Opening Statement



Monday 23 July 2012

Mexico Diary 2: Mayan Riviera

July 23 2012

We slept in this morning. I was going to get up but kept drifting off back to sleep. It felt so good. A lazy stupor; a luxury I can rarely afford these days it seems. We went for a late breakfast. The heat outdoors was like a furnace blast as soon as we stepped out of our air conditioned room. Afterwards we went with Don and Pearl and booked a few excursions. Don and I are going out to sea off Cancun to go swimming with the whale sharks, then afterwards snorkeling on the "Island of the Women" I know I know. Please no jokes. I am Catholic......in the name of the father and the son and................Janet and I are going to see the Mayan ruins at Chitzen Itza on Friday. Apparently ground zero for the end of the world on 12 21 12 if you are a follower of the Mayan calender, which runs out on the solstice. Ha. I think we got ripped off for some pesos on the exchange rate, it should be 11:1 Canadians dollar. Am not especially worried or p.o'ed. I can't recall having spent a centavo since we arrived except for some tips. A very good deal all around.

We lay among the palm trees just back a bit from the sand beach all afternoon. There was a very pleasant sea breeze. We relaxed on these four poster beds, with  mattress, cushions, a thatched roof, and sheer curtains. I lay there enjoying a summer read most of the afternoon, between dozing off. There was a red flag on the beach. It was too rough for snorkeling. The waitress kept refilling our drinks or getting us sandwiches. A late afternoon sun shower hit as we walked back along the beach, but fortunately a golf cart came by and gave us a ride back to our rooms. I think I will have another nap, then we have dinner reservations for 7:30. Last night was Mexican food, tonight I don't know. Don and I leave the arrangements up to Janet and Pearl.

The Maya Riviera is located along the western Caribbean coast of Yucatan Mexico, south of the city of Cancun. It is a tightly secured 5 star resort area with police and military checkpoints on roadways in and out of the strip. To the north is Playa Del Carmen, a small city famous for it's silver market and ferry boats to the island of Cozumel. To the south is the Maya archaeological site of Tulum. A white sand beach stretches along the coastline with many underground fresh water rivers pouring out into the sea.

Inland is mostly Mangrove jungles where excavations continue to uncover and restore more of the long lost Mayan civilization. There are still over a million and a half modern day Mayas living in the Yucatan peninsula, many working in the tourist resorts, many more spread out and living a simple, traditional lifestyle throughout the countryside. There are natural biosphere areas, also a huge coral reef, allegedly the second biggest in the world, running the length of the coast. We visited here last year, and my blogs from then expand a lot more upon our location if you look in my July 2011 Archives at the bottom of this column.

Tuesday July 23

We walked out the rocky point at the end of the beach to the salt pool today. It is cut out of the rock, huge, oval, and facing the sea. There are three terraces of reclining chairs, sunbeds, a bar at the top, with tequila and international drinks, all included, with our stay. I don't drink myself, but our room bar is stocked with 40 ouncers as well as cans of beer, soda drinks, water and peanuts.

Anyway, the sea waves recycle the water in the salt pool, through a small passage way through the rock, bringing tropical fish with them. It was quite tranquil and quiet except for he sounds of nature. We swam and worked on our tans most of the day. We could watch and hear the big sea breakers crashing along the rocky shore of the point. It is very, very hot, but once again, a wonderful sea breeze. I was content to just lie there with nothing else I have to do.

The rest and relaxation are most welcome after the year from hell at school last year. It's ironic! The real problem lies with the adults, and not my class of Autistic students. I've managed to continue to administer and try to expand the program, despite many absurd and unreasonable roadblocks and expectations, with the help of OECTA TSU, where as many of you know, I am the 3rd Vice President, and have been acclaimed for another year in office.

I shored things up at school by the end of June, for the summer break, and have been trying to keep you in the loop on  the controversial OECTA PDT agreement since then. I am very pleased with this great holiday to recharge my batteries for the many challenges the new school year will undoubtedly bring, on both the union and my local school fronts. I love the good fight, this is true, but whew! I love summer too! Mucho bueno!

Our Mexican adventures will be ratcheted up a few notches with a number of exciting off resort excursions during the next few days. If they've seemed pretty laid back so far this year, well now you know why.

A Boa Constrictor holding up traffic on our way home tonight! 

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