Robba's Relaxing Times in Mexico
I think I'll take an opportunity to fill you in on the down time
part of life around here. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but
just in case you missed it, there is a beach 20-30 minutes away from
were we're staying. You know, beach, OCEAN, waves, salt air
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!. I love the ocean.
Last weekend Luis and I headed to Progreso to relax at the beach all
day. We got there early, around 9am and went to a Cuban coffee shop.
We had coffee and ate breakfast then went for a walk on the beach. We
went down to look at the fishing boats and I took the opportunity to
take some pictures. I brought our camera back to Merida on this trip
so I've been trying to learn how to use the non-automatic features on
it. I took over 200 shots that day trying different settings and
bracketing shots. I really enjoyed playing and
learning about the camera. Unfortunately, I accidentally left the
setting on black and white and started taking alot of my shots that
way. However I think some of them still look nice.
This is one of my favorite shots. It really helps if you look at it full screen.
I also took a few bird photos:
And here is one of the boats we saw:
Today we decided to go to some local Mayan ruins. By local I mean
they are 10 minutes from our door. Very cool. This particular ruin is
named Dizbilchaltun. Here is a Google aerial photo of it:
View Larger Map
Here are some of the shots of the ruins.
I thought this guy looked liked he'd had one too many bear hugs.
Here is the temple with me in the pic for size perspective:
The temple is at the far western side of the ruins and on the eastern side are a bunch of other buildings and a cenote.
From Wikipedia: A cenote (pronounced in Mexican Spanish [seˈnoˌte] and in English [səˈnəʊˌteɪ], plural: cenotes; from Yucatec Maya dzonot) is a type of freshwater-filled sinkhole typically found in the Yucatán Peninsula and some nearby Caribbean islands. The term is derived from a word used by the low-land Maya to refer to any location where groundwater is accessible.
The cenote is not huge, but it has absolutely sparkling clear. VERY beautiful.
While I was walking around the cenote I had an iguana puff up at me. He was a pretty good sized guy at about two feet from head to tip of tail. But he ran away and I went about my business
Another shot of the cenote.
After we finished at the ruins we made our way to Progreso again. We had lunch and relaxed. I read a little from "What a Daughter Needs from Her Dad". Let me just say that from what I've read so far, this is one of the most important books a father can read. (and moms too) I really covers the things that we as dads need to do to make sure that our girls are well taken care of. From making sure that you show your daughter appropriate physical affection throughout her life that helps prevent her from seeking in-appropriate physical affection from a guy later to reminding you that you have to take time out NOW to laugh and play with your daughter. If you wait till tomorrow to spend time with your daughter, then you'll be missing an important part of your daughter's life right now. Trust me, right now I'm feeling this one as I am here in Mexico and she and Stacy are in Dallas.
On the beach are strolling musicians, one of whom we have gotten to know a little bit. This is Juan. His father used to play guitar to make a living and taught both Juan and his brother to play guitar. Now they each walk along the beach playing traditional Mexican songs and singing. They charge 10 pesos per song, but it is well worth it for the cultural experience. (It's even better if you speak Spanish and can chat with Juan for a while.)
When we had finished our lunch and were done chatting with Juan we opted to drive east to see what the beach looked like. Well, boy did we drive east. We ended up driving for about an hour and made it to Dzilam de Bravo. There we had dinner and started on our way back to home.
All and all it was a full day, but very nice to get out and see the area.
God has blessed us with an amazing and beautiful home. The beauty of the world is meant to stir your soul, to cause you to look for something more. Look for God and realize that He is that something more that your soul is craving. He will fill the void in your life.
Via con Dios,
Robba