Blogs from Yucatán, Mexico, North America - page 63

Today is Mexico's Independence Day. If you read a lot on line like I do, even the 'official' sites sometimes give conflicting information. That is the case with Independence Day. Most say September 15, others the 16th, 1810. This, apparently, is when the true rebellion began, but the treaty was not signed until August of 1824. Enough with the history. This is a cause for a major party!! Everywhere there will be parties! Downtown has been setting up for days now and Governor Ivonne Ortega is to appear on the second floor of the Governor's Palace on the big plaza at 10:00 tonight. She is to pull the velvet bell cord to toll the bell three times while shouting Viva Mexico! Didn't see them today, but two days ago there were flatbeds full of camouflaged soldiers ... read more

I found info on the roundabout pictured previously. It is called the Monument of the Mother Country, el Monumento a la Patria. I remember now from the tour guide that the whole country is depicted in little squares on the bottom of the monument in individual blocks showing the Mexico states and the nation's history (I can decipher a little more of my scribbling). The research I did this weekend said that as the 'Stroll Montejo' was being built in sections, this monument was designed in the 'imagination' of Yucatecos architechs, Manuel and Max Amábilis, father and son, in 1944 and constructed (concluded) in 1956 by Columbian artist Rómulo Brush Rock. The article I read also said that this is the only sculpture / monument that had been constructed in the country rather than from without ... read more

Well we are almost at the end of our week at Spanish school already - can´t believe how quickly time is flying! Its been really fun and challenging...the teacher took pity on us the first day and spoke in English but after that ´solo en Espana!´ So we can get through some basic sentences and questions, but are probably better at reading then speaking I think. Still beautiful and hot here, most days we head off to the beach after school (we finish at 2pm). No sign of any hurricanes in this area which is good, although lots of talk about them. We are staying in a small hotel called the school ´Residence´which has been great because we have met so many other like-minded travellers, most of who are at the Spanish school as well and ... read more

Tonight I will go through the some of the pictures that I recently had developed (don't Mitch and the other twenty people who have agreed with you) and share. I will add comments to them rather than the blog. Y'all have got to be tired of my ramblings by now. There are more pictures but I need to gather some more names to put with the faces. And I happen to be tired. It's hard work being on vacation in the Yucatan and keeping up with all the fun! I keep up nicely, thank you. ... read more

Finally, after 30 + hours of travel time we have arrived in Mexico to sweltering heat! Spent Friday orientating (read: swimming and sunbathing…) around the playa before booking ourselves on a couple of tours for the weekend. Saturday we went to Tulum..amazing Mayan ruins right on the beach. Part of the tours was a promise of a swim at the beach, and given the heat (about mid thirties) this was something we were looking forward to, However…after Hurricane Dean, the stairs leading down to the beach were missing..and the beach closed. Not impressed! Sunday was the long tour to Chichen Itza, picked up at 7:50am and dropped back at close to 8pm, it’s about 300km from where we are in the Playa. We had the cliché tour bus full of package tourists, herded in and out ... read more