January 2019

Hi Everyone We got up at 4:45 AM to meet everyone in the lobby at 5:20 AM. It sort of felt like I was on a photography trip. We got up in the dark and changed. We then walked to the lobby of Mayaland in the dark with nothing to guide us but our instincts. Our hut was far from the lobby, but we managed to find our way.  We were met in the lobby by our tour guide and a local guide. We hiked in the dark and could not see where we were going. Suddenly the local guide flashed a light against a huge pyramid. That was the first time I had seen the pyramid of Chichen Itza. What a pyramid. So impressive. I was amazed of the size and structure. In 2008, this pyramid was named one of the seven wonders of the world and I can understand why. We walked towards the pyramid as the light started to rise over the horizon. Some other guides had made us instant coffee to wake up. I can tell you that the sight of this amazing monument was something that will stay with me for a long time. How was this structure built and who built it? The Aztecs built it around one thousand years ago. There seemed to be a spiritual presence here. Something that I had not felt since I visited the Great Walk of China in May and prior to that in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. It was like we were intruders and needed to respect what we were seeing. There was almost no one here and the strange atmosphere was very spiritual. Our guide told us some amazing things about the pyramid. How the pyramid is aligned with the four seasonal solstices. For the spring solstice, there is a large festival where people come here to absorb the energy that is transmitted by the pyramid. Over fifty thousand people came last March 21. We then walked over to another section of the site. This was a large sort of avenue with a large structure on each side. The Mayans would play their game of football here. I could imagine then playing as I took pictures of the site. I felt so lucky to be able to visit and absorb the spirituality that was here. Something that will stay with me for a long time. We then walked to another area of the site. The Mayans built a large observatory to study the stars. Our local guide explained how they used numbers and their language to tell them the various planting seasons.  We then walked to a local cenote. You could not swim in this cenote. It was very large and probably was the main water source for this site. It was then back to the hotel for breakfast. Our breakfast was served buffet and I greatly enjoyed eating breakfast in a rain forest. How I will miss that feeling. I then went back to our room for a long shower and some needed rest. Olivia woke me up as I started to dose off. We packed our bags and checked out at about eleven o’clock.  I immediately dosed off and was awoken as we pulled in for lunch. I was so tired that I hardly ate but did manage to drink two large cold cappuccinos. It was then back onto the bus for our two hour ride to Cancun. We finally arrived and I could not believe the difference. Cancun is full of fancy shops such as Prada, Gucci and others like it. There are large hotels that are on top of each other on the Caribbean side.  We arrived at our hotel. Our hotel is all inclusive and does not fit the age of our group nor the theme of our tour. It seems as if we are on a large cruise ship that is going no where.  We all met for a farewell dinner and to reminisce about the highlights of our trip. We will miss all of our new found friends.  Now to recap. It first we were very hesitant going on this trip. Mexico has such a bad image in America. When someone heard that we were going to Mexico, they would ask us why? I am so happy we did this trip. We never felt as if we were in trouble no matter where we went. The people were so friendly. They love to enjoy life and party. From spending three days in Mexico City with our dear and loving friends, Moises and Sandra, to all the other places we visited. Mexico City was amazing. From the old section to the floating gardens and more. Seeing Diego Rivera’s murals and the beauty of them. Then onto Puebla and it’s beauty. Visiting a real coffee plantation and seeing something from the past. Then to Veracruz and to Campeche. How beautiful Campeche was. Merida and the people partying in the streets all night. The henequen plantation and seeing a life that does not exist anymore. Jumping into two cenotes. Something I had always wanted to do. Finally to the magnificent ruins of El Balam and Chichen Itza and their spirituality. I could go on and on. Each and every place was magnificent in its own way. Mexico is a place that everyone should visit and enjoy. The real Mexico is waiting to show everyone its beauty.  Hope everyone has enjoyed this trip. We certainly have.  To the next time. Life is precious. Enjoy LoveLarry

