Love Birds

On our morning walk we saw this pair of pelican resting on posts just sitting under the high water. So far, this is the highest water levels we have yet experienced on our morning walks. In some spots the beach had completely disappeared forcing us to walk in the water - I know, no hardship since we walk wearing our bathing suits. Still, it is interesting watching how the shoreline is constantly changing.

Spear Fishing in Chuburna

A few days ago, while walking along the beach, I noticed a boat full of men were hugging the coast dipping in and out of the little bays made by the posts which try to protect the shore from erosion (they don't work but that is a different story). I saw them stop and then the men jumped out and set out two sets of nets. As I came closer, I noticed this guy using a spear gun to catch fish. It was neat watching as he was successful in catching the trapped fish.

Yesterday, Mom helped Kathy measure and mark out windows and electrical outlets as Kathy's work crew is supposed to start working on the renovations to her new (for her) beachside villa. We also said goodbye to a few new friends from Maine. Now we have places to stay when we travel to the East coast. We enjoyed a good time with Carol, Pam, Nichol and Damon, including time spent snorkelling.

Today we are back to hot and sunny weather, something that is supposed to last until our plane leaves at noon on Sunday. Who knows, we might be glad to get back to 0C for daytime highs in Elrose. At least then I will feel like working in the basement.

Sens won yesterday, Elliott's first NHL shutout. I still doubt that the team will make the playoffs as it depends on too many teams having a crappy last ten games with Ottawa winning all of its games. I'm sure Toronto will do its best to make sure that doesn't happen for Ottawa's final game of the regular season being played against the Leafs.

Sunday Stroll

On our walk this morning we met this older lady who was selling sweets that were wrapped up in leaves. We bought some with the idea of passing them out as we walked down the streets of the village. As you can see, Mom is almost dark enough to pass as a Mexican. Not!

Today wasn't as hot as it has been for the past number of days. Tomorrow it goes back into the upper 30s to finish off our stay here. We will be cooking with the highest temperatures to come during the next six days.

One Shell Not Making the Trip Home

We've decided that we will leave a few shells in Mexico, not all of them will be making their way to Canada in our luggage. I decided to leave this shell just where I found it this morning. Well, it's another hot one here. We reached 37 by 12:30PM. This afternoon, it is windy so we have only gone swimming twice so far. Likely we will go once more in the late afternoon. Other than that, there is nothing new to report. I think we are both now just waiting for the next eight days to end as we are ready to go home. While waiting, we will continue to enjoy the sun, sand and sea.

March Sunset

Yesterday's sunset just steps away from our beach-side deck. Temperatures went up to around 35C and it appears as though we will be having hot weather until we leave for home. Now that we are close to leaving we are both anxious to be home, seeing you guys and getting busy with our house projects while waiting for the weather to warm up for the next golf season. Yet, I know that once we leave we will miss the warmth, the sun, the sand and the sea as we are getting used to swimming at least once or twice a day in front of our villa. No, the Elrose pool wont replace the sea.

We continue our daily walks, sometimes in slightly different locations in hopes of seeing something new. I think we have walked everything for miles and miles around here. Nothing new left to discover within walking distance of at least 5 miles in all directions from the villa. As for plans of what we are going to do today - same old, same old. And, that is good.

Yesterday's Flamingos

Wow! Mom was over to a nearby set of friends who mentioned that they had spotted flamingos in the swamps not too far from our place, in the swamps a little further east that we usually go. It seems that this has been where many of the passing flocks have all been heading. Mom and I took off in the late afternoon to see if we could find a path through to them. And this is what we saw! It actually took our breath away.

Ottawa lost their game last night against a strong team. Not bad really.

Seashells, seashells

What you are seeing is Mom's collection of seashells that she has gathered over the time we have been here in Mexico. It was quite impressive to see them all arranged on the coffee table. Believe it or not, there were more still on the beach deck, shells that didn't make the cut for consideration for the long journey back to Canada.

Today is a mirror of yesterday with no new adventures, no new stories, no changes. Again, it is all sun, sea and sand.

Great Blue Heron

This is one beautiful heron that we saw when we went to Celestun to see and photograph the flamingos. Well, it is a beautiful day here with the temperature currently sitting at 32C. We did end up going in for our daily swim in the sea. I think we are being spoilt and won't know what to do when we are back in Elrose where the only water we will be in for months with be either the shower or the bathtub.

I have managed to get in a bit of reading of a book called Razor's Edge by Lisanne Norman. I think Noelle and Lawrence would like this book. It is quite different. But a bit too fantasy and science fiction for the rest.

The plans for the afternoon are to read, rest and wait for it to cool off before we take our early evening walk. I know, same old - same old. Nothing to write home about. But then again, someone has to have a boring life.

