful houses built during the days when Henequen was king and the not so interesting new buildings and American-type franchises, including a Wal-Mart. Along the way Terry suggested we stop off at Wal-Mart and buy some needle and thread or a sewing kit so he could sew a button back on his Magellan shorts. Easy enough! We have a little hand-held translator that we always take with us since you never know when you may really, really need it. Well, we really, really needed it but we had forgotten it. We went into Walmart and couldn't find anything that resembled a sewing kit or needle/thread so I finally broke down and asked a sales clerk by saying "Excuse me. Where can I find..." Then, I couldn't go any further. I had not a clue how to say needle and thread. So I had to pantomime it out. The girl said they didn't carry )&(*(^%$$. We couldn't understand how she had said it.
We left and kept walking until we came to the Chedraui further up Paseo...another big store like a Wal-Mart, only much better. We went through the same thing, except they had needle and thread. Here's what we learned ---
Needle---aguja
Thread---hilo
Fabrics and Materials---Telas y Materias 

Remember the old oilcloth tablecloths that every kitchen table used to be covered with? They are still used down here in abundance. I saw this stack of different patterns in the Telas y Materias seccion in the Chedraui. I love all the bright colors...if I was crafty I would want to buy some. It took me back to growing up in the 60's!

Nighttime at the Gran Plaza

We headed downtown the other night to celebrate St. Patty's. Had a few beers, found the Mayan Pub and The Bierhaus but actually we stayed out of both of them.







I did take my camera so here are some pics of the Gran Plaza at nightime -

Every time I see one of the buggies I think of Pops

Around the Hood

The house is on Calle 70 in the Barrio de Santiago. We're a block and a half away from Parque Santiago, the Church, and the grocery store. There's a little market with vendors and one of them happens to sell helados...our favorite is the pina. The ice cream has huge chunks of fresh pineapple in it...delicioso!



Park worker sweeping with his broom made of dried reeds





Our Neighborhood Supermercado



Helado pina grande con cono!



On one of our afternoon trips to the park we watched three little girls play around the fountain. We knew they were going to get in the water before the day was over. Sure enough!

La Chapparia VIP Sports Bar

Around the corner from the house is the front entrance to the La Chapparia Sports Bar. In the back of the bar there is parking and the VIP entrance. You have to pound on the gate and they let you in the back entrance. Each afternoon around 2:30 they crank up the generator and it doesn't cut off until late at night. No worries - we are used to the sound of it. The back VIP entrance is next to our house. Such great entertainment after dark to watch from the upstairs mirador. The El Jefe guards the back entrance, and it's also where the girls hang out waiting for the VIPs.

Celebra San Patricio ¡con buena cerveza!

When I turned on my computer this morning the headline on mx.yahoo.com read: Celebra San Patricio con bueno cerveza....sounds like a good idea to me. So

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Ya'll

I don't know what made me think about this, but here's the story -

When Terry and I got off the plane here in Merida, and went through customs, we got our luggage and headed through the point where you walk through security, they scan your luggage, and then you hit the little button to see if you can go on, or you get your luggage searched. I went through first and before I even got to the button pushing part, they stopped me and questioned me: Was I traveling alone? Answer: No, I was traveling with my esposo. Was it just the two of us traveling together? Answer: Si. Did we have three computers? Answer: Yes. Terry had brought his laptop and I had brought my laptop and also my small computer that's about the size of an Ipad. They knew this because by then Terry was getting his luggage scanned, and the girl scanner had seen it and stopped the scanning process.  

I wasn't sure why it was an issue at the time, and probably a case of ignorance is bliss as we realized later on that each traveler into Mx. is allowed to bring one computer each with them. It's funny as at this point what really constitutes a computer? What about an Iphone? It does a lot more than my little portable laptop.

Bottom line - They were very nice about it, and the people that were questioning us were very pleasant and just doing their job. Glad they didn't take my computer away! Glad they let us in Mx.!

Thinking about hitting a museum today....





What Does it Cost?

We get the question "How much does it cost?" a lot. First, remember we're talking about Bev & Terry. We do every thing we want to do, and have lots of fun doing it, but we do it second class rather than first class. Since going to Progreso is a pretty normal day for us, here's our trip to Progreso.

A SUMMARY OF OUR DAILY EXPENSES IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.

