La Cucaracha

Sooo, have you ever had an encounter with a cockroach??? For me, yes...once when I was in Nicaragua, but that's different story...

So last Friday, as i was trying to fall asleep and was semi-conscious to the world, I felt something on my leg. Me being super smart, and super groggy, reached down, grabbed whatever it was (cause i thought, hey, maybe a moth got into my room), and chucked it across the room...I proceeded to turn on my light and search for whatever creature decided to crawl into bed with me. Lo and behold, this creature was in fact NOT a moth..it was a CUCARACHA!!!! AHHHHH! Yeah, gross, disgusting, i know...and the little booger was too fast for me to crush =( since then, I've seen two other baby cockroaches in my bathroom...they have been terminated...two on my terrace...they were fed to the ants...and just the other day, I found my Cucaracha friend that rudely decided to crawl into bed with me...literally...and crushed it with my handy dandy red converse! So, as of now, I am 5-5 in cucaracha elimination! WOOO!!

Other than the cucaracha boogers, I've had some geckos spend a night or too, but i don't mind. I like them =]

Picture isn't mine, but it's fitting!

First Week of School...and then some!

Wow, I can't believe I have already been in Mérida for over a week!! Time is flying by....a little too fast D=
So much has happened in the past week that I don't even know where to begin!!!

Let's just start off with everywhere I walk, I end up dripping in sweat...its gross..but hey, that's life here in the Yucatán for us gringos!

UADY- Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán...this is my new school, and I love it! The campus is open, so when you walk down the hallways, it is like you are outside...literally...with ants, geckos, gatos, tarantulas, and other creepy crawly bugs. It is starting to grow on me. If I wasn't graduating in the spring, I would definitely stay for another semester. There's palm trees and plumeria trees (my foot tattoo flower) everywhere!

Classes--- so, since my español skills aren't super great, classes have been a little struggle, but the great thing about UADY is the openness and kindness of its students and faculty. I am taking 3 freshmen courses (as a senior) and a junior level course, but I am ok with that. Classes include: Español, Orígenes de la Civilización, Historia Cultural del Área Maya, Historia y Evolución del Turismo, y Geografía del Turismo. My classmates are amazing and have become some of my close friends here....

...and now time to describe mis amigos nuevos!!!

So, these are just a couple of my new friends and classmates! I've hit it off pretty well and they have been great to me! Super welcoming and extremely helpful! I guess it was fortunate that we've had a bunch of cancelled classes...great bonding time =]

As for other excursions in Mérida, last Saturday (25th) I went to Dzibilchaltun, where more ancient Mayan Ruins are located...along with the largest series of steps in the mayan area. One of the temples there becomes illuminated when the sun aligns perfectly with the windows during the spring equinox. I also got to stick my feet in a cenote where little baby fishies had a blast attacking my feet. After that, the group went to La Ría Progreso where we kayaked in channels made by the mangrove trees! followed by fresh limonada and a yummy lunch at the beach. After a short bus ride back to Mérida, a nice cold shower, and a short nap, I headed out to La Noche Mexicana in el Remate de Montejo to meet up with Ellie (girl from my group) and some of her mexicano friends. We saw live performances of traditional dance, native to the Yucatán and México followed by a late evening snack of Panuchos.

Other than going to school, and taking small side trips to shopping centers, i've been walking...a lot..everywhere...hence the dripping sweat...hahaha

This past week consisted of classes, hanging out with mis amigos nuevos during 'class', ice cream, learning español, and taking random adventures into el centro for an evening snack at Café Chocolate

Orientation Tulum Day 2 and 3

(recap of thursdays adventures that i forgot to mention: tulum ruins, playa del carmen, and kayak in cenote grande)

Friday, the group visited Sian Ka'an, a Bioreserve in Tulum. What we thought was going to be a couple hour adventure turned into whole day extravaganza! the ride to Punta Allen was just over 3 hours...the adventure in the laguna was 3, and the trip back...lets just say it was rough...very very rough. At the reserve, we saw sea turtles, a momma and baby dolphin, and indigenous birds. we also snorkeled in the laguna It was really cool...but was a long day

Saturday, our last day in Tulum, we traveled to Cóba where we biked through the site were able to climb one of the ancient mayan ruins...it was exhausting, but the trip was well worth it. the view was amazing, and who knows if i will ever have another opportunity again to do it. My bike, with no breaks, was named Rey Misterioso...i thought it was a pretty good one! hahaaa.

After leaving Cóba, we traveled to an amazing cenote (an underground or above ground pool of water where limestone sunk or caved in due to underwater rivers). This cenote, Multum-Ha (mayan for water) was about 5 meters below ground in a cavern. the water was extremely refreshing. the only downside was the lack of oxygen, so it was easy to get out of breath. Def one of the coolest places i have seen. the picture is not mine cause i forgot my camera in the bus, but here is what it looked like:

After the cenote, we had lunch in the Hacienda Teya. Afterwards, we arrived in Mérida where i met my homestay family: The Nuñez Riancho familia

Orientation: Tulum

 

First day of orientation we went to Las Ruinas de Tulum and swam in La Playa del Carmen. While there, we saw some of the ancient Mayan Ruins as well as some of the natural inhabitants of the Yucatan. The Iguana and the Coati (a super cute little critter that looks like a lemur-anteater) and I also found a dried up puffer fish that became our new mascot, Ifsitafish that became our new mascot, Ifsita

Wednesday: Travel Day

Where to start??? ok, here we go.
I woke up at 330 am Wednesday after having about 3 hours of sleep and set off at 430 to the airport in a torrential downpour/thunder shower. Flight was delayed about 45 min.  and i didn't know if i was going to make my connecting flight from Charlotte to Cancun in time. I guess luck was on my side and i made it without a hitch to the wonderfully balmy, hot, and humid Cancun airport, met Diana and Francisco the program coordinators for UADY, and waited about 5 hours for everyone to arrive...fun times ;]
After about an hour drive, the group made it to Tulum and our hotel, Lo Nuestro, which was super adorable with its open floor plan and natural materials for its decorations and structure:

Had a group dinner at a local restaurant where i ordered enchiladas con mole (chicken enchiladas in a mole sauce, DELICIOUS). 

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

Packing my life away into two small suitcases! it's been a long day....hopefully i will get some sleep before my early flight tomorrow =D

Flight will land in Cancun, hopefully before 11:30 AM. Get to wait for the rest of the crew to arrive and then off to Tulum, which will be our home base for orientation! woooo!!

COOL PICTURES SOON TO COME!
Hasta Luego mis amigos! see ya in January
~Sam~

One Week

Hey everyone, one week left until i depart to the Yucatan for a semester!!! I'm going to miss everyone at home, but I can't wait to start this new adventures!
~Sam~