Merida, Mexico, Part IV

Uxmal (pronounced oosh mul (USA: oosh mall): These were the most authentic Mayan ruins we saw. It also covered the largest area, meaning we walked up and down alot of stairs.




After trekking around the ruins what do you think we did - you guessed it. We went for dinner and a swim to cool down. This is where my little poppet had her very first real swim. She thoroughly enjoyed it and smiled the whole time, except when I was taking pictures. That night we went back to the ruins for a light show.




This is not the best photo, but the traditional dancers wouldn't stand still so I could get a decent picture.

Our last day there we went swimming in the Cenote (sea note a's), which are these big underground water filled caves, where sinkholes developed. You had to climb down into them. The water was so clear, and gorgeous and refreshing. There were three cenote which were spaced quite far apart, so we were taken there by a small horse pulling us in an old cart on a really old rickety track.
(The cenote were pretty dark inside, so to get these pictures I had to open my shutter for 30sec - cool huh?)





And then we came home. It was so much fun!

Merida, Mexico, Part III

Tulum - now these Mayan's knew how to pick their location. These ruins are right along prime beach on the Mexican Riviera. If I were a Mayan, this is where I would stay. It was absolutely stunning.

You can't really see it very well, but on our way into the ruins, there was a python wrapped around an iguana ready to eat it. It was seriously interesting to watch. I really wanted to get a better picture, but wasn't about to step closer to a ginormous feeding snake just for the sake of a photo.

I just loved how this tree trunk and roots were integrated into the wall.

Tourist photo.



Just around the corner were stairs leading down the cliff face to a beach where you were allowed to swim. Once again, a tourist sight with a place to cool down. I'm telling you the Mexican's know how to do things. This particular beach however was a nesting ground for sea turtles.

After a long hot day of walking around, we really did feel this way.

We stayed the night at a hotel right on the beach. It was stunning. The beach sand was soft like icing sugar and really white. The sea was the perfect shade of turquoise. Mack went in for a swim promising me he would be back to to let me take a wander down the beach with my camera. Two hours later (after we were about to send a search boat out for him), he wandered up the beach smiling. He had found a small coral reef and was chasing a ray about, to try and get its picture. I was so mad, because the group was just waiting for him to come in so we could leave. I never even got to take a swim. And don't mention my lack of photos of one of the most idyllic spots we went to. (fume!)


The ray and a few other things Mack got to see on his swim.




Karma has a strange way of working things out though. Mack got a really funky sunburn and was in large amounts of pain the next day. If he had just come in he would have been spared the agony. Sympathy - I feel nothing!

Merida, Mexico, Part II

The place with the unpronouncable name: These were ruins that we were allowed to climb and walk over.



The bug looks like its suspended over the leaf, but it was actually sitting on it.

This was a water hole (cenote) at the ruins that tourists were allowed to swim in. I think every national monument in a hot country should have a swimming hole, don't you?

Progresso Beach:


This was Munchkins first visit to a beach. She didn't like the sand between her toes, but loved the water.

Merida, Mexico, Marvelous

We are back from a really fantastic holiday. It didn't start out too great for me though. Mack left on a Saturday, and Taz and I were supposed to leave the Tuesday after. We arrived at the airport on time, made it through security and onto the plane with not too much hassle. I was pretty apprehensive, cause this was the first time I was traveling with a baby and didn't know how she was going to react. But, Taz was an absolute darling and captured the hearts of all traveling with us. I digress. Apparently our plane was having technical difficulties, and after sitting on the tarmac for 4hrs, our flight was cancelled. They told me I could either go home, or take the next flight to Dallas and then go on to Mexico the next morning. Well we were already at the airport, so I decided to overnight in Dallas and then make it to Mexico earlier the next day. Mack was supposed to pick us up at the airport at 11pm that night, and I had no way of letting him know that our flight had been cancelled, so close to midnight I got a frantic phonecall to find out where I was. The poor guy.

Anyway, we finally made it to Merida. What a unique little town. There was a huge French influence in the area, so the architecture was all French Colonial - not what I was expecting at all. It was also smack bang in the middle of one of the thickest jungles I think I've ever seen - so not the Mexico in the Three Amigo's that I was expecting. It was also hot and very humid - great for my skin, not so great for my hair. It was fabulous though, cause I didn't feel the need to do my hair or make-up and so I pretty much just got up in the morning, threw on my bathing costume and went out. I showered at night, cause the place we were staying only had a cold shower, and I loathe cold showers. I could only face the cold shower at night when I was really dirty and sweaty and still really hot from being outside. If I allowed my self to cool down even a little bit, I couldn't take a shower.

Chichen Itza : Mack went there before I arrived. He said it was really cool, but you couldn't walk on any of the ruins.



The Temple in Merida:


Merida - Plaza Mayor - Town Square: Here you can see some of the non-Mexican looking architecture. The Cathedral on the Plaza Mayor is the oldest in North America .

This is how Tamsine liked to do her sight seeing:

Off to Mexico

We are going to Mexico for the next two weeks. Mack has to go for work, so Taz and I are tagging along. Too bad that Hurricane Gustav is so close, but according to the weather he should be past by the time we get there. We might have a bit of rain for the first few days, but thats no big deal right? We will be staying in Merida on the Yucatan peninsula, and according to my research it is really close to where all the ruins and stuff are. Excitement!

Flash Back

With my Ouma who turned 80 last November. I was either 4 or five in this photo. We were so stinking adorable. I'm having a flash back to good times, yip definitely good times.
Does anyone else notice the resemblance between Jeremy's chubby cheekyness and Tamsine's chunky cuteness?

Bad Hair Day

Once again I was tagged by Jen M. This tag however is actually quite funny. I have to post 5 bad hair day photo's, and one bad hair disaster. Jen actually got me started by e-mailing me this fabulous picture (she's the one in the middle). No, it wasn't the 80's. I have absolutely no excuses. None. I'm trying really hard to come up with one. Nope, not a one. I can't believe I'm posting these for the world to see. Sheesh!


Here I am all excited for my first day of School. Was I planning on flying there? Whats with the wings over my ears? I blame my mother for this one.


Here I was in high school. Looking at this pictures makes me understand the ridicule a bit more. I don't blame them as much. I still hate them, but don't blame them.


College. And once again I have no excuse. I should have been old enough to know better.


It was humid and cold.


And here is my hair disaster. I checked and it didn't mention anywhere in the rules that the disaster had to be my own hair. Jeremy with long hair. Oy Vey! In his defense though, he had to just try it. AND, I'm really glad that he never revisited it.