We are in the rain forest near Chichen Itza. Our hotel is called “Mayaland and we are staying in a thatched hut that has a private bathroom and shower. The beds have mosquito nets and you can understand why. Internet does not exist so I am writing this blog on my IPad and will then copy and paste when I get a good connection. We left Merida and drove to the archeological site of “Ek Balam”. Of course, I fell asleep as soon as we left the hotel. Had about six cups of coffee for breakfast but that didn’t stop me. It was so enjoyable having breakfast in this beautiful courtyard surrounded by amazing tropical trees and flowers. After two and one half hours we made our pit stop and I bought a large strong cappuccino for the remainder of the ride. We finally arrived in Ek Balam where our local guide met us at the entrance. We then started to walk through the jungle to ruins that were quite beautiful. Each site has its own different style. We then walked by vendors selling their craft until we came upon a large pyramid. There were at least one hundred old stone steps to the top. Of course, I climbed up. When I got to the top I saw a beautiful site. The other part of the exposed site was sticking out of the canopy of the rain forest. Having already been told that most of this Mayan village is still covered by the jungle, I looked around and started to envision where some of the structures could be. You could see mounds covered by the jungle and visualize what is underneath and what beauty and treasures those buried structures may hold. It was back down this massive pyramid. The key to going down is to go down sideways and be careful. You do not want to fall climbing up and down these ruins. I then walked back to the local vendors. Lindsay, my daughter had sent us an email that three major snow storms were heading into the New York area over the next week. I decided to buy a Mexican poncho to help me keep warm when we get back. I found a very colorful and beautiful poncho and jumped on it for 350 pesos or a little over $17. As I was leaving, I saw a beautiful t-shirt with a depiction of Frida Kahlo on it. Mexican people are obsessed with Frida Kahlo. She was a great Mexican painter and was married to Diego Rivera twice. The more I read about her, the more I want to find and read a book about her life. She was an interesting person. Olivia has a big book on her drawings. Google her to find out more about this extraordinary person. It would be worth it learning about her. Of course, I bought the t-shirt. It was now time for lunch. We went to a converted plantation for lunch. Of course, there was a cenote. Lunch was a buffet of local specialties and then Olivia and myself went to see the cenote. The cenote was very large and the water did not seem to be clean. There was a large and high platform for people to jump in and water was running down into the cenote. Of course, long natural ropes were hanging down from the top. Olivia warmed me that the water did not look clean, so I decided to not make the jump. We then ran into our tour guide who told us that the water was very clean, but the cenote was very deep and that’s why the water did not look clean. I turned around and bought a towel. I put on my bathing suit and decided to make the plunge. I got to the platform and looked down. It was a long drop for a seventy year old man, but I am not your normal seventy year old. The tour guide got his cell phone ready and I dove off the platform. The water was beautiful and so crisp and refreshing. My head hurt from the dive, but another member of the group told me that I did a perfect dive. I swam around and was so happy that I decided to take the plunge. I knew that if I did not do it, I would regret it later. The tour guide promises to email me the picture. We then drove to a very Mexican town named “Valladolid”. Valladolid has a beautiful plaza with some interesting stores selling local goods. Mexicans love chocolate and we found a chocolate store. The store had many products made with chocolate. One item that I found interesting was chocolate soap. Bought a few bars to see what it feels like when I get back. It was then back to the bus to check into “Mayaland”. The grounds are so beautiful. We checked in and had a long walk to our hut. Dinner was served buffet style. When we were walking back to our hut, we heard some strange noises coming from the trees Tomorrow we wake up at 4:30 for a morning hike into Chichen Itza and to take pictures of the site as the sun rises. Olivia just said there is a bug in here while she is laying under her mosquito net. That’s what you get in the rain forest. Tomorrow is wrap up day and then it’s back to stormy New York to do battle with the snow. LoveLarry

Hi Everyone Our day started at 7 AM with breakfast being served in the courtyard around beautiful palm trees. How I wish every breakfast is like this. We boarded our bus at 8 AM for a ninety minute drive to the “Hacienda Sotuta de Peon”. The Hacienda Sotuta de Peon is a working henequen plantation that has been fully restored. Henequen is a plant species native to the Yucatan and Guatemala. After the fiber is extracted from the plant, the henequen is processed as a textile and used in a range of products. The fiber looks like twine. In addition to using the fiber, the juice extracted from the henequen plant is used as a liquor. Today, most of the fiber is synthetic and the henequen industry is much smaller than it used to be. The plantation now is supported by a restaurant, hotel and tourist visits. We first visited a small Church on the property that was very simple but beautifully decorated. When the plantation was fully operational, over three thousand workers lived on the plantation. Most of the workers were Yaqui Indians and they were very poorly treated. It was then onto the Main House where the owners lived while they were there. The floors were imported from Europe and all the furniture was restored. We then followed our tour guide to the Machine House. Our tour guide was amazing. He put on a real show as he explained all the activities to us. At the Machine