Mexico – Punta Laguna Journal

28 Days

Yucatan, Punta Laguna, Merida, Si’an Kahn, Akumal, Tuluum, Tres Res, Rio Legartos




Punta Laguna – Jungle Quips

Push-start car…Dr. Limpiado…Chola! Chola! Chola Chole, okay, Chola!...nick dropping his water bottle 150 times…Cesare, “you drunk, man?”…Superman aka hombre estupendo!...candle wax burning…Neek! Neek! Juan! Juan! Magia con un piedra o cartas!...Cascabel…Quatro Nariz…The human-eating monster grub-infested living compost heap…Ms. Klingon…”When laura swims, her earpiece isn’t in…Cesare’s “hey man, I need Gatorade!”…”Whats your na-me?”…our radio-active pink-colored malaria pills…Chole’s surgical medikit that was only missing a stretcher…cosmic wimpout…train wreck…freight train…felt-tip rule…It’s not their body!!” (the okonowan argument)…”damn you, Salazar!”…”The turtle killers with PlanetAlien X staring the A-team”…”lightning bolt, go” (walking on the beach, Torin)…We’ll yukem with the wedgy stragegy…Bimbo es bueno…”Crotchal area”…style police…kin, kin, and kin…Zucaritas…flying wolenda rule…nar ludo…La Isla…Jalapeno-Mango Lollypops


Urban and Historical (25 accomplishments)

  1. Stayed in “Luz en Yucatan” in Merida.

  2. “El Mason” in Valladolid stay and dinner (flambé)

  3. Stayed in Club Med hotel and swam in pool, ate dinner

  4. Saw murals in the intricately carved “Gobiernos Palace”

  5. Saw the outer concrete design and mating room of the Montejo’s house

  6. Toured Merida’s center square

  7. Attended a Salsa concert in Merida’s night life

  8. Bought authentic hammocks in the attic of La Poblana

  9. Bought jaguar bookshelf heads in Valladolid and turtle figurines in an artesian’s market in Merida (necklace)

  10. Bought a shark-necklace, jaguar heads, and totem in Valladolid street vendor

  11. Used Valladolid Internet café

  12. Saw Merida Cathedral

  13. Swam in Los Aguas Rosas

  14. Saw over 3000 flamingoes, gathered flamingo feathers.

  15. Went to Mayapan and saw:

    1. Warriors, serpent, guardian room

    2. Great Pyramid

    3. Observatory

    4. Nunnery and sacrificial head shelves

    5. Dance Platform

  16. Went to Uxmaal and saw:

    1. Magician’s pyramid

    2. Great Pyramid (climbed it, too)

    3. Grand Pyramid

    4. Nunnery with 4 N-S-E-W walls of God doorways

  17. Flagging center stone

  18. Ball game arena

  19. Visited Chichen Itza and saw:

    1. Climbed interior steps and exterior Ku-Kul Kahn Pyramid (of Quetzalcoatl)

    2. Inner jaguar throne inside Ku-Kul Kan Pyramid

    3. Nunnery with attached government quarters (Chene)

    4. The 1000 columns, aka “Temple of the Warriors”

    5. Dance Platform

    6. Entrance to underworld building with mouth doorway attached to nunnery

    7. Grand Cenote used for sacrifices

  20. Visited Ek-Bellam

    1. Climbed pyramid

    2. Saw detailed mural

    3. Saw 4-way arch

  21. Visited Coba

    1. Climbed tallest pyramid, see tombs, ball court, arms, and nunnery

  22. Visited Tres Reyes for Graduation Ceremony

  23. Visited Akumal

    1. Snorkeled, saw sting rays, sand rays, phosphorescent water fish, parrot fish, giant turtles, baby shark, angelfish, and massive colorful fan coral and brain coral, conch, shell crabs, and sea coral

    2. Saw and dined in restaurant, tourist hotel

    3. Saw ethnic dances on stage; ate pineapple pizza and pie

  24. Saw three-walled arena and learned of Mayan certification and political practices

  25. Jumped in giant cenote in Valladolid


Cultural (40 accomplishments)

