Mexico travel memories

I trust y'all had a pleasant Easter/Passover holiday weekend, whether you celebrated religiously or secularly. My days were uneventful and yet I am so very exhausted. Could be that my SO waited until Sunday around 6p.m. to begin his income taxes and didn't finish until 3a.m. You know- misery demands company.

The wonders of blogging are- besides so many people writing as an exercise to themselves (like me)-that so many wonderfully written and delightfully interesting blogs exist. It is completely amazing that any single one of the good ones ever are discovered and in my experience, that happens by accident. Somehow I stumbled upon this and am reading every single post from the beginning when I have a few minutes and need to relax.

I tried to determine what drew me in and finally settled on my own experiences living in mainland Mexico while in college. I lived in a tiny Indian village not far from Puebla, Puebla- where Cinco de Mayo originated as a celebration of winning independence- not a big drinking holiday as in the states. Comments about sights, public urination, begging, smells, mass transport, very fresh foods, bakeries and shopping the markets mirrored my experiences of exploring another culture while attempting to fit in. Yes, knowing the language is key. To become totally immersed in another culture is an experience never forgotten!

I am fortunate to live where I can head into the magic land of Mexico any time I wish. In July 1991, my SO and I drove deep down into Baja California, Sur with our dog to view the long, total eclipse of the sun, just one of many remarkable outings down there. Another very memorable trip was to view cave paintings. We paid the caretakers to get access and received very vague directions along with guarantees that we would easily find the caves. At a very important (and confusing) juncture of a tri-forked path where we were unsure of the proper way, our guide suddenly appeared. Our guide was a lone burro- no joke. That creature took us on the proper path. If along the lengthy hike we began to wander in another direction, the burro would wait until we saw he stood fast in his tracks. Once we followed him unquestioningly, he took us directly to the caves then disappeared into the same thin air from which he first appeared. Again, no joke!

Well, off to the desert to meet friends for camping and hiking. Hope your day is as pleasant!

Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America by Raymond and Audrey Pritchard
The People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz
Lonely Planet Mexico by John Noble
Oaxaca in the Heart of Mexico (CD-ROM) by Antonio Ruiz Zwollo
Mexican Days: Journeys into the Heart of Mexico by Tony Cohan
The Cave Paintings of Baja California - Revised Ed. by Harry Crosby

Any book mentioned above can be found at your local independent bookstore or by searching at Bookfinder or ADDALL.