House we saw henequen being processed through old machinery. If you look outside the Machine House, you can see rows and rows of henequen hanging up to dry in the hot sun. A local was selling some henequen made into some functioning products. I bought some to be used as a loofa when you shower. It is supposed to be good for the skin. Throughout the plantation there are train tracks. This was how the plants were transported back to the Machine House to be processed. We all boarded one of the train cars that was pulled by a donkey. The donkey drove us through huge henequen crops that cover the ground until we finally stopped in the middle of the field. We all got off the train to visit Antonio. Antonio is an eighty four year old Mayan man who lives in a hut and greets visitors. He only spoke Mayan and used to be a worker on the plantation. His living quarters were very basic. His bed was a large hammock and his hut had almost no furniture. Our tour guide told us he has been living on the plantation like this for most of his life. It was then back into our donkey driven train to the cenote. There are eight cenotes on the plantation. This cenote is named Dzul-ha. Has anyone found out what a cenote is? Time is up. A cenote is a natural pit or sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath. Cenotes were very important to the Mayans. They needed water and the underground system of cenotes provided that water for them. Al of the eight cenotes on the plantation are connected underground. This creates a huge cavern and provides lots of fresh and clear water. I brought my bathing suit, changed, showered and walked down into an underground cave. I then saw the cenote. The water appeared to be crystal clear. I immediately jumped in and had an amazing experience. The water is fresh water and we were told is about 80-85 degrees. In the middle I could not stand, but was able to sit on rocks around the edges. There were beautiful rocks all around covered with a limestone sort of covering. I was the only one of the group to take the plunge. I could tell you it was a great experience. It was now onto to lunch at the restaurant located on the plantation. We had a great fish fillet with lots of local vegetables. The drive back to town took us through some very poor areas and I was reminded that I was in Mexico. Shanties and people living in squalor was common. We stopped at a local food market in town. Very dirty. People were selling fruits and vegetables. Some of the fruits and vegetables were things that I had never seen nor tasted. Our tour guide offered us some of them. Olivia refused but I did not. Hope I do not get sick. We then went back to the hotel to rest and eventually get ready for dinner. We walked to a local restaurant named “Ponchos” for Poncho Villa. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and we had some great local dishes. After dinner we walked to the local plaza and right into a huge mass of humanity. Vendors were selling food, clothing, jewelry and other items all around the plaza. A large platform was set up with lots of folding chairs around the stage. The band then came out to perform. A singer named Willie Colon performed and many of the locals in the audience started to dance. What a scene. I could not take any pictures since there were so many people. What a day. I am exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Tomorrow we visit two more ruins and another cenote. Our trip is starting to wind down as we get closer to Cancun. Love Larry

Hi Everyone Of course our day started at 7 AM. I was so sad to leave Campeche. A real jewel and special place. I would have loved to have spent a few more days there. It is now off to Merida. Merida is in the Yucatan and the capital city of the province of the Yucatan Peninsula. We spent about two hours driving to the archaeological site of “Uxmal”. Uxmal is a Mayan site where only about 5% has been excavated and exposed. We met our local tour guide at the entrance. He speaks Mayan and told us that he proposed to his wife at the top of the main pyramid of Uxmal. Very knowledgeable and spoke great English. We entered the site and the first thing you see is this huge pyramid. He showed us a picture from the early nineteenth century of what the pyramid looked like before it was fully exposed and excavated. The pyramid was built in five stages and there are five small pyramids within this one. The entire site was close together so there was not much of long walk, but quite a lot of climbing. We need entered a quadrangle of four large buildings. Iguana’s were sunning themselves as we walked around and up and down. The four rectangular buildings all faced a large courtyard. We then climbed another area called the “Governors Palace”. There were many carved stones lining around this large pyramid. The guide told us some stories about some of the carvings. As I was walking and climbing around, I thought of the structures that have not been excavated nor uncovered yet. Looking at a mound that is covered with grass you have to envision a large pyramid that is just under the jungle cover. It was getting very hot and humid as we left the site. Vendors were selling local things outside. I bought some nice cotton shirts for 200 pesos or $10 each. Everything is so cheap here. We then walked to a local restaurant for lunch. We served ourselves to all sorts of local dishes. A woman was cooking corn bread in the corner on the floor. Her fire was enclosed