Monday, January 28, 2013

Bingo, transvestites and fish!

The time is passing by so quickly as we have been here almost a month. It seems that as each week passes we become more immersed in the life here and can't think that we have only another month left before we move on.

This week started with a game of Bingo in support of the Food Bank...




Don won 200 pesos and said that he had his mother's luck!


Another day this week when it was not too hot for a long walk we made our way back down the beach to see our old neighbourhood from the last time we were here. On the way we stopped at the local fishing pier and had an opportunity to talk with some of the people who were fishing as well as taking a few pictures. People here fish for a living but in the case of these people they were supplementing their own food supply.




Checking out the action...




This lady seemed to have a lot of patience as she was using her line instead of a fishing rod.




This guy was throwing out crab pots and doing very well with his catch.





She was happy to show us her mother's catch for the day.

We noticed that the town had done a long extension of the malecon on the other side of the pier down past where we lived before.It had started two years ago and they have done a good job with it as they have added a km or two to the malecon.




We met a lot of people walking and riding their bikes along the way.


They are also doing more work to connect the old and new under the bridge by adding a wooden walkway.





A few scenes from our beach walk...




El norte has washed so many shells on the beach,we see a lot of people collecting them.




The fishing boats hauled up on the sand. As you can see this is not a manicured beach, rather a working beach.





Another type of fishing boat...





Mending the nets...


The transvestites were in town making their rounds and showed up at two different places that we happened to visit. Once at Miramax, a local restaurant that has a buffet and entertainment on Fridays...




I can't really tell if she is a woman or a man.





This one yes, she is a man!


Then on Sunday we were invited to another party for John and Jean who are getting married soon and their friends decided to throw them a party and the transvestites were there again. Though I thought the cute Mexican dancers were better.







But I don't know about Don...










We have continued with our conversational Spanish lessons twice a week and are picking up some words and making a lot of new friends...




Here is Don and a few of the other participants. Sharon, our facilitator is talking with Martita who had a birthday that night so we had cake. She is an accountant here in Progreso and has learned good English by attending these sessions over the last 8 years. She is also a great teacher.




I have started one on one Spanish lessons with a teacher just down the street from me. We sit on her porch and she laughs at me trying to pronounce things in Spanish. However, it is fun and I feel I am learning new words every day. Hopefully I am not too old to learn!



Went to Zumba as well this week but no pictures. I stay at the back of the class and try and keep up with all those zumbaing bodies! Maybe a pic or two later.

Ended the week with Sunday supper...






I tried to fiqure what to do with these but no luck yet!






And of course no blog could be complete without a picture of what type of fish we are eating this week.


We ate at EL TORO restaurant which is a fish place, go fiqure and I had wonderful shrimp grilled over the charcoal.It was delicious!












This place was so busy after we were there a few minutes that people were lined up out the door. A very popular place with the locals and others who are lucky enough to find it. We were the only non Mexicans there.





Cameron brochote



So ends another week in Paradise! Nos vemos la proxima semana!


Location:Progreso, Yucatan

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Another week has passed...where does the time go?

The weekend is here again and I realized that I haven't written a blog post for over a week. Time passes by so quickly here as we have settled into our routine including a leisurely morning, a swim, a walk, maybe some errands to run and always something to do!

Last Sunday there was a jam session at an abandoned palapa on the old road to Chelem. It was a beautiful day so we accepted an invitation from our owners to accompany them and some friends for few hours. It was BYOB and snacks with a guy there selling pulled pork and chilli if you were hungry. The music was great and I now know where all the old hippies have gone...




Working those strings...




What about that harmonica?




The crowd enjoying the entertainment and it was free!




The Texas chef, Lizard Joe





The flamingos were feeding out in front but they were too far way for a good picture, but I just wanted to capture their colour which was beautiful.


Also started teaching English at one of the local schools. I go on Fridays with the Grade 6 class and the kids are just wonderful. On the first day there were 14 students in the class but only 10 the next time we came. School attendance is not consistent here.


The front of the school...it is Grade 1-6 and the students go to school in shifts, the first group in the morning and the second starting at 1pm and going until 5pm. It is in a small town in a very poor neighbourhood.




The girls having a laugh as they play the number game.




The boys seem interested.