We got up and decided to get breakfast and pastries at the panaderia. We ate them on the bus.


THE NEW PROGRESSO BUS STATION

The bus station is on Calle 60 so it really is a pretty short hike to the bus station for us. We got to the bus station just in tme to buy 2 round trip tickets and hop on the bus. Life is good! Of course, when the bus left the station it turned and went over to Calle 68...we could've caught the bus one block from the casa. The bus trip to Progreso takes about 45 minutes...depends on traffic in Merida and how many people get off/on along the way. The Merida-Progreso highway is a nice 6 lane highway. The alternative would be to pay for a rental car or take a taxi or tour bus.

The Progreso bus station is only a couple of blocks from the malecon. Terry had to go to the bano which cost 2 pesos. He tipped the sweet little lady that sits at the desk all day a peso. She hands out the 4 alotted squares of toilet tissue. Today was a non-cruiseship day...totally different atmosphere than when it is a cruise ship day.

LAID BACK PLAYA PROGRESO ON NON-CRUISE SHIP DAY

THE MALECON

We head straight for the beach along the malecon. Our cervezas are cheap Sol 473 ml (approx. 16 ouncers) purchased at the Cerve Frio which is a short walk over the style and across the malecon. If we really wanted to save some pesos we could buy 1-liter Sols and some plastic cups...that's what the locals do. They cost $21 pesos each compared to our Sols which are 2 for $27 pesos. The alternative would be to purchase from the waiters that  work for the restaurants along the malecon and also serve cold adult beverages on the beach...for a cost. We don't have to pay for the public banos as long as we are on the beach...leave it at that!

Today, we had to splurge for AA batteries for the camera. Four Duracell batteries at the beach set up back $62 pesos.

As we got intelligent on the beach, we talked about Progreso as a Carnival Cruise Line stop. The beaches certainly aren't the bluest water, the souvinirs aren't the most glamorous, but Progreso remains rather quaint and it is one of the few stops where you can still get a glimpse into day to day life in a fairly sleepy little Mexican port town.

We always visit our same little beach bar directly on the beach and usually have ceviche and cervezas before heading back to Merida. Today, we decided to go to Eladio's - a very nice restaurant close to the pier and right on the beach of course. This is a splurge for us. We ordered cervezas and while we were still purusing the menus, our waiter brought us botanas of fresh tostado chips, refried bean dip, a sort of German potato salad plate, and the infamous cut-up weiners in salsa with onions/peppers....this is gratis when you order beer.

BOTANOS GRATIS AT ELADIO'S



 We ended up drinking 3 beers between the two of us and ate ceviche mixto and empanadas cazon...baby shark meat in a turnover kinda thing. These are the things you dream about when Mexico is in the rearview mirror.

EMPANADAS CAZON

CEVICHE MIXTO

After lunch, we headed back to the bus station---each made a stop at the bano and were on the bus back to Merida. We feel so lucky that we can get off the bus in Merida and walk a few blocks to Calle 70 saving the time it takes for the bus to drive all the way through downtown and still we have to walk about the same distance to get to the house.
 On the way out of town, we saw the Economica Cocina Hong Fat. I'm quite sure we could've had lunch there for considerably less...that would be an alternative to Eladio's.

Tonight....salsa dancing at Santiago Parque -
The band starts at sometime around 8:30...we had a couple of cocktails and by the time we got to the parque it was almost 10:00. We really didn't know where the time went. We were able to get in a couple of salsas before the band stopped playing --- we held our own and got a lot of smiles from our fellow dancers....I'm sure some were secretly laughing at our Gringo style, but the highlight was after the dance when we were invited back for next Martes noche by an elderly dancing couple. They said we needed to be there at ocho y medio cuando la musica jugando. They shook our hands and we parted ways. We came home and did some more salsa dancing in the house.

A Breakdown of What We Spent Today (in pesos) -
Breakfast & Postres............$ 29
Two round-trip bus tickets...$ 56
Bus station bano stop...........$  2
4 AA camera batteries.........$ 62
4 cervezas @ the beach.......$ 54
Botonas at Eladio's............. $   0
Lunch & 3 Cervezas........... $460
2 Bus station bano stops.....$    4
Dancing in the parque.........$    0
TOTAL COST                     $639
...ABOUT $59 USD