  1. 7 full games of soccer for pesos with gringos and Mayans

  2. Juggled and passed the soccer ball with Mayans

  3. Experienced 1st-hand, Mayan tortilla-making

  4. Interviewed Mayan women

  5. Dined with Mayan family in native grass hatch hut

  6. Experienced a Mayan kitchen, cooking preparation

  7. Slept in hammocks

  8. Taught an English class to over 10 Mayan ninos in Spanish

  9. Held numerous pure Spanish conversations with guides, scientists, and native ninos

  10. Ate over 10 indigenous Mayan home-made Yucatan meals including dishes such as panoochas, salbootos, soy with mushrooms, pollo mexicana, baby shark, orhcata, fish fillet, maize corn tortillas, lime soup, 20 pound watermelon, Mayan carrots, cabbage, onions, beans preparations, flan, flambé, plastic papas fritas.

  11. Showed magic tricks and performances to Mayans

  12. Witnessed a Yucatan family 6 month babtism of a baby girl.

  13. Partook in a water fight with over 10 ninos, which involved ammunitions such as tires, ludo, rocks, bottles, and gasoline cannisters!

  14. Witnessed a women’s government town economical craft-making convention

  15. Lived in a grass hatched palapa for a month

  16. Stayed in a Yunca Hacienda

  17. Ate real mango, ice cream, coconut in Merida

  18. Ate a guaya from jungle trees

  19. Attended “2nd school” graduation ceremony of Santos/Elogio and saw plays “Lost in the woods”, “Love always triumphs”, dances like “Luck”, “Mayonaisa”, “Machete Dance”, and songs like “We love our school, “Why school is so great”.

  20. Witnessed waltzes with Merindas at graduation

  21. Partook in festive graduation dances

  22. Interviewed farmers and experienced epicenter of Mayan life – milpas

  23. Won a single 2 v. 2 game of soccer for coca-cola 15-9.

  24. Learned about scene altars and scene fruit incenses and offerings of the Cha’ak rain god ceremony

  25. Saw ancient cenotes and “”death-jumped” into them!

  26. Saw real Mayan temples and worship altars

  27. Saw Mayan N-S-E-W altar sacrifices

  28. Examined Mayan beginner’s language guide and learned basic bobble-step uses

  29. Saw Dr. Vick’s half-ball court ruin in Punta Laguna

  30. Learned of Mayan ceremonial rain worships with incense, alcohol, tobacco, and sometimes marijuana

  31. Learned of vine swallowing from tribal worship

  32. Learned Mexican-oriented star constellations

  33. Saw the inside of and dined in a Mayan home and kitchen

  34. Learned how Mayans spend their time:

    1. Hammock construction – 15 days

    2. Kill food – 8 hours

    3. Rise at 5am, sleep 9 to 10pm

    4. Sew 2-3 hours/day

    5. Work at milpas daily

    6. 4 months to build house

    7. 6 years/wedding

  35. Saw smoke-blackened authentic Mayan kitchen and heirloom gun (no “tiro” bullets)

  36. Learned how some natives (Cesare) wear bones (vertebrae) of ancestors for worship

  37. Exchanged presents with Ninos Mayan

  38. Saw Milpas fertilization and growth

  39. Met Don Serapio, head of village, and discussed mission of SPTC and conservation.

  40. Discussed Mexican politics (PRD, PRI) with J.C. and learned of Pronatura’s constant preservation tactics.


Ecological (45 accomplishments)

  1. Tagged and macheted 2300m of E.U.A every 100m/50m, 30 tags

  2. Observed group of 7-8 howler monkeys

  3. Saw dead Fer-de-Lance in sabin tree

  4. Learned to identify over 20 different tree species by root, veination, leaf size and shape, twigs, bark coloration and texture, and fruit.

