Yesterday, I walked the bici-ruta alone. Terry was at home coughing. I had my camera and was glad I did. My favorite sighting was on my way home. I walked back down Calle 62 headed south rather than take the same path back down Calle 60. When I got to the Olimpo I kept walking through the portico "behind" the street festivities. From one spot, I could listen to a clarinetist warming up as white-clad band members anticipated their later performance, see the kiddy activities in the street, and observe four Mexican, stately gentlemen playing chess seated along the far portico wall underneath a gorgeous mural I had never noticed before. The juxtaposition of it all made me think to myself - "This is one of the many reasons I am so captured by this city." 
Other things that made me smile -
We have spent the past week doing the following - painting (me), playing guitar (Terry), scraping walls (me), going to the beach (us), cooking/eating (us), studying Spanish (mostly Terry), and celebrating St. Valentine's (us).
Carnaval ended here on Ash Wednesday and it's been rather quiet in Merida.
Speaking of "Carnival" - I have to admit I became intrigued with the stranding of the Carnival "Triumph" and spent quite a lot of time reading various news articles online about it. I am saddened by its economic impact on Progreso and realizing it won't be making routine trips to Progreso and Cozumel for quite some is disappointing. And, it will have a negative impact on Galveston as well. But that had nothing to do with me being intrigued. I was intrigued and amazed at the media reports and the way people onboard were depicted as reacting to their ordeal. In awe, I read the reports of people reacting from one extreme to the other - many were making a bigger party out of their cruise, many were totally disgusted and felt Carnival was responsible for all things bad that had ever happended in their lives, and I would imagine many fell somewhere in between making the most of a bad situation. However, much like in any society one never hears about the people silently making the best of the situation. I just kept seeing this ship as a microcosm of a bigger society, and realizing that the people on board that couldn't handle the discomforts aboard this floating hotel where things went awry for 5 days would be the same ones that would flip out if faced with a more far-reaching adverse event. In a bigger society there would just be more of them. I decided I want to hand-pick the people I want to be around in the event of a disaster ---- people I know back home, and the people I see here in Merida....the people that are self-sufficient and know how to face and handle adversity.
And, I am glad our friends Ken and Lorraine decided to re-book on another Carnival ship. We won't be able to meet them in Progreso, but we will be meeting up with them in Cozumel when they sail from Tampa aboard the Paradise.
We spent Valentine's Day in Progreso on the beach. Although it was Thursday the ship from NOLA did not come to port either. It was a slow work week for the beach vendors and restaurants in Progreso. We enjoyed watching the people of Progreso enjoy their own beach by going for a swim---- the grandmothers, dogs, uniform-clad school kids, and a handful of Mexican tourists made us smile as we basked in the sun amongst them. Another juxtaposition.
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| The abuela in the black dress eventually went for a swim in her black dress |
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| They stripped from their school uniforms down to their skivies and took a swim |
Then, we stopped off at Los Henequenes for beer and botanas. It was a slow day for them and I think they must have been serving us the food that the cruise shippers would have normally ordered from the menu as they brought us so many "snacks" we couldn't eat them all.
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| Cerveza y Botanas |
Our waiter was extra attentive and when I excused myself to go the the RR, Terry paid the tab. I came back up to the table just in time to see our waiter look to the heavens, make the sign of the cross, and mouth gracias. I found out later Terry had tipped him well for his excellent service. He deserved it and was another victim of the week's non-existent cruise traffic.
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