At the Beach and in Town

 This is a picture of my shells, horseshoe crabs, coral, and seaweed.

This is a picture of the fish we were going to eat at the beach.

 
 This is a picture of Katcha.

This is a picture of a picture in Town.

These are some pictures of when we  were at the beach and in town. By D

Coconut action

Well, they may be introduced species and Uncle B may be upset that they replace some of the native vegetation, but they do produce nice shade and coconuts, so why not enjoy?

 When he started up the tree, shinnying up with his feet and hands, I wondered what he was up to?  Then he started reaching for the coconuts.  Finally he started twisting and twisting and... down dropped a heavy coconut.

 After quite a bit of work, the exterior husk was removed and the water emptied out and drunk we got a lot of coconut meat.

More days at the beach

We enjoyed our first day and night at the beach and ended up enjoying a couple more.  We sent Oma and Opa to pick up the cousins and we stayed at the beach.  They eventually came back out for a grilled meal with us and a little more time on the beach, then we headed back to the city.  Maybe we'll get back out there.  Here are a few more reflections...

 We had a great time sea kayaking, although the water was a bit stirred up with sand.  Lots of fun, and essentially the whole family got to go sooner or later.  Auntie M had fun with the girls hair...

 Opa came out and did a bit of reading with the kids...  The cool breeze off the ocean provided a lovely background.  B and little cousin J had fun on the beach.  We used a liberal amount of sunscreen and hats.

The sand and palms were a lovely distraction.  The palms are the Malayan dwarfs, which have replaced the Jamaicans which suffered from a blight.  These are each imported here, and Uncle B had fun identifying and occasionally agonizing over the loss of native species.  On the other hand, he had fun getting the coconuts down and we enjoyed the coconut water and the meat...

Vacation in Merida

We went downtown and saw dancers. They were awsome to watch. -D

A day (or more) at the beach

We were invited to spend a night on the beach, so we spent three days by the time it was all over, eating locally caught fish, still flipping when we bought them from the locals; sea kayaking and playing in the waves, enjoying the swimming pool (a bit cool), the lively breeze from a norte coming through, and finding a sad sea turtle on the beach...

 Breakfast of hazelnut spread with six cousins... palm trees in the background swaying in the breeze...
Then (below) for a morning swim in the pool.

 After that we might wander down to the beach and see what's happening...  We enjoyed the kindness of friends lending us use of their lovely place (4 story private retreat on the north coast of Yucatan).  Fully furnished with beautiful furniture, dishes, tilework and sculptures...

The theme of the house was predominantly dolphins with lively Yucatecan art, but shells really predominated.  We had a lovely time.  Thanks to all...

 

Overall, it was wonderful.  Hard to put the gorgeousness of the cool nights with the amazing stars, walks along the beach, the scent of fresh grilled fish cooked on a bonfire, the taste of coconuts Uncle B climbed the palms and pulled down, but we'll give it a try...

Pyramids (Yucatan) and Mounds (Louisiana)

We have enjoyed visits to a number of ancient sites.  Contrary to the opinions of some (and implied by my schoolbooks as a child), the more ancient inhabitants of the americas were quite impressive in a number of ways.  Despite the conquests of the Spaniards, the diseases and war of the English and the ravages of time, there is significant evidence that ancient native peoples were hard at work not only hundreds but thousands of years ago.  We had the opportunity to visit one such site on a camping trip to Poverty Point Louisiana.  This location is believed to date to between 3000-4000 years ago, as the docent said "about when Moses was building the pyramids in Egypt".  This is not only ancient by American standards but even ancient by European or Asian standards.  Despite the age and the material (earth), the mound and ring structures are still quite visible.  Our theory is that there was significant cultural connection between the various inhabitants of the Americas and the mound builders likely inspired the later Pyramid builders.  There is essentially no rock on Louisiana, so building with earth (an estimated ten million baskets hand carried to build the big mound) was a natural, while in Yucatan, there is so  little soil that building with rock was the most appropriate.