Two Weeks Left of Chuburna

Another photo from the caves, one that Mom took of me. It looks as though I am praying to the god of the underworld, though I'm not really into praying to anything as you well know. Oh well, it is a good idea for a photograph and one of those rare photos of me as well. It's also one of the rare times while in Mexico that I ended up wearing my watch, something I only do when we travel or when I go to Spanish lessons. Any other time, knowing the time is not all that important. I just love it!

Yes, this is the second post for today. After a good morning walk and a swim, I needed to get out of the noisy wind and into a quiet space so I thought it was a good time to post another photo and write up another post before I get into some other writing stuff.

Well, back to the rest of my day here in Chuburna, Mexico - only two weeks left!

Thursday's Flamingos

I just had to post this picture from our trip to Celestun on Thursday. I like the effect of having the picture within a circle. I do have "close" photos of the birds from our time spent in Celestun that you will get to see later. I would have to say that though we got way closer to the flamingos, the rest of the experience was significantly below that of our time at Rio Lagartos. At Celestun it was more expensive for less time and there were hardly any birds available to photograph. If we saw six different birds, even at distance, we were lucky. There was a boat drive through a mangrove swamp which was short but nicer than the one we did at San Crisanto with Roger and Suzanne. Yet, it was good enough because of the opportunity to get a LOT closer to the flamingos.

Ottawa did it again, win against the Islanders. It seems they have one of the best win-loss records in the NHL since getting a new coach, Comrie and Campoli. It's unlikely that they could get into the playoffs even if they continued this level of play to the end of the season though. Next year country.

Yesterday's morning walk took us more than three hours as we headed out passed our usual turn around point to follow an old dirt and stone road up to the point where it was destroyed by a hurricane. It was interesting to see the road and the destruction. I did get a few photos on the walk of a few interesting views, birds and the bridge. If I don't take a more compelling photo today, tomorrow morning I will post one of these photos.

Yesterday morning's dawn was overcast. Since people we knew were heading to Dzibilchaltun for the opportunity to experience the vernal equinox with the sun coming through the opening of the Seven Dolls Temple, it was a bust. We were told that the park openned its gates at 4:00 AM to let in all the people who wanted to be there for the experience. We chose not to go because of crowds. Man we were smart.

Grutas Calcehtok

On Wednesday morning we drove south west in order to check out the underground caves called Las Grutas Calcehtok. Of course it wasn't easy to get many photos, even using the flash as the underground chambers were so huge. Still, I did manage some decent photos which I will post at the Saskatchewan Gypsies site.

Yesterday we ended up just plain relaxing - well, not doing too much other than working on e-mail issues which appear now to be solved. Eudora was causing Mom all kinds of grief and me just some grief. So much for working with "beta" proramming. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading or just doing stuff around the villa. It was way too windy for swimming in the sea.

Today? Well, more of the usual except for swimming as it is still windy and the sea is quite rough even in the early morning, a time when we can usually expect the sea to be calm. Of course, there is a hockey game tonight, so that is on my agenda. What else? It is to be discovered.

Dzibilchaltun

Well, we are back from our three days of touring in the southern part of this state. Wow! I have to admit that there is so much to see, so much to learn - all good if you like history, archeology, nature and people. In this picture we are standing in front of the sun god at the Seven Dolls Temple in Dzibilchaltun. This is a neat temple that is all about the sun and the seasons. When a person stands at a distance, at the sundial obelisk, on the first day of spring at sunrise, the sun's rays will shine perfectly through the opening at the centre. At the times of the summer and winter solstices, the sun shines through opposite sets of windows. The ancient Mayan's knowledge of astronomy is amazing.

We had a good guide for our tour at Dzibilchaltun, a young woman called Guadalupe. She had a lot to tell us and didn't rush us through the various structures. We also got to go swimming in a neat cenote. We were able to dive in the deep end, 130+ feet deep. Mom also went in the shallow end to get her photo taken among the lilypads and their flowers. We ended up staying in the site for quite a while. By the end of our stay we were tired, a pleasant tired.

The Laguna

Wow! What an incredible day for sun, sand and sea! Today's temperatures went upwards to a summerlike 33C. Today's photo was taken just before sunset on our late afternoon walk, when the temperature cooled down with the stronger afternoon breeze to a refreshing 27C. We made it to the back end of the village which is only about 100 metres from the salt water estuary which is called the laguna which stretches all the way to Progreso, about 20 kilometres away. Saw a few birds but didn't have them sit still long enough for photos.

Well, now that it is evening we have got most of our stuff organized for tomorrow's expedition to a place called Dzibilchaltun. This is a major Mayan ruins site with the provincial Mayan musuem as well as a nature walk and a cenote for swimming. Needless to say, we are quite excited to be making this small day trip. Tomorrow I hope to post a photo while listening to Ottawa playing the Sabres. We will then drive off again on Wednesday to visit two different cave structures. Thursay we plan on going to Celestun to photograph flamingos and other birds as well as the area.