Pauline and James, two volunteers from Halifax.


We took a walk around our neighbourhood one afternoon and I took a few pics to give you a glimpse of where we live....




A beautiful wall on a house up the street. Streets have well kept homes and...






A lot of yards look like this.




Looking for a place to buy?




My favourite one...this old guy does shaves and barbering in his front yard. They didn't mind having their photo taken.

Midweek we had el norte blow in with a fury...driving rain and wind that basically shut the town down.Students had a storm day because it was too cold and wet.





The streets were flooded...




The beaches were almost deserted...




Except for the birds.

The storm stayed for three days and the temperatures plummeted 15 degrees so much so that the temperature in the pool has dropped to 70 which is too cold even for our NL blood! But today the sun came out and maƱana it will be 30 again.

And of course I can't finish a blog without a food story. We went to Samuk restaurant for some fish and it was unbelievably good. Here are the pictures to prove it...




We went in the kitchen to choose our fish




Don's choice...




My choice...

Here is what was left on Don's plate...




Good or what?

Well that's the post for this week.Not enough room to put in everything so will check in again next week, hopefully with pictures of our Spanish lessons and my Zumba class!

Tienen una bueno semana y hasta leuego!


Location:Progreso

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Busy,busy,busy

Well we have been here in Progreso now for almost two weeks and life has been busy.

One of the things I committed to before we came down was participating as a model in a fashion show in aid of the Chixculub Food Bank, an organization that we support financially in that we sponsor two families.

We got to know the founder, Sharon Helgason, the last time we were visited and were impressed with her efforts. She does a lot to support the families of Chiculub with the food bank as well as programs for students and seniors.

Here is a link to the web site if you are interested in finding out a bit more about her work... www.foodbankchicxulub.com


So back to the Fashion Show...I have never been a model but thought it would be a way to meet some new people and have some fun at the same time. This proved to be true on both counts.

On Sat we went to Merida to visit Olga's Fashions, the store where we would choose the clothes to wear at the show. We went in by combi and were like kids in a candy store in that we could try on anything and with a dozen women of all ages, shapes and sizes it was a blast!




Karen and Kathy having a laugh on the way to Merida




Pauline and Jean checking out the fashions while Olga is offering the accessories

The Fashion Show was on Tuesday at Bamboo Beach, a local restaurant and was well attended by approximate 130 people. People volunteered their time to set up, play music, sell tickets and model. I had so much fun and the proceeds went to a good cause.




Rosa and Jean pretty in pink and white




One of my outfits




Modelling a traditional Yucatan dress called a huipil. It is the everyday attire of Mayan women. It is made from white cotton, embroidered with cross stitched flowers around the square neck and hem. It is worn with a special petticoat called a fustan which has lace around the lower edge that shows beneath the huipil.




Lots of colourful necklaces for sale as well

We've made our first trip in the bus to Costco to get some supplies we can't get here in Progreso, mainly meat and vegetables like lettuce and asparagus and of course cheap wine! I was also looking for new pjs that were lighter than I had brought because the evenings are so warm. This is what I found!




Flannel pajamas, since this is winter not much summer clothing. Can't imagine wearing these here!


It takes us about 3 hours from the time we leave here until we get back which includes our bus ride in and out, shopping and of course the highlight of our trip, a lunch at Costco! It always amazes us how easy and cheap it is to get around using public transportation in Mexico.




Our Costco lunch...the first salad we have eaten since we arrived. Don't really trust the cleanliness of greens in most places.



Unfortunately Don's back is acting up again so a trip to the massage table was in order...nice location for a massage with Claudia.









While I waited on the Malecon for Don I was busy people watching. It was Sunday and the last weekend of the holidays so a lot of people were out enjoying the day.




Playing on the beach




Sliding off the benches




NOT playing at all!

We also visited the local market for a bite to eat at one of the market stalls that serves cochinita pibil. The market was packed with families who were being entertained by a magician. The kids were enthralled.




Tortas are excellent here




Sunday brunch Mexican style




A busker at the market




The kids were taken with his tricks


And of course I wouldn't be doing a post unless there were a couple of pictures of what else we ate this week....




Tostados con cameron y pescado





Pescado con mariscos

That's it for another post and another week in Paradise!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Progreso,Yucatan,Mexico