Updates
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Subject: Coast to coast!
Date: Sat, 22 March 2003 20:44:20 +0000
Hey up there everyone,
How are you all? From my last 'mother nature revelation' email and this one war has unfortunately started it seems. It's hard to get an idea of what is really going on from here but it has definitely started! :(
It's a bit surreal but in the meantime, I have travelled from the pacific coast to the Caribbean coast, going through:
- San Critobal de las Casas where I was a bit ill but still managed to make myself feeling worse agreeing to go on a 3 hour horse ride to a controvertial nearby village called San Juan Chamula. There, cameras are forbidden, all the status of saints in the local church bare a mirror around their necks so you pray to yourself and they got rid of the maire (the story varies from person to person) so they have none now. The hierarchy is simple, the guys in white are the workers the guys in black are the land owners, and so they live drinking huge amounts of posh, the local sugar cane liquor...
- Palenque, where I felt marginally better. We stayed in a largely hippy driven campsite called Panchan. There you have the sound of the shouting monkeys (like lions - scary!) as early wake up call and I don't know if it's because we were in the middle of the jungle but we struggled every night to make it to the fire dancers show that took place at the outrageous time of 9:30pm!!! Best ruins I have seen so far.
- Merida, quick one day visit. On arrival it felt very dirty and horrible but once we'd had fantastically tasty seafood tacos for breakfast and talked to the friendly locals it became a lot more attractive. If you ever gonna buy a Hammock (apart from Thailand) this is the place to do it! I bailed out, I have far too much to carry already (I knew I'd regret buying them maracas! :)
- Valladolid, not many people stop here and it's refreshing. We swam in local cenotes and enjoyed the village atmosphere. Even had the privilege of having a family show in the posada where we stayed. Mariachi, nephew singing granny included! Choice! As they say in NZ!!!!
- Playa Del Carmen, a gringo destination. The yanks, although war has just broken are enjoying their spring breaks and the place is crawling with them. The only thing that saves playa del Carmen is that if you've never seen the colour of the Caribbean Sea, you just can't help but gaze into it and forget every single screaming gringo around you! Bliss! Unfortunately it's bloody expensive here and even more in Tulum where I am now. It was worth the stop though. I have just been snorkelling in the huge cenotes they have here(couldn't afford the hefty 60 USD for one dive!!!!!!). Cenotes are Caves with natural wells. If you dive you get to go under and go from on cave to the other, I had to walk from one to the other but still well worth it, eerie sometimes even! It can get so dark and silent down there!
Tomorrow I am off to Chetumal which is the last town before the Belize border, my beach life ain't over yet, I'm probably going to go to Ambergis and Caye Caulker just for a week though, I hear it's expensive too! After that, it's off to Guatemala for more ruins and lakes and hopefully to re-unite with Lili whom I left in Playa where she is waiting for a mate of hers.
To be continued. I hope you are all well!
Lots of love
Little Mendez xxx
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