by bricks. Very unique. It was then back to the bus for our drive to Merida. of course, I fell asleep after having two strong cups of coffee. We arrived in Merida and drove to our hotel. The name of our hotel is the “Hotel Casa del Balam”. It is the former home of a plantation owner that was converted to a sort of bed and breakfast. There is a beautiful central courtyard and the rooms face the courtyard. What I first noticed about Merida is that there are so many plazas and parks. Olivia and myself took a walk to stretch our legs and we all met in the lobby at 6 PM for dinner. We were all driven to a local family for dinner. Dinner was made up of local dishes that were cooked by the family. The beverages served were hibiscus water and pineapple water with chia. Chia is a plant. The pineapple water with chia was very good. We were shown around the house and one of the women gave us a demonstration of how to sleep in a Mexican hammock without falling out. Olivia tried it and was successful. I passed and took some great pictures of her wrapping herself up in this huge hammock. It was then back to the hotel for an evening walk to the plaza. There were so many people enjoying themselves. Almost every restaurant had a local band serenading the patrons. Bands would roam the streets and play for tips. There were two stages set up. One on each side of the plaza for two performances of singers and bands. We stayed for one performance. Very different and colorful. Mexican people love to be outside and party. As I am writing this I could hear bands still playing in the background and its 11:30 PM. It was then back to the hotel. I had my evening cappuccino and we decided to call it a night. Whats on for tomorrow? Tomorrow I get to do something I have always wanted to do. Don’t tell me they have bungie jumping here? No. I’ve already done that. What crazy thing is next? I will be diving into a cenote. We are going to visit a local plantation, have lunch there and then jump into a cenote. What is a cenote? You can google it or what until tomorrow. Love Larry

Hi Everyone The day start at 7 AM again. The same routine. Wake up at 6, breakfast at 7 and leave at 8. I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as we settled on the bus. Was woken up at 11 to order lunch and we were stopping for our morning pit stop at a local restaurant along a very boring road. No highway, just a road that went through some towns, but boring. I was starting to think that this would be a day of travel and sleep. Our road turned finally onto the Gulf of Mexico. We were driving along the Gulf past beautiful deserted beaches and watching pelicans dive bombing for food. I wonder why pelicans do not get headaches or concussions. They must have hard heads to absorb this sort of punishment. At around 12:30 we finally arrived for lunch in a fishing village named “Chamboton”. Chamboton is right on the Gulf of Mexico and the main activity is fishing. Our restaurant was on the water overlooking the Gulf. I had ordered fish fillet, but as soon as I saw all the boats, pelicans and fishermen I couldn’t eat and grabbed my camera. There were men standing in the water with nets and buckets fishing. Sort of reminded me of the stilt fishermen off Sri Lanka. I walked around with my camera constantly clicking away. I had ordered two cappuccinos for lunch and drank them down as fast as possible. I did not want to miss a minute of this beautiful scene of activity and to take pictures of these fishermen’s daily lives. The fishermen were so friendly and some of them held up their daily catch. The birds and pelicans were so beautiful flying around and resting on the boats. I hope my pictures do this place justice. It was then back into the bus for our ride to Campeche. Campeche is a port city on the Gulf. We arrived at our hotel. Our hotel is named “Plaza Campeche”. There are lots of plazas here. My first impression of the city was amazing. There were old colonial buildings in different colors. The City was so clean and spotless. We checked in, had our pit stop and then we all got onto a trolly for a tour of Campeche. There are lots of old stone walls here with little look out towers. The walls and towers were built as protection against pirates. The City is full of old colonial architecture and each building is painted different colors. The trolly took us all over town and the local guide told us some of the history to what we were seeing. We finally arrived at the Malecon. This is a long walkway next to the Gulf. There is no beach here. Just a beautiful Malecon. A Malecon is a stone built embarkment or esplanade along a waterway. People were walking and enjoying themselves. No vendors nor restaurants. Very civil and devoid of tourists We then stopped at a local church. The name of the church is “Iglesia de San Roman”. The church has a black Christ made of ebony wood. There is a festival once a year celebrating this Christ. The black Christ crucifix is 453 years old. I was told that the locals believe that this black Christ is associated with miracles. The trolly then dropped us off at our hotel at around 5 PM. We then all decided to walk back to the Malecon to watch the sun set over the Gulf and take some pictures. A boring red perfect sun set over the horizon as I clicked away. It was then time for dinner. Campeche is famous for fish. Ivan, our tour guide, led us to a local restaurant. The waitresses were all dressed up in local clothing. We all ordered