While I am exploring my tropical inner self, my sister, and regular travel partner is alas confined to the snowy hinterland of Kansas. I have come to Mérida with my friend Suzanne who is on the lam from her own deep freeze in Chicago.
I am writing this post on the couch in the muy grande living room with the 25 foot ceilings and the chandelier that is as big as a volkswagon bug. In fact this living room is about the size of Moss Cottage! Valgame dios!
Suzanne has gone tromping off in the rain to explore some museums on this day of soft drizzle and cool gray. I have chosen to spend the day alone here at the house. Absorbing all of the stories of its past inhabitants, reclining on the sofa, reading, writing in my journal, napping, being here. Right here.
I am only capable of vacations that incorporate long stretches of doing nothing. Later of course, I will don my hat and rain jacket and go for a stroll with my camera. See everything under a veil of tropical mist.
Yesterday my eye caught the gleam of these long strands of sequins. Spools of sparkle and light. I made my selections then tucked my bright treasure into my purse.
Last night we enjoyed our trip to the hacienda for dinner & margaritas. The Yucatecan food is delicious. LIme infuses many of their dishes which are very different from other parts of Mexico. But mostly it was wonderful to sit in the night air & candlelight surrounded by gorgeous ironwork, dark wood, and night sounds out on the veranda. Next door a carnival was in full swing complete with a lit-up train, rides, and fireworks. This was muffled slightly by the piano and saxaphone drifting out the open door of the hacienda. A sense of the absurd mixing with quiet gentility. So many layers of richness!
Of course there is another video of my day, ending with a tiny slice of hacienda which was difficult to capture in the candlelight.
Thanks for the birthday wishes in comments and emails. There goes my tail thumping again on the floor…
january 8 2010 from MAM on Vimeo.
Welcome to Merida! I’m from LA too… Santa Monica to be exact. Been here for eight years, though. Glad you are enjoying yourself. Hope you have a great time!
This is really nice. Aren’t the colors great? Happy Birthday, my friend. I’m sorry I missed that.
I agree, it’s important to lounge. I always love long periods of just sitting and watching people, and reading and sipping and watching. But my travel companions very often are go go go! and I must say, I often want to be two women at once! So, I’m very glad you get to sit and think and nap and watch and read and think. That’s a great place to do it.
oops, blabbing.
I’m so happy you got to go on your vacation after all. I’ve been away for the weekend and missed that news. Missed our birthday too. Hope you are enjoying a lovely extended one!
Love being an armchair tourist, each of these mini video’s has been adding a little color to my days of looking out the window at all the bright, white, glare of the snow. Soaking up the sun through the screen; also makes me long for a tall, cool tropical drink. Wishing many more pleasures during your trip.
You know I’m a sucker for tail thumping…
I liked the guy at the end who got it a little wave!!!
Happy Birthday. You can’t possibly by 47…..I guess those monkeys keep you young.
Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
Great.
Oh, happiest of birthday wishes to you my dear! I’m so glad you were able to go on your trip. You do know how to travel like no one I’ve ever seen. It’s inspiring!
Happy Birthday, and thank you for sharing so much of your trip! It is an inspiration not only for traveling but as template for documenting days! Have a lovely time and I look forward to hearing/seeing more of your richly textured posts!
Oh, how wonderful your part of Mexico looks! I only get to see the truly tourist part of the Yucatan…. Cozumel, which I think the Yucatan has disowned due to its selling out to the cruise lines. We cruise every year, and I have been to Cozumel so many times that we “leave” the tourist areas as much as possible these days. If I could only get my dearly beloved to stay in one spot (other than on a cruise ship) while on vacation!!!! Continue to enjoy your vacation!
It is so wonderful to be in a warm place, however vicariously! and when I signed up I thought it would just be a journal. thanks for making it so much more. and a very happy 47th year to you. As well as I remember, 47 is a very good year. Thanks again for the trip to Merida, sunshine, color and warm breezes.
YOU know how to travel, woman. The composition and color of the photos are just spectacular.
Happy Belated Birthday……CELEBRATE!!!
I’ve been checking in on your vacation adventure, but failed to wish you a happy birthday early. A thousand pardons I beg ye! Having a great time working on the journal. Slow, but sure I plan to give it a go on the sewing machine again tomorrow. Happy Belated Birthday and enjoy the rest of your trip!
a good friend is retiring there (the house she bought makes me so meanly envious!) and two other friends already live there. It sounds amazing.
A most happy birthday to you – love the vids, all the sights and sound that you record. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!
Fabulous – I could almost see my own feet walking along with you. LOVE the sequins! Oh my gosh, I would have had to buy one of each. What a great trip you have had so far. Thank you for posting these videos. Happy Happy Birthday!
Oh, almost forgot…can’t wait to see those sequins pop again in your journals!
I am truly enjoying the photographs from your trip as I trip to keep warm here in the midwest. I like vacations where you can do nothing too. And if you want to do something, you can. Sounds very relaxing.
Happy birthday!
xo
jeanne
P.S. = How’s your ear feeling?
I love that you are able to just “BE” there. Some find that so hard to do while on vacation!
Loved the bartender at the end, too! 😉
Oh these little videos are so great. aside from the fact that it’s colder than a witches bottom here in central PA … I get to travel so rarely that these little slices of ‘life someplace else’ are so wonderful to watch!
also I love that the bartender waved 😀
ENJOY!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your trip with us. it makes me want to exlore that area. and best wishes for a very happy 47th birthday.