Our Adventure in Spanish
June's Other Adventures
Thursday, January 4th, 2007
We’re leaving behind incredible weather – not one of our usual snowy winters in Ontario. The flight from Toronto to Houston was a bumpy one in a little 50 seater and lots of turbulence most of the way. Four hours cramped in such a tiny space – we put all our carry-on under my feet so Michael can stretch out. I was really angry at myself in Toronto – I had packed a box of lotions and potions for my hostess, had it nicely wrapped and of course they made me open it and confiscated it. So much for my hostess gift. We met up with Roberte in Pearson – and I was shocked she is a “she” and I was expecting a “he”.
Had a couple of hours to kill in Houston and met up with Vojko there. Now our contingent of four Canadians is together. A much bigger plane and smoother flight and two hours later we walked out in the HEAT.
Fernando, our guide (who lives in Oakville), and our hosts were all waiting at the airport for us and we piled into the van and were at our homestay unit by 11 pm. We didn’t take long to check it out as we were tired - even though all we did was sit all day (but 11 pm here is midnight Toronto time).
DAY 1, Friday, January 5th
The heat is hard to adjust to for sleeping – no air conditioner so Michael finally is content with an overhead fan (he hates fans). We are awakened at 6 am by the sound of all the chirping birds just outside our window. In the daylight we ‘checked out our digs’ and although it is very nice it just doesn’t compare to ‘back home’. I couldn’t get anything other than cold water in the shower and even that was just a dribble – my comment to Michael after my shower was “this is going to be a challenge”. We have a king size bed but strangely enough no place to put our clothes – so they are remaining in the suitcase. Our ‘banos’ is outside through the back of the house and into a separate little room which I suppose could be equivalent to a ‘granny flat’ but VERY small.
Ana Rosa made us a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast – and these were scrambled eggs ‘Mexican’ style – with veggies and salsa and cheese. The freshly squeezed orange juice was just wonderful, but the coffee tasted pre-sweetened and I didn’t like it very much.
By 8:45 we students headed out the door to the park down the road where Fernando had arranged to pick us up and all four Canadians met there (and compared our various ‘homestays’). It seems like ‘sparse’ is a way of life in Mexico – although that may not be the proper word as it really doesn’t look like our hosts lack much (other than a dishwasher and a dryer). Our hosts didn’t provide towels – glad I packed our beach towels – and Roberte’s host provided a postage-stamp-sized towel.
It was about a ten minute van ride to the school – a newer building in a newer area of town. It is a private school owned and operated by Miguel and I was surprised to see it even has a swimming pool. Then I realized it’s all part of his house+school and our late morning class was held in the dining room of the house (which is in a covered courtyard). They gave us a Spanish knowledge test shortly after we arrived but I just circled that I was a “very” beginner and went upstairs to get the others some coffee. We’ll be placed in our classes on Monday but it’s pretty obvious that Roberte and Vojko have a much better handle on the language than Michael or I do.
At coffee break we had a drink of hot chocolate and some “rosca de Reyes” which is a special cake to celebrate January 6th – the Festival of the Kings. The classrooms, all nine of them, spilled out people and I talked with people from the US and Australia. Then into the dinning room to learn about ‘Mayan culture’ a class conducted by a Spanish-only-speaking teacher, so Fernando sat beside me to translate. We learned about the various uses of the rebozo and the paliacate and piled into the van at 1 to head back to our homestays.
Lunch was wonderful – and it’s even better because someone else cooks, serves and cleans up – and I’m told they LIKE to do that !! Guillermo cooked up a fried fish dish and it was delicious. Not much time as we had to be back at the park to travel to a local liquor bottling plant where we had a two hour tour and LOTS of free samples (and came home with three bottles).
It’s now 6:30 – I’m sitting in a small courtyard in the middle of the house - it has no roof and the sun appears to be setting out there. Looking straight up the blue sky is darkening – I can hear Michael snoring in our room which has a window onto this courtyard. And looking around I see three little gecos running around on the walls It’s very quaint and different – but has obviously suffered from all the humidity as mold is growing up the walls and the metal window edges are all rusty. As I’m quickly loosing my light I guess it’s time to quit and go have another shower (dribble ??) as the humidity has taken it’s toll on me and tonight we’re going out for dinner.
DAY 2, Saturday, January 6th
Last night we went to a beautiful hacienda for dinner – was a very nice meal but quite a hassle at ‘bill time’ when few separate bills were presented for our crowd of 18 and our particular bill was incorrect. Fernando – formally an accountant, had to straighten it all out and that took another hour. We’re learning nothing happens in a hurry in Mexico.
Today being Saturday we had a day trip to Chichen Itza which is a two hour drive from Merida. The ruins were astounding and the vendors plentiful. We had a wonderful guide who gave us a two hour tour of the grounds and told us to ignore the vendors until after his tour – because once you talk to them they will stick to you like glue.
Lunch was at another beautiful hacienda – a place that is set up to accommodate buses and a buffet with lots of Mexican-style food. After lunch we had more time to ‘enjoy the grounds’ before boarding the bus so we headed over to the lawn chairs around the pool and relaxed. Two hours back to Merida and back to our homestay for another shower (still nothing more than a dribble).
Today is a very special day in Merida as the city is celebrating it’s anniversary (it was formed Jan 6th, 1542, and ‘three kings’ day (which is always six days after Christmas)- and that’s why we had that special cake yesterday. We four Canadians took a bus into central Merida (about 30 minutes) and joined millions of Mexicans in the city square – the streets around the square were closed and restaurants had moved out into the streets and there were bands and singers everywhere, including someone who apparently is very famous on a huge stage. We could hear him signing as the microphones and speakers were great but couldn’t see him as there were far too many people. We met up with some others that had traveled with us today and had a few drinks and watched the crowds swing and sway to the salsa music.
DAY 3, Sunday, January 7th
Another day trip today to Izamal – an historic town about 1.5 hours outside of Merida. More pyramids and ruins and HEAT AND HUMIDITY. I purchased a white cotton suit with embroidery – I think it will be suitable to wear to work – and it cost 260 pesos (about $26). We saw many Mayan houses today – an oval shaped building with a thatched roof. We also saw lots of shack-type houses and several nicer houses. I had a discussion with Miguel (our school master) on the way back about how there is definitely not a noticeable lacking of products here (like there is in Cuba) and the people are quite content to live the way they do.