fish. I had a grilled fish platter with lobster, octopus, shrimp and a fillet. Olivia had the grilled octopus. The octopus was the best I ever had. I couldn’t stop eating it. We then walked back to the main plaza. At 8 PM the City was showing a video mapping presentation on a block of a old colonial building. The video was shown on the face of the buildings as cars drove by. The video was of the history of Campeche set to music and beautiful colors. I couldn’t believe my eyes as the scenes were shown. There were videos of Aztec people with local wildlife and then pirates attacking Campeche and finally Cinco de Mayo and all the costumes about that custom. A very special treat to end a very special day . Campeche is a beautiful jewel. I will miss it when we leave tomorrow and wish that we had more time here. Love Larry

Hi Everyone It is so nice to not have the internet rule your day and night. How refreshing to not be able to log on all day long. I have been to places where I have not had the internet for more than a week at a time. Try the African Bush, Mongolia and Antartica. Nobody there ever heard of the internet and they are very happy. Non internet connected gives you a better opportunity to enjoy your day and the company you are with. Don’t forget your other body part, your cell phone. Throw it out. You can live and be happier without the internet and cell phone. Try it for a week. Instead of going on the internet start reading a real book. I have so enjoyed the people on this trip and the company of my wife Olivia. It feels great seeing her disconnected from her hectic life. I have spent most of my life without the internet and cell phone. How sorry I feel for my grandchildren. Their bodies and minds will become connected. Life is too short and enjoy the simple things in life. Always look for the silver lining with whatever you do. You can find that silver lining if you spend the time to look hard enough. You never know what life brings and what is just around the corner. Enjoy it and always look for that silver lining. It is always there. Enough of the psychology of life. What did you do today in exciting Mexico? We all met at 7 AM for breakfast. Its nice hearing the sound of Macaws in the morning. Reminds me a little bit of hearing lions roaring in Botswana as I fell asleep. We are in Palenque, Mexico. I described in my previous blog where we are and I still do not fully understand where I am except I am in a beautiful tropical rain forest with nature all around us. We then boarded our bus for a short ride to the Mayan ruins of “Palenque”. Palenque was a Mayan city of approximately fifty thousand people at its height. There were lots of Mayan cities and none of them really got along. They were always fighting and disagreeing about something. When the Spanish arrived, this was to their advantage. If the Mayans had united and fought the Spanish as a whole, they could have easily defeated them. Our own tour guide, Francisco, led us through the ruins. He was very knowledgable and used an IPAD and had drawings and pictures as he explained what we were seeing. The day started out with rain. The rain forest was wet and the stones of the ruins were slippery. This is the wettest part of Mexico and gets the most rainfall. Only two percent of the actual city has been excavated. The belief is that there are over 1400 additional ruins and structures that are still covered by the jungle. This has been documented by ground radar. The government will not let any ruins that are now covered by the jungle to be excavated. They are afraid to disturb the rain forest and the wild life living here. We climbed and walked through these beautiful ruins. The three largest temples are named the Temple of the Cross Group, Temple of Inscriptions and the Grand Palace. The tomb of Palenques greatest king, Pakal, was discovered in the Temple of Inscriptions. The Temples sort of reminded both Olivia and myself of Angkor Wat but of course, not as large in its current state. I climbed up one of the Temples to get a panoramic view of the entire site. We roamed through the Grand Palace and were amazed by how these people built this impressive structure. How did they obtain their knowledge of engineering and architecture? I bought two remembrances of Palenque. One is a Mayan calendar, which is round and the other is a small replica of Pakal’s death mask made out of stone. I felt like we were intruding on someone elses home as we board the bus for lunch. By the way, no one knows why Palenque was abandoned. There is an aqueduct running through the site so water was not the problem. That aqueduct still exists today. Palenque was named by the Spanish since no one knew its true name at the time. The sun finally appeared as we were entering a traditional local restaurant. I had a platter of smoked pork with beans and Olivia had a great vegetable taco dish. The restaurant served its own coffee and I can give it a high five. The coffee only needed a pinch of milk and was so strong. I had two large cups and savored its beauty and aroma for as long as I could. Our next stop was a beautiful wildlife center. This wildlife center takes in local animals that need to be taken care of and are then released back into the wild if they are able to survive on their own. We saw lots of jaguars, screaming and howling monkeys, wild boars, birds including beautiful macaws, deer and others. Ivan, our tour guide, told us that sometimes after animals have been released they make their way back to the center since they love it so much. Nice knowing a place like this exists here. Our walk took us about two hours and the center is close to our hotel. When we arrived back at the hotel I picked up our laundry that I had handed in this morning. Are you ready for this? Three pairs of pants dry cleaned and pressed, six shirts, one top, nine pairs of socks and eight pieces of various under garments all for 390 pesos. Thats less than $20. Back home two pairs of pants at the dry cleaners cost me that. Dinner was spectacular. We were taken to a local restaurant that was very small. There were only three tables and one of the tables was long