 The top image is the actual mound, some 600 feet across, the central image an artists imagination of the site at the time, similar to a pyramid, and the lower image a "small version" of the massive mound and rings (over 1 km across) which may have held houses overlooking a central plaza.

The children of course have to get into the act but notice that they are wearing warm clothing.  H looked at the picture and said 'it was really cold there when we went camping".

By comparison, the Yucatecan pyramids are perhaps a bit taller but actually less massive, but made of stone.  They are also significantly more recent.  The strucutures at Mayapan date as recently as about 500 years ago.

Note the ring structure above.  B noticed and pointed it out, comparing it to poverty point.  Of course, rings or circles are fundamental geometric shapes but could there be a linkage, perhaps a kind of amphitheater?  To place it in our context we asked "is Tiger Stadium patterned after the coliseum in Rome"?  the initial reaction is a profound no, but after reflection, the obvious answer is yes, at least indirectly.  So this could also be a distant but inspired structure.  These stone pyramids are likely thousands of years more recent than the earthen mounds in Louisiana.

                    

These structures are not as large as the large Louisiana mound.

 The observatory reminds us that important angles were included in each structure, many aligned to north/south and also aligned angle-wise with sun angles at the equinox or solstices.  They may also have been aligned with certain stars.

 G stands in front of the large pyramid.  The cenote (derived from the Maya dzonot) provides water and is to the left (note the green trees).  Speaking of trees, the weather is a bit warmer, despite it being deeper into winter.  We slathered the kids in sunscreen but still suffered a bit of light toasting.

More of these images to come but the images are more compelling than I expected.  The chac here is a scary sculpture.  the kids are emulating his expression.  Are they scary?  Little J scared me with his exploits on the ruins, but we had a good visit.

Mayapan Mayan Ruins

Mayan Ruins at the end of the Mayan Calendar are quite a bit more popular than they have been lately.  We visited Mayapan in central Yucatan. This is one of the more recent ruins but unlike Chichen Itza, it is considered a "lower level" (level III vs. Chichen Itza being level I) ruin, so is more accessible and much less frequented.  On a previous visit, we had the whole place to ourselves.  The large pyramid was closed off this time but the smaller pyramids, chacs (sculptures), paintings (this one had an interesting fish motif as well as more traditional Mayan motifs), and some ruins still being unearthed, as well as an observatory and some nice wildlife.

 Above, a lovely image G took of bougainvillea, while below we see the flower (also cultivated in the US) which is here turned into an herbal tea called "jamaica", pronounced Ha-mai-ka.

 The courbeled or Mayan arch (above) is often called a false arch. It does not have a keystone but rather a capstone. It tends to be less stable than the Roman or true arch with its tendency to support itself.  Despite this, with good architecture, materials and building, these can be quite stable and are common throughout the Yucatan.  Below, an example of a stone used for an opening.  Plus it was a nice spot for a photo.

 The large pyramid (background above) was off limits but the many smaller structures were open to the public and a blast to climb.  J was just wild about it.  Below the group enjoys a carved stone that has been recently unearthed.

 Again, the theme of pyramids/mounds and ring structures.  Who doesn't love triangles and circles, from modern architects to two year olds?  Below, the chac is a unique type of statuary but perhaps similar to European gargoyles.

 The trip was a blast and we stopped at a cenote, a tortilleria (where raw corn is processed and ultimately produces wonderful fresh tortillas), and a local village, with cemetery, and even a church who has been revealed to have been built partially with stone from the ancient Mayans.

More to come...

Los Angeles

No, not ellay California, but the angels surrounding us.  What a blessing.

We are enjoying the festivities of various mission churches with names like Nueva Jerusalen (new Jerusalem), Dios es amor (God is love), and others in the area.  Some of the people at each church are old friends, some are friends from older generations - people who grew up with B and her siblings and are now parents bringing their children...

 The crew on the stairs.  The green is a bit of a safety addition to the railing to avoid falls.  Whatever the appearance, they are all quite happy.

