Friday, November 26, 2010

Island Departure




As excited as we are about the upcoming trip, we are a little sad to leave our new home. Because, well, it feels like home. The cat comes around a couple of times a day for food and attention. The basil plant is looking successful. And, there's the ocean. We try to take advantage of its proximity, as you can see from the posted photos.

One photo shows the dreaded lionfish, coming to an appropriate end. A non-native fish that eats everything and has few predators, there is a lot of local effort to reduce their numbers. Dive masters are encourage to catch and kill as many as possible. Jorge killed five on this dive. Jennifer spotted this one and Jorge speared it.

We're leaving on the 6:00am ferry, driving south toward Chetumal, then west across the Yucatan peninsula, visiting some of the lesser-known Mayan sites between here and San Cristóbal. We arrive in San Cristóbal on Monday, check in with our school, and move in with a local family as part of our two weeks of intensive Spanish language classes.

Since the city sits at 7,000 feet, we're packing flannel shirts, fleece, and one of us is packing down. Island living thins the blood.

One of the more significant festivals in Mexico will take place while we are in SC, the Fiesta de Virgin de Guadalupe. Supposed to be filled with 12 days of colorful parades, processions, costumes(?) and prayer vigils.

After our class we are driving to the far eastern corner of Chiapas, along the Rio Usumacinta which forms the border between Mexico and Guatamala. We'll take in two more significant, but remote Mayan sites.

We'll post stories and photos as often as we can. As long as we keep up with our homework.

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