Hi Everyone Where are we now? Would you believe Palenque, Mexico. We are in a jungle named the Lacandona Jungle. Let me give you a better idea. We are in the provence of Chiapas and around 100 miles from the border with Guatemala. Now that you know where we are maybe you can tell me. I have no idea except the hotel is in the middle of what appears to be a jungle. We started our day leaving Veracruz at 8:30. We had previously been told that this was be the longest bus ride of the tour and would last approximately ten hours based on the condition of the roads. I had not slept much last night since I wanted to make sure that I slept on the bus. We stopped at around 10:30 for our normal restroom stop. The countryside is very lush and pineapple and sugar cane fields were plentiful on both sides of the road. We saw very few field workers. I was told that these were large commercial farms. We finally stopped for lunch at about 12:30 at a large local restaurant. We were served platters of a local dish that had various meats and vegetables. The dish is called “Parrillada”. You then make tacos out of them. The tacos that are made here are made with a sort of corn flat bread and not the large chips that we use. One item that was unique was dessert. We were offered various flavors of ice cream served in the skins of the fruit flavors. An example is apple ice cream that was served in the skin of an apple. I have never seen this sort of dish done this way. It was then back into the bus for a two hour ride to an archeological museum in the city of VillaHermosa. VillaHermosa is the capital city of the province of Tabasco. As soon as we arrived it started to rain. We were all given light rain gear and met the local guide. Of course, I left my cameras on the bus. The museum was situated in a rain forest area and has been open for over sixty years. There was an animal named a “coati” running around. It looks like an ant eater with fur and a beautiful raccoon tail. There were also large areas of screaming monkeys, alligators and reptiles. The local guide showed us the stone structures that were excavated from an archeological site named “La Venta”. La Venta was built by people called “Olmeca”. The site was built more than 1000years ago and way before the Aztecs and Mayas. The Olmeca constructed large faces carved into large stones. The faces sort of reminded me of the pictures I have seen of Easter Island and the structures there. Having no camera I would advise people to google this site and see what I mean. One interesting face, was this large face where the subject had what looked like a helmet on his head. Some people say that these people saw aliens and they were depicting what they saw. Also, the tour guide told us that when they dug up many of the bodies, their faces were facing the sky. It was then back into the bus for a three hour ride to our hotel. We went over some very rough roads and arrived at our hotel in the dark at about 8 PM. The internet is horrible due to us being in the jungle so I am writing this blog from the lobby. We were told that we would hear screaming monkeys all night long. I started to have visions and memories of the African Bush. Tomorrow we visit some ruins that are not well known and traveled. We will also be exploring Palenque and the surrounding area. Fortunately we will be here for two nights. Laundry is a necessity. Love Larry

Hi Everyone So where are we now? Would you believe Verzacruz, Mexico? That’s right. The day started at 8:30 AM in Puebla. We first visited a Church that was closed yesterday in Puebla. The Church was decorated in the Baroque style and very ornate and beautiful. We only spent a few minutes there since Mass was starting. We then boarded our bus for our four hour drive to Veracruz. At about 11:30 we arrived at the town of Xalapa. Our tour guide had arranged a special lunch for us at a local coffee plantation. We arrived at the plantation at about noon. This stop was not on the tour, but our tour guide felt that we would enjoy this site. What I am about to describe is one of the truly amazing places that I have visited. This is one reason why I love to travel. You never know what you will encounter. The plantation does not entertain guests, but the tour guide and the owner made this special arrangement. The owner met us as we descended the bus. Her name is Marisa Moolick Gutierrez and the name of the plantation is “Hacienda de Pacho”. The property was purchased by her great grandfather in 1843 and has remained in the family ever since then. The original structure housed African slaves who worked the plantation that was purchased by Luis Pacho y Mexia and thats how the plantation gets its name. She is half Mexican and half American, having been born in Mexico but raised in California. She has lived