Beach Class

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Started this entry yesterday morning in Campeche which now seems light years ago. Today I went to a small beach town - Progresso - about 25 km from here - Merida - on the gulf of Mexico. Not a spectacular beach but was nice and very low key - it is mainly a place where Meridians go for the day on weekends and in summer with a few North American retirees so is pretty low key and empty - no high rises or resorts lining the beach, no crowds in bikinis (besides it was cloudy and cool for the area) - just a simple town with a beach with a few restos and stores across the street. Had forgotten how calming the ocean is - the gulf is normally very flat, but with the wind, there were little waves which I sat and watched and listened to - think I will need to go to "my" ocean - the Pacific - before I leave Mexico. Progresso has the longest wharf in Mexico - 7 km long . I had the best fish I think I have ever had at this small resto across the street from the beach - all Mexicans there - almost went to the gringo restaurant which was the most crowded (had menu in english and I think every gringo in town was there - its funny how we gather and how I sometimes succumb to the temptation to do so) but this little one spoke to me - cheaper and excellent - fresh, fresh, fresh and with your beer you get almost a meal including ceviche, and a shrimp, potato and carrot salad.

It is different than the waterfront in Campeche which has a long boardwalk with locals jogging and walking in the evening, but the only swimmable beach is a ways out of town and it is next to a major road. The sunset I saw there was great though - first time I had watched the sun set in Mexico. In Campeche I had gone to the fort that houses the anthrpological museum about 4 km from thecity centre and which naturally overlooks the water from a small hill. Good musuem - except they have cards with excellent descriptions of Mayan life - but about half way through the museum they change to spanish only. I walked back to town from the museum along the malecon (the name used for the waterfront roads) and passed many of the richer houses that are built almost into the sea.

There at the fort with the description of Mayan life I began once again to think about class and equality. How radical ideals of US are - all people equal under god - still think of my trip in Washington to the memorial sights - the Jeffersonian ideal of educated people for citizenship- not training as it has become - of government of the people and for the people - while the reality has never matched the ideal with struggles to be defined as a person (ie slaves, women, etc) the ideal still stands and when i look at history and previous agrarian or city states just how radical it is for most are based on notion of a "better" class by birth. And the shrinking of the middle class and the dumbing down and just how few americans you meet travelling and idea in rest of the world that americans don´t travel and with the closing of the borders - not just keeping "outsiders" out (our ancestors were all outsiders) but also helping to keep the population in.

And I struggle with notion that I am really unproductive and my heart lies in intellectual work (while I still need the physical as well - cant sit down all day) but I don´t want and have never wanted the ivory tower. Not the intellectual as a seperate class or caste, but one who also works and is with and of the common people. That was written yesterday, but today after being at the beach I know that I also need to be near nature or have it accessible.

It felt good coming back to Merida, and am still glad that I am here. Campeche, despite its historical centre, is not very cultured and again I believe does not like tourists all that much. Merida is a bigger city - one with free cultural events. Saw a free concert last night of women singers in one of the several big theatres, and am going to another concert tonight. Tourists here, but do not dominate for are also many Mexicans around -still enough so that you are not stared at as you walk down the street - people accustomed to seeing gringas on the street. Nice being somewhere familiar in a way - not need to think about where to eat, to stay, to but groceries, not needing to memorize the map to your destination because you know the way. Hope to stay to Sunday night - hostel is fuller than last time I was here and after spending several days in hotels or almost empty hostels am not sure about the scene.

Feel like I have grown since last time I was here - more comfortable in Mexico. I think of a couple from Germany (lots of germans everywhere)who I met in Campeche - they had met my dormmates (from Czech) and we all went for dinner and a drink - who are afraid of much here and are quite cautious about travelling around - and though I am not as adventurous as some, I am doing ok

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