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Published: November 23rd 2008
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Right let´s get this straight from the off - we love Mexico. So far they´ve given us the wrong bus tickets, they´ve cancelled our hotel booking when we arrived in the middle of the night (only the second booking we´ve made in 11 months!) and left us stranded by ´accidentily´ pointing us to the wrong bus stop. Yet we still love the place, it´s infectious.
Try as they might they can´t hide the fact that this place has it all. From the food to the architecture to the handicrafts, oh the glorious handicrafts. They even have musuems that actually make you want to step inside (who wouldn´t want to step into the rollercoaster ride that is ´´The Museum of Interactive Economics´, I ask you). No, surely Mexcio is the country that you have been looking for all this time, just don´t expect anyone to be on time.
But our love affair with these small moustachiode mariachi players didn´t start in the best light, however, oh no. With what we hope was intended to be a throw-away comment we discovered just how deep the distain for all things Mexican runs in its northern neighbour.
´Where are you headed´
´Mexico
City´
´Been before?´
´Nope´
´Ha ... good luck´
Now that´s just not nice is it, especailly from a US customs official. All we can hope is that at some point it may dawn on this rather mean and narrow-minded American that we chose to visit Mexico on this trip and not the US. Sure this was partly for economic reasons (3 Tacos for a quid ... woopee!), but not once in Mexico have we been on the receiving end of an attitude like that - maybe something for him to think about.
Still, back to us glorifying the land of the Maya, Inca, Toltec, Olmec, Zapotec (and a few more that I´ve made up to confuse nic ... he he). A place that seems to have maintained a distinctly beautiful blend of Ancient and Colonial cultures. Offsetting the giant stone pyramids with classicly relaxed Spanish plazas. This is a place to relax, while away the hours and soak up the atmosphere ... and eat a few tacos.
Oh the BEES!
Oops I really should stop writting the title of the blog before heading off on a tangent. Sorry Well, it turns out, to those
of you who aren´t already in the know that Bees can get quite angry. It also turns out that we´ve become a little bit obsessed with photographing every living creature that happens to wander near us - and in Central/North America that´s a fair few (Nic´s even started taking pictures of trees and bits of wood. I´ve been promised that there´s a cure, but if anyone knows a good shrink, please let us know ... please). Anyway. It turns out that bees, who can appear at times as docile as the trees they live in are not the most photogenic of creatures. In fact it turns out that they would rather you didn´t attempt to take their picture, especially on full zoom.
You can imagine the scene. A Young, naive, handsome some might say, photographer is exploring the ruins of the mighty Uxmal (Marshmallow) Mayan site. When he stubbles across a bee hive. ´Oh look´ he says to himself, ´That would make a mighty pretty photograph for my mum´. So he unpacks the camera, crouches into position and prepares to take a nice relaxed and not at all obtrusive shot of some cuddly little bees. Little does he know
what the bees have in store. (DUN DUN DUN).
Launching their vicious and unprevoked attack with Japanese fury our poor photographer is left running for his life (yes nic, screaming like a girl).
´Help BEES!, Run away´ (followed by the manly, almost gutteral war cry (8 year old girl scream))
In case anyone is wondering, this is not the Spanish for ´I am man and will protect you´. It is in fact English for ´If you run slower than me, good luck´. A phrase that unfortunately mearly amused and entertained the amassed group of site caretackers enjoying their lunch. By the time anyone had had a chance to recognise the unmistakable stench of terror (actually those are my boots, sorry) eminating from the fleeing photographer the bees had made there cunning and devious exit. Safe in the knowledge that they would not be disturbed again.
p.s. For those wondering why we called Uxmal, Marshmallow. We can only suggest that you try remembering a dozen words that have a frankly ridiculous number of Q´s, X´s and Z´s
Chichen Itza - Chicken Pizza
Palenque - Pancake
Tikal - Tikka
Mital - Malted Milk
Teonihuancan - Tennets
and of course Uxmal - Marshmallow (nic shouldn´t be allowed to play - ´Barbara´ her cuddly turtle agrees)
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