 Kitchen activities include checking the web on the minicomputer, sewing, drawing, reading and even food related activities.  The food has been local, tasty, educational and very creative.  In addition to wonderful local fruit (bananas from the yard, pineapples, fresh orange juice and other citrus, papaya...) Oma is as creative as Mom...  today we had sopa de calabasa con champinons y tomates secas.  Yes, pumpkin soup with mushrooms and dried tomatoes.  I almost missed out on this delicacy due to being a bit indelicate with my tongue.  It was very tasty!  We are enjoying our visit.

 Three generations of car-fixers contributed to getting the VW going again.  Tie rod replacement, including some custom built tools to remove and then reinstall components that rightly should have been pressed were an interesting experiment in ingenuity. Opa did the welding and cutting, Dad helped with installation and measurement and D helped torque the bolts but was careful to keep his body in a safe location.  We did a fairly successful alignment once components were installed, bled the brakes and took it for a successful test drive (Mom only found out D went on the test drive after he was safely home).

 So there are our angels. Remember your many angels and enjoy every minute.  Blessings to all with love.

More to come soon!  Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas to all!

Viva Mexico

Hola amigos!

We are enjoying our stay in Mexico and sharing our time with Oma and Opa, tios and tias, primos and primas, amigos...

 We are enjoying the local botany and wildlife (we are the local wildlife?)

 The colors are rich and varied.  These bananas range from a deep green to a bold yellow, while the pico de gallo (rooster's tail) include bold red, orange, yellow and green.

 What did I say about wildlife?  The children are enjoying the freedom and new sights, sounds, flavors and friends at Oma's  The Mayans are great workers in stone, brick, rock and concrete.

 OK, now for some real wildlife.  The good Dr. Wilson could tell us more but we can attest to the variety and interest of the ants (and other insects) in addition to the rich plant life.  Here one variety enjoys the pico de gallo (below).

Our Spanish is actually in need of some improvement.  But here we do have a chance to try for some of that.  Botany, linguistics, anthropology, and archaeology, not to mention theology and literature are all on the list.  This should be an educational visit.

Feliz Navidad

Our year end adventures have included some wonderful daily routines of cooking, eating, working on projects and visiting with family and friends.  The big events in history are of course Christmas (Navidad) and, here in the Yucatan, an excess of interest in the "end" of the Mayan calendar, said to occur sometime between 12/12/12 and 12/22/12 in our calendar.  Here in Mexico, year end festivities usually include the "old man" and impressive (sometimes frightening) fireworks.  So far the fireworks have been pleasant and from a distance.

Interestingly, we left for our trip on 12/12/12.  Dad finished his meetings and picked up the kids and Mom.  Then we headed out to pick up at school.  After collecting the girls, we were ready to get on the road.  Checking the time casually, Dad observed it was 12:12.  We then collectively realized our departure of 12:12 on 12/12/12.

The actual trip, thankfully, was delightfully uneventful, although a wonderful visit with some wonderful friends in Houston and their miracle baby was a real blessing.

 The flight was fun, with some technology but also some nice views out the windows!

 After a pleasant overnight visit we headed to the airport and again were blessed with an on time (early actually!) flight.  In fact, after coming through immigration in record time (despite a long writing project to get the forms filled out) we got a green light at the customs and came out looking for our ride.  We actually beat Oma and Opa to the airport but only waited a few minutes before they arrived to take us home.

 Events since we arrived have included a visit to the seminary (one of a series of Christmas parties it seems - the fiestas de Navidad are ubiquitous).  J enjoyed the fish (above) in the seminary pond and back at home our "party" festivities included harvesting of local bananas and enjoyment of various local foods.  Below Dad harvests one hand of bananas while a "pico de gallo" flower (right) shows off.  this is a separate plant, although it appears to bear some relation to the banana.  The bananas have, according to Oma, responded well to the compost she added.  Wow, who knew you could eat compost!?

Feliz Navidad!