on the plantation since the mid 80’s. Her great grandfather, Julian Gutierrez purchased the property in 1843. The original structure included housing for African slaves who worked the plantation until emancipation. The emancipation of the slaves took place when Mexico achieves its independence from Spain in 1821. Marisa’s great grandfather added onto the original structure by building a large house next to the structure where he and his family lived. He had nineteen children with his wife and fifteen reached adulthood. Both Julian and his wife were closely allied with Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana from Alamo fame. Santa Ana had a hacienda a short horse ride from their plantation. The fortunes rose and fell with those of Santa Ana. Santa Ana was the President of Mexico eleven different times. Julian Gutierrez passed away in 1857 and his wife, Damiana, operated the property until she passed away in 1895. After the two Mexican revolutions of 1857 and 1910, most of the property was taken by the government to be given to the local people. As we were being shown the property, Olivia commented that it sounded like the movie “Out of Africa” The movie starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford and is about Danish author Karen Blixen and her family’s coffee plantation in Kenya. There is also a chapel on the property and it is named “Our Lady of the Remedios”. The chapel or small church is very beautiful and houses the mausoleums of many of Marisa’s ancestors including her great grandparents. After we were served lunch, it was time to sample her coffee. I took the coffee black and was amazed byob the beach the taste and smell. The coffee has almost no acidity and drinking it black was easy to do. Marisa does not sell her coffee commercially. She has no website and only offers it to visitors and locals. We purchased one kilo for 200 pesos or $10 dollars. She needs to raise her prices. Marisa has no children and wants the property to remain as it is after her demise. I have some ideas and will be staying in contact with her to try to figure out the best way possible. What a gem and how fortunate we were to find and have this experience. It was now back in the bus with a two hour drive to Verzacruz. Veracruz is the largest port in Mexico. Most of the shipping into and out of Mexico goes through Veracruz. We checked into our hotel and all met in the lobby for a short drive to the beach. The sand looked almost volcanic and there were lots of locals playing on the beach and enjoying the beach area. Ivan, our tour guide, told us that one custom in Veracruz is that there are boys who dive for coins that are thrown into the harbor. He introduced us to one who was just finishing his day’s work. He was diving all day and made around $7 US dollars. People throw a coin in the harbor and he dives after it. It was then back to our hotel to have dinner. Fish is the dish here in Veracruz. I had conch fillet and started out with a side order of raw tuna and octopus ceviche. Was so fresh and delicious. We leave early tomorrow for a ten hour drive to Palenque. Our visit to Hacienda de Pacho was so special. The memory will stay with us for a long time. Love Larry

Hi Everyone Am writing my daily blog from Puebla, Mexico. We left Mexico City at about 8:30 for our three hour drive to Puebla. Along the way we passed by three volcanoes. They are named Pico de Orizaba, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. Bet you cannot say those three names. One is active and the other two are snow capped. The one that is active had smoke coming out of the cone constantly. Hikers are not allowed up to the active one anymore as it is in an unstable state now. We saw another smoking volcano in the Sacred Valley of Peru two years ago. We finally arrived in Puebla at around twelve thirty. There is a beautiful big public square in the middle of town. It seems that all of the cities that we have ever visited in the Spanish speaking areas of the Western Hemisphere have this town square in the center of town. The square has a central fountain and is surrounded by shops and restaurants on all sides. Before we arrived in the center of town, we stopped at a famous ceramic factory that has been making local ceramics since the mid eighteen hundreds. Each piece is hand made one at a time. Imagine making pottery in this way in America? What would each piece cost? It was then onto the center of town and lunch. Puebla is an old colonial town with lots of colonial buildings dating back hundreds of years. The architecture reminded me of Mexico City and Madrid. Balconies and beautiful sculptures done in a very ornate way. Of course, Puebla has lots of churches. Both Olivia and myself felt that Puebla reminded us of Arequipa, Peru. Lunch was enjoyable in a beautifully styled Mexican restaurant. It was then onto our hotel. The hotel is named “Quinta Real”. The hotel was a former convent that was originally built in 1593. There are two large squares and gardens with the rooms surrounding the squares. You eat outside on one of the squares. So beautiful and unique. Imagine the ghosts and spirits living here. After check in, our tour guide took us for a walk around town. We visited the Puebla Cathedral in the center of town. This is the church that should have been built in Mexico City and the Mexico City church that we visited should have been built here. This church was in far better shape than its sister church in Mexico City. This church is, of course, not sinking and has far less people to handle. We then walked the streets and even visited the first public library in the Americas. The streets were cluttered with lots of small shops, restaurants and small bands roaming around playing for tips. We then walked back to the hotel for a short rest and met at 6 PM for dinner. The US dollar goes far here. After taking a long walk around town, we settled on having traditional food. For eight of us including drinks and a tip came to 640 pesos or $32 US dollars or $4 per person and the food was excellent. Tomorrow it’s on to Veracruz. Love Larry

