December 5, 2008

Welcome to the list of 'followers' Val and Paul - glad you're enjoying the ride :) We're having fun writing it too but not as much fun as we're having living it!!

I used to think that I was the luckiest person I know but I have to ammend that and say that Lynda is pretty darn lucky too!! We just keep having adventures piled on our plates and have been enjoying every minute of each of them.

Today was a wonderful day wandering the streets of San Cristobal. The main street runs through the Zocalo and the entire main street (that is more than 20 blocks long) is pedestrian only. It is a constant maze of people and all of them are smiling - it is such a vibrant place and it feels so "right". We're both enjoying this little city so much.

There is some balance in our little world though and last night it came in the form of a sleepless night for me. The people in the room next to ours partied all night long which meant that I was up almost the entire night :( Lynda on the other hand (and this is one of the reasons I say she is darn lucky) slept right through the whole thing. There were fireworks going off just steps from our door, people were laughing and talking and laughing some more. It was all very festive but at 4:00 and 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning....it's not so much fun for the folks next door (that would be me). In hindsight, I should have joined in their party I guess....but at 4:00 in the a.m., that didn't even occur to me. What occured to me was something less festive and far more agressive....grrrr.....

With the light of day came new perspective though and after a shower and a change of rooms to one that promises to be quiet tonight.....I was happy again :) The hotel staff were very apologetic and wanted to do whatever they could to make sure we were taken care of. Our new room is at the end of the hall and upstairs so very private and very quiet. It is also quite a bit bigger and the beds are larger and the bathroom is a little more roomy and we have it for the same price as the other so here we are again.....lucky....out of something bad comes something good :)

Our hotel is just this side of an arch that leads to the main pedestrian street where there are countless shops and restaurants. We located a spot for breakfast that looked like it was a good place to park ourselves on the street for a while. Our waiter's name was Eudial and what a sweetheart he turned out to be. His english is excellent and for the most part he is self taught. We enjoyed spending time chatting with him and our breakfast was really quite good. In fact the coffee we enjoyed there this morning was some of the best I've ever had! Eudial is a perfect example of whatever the secret ingredient that the people here seem to have.....they're happy.....it's that simple! He has really never been anywhere else and he loves it here. He hasn't even been as far as Palenque (the ancient ruins about 3 hrs from here). He grew up on the coast and his parents are still there but other than coming to San Cristobal....he's happy to just be here. He has been thinking though that he might go to Cancun as he's been told that with his level of English he would make a lot of money in tips and I think he's right....he is a perfect waiter! Lynda and I were trying to put our finger on what that secret ingredient is that the people we've met here seem to have and decided that they're all SuperHosts.....not that they've had to take a course.......it's just who they are naturally.

After breakfast we just roamed and explored. There are loads of amber shops here as this is where a lot of amber comes from. There is also a massive outdoor market where there is lots of handmade weavings and blankets and knitting and crocheting (indigenous art) and lots of people on the street trying to sell their wares everywhere you go. Once you get the hang of saying "no" to them....they stop asking as often as they do the first time they see you. I think Lynda and I were visible enough today that they've all figured out that we're not looking to buy, so they're not trying to sell as often as they were. As much as there are tourists here....we still kind of stick out in the crowd. My blonde hair doesn't help us to blend in at all. In fact this morning while we sat at the restaurant for breakfast....an old man that I can't even begin to describe except to say that it is doubtful that he has ever taken a bath or combed his hair as what we could see hanging out below his winter hat was way past his shoulders and completely matted.....looked at us for about 1/2 hour non stop. Eudial said that he just likes to look at people who look different and I guess that was us today :)

Today, as I said was a great day, but the night got even better. (Kim, this is where you need to start paying attention as this is the beginning of your birthday gift to me). My friend, Kim gave me some pesos for my birthday in October with instructions to buy myself a story and here is the start of it :) I decided that Chiapas would be where I would find my story for Kim as I really think this place is special. Tonight we attended a cultural show (best seats in the house I might add) - thanks Kim!! The show was about the history of Palenque and the ancient Mayan king who ruled there. As legend goes....he eventually sacrificed himself and became a star and a ruler in the cosmos. The play was called Palenque Rojo and it was amazing! It was full of traditional costumes and music, it lasted 1 1/2 hours, the athleticism of the actors was unbelievable and all in all.....it couldn't have been any better! We both loved it and as we left the theatre...our hearts were still pounding. We had been given a synopsis of the play prior to attending so we could read it in english and get the gist of it ahead of time. The cast all spoke in the ancient tongue of Mayan so we were glad of the synopsis but even without it....the play was so full of passion and action and so well done that we would have enjoyed it just as much. And now....for the rest of the story Kim.....one of the players was on the street when we bought our tickets.....his name is Carlos and he is from El Salvador. You're gonna love this Kim.....Carlos is in love with me. His words are that I am "his love" and he wants to buy a ticket to come home with me. Lynda even has a picture of him with me that I may even manage to get off the camera one of these days and onto the blog. Anyway.....it was a great night - thanks Kim.....I'll tell you about the rest of my gift from you after tomorrow as there's still more to come. You can't believe how much you can buy for that amount of money here. :)

Even though the veritable book I've already written tonight seems like it would be enough for one day....we also attended a high school prom this afternoon and a wedding tonight and were in a parade for the Virgin Guadalupe for part of the evening as well. It was another day full of adventure and we loved it!!

Till next time....
Lorrie