Janet's Amazing Race Moment

Hello, and welcome to Day 3.  Almost froze in my fleece jammies last night!  Needed another blanket, or my vest or coat....Went for a shower, and discovered we didn't have any hot water.  Wasn't a happy camper at that moment!  Eventually stuck my head in the shower, and managed to shiver through washing my hair and sponge bathing other bits and pieces.  Got dressed and went for brekkie with the group.  The food has been rather interesting so far, and my digestive system has been cooperating nicely (just probably jinxed myself).

Then we were to split into groups of about 3 and we were given an itinerary and a map and sent off on our merry way.  It was kind of like the Amazing Race, in that you had to work as a team, and pool your resources to achieve your goal.  We had to wander through the city and locate landmarks, talk to people, and people watch.  Saw some amazing churches!  They are open all of the time, and to anyone, which I thought was pretty cool.  Two involved significant climbs up steep hills.  The view was worth it.  Wandered through the textile market and the people's market (lots of fruits and veggies and spices), which were very busy and bustling.  In the streets, kids were coming up to us begging for money or trying to sell us things.  Most of them were adorable, and we asked them their name, how old they were, where their family lived, etc. They are fearless and very curious.  Some were in school, but most of them were not.

Met the group for lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, and then debriefed about the day.  Most of us are struggling to lose the inhibitions of sounding stupid with our fractured Spanish, but most of the locals seem to appreciate the effort, and are willing to help us.  We went off on our own (in small groups...not supposed to wander solo for safety reasons) to explore further.  It is fascinating to people watch, as this place seems to be a mecca for backpackers, as well as the numerous groups of tourists.  We're learning that by travelling in small groups we are less conspicuous, and we blend in better, and are less intimidating to others.

The light in our room has been flickering for quite awhile...and it just went out.  Comedy of errors, which appeals to my warped sense of humour!  Keep an open mind and roll with it to stay sane when things can get out of hand quickly.  It's easier to laugh about something than to cry about it or to get angry.

There's probably more...but I need to try to get some sleep (I have an extra blanket for tonight).  Tomorrow we are off to San Juan Chamula, an indigenous village nearby.  I expect it could be very intense, and some paradigms will shift.....

TTFN (Ta ta for now, in Tigger-speak)

Day 2

Went for a walk around the Zocalo, or public square.  Got gawked at (yeah, we look like tourists).  Went back to wait for everyone and went for breakfast.  Wandered around some more and encountered some wonderful-smelling group of flower shops.  Found an internet cafe and posted to facebook that I am alive and well.  Loaded up the small bus for our trip up the mountain to San Cristobal de Las Casas.  What an amazing drive!!!  The scenery was fantastic!!  Pictures were taken, and will be posted eventually.  San Cristobal is at the cloud level.  Got into our hotel annd home for the next 3 days, the San Martin.  Went for a walk around as a group.  The main cathedral and zocalo are just down the street.  There are several pedestrian malls, and there are people hawking things everywhere you turn.  There was a funeral today for a bishop, who was loved and revered by most of the people of this region, so there was an interesting atmosphere in the city.

We went to see the language school, and met Nadia.  She has tremendous energy.  She had us explore, and people were saying...don't let Janet come out into the garden'.  Nadia has 8 cats!!  I told her I had 4, so we have something to talk about (I brought pictures of the furballs).  I met Gordo (fat) and he is an orange tabby.  So I got my cat fix for today!

Went for another wander after dinner to get bearings...we have to travel in at least twos, or small groups for safety.  It was much cooler after dinner, so I found my sweater again.  The hot chocolate here is rather interesting...not as sweet as back home.  Yummy!

Day 1

Left the College at Midnight on the 24th to get to Pearson for check in and customs.  It was snowing and around -15.  Brrr.  Through customs, we went to find our gate, and get some munchies.  The flight to Chicago was on a small regional jet.  O Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world.  We found our gate and went for brunch.  Wandered around and explored the airport.  Wow!
Then we got our AeroMexicana flight from Chicago to Mexico City on a very nice 737.  Mexico City looks amazing from the air!  We got to the airport and had to find where we had to go for our next flight.  Got some real Mexican food and played "Hurry up and Wait" with a 5 hour layover.  Took the air train over to Terminal 2 which is the newer terminal.  Found more food, and explored.  The flight from Mexico City to Tuxtla Gutierriez was about 90 minutes.  We landed into heat and humidity.  The taxi ride down into the city was a bit wild, like a crazy rollercoaster!  Got to the hotel in the centre of the city, and peeled the layers,  Had a shower and felt human again.  Was not prepared for hot and humid yet, so I had to find my "jungle jammies" rather than the fleece.  The bed felt like a slab of concrete.  After being up and mostly awake for about 30 hours, it was time to sleep...

Countdown to Mexico

Packing has been ongoing for the past 24 hours.  I thought I had packed lightly!  More clothes have been jettisoned.  If I didn't have to have so much in my carry on (2 days worth at least ( and my shoes...only 2 pairs and shower flip flops!)in case my backpack goes AWOL), I think I would feel better.  I am used to a large suitcase and a small carry on backpack, not the other way around.  I am not new at travelling, but I feel a bit overwhelmed because of the temperature range we will be experiencing in Mexico...from the mountains and frosty nights in unheated houses to the rainforest jungle and all sorts of creepy crawlies and weird stuff.

My backpack currently weighs 29.4 pounds, and the carry on is 13 pounds.  We will see what happens!