Miguel is a native Mexican who went to school in the US, married a pretty American and lived there for some time before realizing his dream of setting up a private school in Merida. We met his wife and two sons on day one and of course they are all fluent in both English and Spanish. I mused about how our hosts could leave the shower head so clogged that it only produces a dribble and others in the van said theirs was the same way. Miguel said that probably the shower the hosts use is the same because “that is their way of life”. (Next time I come here I’ll pack some CLR)
This morning before we left our toilet broke – it no longer took water into the tank so Guillermo said he would have it fixed. When we arrived home at 5:30 today the house is empty and the key is gone from our door which leads out to our washroom so we don’t know whether it’s fixed or not. Our hosts are supposed to provide us with three meals a day but now at 8:45 pm and no one around (we’ve been sneaking in to use their bathroom) I guess we’ll venture out and see if we can walk to a place to eat.
We found a sidewalk grill and I will learn to like beer as I’m afraid to order anything else. We struggled to order some quesadillas and realize just how poor our Spanish is. When one travels only in tourist areas you can always find someone who speaks English but not so off the tourist beaten path. Walked a bit after eating – 9:30 pm and still hot as hates. Most businesses and restaurants are closed now as it is Sunday evening. We arrived home to find our host, Ana Rosa, deeply engrossed in talking on MSN messenger with her daughter who left today for a week in Cancun. We explained the missing key – and not being able to access our banjos – but she has her priorities – so we wait.
DAY 4, Monday, January 8th
Our FIRST day at school. Had a bad night – nausea and cramps all night long and just couldn’t face eating the nice breakfast the Ana Rosa served us. Didn’t want to hurt her feelings so after Michael ate half of his we exchanged plates. Met up with Roberte at our (meeting) park and found out that she had been even sicker than I all night long – so we discussed what we had eaten versus what Michael and Vojko had eaten and decided it must have been the pok chuk meal at lunch yesterday. We both marched into the school wondering what was in store for us, feeling as sick as we did. My teacher is Ana and I have a private class of me !! I guess there is some benefit to being in kindergarten. Michael is in a class of four, Roberte being one (and I thought she is far more advanced in Spanish that he is). Two hours with Ana and we reviewed what I had learned in the first six classes at Sheridan, then a ten minute break, and then into another class of five and Michael and I are in the same class. Today I kept thinking of Lorne and how he must have coped teaching students in Seoul when he couldn’t speak a word of their language. Ana’s English is good, but she won’t speak English unless she has to – and I say “no comprendo” so many times eventually she gives up and speaks English.
By noon both Roberte and I were feeling much better – but I had a pounding headache – day five of a headache in fact. Don’t think it’s from lack of caffeine as Ana Rosa serves us coffee every morning but perhaps it’s not strong enough. Glad I packed the extra strength Tylenol, the gravol and the Imodium as I’ve now used all three.
Class was out at 1 and we headed back to our homestays for lunch. Today is Ana Rosa and Guillermo’s 30th wedding anniversary so they had prepared a special lunch with wine and cake. They are really nice people and try very hard to help us. They will continually speak in Spanish until they see that blank look on my face and then they will explain in English.
At 3:30 we got picked up for a drive through the city to look at the historic monuments, small museums and homes. We (the four Cdns + Fernando) picked a restaurant on a corner to have our dinner and Roberte and I sat out on a very small balcony while the fellows sat just inside. Little did we know ’t that we had the best seats in the house as the parade started to assemble around 7 pm. A thousand men, women and children all dressed in traditional Mayan dress and marching to various types of music, and fireworks continuously. By 8 the dancing in the street started – traditional Mayan folk dancing – Fernando tells us they do this every Monday evening. Amazing considering what a production it was.
DAY 5, Tuesday January 9th
Both Roberte and I are all better and for the first time since I got here I don’t have a head ache !! However it is not hot and humid today either – so maybe that’s the connection. At school Ana had on a jacket and kept talking about how “frio” it is – for me it was perfectly comfortable. Ana says we are progressing very well – but maybe she says that to all her students. It is coming back to me and by now we’ve probably covered about 50% of what I learned at Sheridan.
At our conversation class at 11 (the class of five) I kept thinking about “Spot” – see Spot; see Spot run; see Spot run fast; see Spot run fast to the store etc. etc. etc. We really are at an elementary level – starting with two word sentences and trying to get up to a ten word sentence.
We left directly from class today to go to Uxmal – another historic Mayan town 1.5 hours drive by bus. There were 36 in our bus today – I think the Australian group are gone now so all that is left is we four Cdns + Fernando and another Cdn from BC and the rest are Americans – mostly twenty-something college students trying to get more credits for their Masters Degrees.
Uxmal is an incredible site of Mayan ruins and we all agreed it is more spectacular than Chichen Itza – and no where near as commercialized, in fact not one vendor approached us (quite unlike Chichen Itza). We toured the site for two hours with a guide who spoke English and heard the story of the Mayans who lived there. We climbed up to the top of a pyramid and took lots and lots of pictures. Amazing how advanced that culture was back in 500 AD. The Mayans lived in Uxmal long before 500 AD – but we saw a log that ‘carbon-dating’ had dated back to 549 AD and managed to survive inside a pyramid – until the 16th century when the Spanish arrived (and the r e s t as they say, is history). After dinner, back to the site for a sound and light show – the story was a legend told completely in Spanish but Fernando sat beside me and explained the story as it went along. It was beautiful and the light rain only bothered us for a few minutes.
As day four winds to a close (it’s now 10:40 pm) I’m reflecting on our first impressions ……..the Meridians are very friendly people, the city is cleaner than Toronto and NO people seen sleeping on the sidewalks (that always bugs me about Toronto). There is a mix of gorgeous homes, middle class homes (like we are staying in) and shacky homes (of which we probably have NONE in Oakville). The people seem happy – and – there are VERY FEW smokers (that one surprises us !!) In fact most of the smokers are Americans (or obviously tourists who look like Americans). We feel safe in this city and Michael no longer walks Roberte home at night. There are lots of dogs running free – apparently not homeless – but not a problem (at least we haven’t been bitten yet) – Fernando says “that’s the way it is” – the people feel their dogs are happier if they run free. No “poop + scoop” here – so one must watch where one walks.
