December 13, 2008

Sitting here in the Oaxaca airport waiting for our flight to Mexico City, we’ve decided that today should be a day of reflection. We’ve been on the road for a month and have seen so much and done so much; we are both “full”. Full of stories, memories, feelings, and.....tequila.....yes....there have been a margarita or two along the way.

While sitting in the Oaxaca Zocalo this afternoon we decided that it was time for us to say “yes” to everyone who approached us with something to sell. Within minutes, the vendors were around us like bees to honey ( I prefer that simile to one less sweet that may come to mind too). By the end of the hour we were no longer able to talk as our mouths were full of chiclets, we couldn’t walk from the weight of the scarves, blankets, dresses, and jewellery we were now sporting. Our bellies were so full of candy apples, popcorn, cookies, and corn on the cob we had to undo our pants! At one point I had to grab Lynda by the leg to hold her down as she had purchased an entire bunch of balloons and was beginning to lift off the ground!! There were musicians of all types gathered round as we kept paying them money for each song they played or sang so they all just kept playing at the same time....it was super loud and didn’t sound all that good when they were all playing their own song at the same time. All in all, it was a fun hour and the vendors of Oaxaca will long remember the two crazy Canadians.

Now....did you really believe all of that? If so, we have this great piece of property we bought on top of a volcano (with a great view) that we may consider letting you have for a song......if you’re interested just let either of us know..... In truth though, we did have a great chuckle thinking about what it would look like if we really had done that (just say yes, I mean). There are so many vendors everywhere you go but they’re all quite pleasant and not too pushy so although you notice they’re there, it’s not all that uncomfortable once you get over the first few times of saying no thanks.

Some of the reflections we recalled this afternoon include:
· Travelling back in time by 2000 years (Palenque and Monte Alban pyramids)
· Enjoying some extreme diversity in that we’ve gone from hot to cold and back to hot again (I’m talking outdoor temperatures here)
· Learning to dodge potholes in the sidewalk that seem to appear from nowhere.
· Surviving the challenges of overnight bus travel.
· Enjoying new foods, a new language, and cultural norms.
· Managing better than just fine, in situations where we were the only gringas and no one but us spoke English.
· Starring in a movie.
· Flying and busing in a zigzag pattern around this wonderfully friendly and interesting country.
. Wearing the same clothes for days.
. Keeping on top of this blog (thank heavens or half of it would be lost in time)
. Riding atop a horse to visit the Mariposa Monarcha's on the top of a mountain.
. Hiking up more mountains, volcanoes, stairs, and pyramids than we thought we'd ever be able to.
. Making new friends at every stop along the way.
. Becoming a part of many new families.
. Dancing the night away under falling fire (castillo fireworks)
. Having the feature band dedicate their performance to us and then having every person in the entire town file by to have a dance with us or at the very least a look.
. Not getting lost.
. Celebrating new festivals we had never heard of before.
. Enjoying this new memory for our 30 year friendship (yep...Lynda and I figured it out and we've known each other for 30 years!!)

Anyway.....we're now sitting in Mexico City at a hotel and will fly the rest of the way to Zihuatanejo tomorrow for the next leg of our journey....or perhaps just to sit with our toes in the sand and a drink in our hands while we reflect on all that we've seen and done this past month.

Till I next get the urge to add to this blog......hasta luego.
Lorrie