The Mayan Riviera (and it's swine flu)

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When I left my job in Guatemala, I was in run-down condition. I hopped on a day-long bus ride through Belize to Quintana Roo, Mexico, where I awarded myself the expense of my own cabana, for the first time of the trip.

I spent a week in Rancho Tranquilo, recovering, meeting travelers, hanging out with the kind and comical hotel manager, Abaristo, and spending a good deal of time walking, laying on the beach, tanning and bbqing with my new friend, Mary. Mary came to Rancho Tranuilo to revamp her life, to run away from the cold of the mountains in which she previously lived, and to have a perfectly suitable past-midlife crisis in a spontaneous, admirable fashion. She did everything she pleased, when she pleased and as she pleased. We gossiped, laughed, taught one another and learned from each other; a calming and inspiring week.

Note: Savila = aloe vera (as in Abaristo cut me new slices of savila every day from the garden and kept them in the freezer for me because Mary convinced me that if I spent enough time in the white sand sun, I would tan like her. Unfortunately, that's a lie. I burned so badly my legs were temporarily scarred for over two months! I'm a big fan of savila and have since given up on my false hopes of being able to tan. period.)

I returned to the country just about the time swine flu was "ravaging" cancun visitors. So as I flew in from Cancun airport, my friends, family and government had questions waiting to find out if I was swined. I was more concerned with the fact that A. Not only do toilets flush themselves here, they readily accept paper when flushed, B. There are FREE, POTABLE water fountains all over the place and C. You can eat produce without the nagging fear in the forefront of your mind that the nasty case of amoebic dysentery is going to flair up again...AND...nobody seems to notice?! This country is like a giant luxury holiday getaway (for the most part)..........crimeny!!

When I touched down in Houston for my transfer, a severe thunderstorm was underway with tornado warnings, so I stayed in a hotel room alone...wondering if people are supposed to know where hotel basements are in such situations. Next day, heading back home, flying over the green mountainsides of Humboldt county and down onto the tiny little airstrip in McKinleyville, I could scarcely believe it.....talk about contrast.

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Photos

mary!
she couldn't get enough pineapple. that day we wished we were taller so we could fit more fresh local tropical fruit in our stomachs and store up for the fresh pineapple-less months to come in the states.

maxima higiene!
this is the only picture i took in the city of tulum.
its the best thing i could find to share with you all. maxima higiene!!

the discount hotel room i stayed in
with the covers i hid under during my first tornado alert.