DAY 6, Wednesday January 10th
No school today. But today is Michael’s day to be sick. He dragged himself along with us anyway this morning while we went on a (long walking) “house and garden” tour – we went through four houses, one that was refurbished ten years ago, two that were done in the last couple of years and one that the fellow just recently purchased and plans to refurbish. From street side all one sees of these houses are a front door and window or two – but once inside that door it’s just incredible…..an entrance hall and maybe another room that leads to the garden and all around the garden (and each house we saw had a swimming pool in the garden) lots and lots more rooms. The property is long and narrow – could be up to one of our city blocks long all hidden inside high thick walls so one sees nothing more than the door and the window at streetside. Just amazing the size of these places !! We had a great example of the before and after, and right now the government is paying the labour costs for the exterior only if the owner supplies the materials – but apparently there is a three year waiting list. Someday this city will be spectacular again.
At noon Michael took a ride home as he wasn’t’ feeling any better so Roberte, Vojko and I went for lunch and then to the market to stroll around. Quite like the markets we’ve seen in other cities throughout the world. At six we took a cab back to our homestays. Michael was well enough to get up for dinner but as I write this now I’m sitting at the small desk beside our bed and he is lying there groaning away. Ana Rosa and two of her friends that dropped by to meet us are sitting out front chatting. It’s 7:30 pm and I’m going now to ask her if I can use their internet and try and send this. Once that is done I’ve got to get my homework done.
DAY 7 – Thurs, Jan 11, 2007
Well that didn’t work (again) last night so I’ll keep trying. Michael is better today – hopefully we’ve now both broken in our systems to Mexican food. At class this morning I feel I should have studied for lots and lots of hours so that when we did the review I could remember it all. But I didn’t – and when she asked the review questions – again the answer popped into my head in French and once that happens I’m lost in Spanish. I figure Vojko’s brain must be segmented pretty good to handle nine languages (and he’s now working on Mayan and Arabic) whereas mine must be a pile of mush with no segmentation whatsoever. In our second class Michael doesn’t want to sit beside me because I ask too many questions.
It’s now mid afternoon and soon we leave for the park for a ride to the museum.
We went to the National Museum of Music and the curator spoke for an hour in Spanish – but he spoke so slowly and enunciated so well that I actually understood bits and parts of what he was saying. After touring the museum we walked around downtown and I purchased a memory stick for my computer so that I can send this message via another computer.
Roberte, Vojko, Michael and I found a wonderful little streetside restaurant and took our time over a nice Italian dinner as the music show doesn’t start until 9. We got to the stage area at 8 even though the whole front row had been saved for our students, as the whole area fills up rapidly so that those ending up with standing room don’t see anyone on the stage. The show tonight was a 9 piece band from Cuba plus three singers and they really were great. Apparently the city funds the entertainment and it certainly is enjoyed by young and hold alike – even the 80-somethings were up dancing. Fantastic evening – VERY tired as we returned home at 11:30.
DAY 8 – Friday, Jan 12, 2007
I was dragging this morning and so was my teacher Ana as she had been up most of the night with her one year old. My mind draws a blank for even the simplest things – I feel like a real dummy. After the class was over at 11 and before we left for our daytrip, Miguel’s wife Jenise approached me and asked if I was ok with Ana – as I guess she had doubts due to my lack of energy today – but I reassured her I was very pleased (and confident) with Ana.
We missed our 11 class this morning and at 11:30 headed out for a 1.5 hour bus ride to find the cenotes. After ½ hour on highways we turned onto the backroads and then the interesting scenery was enjoyed by all. We went through several little towns and each town had its own ‘centre of importance’ – be it a cathedral or a pyramid. We saw lots more Mayan huts with thatched roofs, and lots a stick houses similar to the ones the Masai live in, in Africa. The taxis in the towns are either half motorcycle (or bicycle) and the front half is an open box with a bench. I guess we were driving through at “school’s out” time as the streets were crowded with taxi’s driving (wheeling?) their young riders home. We saw hundreds of dogs and they must be stray dogs because there are just so many of them.
Eventually we got to the town that was closest to the cenotes and we all loaded aboard four-seater carts on a small railroad track – each cart pulled by a small horse. We probably went into (what they call) the jungle (we would call it a brush or wooded area) for about three miles until we came to the cenotes. A cenote is an underground cave that is filled with water and apparently there are thousands of them in Yukatan as the whole peninsula is a limestone rock.
The first one was just a few stairs down and it had an ‘open roof’ and lots of light. I was surprised to see how clear the water is with no sign of algae whatsoever. You could clearly see the bottom and I understand it was up to twenty feet deep. I was also surprised to feel that the water was a reasonable temperature so happily swam for my allotted twenty minutes. The second cenote was deeper and partially covered but with many stalactites. It was such an interesting space to be. The third one was considerably deeper in the ground and this time we had to climb down a ladder through a narrow hole instead of the steps that the other two had. But once down there and swimming in the water, there were enough little holes way up there on the surface that we had some light to see. Where the light shone down through the water you could still see the bottom – an eerie blue through the blue water. Absolutely a wonderful experience and a once in a lifetime trip into deep Yucatan.
When we got back to the school at 5 pm our salsa dance instructor – an adorable young Spanish girl –was waiting for us to give us lessons. That was a hoot – never realized how uncoordinated I could be – I just couldn’t seem to follow her instructions. After an hour we gave up – don’t think we’re ready yet to hit the streets with our style of salsa dancing.
Dinner at Cubanisamo and home to write this and off to bed at 10 pm – another full day awaits us tomorrow.
DAY 9 – Saturday January 13
Up and at the park at 8 am for our pick up – a day trip today to Celestun – a beach town. Before that though we visited an ecological park and loaded into little boats that were probably the size of our boat – and a similar style too – but all fiberglass and certainly not as comfortable. We cruised down the Ria Largartos admiring the various types of long necked birds around the edge when suddenly we noticed the “pink skim” on the water down the river ahead of us. We could soon make out they are pink flamingos – thousands and thousands of them – and this is not even high season. Apparently between May and August there are up to 30,000 of them, all packed together and feeding off the shrimp in the river bottom (which is all of six inches deep were they were standing).
After we’d seen all the flamingos we could absorb, we moved on along the river edge and along some river paths in among the mangrove trees looking for crocodiles – we (or should I say our guide because on our own we never would have seen him) eventually saw a tiny one known as a cayman. Then our guide took us to another eco park where we got out and walked on a path through the forest area and in two places along the river we saw bubbling springs. But no monkeys.