Tropical Hummingbird

Today is as about as perfect as it is possible to get. Sunny and calm and very warm (32C). We went for a morning walk along the beach and found it to be a busy place. Mexican families were out and taking advantage of the weather and a long week-end. Here there is a holiday for the vernal equinox (first day of spring). Of course that day is next Saturday, but since that day is already a weekend day, the government decided to move it up to this Monday so that everyone can get a long weekend.

We went swimming twice today. The last time we were able to swim to a heavy musical beat, techno as loud as you could ever want. The two villas next to ours are packed with people: parents, grandparents, young people in love, children, babies. I swear that there are at least sixty people packed into the houses, porches and beach fronts of these two villas which are rentals. And, this scene is being repeated up and down the beach. This is Mexico's version of the Spring Festival.

Same old, same old

During our little trip to see flamingos not too far from here, we ended up on a bird tower looking at a flock of the birds in the distance. I decided to use the telephoto lens to see what was possible and settled for this picture. The black edges are actually the sides of the lens before the telephoto is fully extended. I like the effect it has, a great frame for the birds. Photos with the lens extended were not that good due to distance and movement of the birds which left a blur.

This morning it is calm, calmer than normal. Last night was calm as well. We sat out on the deck until around midnight enjoying the moonlight on the still water while we slowly drank a glass of wine. Some things about life are just plain "good".

Today, the plans are quite simple: sun, sand, sea and perhaps a little siesta for Mom while I listen to the Senators play this afternoon. I know, it sounds boring. But, someone has to do this. I guess we will have to suffer boredom while you guys have the exciting and busy lives of young people.

Corn flakes anyone?

Mom and her seagulls are a regular early afternoon entertainment show. We bought a Mexican brand of cornflakes, ate them once and decided that the cereal was for the birds - literally! So now, every day or every second day, Mom feeds a few seagulls that seem to have claimed our beach as their territory. Woe betide any seagull that tries to snap up a few of the flakes. It means and instant chase and threats of some ungodly type of torture I am sure.

Yesterday's trip to see flamingos was almost a bust as the flamingos were so far away that it was basically worthless in terms of a photo exercise. But then again, it was a good outing from the villa and I did get a few different kind of photos using the telephoto lens. We got back in time to let me catch a few periods of the Bruins beating up on the Senators. Okay, so the final two periods were basically Ottawa outscoring Boston but there was too much of a head start given in the first period. Auld was the weak link yesterday. I think it will be his last season in Ottawa with Elliott getting to be back up to LeClaire next season.

We got in our regular morning hike up the beach followed by another swim in the sea, a long swim now that it is starting to feel warmer here. I imagine that for the last three weeks it will be almost hot most of the time. The time is slipping away quickly.

Hummingbird

This beautiful little hummingbird sat so still for us while I took photos. Her nest is on the tip of a tall cactus that sits in a pot on a terrace along the beach road not too far from where we are. As we walked further along the road, we saw another hummingbird and nest that was built on a dip of an electrical cord. Spring is coming. The birds are busy moving and nesting.

Ottawa played again last night with another win. This seems to be becoming a regular habit - a little late as far as a playoff run is concerned, but still good news. Yesterday I went in for yet another lesson in Spanish. Other than that, it was a quiet day. Oh, I also booked our car for our small trip to visit two different caves and a number of Mayan ruins as well as another flamingo reserve. We will be exploring the south and west of the Yucatan on this trip. Of course, that means I will eventually put up a few more posts at Saskatchewan Gypsies. I guess I should post there before then as I have enough interesting photos to add. Maybe that's a project for later today or tomorrow.

We are heading to visit a new colony of flamingos just east of Progreso this afternoon with Kathy. Likely, this is where the flamingos that have been flying past our villa have been going. I'll post tomorrow with info and a photo.

Make Work Projects

Well, for what it is worth, this is the 100th post that I have made on this site. I wonder how many more are yet to come? When we went out for our walk this morning along the beach we came across this group and a few others who were busy cleaning up the beach getting ready for the Easter Holidays that are coming. They are cleaning up the beach area that is reached from the various streets in the village, not the whole beach. Cleaning up the weeds seems a pointless task at this time as the piles will return long before Easter holidays get here. Oh well, it's good to see the men working.

We managed to get a swim in while the waves weren't too big, though just barely. With all the wind and the waves, the water feels colder and it has lost its clearness. Later in the afternoon while Mom went to buy chicken and a few other necessities such as peanut butter, another string of flamingos, hundreds of birds, came past the villa just over the water, a bit closer than the last batch. Of course I took more photos before returning to reading Gorky Park and planning our next small excursion through the Yucatan.