Hi Everyone I could barely get out of bed this morning. We walked so much yesterday that I kept on getting up all night long with cramps in my legs. Will drink more water today. Finally, Olivia woke me up at 7 AM and I burst to the shower and got dressed. Moises and Sandra met us for breakfast at the hotel at 8:30. We had an enjoyable and talkative breakfast and then planned our day. We were going to visit and climb the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan is located about a one hour drive from Mexico City. There are two large pyramids. They are called the Pyramids of the Moon and Sun. Running down the middle of the site is a large avenue that is named “The Avenue of the Dead”. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world. According to archaeologists, Teotihuacan was built by hand more than a thousand years before the Aztecs arrived. The Aztecs then gave it its current name. You can climb up the Pyramid of the Sun to the top, but the Pyramid of the Moon can now only be climbed half way. As we entered the complex, we saw a line of people climbing up the steps of the Pyramid of the Sun. Moises insisted that we do this first, since we were not tired yet. We started to climb and climb. We stopped at certain levels to catch our breaths and take some pictures. By the way, the Pyramid is 216 feet high. We finally reached the top and I felt a moment of exhilaration looking over this large and beautiful complex. We spent some time at the top walking around and just resting. It was now time to walk back down. Don’t think that was any easier. The steps are narrow and made of large hand built stones. Not level nor easy to walk on. Fortunately, there was a rubber hand rail so that you can hold on as you dragged yourself up and down. We also stopped at the same levels on our way down to rest and take more pictures of different angles and views. Moises acted as our tour guide. He told us that the Pyramids were built in various stages. When the Aztecs heard that the Spanish were coming, they purposely hid the pyramids by covering them with dirt and vegetation so the Spanish could not easily identify them. He told us that there are probably quite a few more sites hidden that need to be found and restored. We finally reached the bottom and walked down the Avenue of the Dead to the Pyramid of the Moon. Lining either side of this wide avenue, were vendors selling their wares. One item that struck my eye was a stone named “Obsidian”. Obsidian is volcanic glass that is black. The Aztecs used obsidian to look at the sun and the eclipse. If you hold a piece of obsidian up to one eye and close the other, the bright sun looks beautiful and you see it with darkness all around it. How did the Aztecs know this? I bought a large stone. Right before the Pyramid of the Moon was the “Temple of the Jaguar”. The site has been fully excavated, but the mosaics have not been restored. I hope that happens one day. It was now time to climb half way up the Pyramid of the Moon. Olivia decided to wait this one out. The steps were very steep, but I plowed my way through and couldn’t wait to see the view. I can tell you that the climb was worth the energy spent. The view was of the entire complex with the Avenue of the Dead in the middle. I took out my 18mm lens and clicked away. Got some amazing pictures looking over the whole site from this point. It was now time to climb down and walk the whole length of the Avenue of the Dead to the parking lot. How beautiful this site is and how it was built is a wonder to me. We finally reached our van and needed some serious food and drinks. Our driver took us to a restaurant that was close by named “La Gruta”. La Gruta is built in a grotto. You are led down a stone stairway into a subterranean dining area. There were portable heaters and most of the people dining were locals. Moises ordered for us since the menu was entirely in Spanish. The food was all traditional Mexican food. First came the appetizers. The waitress brought us a whole wooden dish of worms. The worms were roasted and tasted great. We convinced Olivia to try and she also liked them. The other appetizers were so good. I could not tell you what I ate but the food was great. Then came the main dishes. Tacos, goat meat, pork, vegetables and ant eggs were served. The ant eggs were very good. During our meal, dancers and singers entertained everyone on a stage. They were all dressed up in Aztec costumes. After our dinner we took the long ride back to our hotel. I felt sad that we had to leave Moises and Sandra. They have been such great hosts and showed us the real Mexico City. Hopeful they will visit us later this year. Tomorrow morning we travel to Puebla. I loved Mexico City and hope that I can return one day. Mexico City is a gem. The City is beautiful and the people are friendly. Love Larry