That lasted about 1.5 hours and then we headed into town to eat at one of their most famous restaurants. After lunch and a short stroll around town – it was getting so hot that I was ready to jump in the water – The Gulf of Mexico – and that is just what I did (after changing into my bathing suit). We stayed on the beach for another 1.5 hours and then piled back into the van for our 2 hour trip home.
Really needed that shower to get the salt off me, so after a quick shower and quick sandwich at the local bagueteleria we loaded on a city bus for another adventure downtown. The Mexicans LOVE to party and we just happened to arrive in Merida at a time coinciding with the “International Festival” to celebrate the 465th Anniversary – so we went to another street party. The music was blasting, the dancers on the stage were swishing and swaying their gorgeous dresses, I was surrounded by thousands of people – and I just could not stay awake. Way too much excitement down here. After watching all the activity we took taxis home.
When we arrived – we’d known that Ana Rosa was washing our sheets today – Michael’s comment was “oh a nice clean bed and look - they left chocolates for us”. Turned out to be kitty poop – right there in the middle of our bedspread. So out it went to laundry and we laughed and laughed over our ‘chocolates’.
DAY 10 – Sunday Jan 14th
Poor Ana Rosa – when we told her about the kitty poop she was soooo embarrassed. Little kitty is now confined to outdoors until Rosanna comes back from Cuba to look after her. She needs a litter box – which she apparently doesn’t have. A very young little kitten that Rosanna got for Christmas – but not really cute like you’d expect a kitten to be.
Miguel had hired a professional tour guide today so he picked us up at 7:30 am and we set off in Miguel’s van for another day trip. Only six of us today (+ our driver/guide) so the van isn’t as crowded – there were 16 of us yesterday packed into that van. Not as exciting a drive today as we went out into the centre of Yucatan so we went through very few little towns. Our first stop was in Lol Tun where we walked down 50 metres into an underground cave used by the Mayans centuries ago. It took an hour to walk through this cave – it was gigantic and very very interesting – and cool too so that was nice. Then to Labno to the site of more ruins – this time a Mayan palace used between 700 and 1000 AD. The next stop at Xiapak had another palace used during the same period – these areas all make our “forts” a second tier site to see. The stone work on these palaces is just incredible – I’m glad we took lots and lots of pictures. Then on to Sayil for more ruins – each one better than the last – and by now I’m just about “ruined out”.
Our last stop before lunch was at a Mayan house – home of a man and woman in traditional Mayan dress who are both in their 70s and have raised 10 children from this same thatched roof hut. We walked through the main hut and our guide explained how lots of people sleep in hammocks – he says he does and I know that Guillermo does as well…..and all 12 in this household have always slept in hammocks. Beats washing sheets and making beds all the time. There was no electricity or running water – they were still using pails from the well. We walked though to the kitchen hut where a young lady was sitting making tortillas and frying them on the open fire. The Grandmother was wiping up the dishes washed from a pail. Out back another young girl – we were told all youngsters running around were grandchildren – was hand washing clothes in a tub, wringing them out and hanging them on the line. They looked ok from where we were standing. That was one of the more interesting stops on our trip – when we were in Africa we’d have liked to have seen the inside of a Masai home – and now we got to see how the Mayan live today. Right next door to the Mayan hut was a brand new home that one of the sons had had built – so I’m assuming everyone used the toilet facilities in the new house now – but that was apparently the only way life had changed for the old folks.
Lunch at 3 – boy were we hungry and then a two hour drive back to Merida. Right now as I type this Michael is sleeping in a hammock in our room that Anna Rosa had installed. He looks very comfortable. They say one of the nicest things about a hammock is that you don’t sweat like you do in a bed – maybe I’ll try it too. I feel like it is 100 degrees in here even with the ceiling fan on.
Too hot – gotta study now as classes resume tomorrow morning.
DAY 11 – Monday Jan 15th
Hump day – Vojko reminded us today that our adventure is ½ over. We got up at six today so we could review our school notes. There are five of us now as another woman from the US has joined us. For the 9 am grammar class I had to share my teacher with another student – a 60 something fellow from Iowa who made it clear he was not there by choice. He only wanted to learn about history – not the language itself so all he did was complain. Ana didn’t quite know what to do with him but she handled him well. I hope he is not back tomorrow – I kind of like having a private lesson. The 11 o’clock conversation class is 4 students - my complainer’s wife, Michael and Roberte. Roberte’s Spanish is so much better than mine, it doesn’t seem right that we are in the same class. I think I surprised Michael when I did try to speak (which is seldom if I must speak Spanish) – I’m actually starting to understand more of what I hear and read and hopefully the speaking part will fall into place too.
We had asked Ana Rosa to pack a lunch today so we were able to munch on our sandwich and work on our computers, and emails via the school’s wireless system. We expected to walk home but were delighted when Jenise offered to drive us. This afternoon is our first afternoon “off” so we celebrated by going to the Laundromat, and afterwards over to Roberte’s homestay for some drinks and munchies. Up until today I actually thought I might lose some weight but with those munchies and drinks maybe not so. Roberta has a wonderfully clean and functional home – she is very lucky even if she did find a cockroach. And she hasn’t broken anything at her house – so far we have broken the toilet, the bed and today the only lamp in the room snapped off its base.
Ana Rose served us hot dogs for dinner tonight – today we had a sandwich for breakfast, again for lunch and a hot dog for dinner. Roberte and Vojko rave about the food they are served, but nothing here we can rave about. I tried the hammock tonight and yes it is very comfortable – I’d still be in it except that it is too hard to type on my computer while swinging in a hammock. I had asked Michael earlier what those things were in the wall and he thought they had something to do with the electricals – little did we know that they are hooks to hang up a hammock.
Nothing but silliness on TV and it’s all in Spanish anyway. At least with the Simpson’s you can more or less understand what is happening just by watching. It’s pouring rain outside and we can hear it very clearly as on one side of our room we have a window into the centre courtyard and on the other is our door to the bathroom which is ‘out back’. I’d love to have a shower but I didn’t ask for the water heater to be turned on so it’s cold or no. Think I’ll stick with “no” even though I hate ‘the stickies’.
DAY 12 – Tues Jan 16th
We all (five of us – Rachel, another American student staying at the same house as Vojko, and the four Cdns) walked to school this morning – took us less time to walk than it does waiting for the van – twenty minutes. So we agreed that we’ll walk to school every day and when we get there we can soak our feet in the pool. Too hot to walk home though as it really heats up most days.