Flamingo Migration

We were treated to a rare site this morning, thousands of flamigos ended up flying in front of our villa. Too bad that they were so far out from the shore. Any closer and my photos would have even been better. I even got a few video clips using the extra telephoto lens. This photo is now my desktop background picture.

Sunny and warm meant that we got out for our beach walk followed by a good swim in the sea. Now that it is afternoon, the wind has again picked up and there are whitecaps on the water making swimming less pleasant. No problem as the afternoon is a good time to do some reading and to do some writing here. As for plans for the rest of our Sunday? There are none, just continued rest and relaxation.

Last night Ottawa won against Buffalo 6-3. It's nice having a decent team again.

A Lull Before the Wind

As you can see, it is a beautiful sunny morning here in Chuburna. Our long walk this morning took us way passed the old ruins to the west of the village. By the time we decided to turn around, we were in the middle of nowhere with sand and scrub to our left and sea to the right. We only turned back as it was time to cook the other side of our bodies.

Yesterday we spent a good part of the day in Progreso as I had a Spanish class and we were looking at various places to stay should we decide that we want to return to this part of the world next winter. We also went out to lunch with a couple we met at one of the rentals. In the end, it was a day well spent away from the constant noise of wind and waves.

Now that we are back from our walk, the wind has again picked up and the sea is a mess of whitecaps. We still are able to go out into the sunshine because it is warm. If we want to escape the wind, we go behind the house where we have a wall as well as the villa to protect us from the wind while allowing the sunshine to continue to pour in. No complaints here.

Ottawa beat Edmonton with Elliott in net and plays again tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Ottawa is now in danger of making it out of the Tavares Cup sweepstakes. A few more wins will have the team miss the boat for number one draft pick in June. Calgary remains solidly in third place in the western conference even with a loss their last game. I think you can guess what I will be doing tonight.

Dancing in the sand

Looks like spring is in the air here in Chuburna. There was no doubt that this guy was courting this gal with the hopes of getting lucky. It was interesting watching the dance movements that this cool dude was putting on display for this petite little lady.

Another windy day with winds at 35 to 40 kph. No walking the beach or going swimming when the waves are high. Not only that, the temps are staying a bit cool. No complaints though as we are still in shorts and enjoying coffee and breakfast out-of-doors and reading in the sunshine in the late afternoon.

Mom went to Merida with Kathy again and picked up some new earphones for me along with a few groceries and some wine. Tonight it is a hockey game with the Oilers visiting Ottawa. So, you know what I am up to this evening.

Hockey Trade Deadline

Another day and another photo of Mom and flowers. It's interesting just how many different flowers we are coming upon during our long walks. Of course today we went on our long morning walk as usual, again along the beach road rather that the beach itself as it is too cool and windy along the water's edge. Staying in the sheltered areas, the sunshine is warm.

This afternoon I went to Progreso for another lesson in Spanish. Today it was about health terms and expressions. I can now say I have a headache, toothache, stomachache, sore hip, sore throat, I have a cold, I have the flu and a few other goodies. Too bad I am always so healthy, I won't get to use many of these things at all.

Hockey trade deadline passed with Ottawa getting a new goalie, Pascal LeClaire for Antoine Vermette, and shipping Gerber off to Toronto off waivers. I see that Calgary picked up two very good players to help them chase down the Stanley Cup. Go Flames, Go! Yep, you heard it here now that Ottawa won't be contesting the Cup this year.

Senators versus Flames

On our walk this morning we were walking back, passing through the village when we came upon this wall with a window that looked like a store front. Behind the wall is a yard, no store. Interesting.

It's nicer out today than it was yesterday. We have sun, some wind and warmer temperatures after a cool night when the temperature dipped to only 12 C. I know that isn't a cold temperature, but it is cold for here where there is no heat in the homes. With wind, it feels much cooler. Enough about the weather.

Today we are doing very little. Of course we walked for a few hours this morning after only having a short walk due to the heavy winds and rain yesterday. I finished another book and Mom is busy reading another book as well. I can't believe how many books she has read already in only two months in Mexico.

Another Senators game tonight. This time, it is against Dustin's Calgary Flames. Ottawa is playing better so it should be a decent game to listen to on Internet radio. Go Sens Go!

Small town politics

Wow! We haven't seen waves this big since we've been here. The wind is howling like crazy and the temperature has dropped quite a bit and the skies are dark. This morning we had quite a downpour. I feel sorry for anyone who chose this week as their week for sunny Mexico. In spite of the weather, we are still going for our long daily walk.

Yesterday on our walk into the village we came upon this scene on one of the streets. We thought it must be relatively important with one young woman there with her camcorder. The man with the red shirt in the picture is the town mayor. He is trying to deal with the concerns that some women have regarding the village's recycling venture. Some are trying to have it shut down and some are adamant about it staying open. Small town politics at its best. It doesn't matter where one goes, life is basically similar with similar daily concerns.