I’m back in a class of one with Ana and I really feel like I’m making progress. Ana is helping me and even Michael is surprised when I’m able to get more than a four word sentence. Ana and I are in a small room – looks like it once was an office – and it has an air conditioning unit. Private class and A/C – wow am I spoiled. The 11 o’clock is in the same room that Michael has his 9 am class in and it has A/C too but it the ‘open window’ type.
The entire group of 23 from Missouri have left now and a whole new crowd is in. It’s so interesting meeting all these new people but again we four Canadians are in the minority age-wise. Again mostly 20 somethings who are working on post-graduate degrees.
We had lunch with Ana Rosa today and shortly after lunch her friend walked over because she wanted to meet us. Her friend will be 94 on March 28th and what a going concern. She is sharp as a tack and could instantly switch from Spanish to English when required. She brought us each a tiny box of chocolates which of course we will have to eat before they melt. She said she’d never worked a day until she turned 60 when she got a job in the tourism industry in Acapulco and when she retired at 86 she had 200+ people working for her. I asked the secret to her vitality and she said “EXERCISE” – and then she stood up, bent over and touched her toes. She is an inspiration to both of us.
At 3 we got picked up by Miguel and went to the Museum of Anthropology where a little old man with almost no teeth talked and talked and talked, first in Spanish and then in English about the Mayan way of life. The museum had lots of stone carvings taken from the ruins that we have already seen so they were like the missing piece of the puzzle. Two hours in the museum and we were ready to walk downtown and find a nice restaurant – and we did when we finally found “Frida’s” and hour later. Some of the other students had eaten at Frida’s and they highly recommended it. We all had “enchiladas y pollo y mole”. Turns out the “mole” is a chocolate based sauce with loads of spices in it – a tad too strong for my taste (but the “pollo” ..chicken..inside was good).
Home now – just finished my homework and Desperate Housewives is playing – in Spanish – on our TV. But it’s an episode that aired either last year or the year before – a really old one. Almost 11 pm and time to call it another (very busy) day.
DAY 13 – Jan 17th
Today was another incredibly fantastic day – that is until we got home at 10 pm and pulled back the bedspread to find a great big wet spot (cat pee). There was a note on the door from Ana Rosa saying they’d see us tomorrow and then we found kitty in our room. Our door was closed but the screen to the outside was broken again – Ana Rosa taped it shut after the last “episode”, and they were not going to let kitty in the house again until Roseanna (kitty’s owner) returns from Cuba on Friday. So kitty broke her way in – and because she doesn’t have a litter box – used our bed AGAIN – same spot (my side). Guess I sleep in the hammock tonight.
Back to the good part of our day – we walked to class again today, yes it was hot but gotta burn off those calories somehow. Ana my teacher was 20 minutes late today so because I had carried my computer (on my back which made my walk that much harder) at least I got some of my emails answered. Snow in Oakville – 80+ degrees here. Both Ana’s children have birthdays this week so today she is having a party for the kids and she was a tad frazzled. We had a good lesson despite her preoccupation – sometimes I think this old brain of mine needs to be woken up to absorb anything. Can’t even remember what I learned yesterday.
My 11 pm class was a waste of time for me but good for Michael. It was all about nouns and adjectives of which I know NONE. Now I’m back to feeling like I need to start all over again.
Fun started at 1:30 when we left for our daytrip. First stop was a Mayan ruins site outside of Tixcocob. Here we saw a site that was “uncovered”, another site that was partially “uncovered” and a third site still completely covered. Vegetation is the killer of historical sites and that is so obvious when we can see the various stages of excavation. This particular site is right next door to a rope making plant – the rope is made from the henneken plant (a cactus) and we saw how they extract the fibre from the plant and eventually turn it into rope.
Next stop was a cenote. This one was different from the others in that it was a cave not far underground and very deep in that we couldn’t see how far back it went but not very deep in the water (I could always touch bottom). Few of us went for a swim – Vojko, Roberta and I + 2 other women – Michael saw the scum on the water and decided against it Once we were in the water we figured out that the scum was probably caused by bat poop as our noises woke up the bats and they started screeching and flying. Great that was – swimming in bat poop…….but really the water again was so clear you could see your feet and the temperature was wonderfully cool considering how hot and humid it was “outside” the cave.
Last stop on this trip was to a farm owned by Miguel’s (previous) accountant and Miguel gave us a long talk on the “way of life in the Yucatan” – about how self-sufficient they are (food wise they grow everything they need) and how – if they won a million dollars - they probably wouldn’t spend it because they live the life they are used to. This farm had lots of varieties of plants and trees and cactus and Miguel explained how each plant provided what the owners need. We watched the accountant’s wife weave a hammock – and she told us her story (but she told it in Spanish so I missed a lot). She spends about 4 hours every day weaving and it can take up to three months to complete a “matrimonial hammock” – that’s a hammock built for two people (and we bought one). It was a fascinating story (what I got of it) and as we had already decided to purchase a hammock, it seemed reasonable to purchase one from the source and by-pass the middleman. After our purchase we followed Miguel to the “kitchen” – really just a cement brick hut – and watched a 3 foot Mayan lady put together some tortillas. Little did we know we were watching her prepare our dinner (Miguel didn’t tell us that part of it). We carried the trays of food to a waiting table and proceeded to eat dinner (I’ll let you know later what it was called). It was VERY GOOD and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Sure hope it “sits well” with all of us as who knows how long that shredded chicken on the tortillas was out of the refrigerator (if they have one).
It was pushing seven when we left the farm and headed back to the city where Miguel had already picked out a bar that had a good old fashioned “happy hour”. Again we didn’t know that – so when two drinks arrived instead of one – we all looked rather puzzled until the waiter explained. Four drinks later, and at 10 pm we arrive home to find the wet spot in our bed – and I am now about to climb into a hammock to spend my night just like “the natives” do.
DAY 14 – January 18th
It was a bad night – Michael volunteered to sleep in the hammock but when he got up in the morning he said he didn’t feel like he slept all night. I woke up just after two to the smell of cat urine beside me and couldn’t go back to sleep due to Michael’s snoring (and the thought that what if the cat got into our suitcase).
At 7:30 we got picked up for another day’s journey – this time to the third house we visited on our house tour last week. Two gay fellows – one an interior designer and the other a well-known chef own that incredible house. Chef David talked for 1 ½ hours about Yucatan cooking and how different it is from cooking in the rest of Mexico, and then led the 10 of us off to the market to do the shopping. He kept stopping and showing us the different types of fruits and vegetables they have in Yucatan and explaining the different products – like the tub of cows ears, tongues and internal organs. Nothing is wasted – they even use the blood.
We spent between 11 and 3 preparing the various dishes under Chef David’s direction – I’m glad he gave us a souvenir book of today’s recipes because as I sit here tonight at 10:30 I can’t remember what anything is called that we made. I do remember though how good it was when we got to eat it.
Today was Fernando’s birthday so at 8:30 we all met at a club for some drinks – the 20 somethings and us old fogeys. One drink was enough – I was anxious to come home and find out what had happened to our bed. No sign of the cat and our linens have been cleaned – and hopefully our mattress was cleaned too (it’s sponge). If we have a problem tonight we may have to move.
DAY 15 – Friday January 19th
The start of week three. We slept well last night despite the smell of the chemicals they used to clean our bed. At my 9 am class Ana and I talked about our experience yesterday at cooking school and because she is from Mexico City she confessed she did not like Yucatan cooking. I don’t feel like I’m making any progress in class now – can’t even remember what I learned at last class. Really need to take some time and review what I’ve learned so far and that is what Ana wants me to do over the weekend. At our 11 am class Rosana handed out cards of pictures and asked us to describe what I saw. Again because I haven’t graduated past a four word sentence, I found it ‘muy dificil’. She looked bored silly throughout our class and cut it ten minutes short.
It’s now bedtime for us (ie 10:15 pm) and I had no sooner finished typing the above paragraph when the phone rang and it was a friend of Laura’s inviting us over for lunch. So Laura, Michael and I walked to the bus stop and grabbed a local bus to a very nice house not far from our school. The people welcomed us like we were long lost relatives. Laura’s girl friend, her parents and grandparents were there and they served us the best yet ‘Sopa de Lima” – even better than Chef David’s yesterday. Strange eating soup when it’s 90 degrees but that’s what they do here. Second course was a turkey salad – the Yucatan’s (as we learned yesterday from Chef David) always shred their meat or slow cook it. Today we had shredded turkey in lettuce with other Yucatan vegetables and it was wonderful (even though the turkey was a tad tough). I was fascinated by the house and by the fact that all the people continually laughed and genuinely seemed to be having a great time. Because I could understand very little of what they were saying, I just sat there and smiled.
We were forced to dine + dash as we had a salsa class starting at 4 so the daughter drove us to our school. Same perfectly cute little dance instructor as last week – I swear her waist can’t be more than 15 inches. Again she led us through the paces and again I felt like I had two left feet. It was 100% humidity (with a light mist) and so sticky that spinning around on a dance floor was the last thing any of us wanted to do – so we were like kids who wouldn’t behave. As much as I love dancing, it was too much physical work for me this evening in that heat and humidity and everyone else agreed – except a few 20 somethings – particularly Stacy (26, very pretty and from Northern California) who has danced the night away for the past two nights with her new found Mexican boyfriend. She showed us what we should have been learning but were too tired/old/hot/…..etc to learn.
The beers after salsa class were welcomed by all - even me who doesn’t normally drink beer. I sure hope they don’t get ‘west nile virus’ down here because by now I have about two dozen mosquito bites on my legs. I’m glad Roberte brought “after-bite” – I must compile a list of everything I forgot on this trip so I can remember for next trip.
Dinner downtown at the same Italian restaurant we were at last week and home to write this and hit the hay before 11… We left the 20 somethings (and Fernando) downtown to continue partying into the night.
DAY 16, Saturday January 20th
Another day and another adventure. Miguel picked us up at 9 and we headed for a “working hacienda museum”. As we drove through the little towns I was surprised to see how many people were out and about on an early Saturday morning. People were gathered around everywhere with all their little children around them and they waved and waved at us – they all look so happy. They have bare feet and look scruffy but most of the older women are dressed in their spotless white dresses with the embroidered flowers.
The sad part is all the stray dogs around – hundreds of them and they sleep in the middle of the road so drivers have to weave around them. They look so skinny and are always scratching at the fleas.
Down a few dirt roads which look like they are heading to no where and by fields and fields of henequen plants and then we’re in a small town that circles around the hacienda. It’s a magnificent building, an above ground basement and the ground floor. There are no buildings with basements in the Yucatan peninsula because of the limestone so any building with a basement must have it at ground level. In this hacienda that basement section was used as quarters for the hired help and a jail for the “bad” ones. The main building above the basement section is a huge rectangular building with veranda on either side that runs the full length and adjoining rooms in the interior all furnished in period furniture. Our guide, a fellow who first explained in Spanish and then in English (for the few like me who have not yet conquered the language) said that the hacienda owner never ever lived there because he lived in one of the huge estate houses in Merida – but he visited often. That was very evident in the kitchen which lacked a stove or fridge because anything the owner would want to eat would have been brought to him from the people in the surrounding Mayan huts.
This particular hacienda was built around the henequen plant. It is a cactus-looking plant and we saw how they cut off its “leaves” (or arms) and eventually turn them into rope or twine. It was that process that built the wealth of the hacienda owner and they took us step by step through the process – from the point where the “arms” were loaded onto a conveyer belt and stripped of their fibre, then the fibre is dried and crushed and bailed for export or run through the twining machines to form rope. It was fascinating how simple the process is – one or two strands together form a small rope up to thirty strands braided or woven to form the ropes that are strong enough to moor the huge ships.
After a tour through the looming area where we saw the twine woven into a fabric we hopped on an open wagon that runs on a small rail track and was pulled by small horses – true horsepower. They took us way out into the henequen fields to a Mayan hut so that we could see how some of the field workers and their families would have lived. As we had already seen a real “live” Mayan hut with real “live” Mayans living in it we weren’t as impressed as some of the others. All Mayan huts are built exactly the same way and same size with the main hut and the adjoining kitchen hut. We loaded back onto the carts and went to the private cenote on the grounds. Here we had “banjos” to change in and they even provided towels – it was like a spa. The cenote itself was completely underground with no source of natural light so they had underwater lighting and it looked very pretty just like the ones I saw in National Geographic.
From the cenote we were taken to the dining hacienda where they served us a wonderful lunch, and then we headed home.
Had time for a short nap before catching the bus to downtown to pick up our rental car for tomorrow. As we now had our own “wheels” we drove to Progresso – a beach town 20 kms from Merida that all the locals rave about. Maybe it was because it was dark when we got there, or maybe because it was still early (8 pm) as the “clubs” don’t open until 11, or maybe it was because it is winter and none of the locals visit the beach town in winter, but we found the town very quiet and definitely not as “alive” as Merida. We’ll get another chance this week when we visit Progresso in the daytime.
We had an experience with the aluches today. Chef David told us about the aluches – they are spirits that remain in the old houses even after they have been refurbished and they take things or move things around. This afternoon Vojko gave Michael the road map that Miguel had lent to him and after our nap we looked for the map and it was gone. Chef David says that happens to him all the time.
I was amazed that Michael and Vojko actually found their way home without a map and we hit our pillows, dead tired, at midnight.
DAY 17 – Sunday January 21st
Up and early and into our rental car for a trip to Campeche. It took a little over two hours of driving on very good roads to get there - after an hour we passed by the armed border guards when we left the state of Yucatan and entered the state of Campeche. Once off the major highway we had to be aware of the speed bumps (which were sometimes pretty darned big) as our little Dodge Strata dragged on the bumps very easily. Our immediate reaction was that the city of Campeche (which is comparable in size to Hamilton) is very pretty. It is known as an historical city – not for its Mayan ruins but for its Spanish conquest ruins dating back to the 1700’s. We toured several forts built in late 1600’s early 1700’s that protected this port city from pirates and other sieges. Originally it was a walled city but now only a portion of the wall is still there – much like many of the old walled cities in Europe that we’ve seen. Inside many of these forts are artifacts taken and preserved from the surrounding Mayan ruins and many of these artifacts are dated between 250 and 600 AD including a mummified-corpse of a Mayan king (apparently there were many kings) intact with the jewels and vases that he was buried with. Very interesting !!
Campeche is different from Merida in that it is VERY clean – walking down a street in the old town one doesn’t even spot a cigarette butt on the sidewalk as all sidewalks have been swept and washed. Also NO dogs – which surprised me as we’ve seen so many stray dogs everywhere. But no people either – apparently Campeche still “closes” on Sunday – we lucked out in that we were able to get into all the fortresses for free (only on Sundays) but we were the only ones there – quite different from downtown Merida which has been ‘alive’ with people every time we’ve been there. And obviously ‘Sunday shopping’ hasn’t yet his Campeche. Vojko fell in love with Campeche – a port city that reminded him of home in Croatia. I liked the cleanliness and the fact that it was very pretty with houses painted in various pastel colours – but just too darned quiet for me. We did walk through a restored home that, again, from street side just looked like a door + shuttered windows, but once behind that door a huge estate was there. The ‘before’ pictures were amazing – someone obviously spent a whole lot of money renovating the ruins in the before pictures to what we saw before us. Vojko spoke to the curator (or maybe he was just a security guard) and found out that such ruins (maybe 3 to 5,000 sq feet) sell for around $30k and because Campeche only started renovations of the ruins in 1999 there are still more than 50% of the ‘houses behind the door’ in total ruin and unoccupied. I’ll bet that in ten years time that will be a really different statistic.
We had lunch in the ‘food court’ at the market – and I can’t really explain that one – you’ll just have to see the pictures. I really felt uncomfortable eating there (remember the woman who cooked ‘under the stairs’ in Paris – well this was similar – they cook anywhere and the place is alive with flies). But we were hungry and Vojko and Roberte were game so Michael and I agreed. We all had chicken soup because Michael is getting a cold and you know what they say about chicken soup and colds. But it came in a bowl with a chicken thigh (bones and all) and a piece of carrot, potato, squash and a side bowl of chopped onions and another side bowl of rice. If you can forget all the flies, then it was very good. I never would have ordered hot soup in 90 degree hot + humid weather but I trusted Vojko and it really was good. After we ate we walked through the fish and meat market – something that simply cannot compare to anything you would see in Canada. Michael wouldn’t make any money here as refrigeration is not something that is used. And the flies – everywhere – crawling all over the fish and the meat and the hanging chickens. It’s hard to understand how they survive all this (or are we just way too spoiled).
The fellows dropped us off and went downtown to return the rental car. We all met at 8 at the ‘bageleteria’ for non-Mexican food and the fellows had quite the story to tell. They got hopelessly lost trying to find their way back to the car rental place and several times Vojko asked people for directions. Finally they saw a young family standing by the road and Vojko jumped out and went to ask again for directions. He was shocked to see “Walter” standing there with his wife and child. Now Walter was our waiter at the Italian restaurant for both nights we went there – a nice young fellow that we teased should change his name to Giuseppe because he worked in an Italian restaurant. So Walter and family piled into the back seat and directed them back to the car rental place.
After dinner, straight home to finish our homework to be ready for classes again tomorrow.
DAY 18, Monday January 22nd
Today we walked to school – twice. It was an incredibly hot day so the walk carrying my computer on my back in the early morning was tough. We walk by several street vendors who supply the Mexican equivalent to Tim Horton’s but I always must look down or I’ll trip on something or fall in a hole. The sidewalks here are not in the best of shape and on the side streets there is garbage all along the way. The houses we pass are very interesting – some are simply concrete brick boxes, very small – the size of a main room in many of our houses. Other houses – the ones that we can see – are spectacular. And then there are the high walls with gates and we have no idea what is behind them. By 8 am when we walk, all the children are in school – they attend school from 7 to 1 because the afternoons are just too hot and everyone takes their siesta.
My 9 am class this week is with Michael and two new fellows – one from Switzerland and one from England, with Rosario our teacher again. I’m still in a private class at 11 with Ana – and starting to feel a little better about what I’ve learned. Just wish I could RETAIN it !!
When we got home at 1:30 Ana Rosa announced that she was hosting a BBQ and that Roberte and Vojko were coming over, along with Roberte’s host. I watched Ana Rosa make guacamole and green salsa while Guerillmo got the charcoal BBQ going. They served tacos and pok chok and we all enjoyed it but it was just too hot to be comfortable.
At 4 we walked back to the school – this time with bathing suit and towel and the thought that jumping in the pool would be our reward for the 20 minute walk. That swim was the most welcome swim ever and now at 6 pm as I sit in my wet bathing suit typing this journal, it is much more comfortable even though it must be 80+ degrees.
DAY 19 – Tuesday January 23rd
This morning when we walked to school I noticed all the new or relatively new elite model cars that are around. Some very old cars in very poor shape too but they are in the minority. There obviously is wealth here – just not with our homestay family who drive an 80’s something car that looks like it should be pulled off the road.
Today was our last class and a group of three seniors from Texas who have just completed an 800 km bicycle ride joined us. The woman doesn’t look fit enough to have ridden so many kilometers and she admitted she had a very tough time. Poor Hugh and Thomas who were in our class yesterday – they borrowed bicycles from their homestay so they could ride to school and one bike fell apart completely while the other one got a flat tire – so they both missed this morning’s conversation class. Turns out they are both 19 – the youngest we’ve met of all the students at the school. There is no “middle age” for students over the past three weeks – they’ve either been youngsters (mostly post grad students) or seniors like us. It’s pretty obvious the middle agers are still making their living and raising their kids.
We got our 42 hour certificates of attendance and everyone feels good about the experience.
So school is out – and now we have 1 ½ days left to play.
At 4 pm Miguel picked us up for a trip to the downtown market. We’d been there before with Chef David so we knew what awaited us – and today was VERY hot and humid so there would be lots of smells. We wondered through the labyrinth of narrow aisles – there is a different section of the market for everything you can imagine. Booths and booths of shoes, of hardware things, of vegetables, of spices, meats and fish, clothing, toys – more ‘stuff’ than you can imagine. Certainly no shortage of ‘stuff’ here.
After we tired ourselves out wondering through the market, Miguel drove us to a bar called Slavia’s – just about the most interesting and unique place I’ve ever been in. It was decorated in a Lebanese/Turkish style with lots of interesting furnishings. Three ‘mohitos’ later we set out to find Trotters, a restaurant that Fernando had been to earlier in the month and it was a good long walk to build up our appetites. One fabulous dinner later we grabbed taxis and headed home and to my surprise, there was Vojko sitting at the kitchen table with Ana Rosa and a lady friend. Vojko had mentioned he had a ‘date’ tonight, but because he is always ‘stringing me along on some line’ I didn’t believe him. They appeared to be having a good time so we didn’t interrupt them – and besides that, any time I’m around, people feel obligated to speak English for my sake, and as their conversation was in Spanish, we just went to bed.
DAY 20 – Wednesday January 24th
A late pick up today so we got to sleep in until 8. Today’s trip was to Dzibilchaltun – a wonderful historic site only ½ hour from Merida. Our guide spoke perfect English and took us down the jungle path to the museum “Institito Nacional de Antropologia & Historia”. What a perfect time to go through this museum – it pulled our last three weeks of daytrips all together as there were many artifacts taken from the ruins we had already visited. The museum was divided into two sections – the pre-conquest times when the Mayans lived there (200 to 900 AD), and the post-conquest times (1200 to 1700 AD) after the Spanish moved in and tried to convert all the Mayans (who believed in many gods) to Catholicism. Between 900 and 1200 the city was left abandoned after the lower class Mayans rebelled against the upper class Mayans, and then when the Spaniards rediscovered it they built many of their buildings atop the Mayan buildings. When we walked down the jungle path again to the ruins we could see both the ‘pre’ and the ‘post’ ruins. It was awesome !! Sun dials that still tell the time and a building built atop a pyramid that the sun shines through only on the equinox each year.
By mid afternoon our guide pointed the direction home and left us at the cenote. Apparently there are 10,000 cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula – all created when a meteor hit the area 60 million years ago. This cenote was different from the others we had seen in that it was not underground – it was more like a ‘natural’ quarry for us but it was different in that the sides were all natural stone and it had varying levels of deepness. The water was crystal clear and because the gravel on the bottom was white limestone you could always see the bottom until it went over 10 metres. What a wonderful (and refreshing) swimming experience.
It was at the gift shop in Dzibilchaltun that Michael spotted and purchased a wonderful silver and abalone shell bracelet for me – we’ll call it my 15th wedding anniversary present.
Miguel picked us up at 5 and our “mama’s” were in the van and we all went to an ocean-side restaurant in Progresso Beach. ‘Cervezas” flowed and several plates of different types of tacos were served – each with a different filling and/or sauce. Roberta’s ‘mama’ cautioned me not to eat the lettuce so I stayed clear of that. I think I must have had every Yucatan-style food available by now – tried everything. Today the ‘mamas’ told me what we were eating but as there were so many dishes I couldn’t possibly remember them.
We all walked along the beach with the waves coming in up to our knees – it’s hard to believe – the Gulf of Mexico today, and snow tomorrow.
It’s now 6:45 and I must jump in the shower as it’s just soooo hot and sticky in here and tonight we’re all going to a concert in the park. Raining right now but rain never seems to last for long here so in an hour everything will probably be completely dry.
We got picked up for our drive to the concert in a VW Bug and it’s amazing the Michael and I could both fit into the back seat – while Vojko sat in the front seat “beside his date”. I felt like a chaperone.
It turns out the concert wasn’t in the park after all – it was in a very nice concert hall and the entertainment was a 4-man 1-woman group from Vancouver that played a very unique form of music on ‘recycled things’ or adapted things like balloons. They jumped around on stage to the beat of what they were playing – their energy exhausted me. It certainly was the most creative form of entertainment that I’ve seen.
The theatre was packed with young people and very few old fogies like us. In fact looking around, it appears ‘grey’ (or shall I say ‘silver’) hair is not in style in Merida – very very few grey haired old ladies. The young Mexican girls look so slim and pretty with their long black hair.
Back into the VW again and off to Cumbachero Bar – a nightclub owned by the son of a very famous Cuban piano player. His pictures, his gold and silver records and newspaper and magazine articles were on every wall. Ana Rosa said the father was liked by all Mexicans for his music. She knew the drummer in the band and passed a note asking that the Canadians be acknowledged.
We were really tired so we headed back home just after midnight to catch our three hours of sleep.
DAY 21 – Thursday January 25th
Miguel picked us up at 4:30 am and after lots of hugs and goodbyes to our “mamas” we are off to the great white north.
THINGS THAT I NOTICED ABOUT MERIDA
- Very few smokers
- Lots of pregnant women and lots of people with babies
- Lots of young people and far fewer older people
- Lots of stray dogs – and many obviously still nursing pups
- The abundance of “stuff” at the markets
- A pharmacy on every block
- Fast food places are just starting – ie one McDonalds, one Burger King (but no Tim Hortons yet)