  5. Learned how Phd scientists take modifier observations of monkeys with mini-personal computers

  6. Learned how to set routes, way points, ranges, and tracts, with a GPS.

  7. Saw fusion and fission of spider monkeys and saw them tree jump, eat, pee, carry their young, rest, play, run on the ground, switch forests, forage, and end travel for the day on over 8 different hikes/excursions

  8. Did three beach (8k) hikes through Mexico trails, E.U.A, and path trails

  9. Looped all the way around the PL lagoon area and finished in Yodzonot

  10. Saw 6 foot long crocodiles in Coba

  11. Saw multiple spiders, caterpillars, frogs, insects, snakes, chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, lizards, iguana, and birds

  12. Saw over 6 giant sea turtles undergo midnight hatching and flight to sea

  13. Was given an herblore tour of medicinal plants by the head of the village, Don Serapio

  14. Visited the Si’an Kahn reserve and saw the swamp, observatory, unique root structures, foxes, woodpeckers, and toucans.

  15. Attacked by and killed giant spiders.

  16. Saw crops of Yucca, Yam, watermelon, peppers, corn, squash, gourds, and beans at the milpas

  17. Bushwhacked without guides or “Dr. P” to find Yodzonot trail.

  18. Saw multiple caterpillar species

  19. Learned about the “Heida” conservation groups like Pronatura and their communication on a broad spectrum

  20. Saw multiple fecal excremental markings/identifiers of monkeys, deer, jaguar, and birds.

  21. Saw monkeys in neat tent guaya

  22. Witnessed native guide, Elogio, climb tree for guaya.

  23. Saw the intrusive 50 people tourist group and understood the devastating impact of hyper-tourism on the delicate jungle

  24. Saw guide, Juan’s bee hive and learned how he treats the bees, sells and makes honey, and furthers production for two harvests.

  25. Learned detailed accounts of monkey behavior like rituals like 30 minute head staring, genetalia rubbing, initiation stares, down rituals, and grub eating and nest feasting and chained monkey abusing.

  26. Took close-up photos of spider monkeys

  27. Saw wild jungle quail, pigs, dogs, foxes, and cats.

  28. Learned of scientist Yon’s puma stare-down

  29. Saw the “cuevo de monos”

  30. Blue-tagged Mexico perimeter trails and watched scientists log site

  31. Explored, bushwhacked, and macheted Mexico, Guatemala, and E.U.A trails, returning by multiple different entrances and exits.

  32. Looped solo the Mexico trail for a double wrap

  33. Saw turtles laying eggs, being tagged, and retreating to the sea on the Si’an Kahn beach walk

  34. Saw turtle-shark suckers have mutualistic symbiosis while swimming in Akumal reef.

  35. Saw phosphorescent glow fish, fan and brain coral, sand ray, stealth manta ray, trumpet fish

  36. Saw unique swamp root structure that grew above grass

  37. Saw Rio Legartos Tiger swamp

  38. Swam in ludo and guppies

  39. Swam to La Isla reeds

  40. Witnessed Phd Yon’s monkey subgroup travels

  41. Witnessed Alejandra’s trajectory-domain research

  42. Learned of kin selection, altruism, and self-handicapping

  43. Learned of Phd mentoring

  44. Saw cenote rock formation and root structure

  45. Saw iguanas and other insects.



Yucatan Botanical Tree Identification


Medicinal Plants


Day 1 -- Yucatan

June 15, 2002

Our plane trip was really long. We sat in the scorching hot 40 minute plane to Indianapolis, then we took a 2:45 hour plane to Mexico. I couldn’t believe the humidity as I got off the plane. It was a huge gush, blast, of hot air. A guide, Juan Carlos, and Dr. Vick met us at the airport. Juan Carlos, although just a driver of the pickup, and chain-smoker, was an amazing conversationalist and witty as a political journalist (in hindsight he reminded me of a good friend, Lee Flayton). We stayed in this sweet club Med hotel made of adobe. I got a deluxe bed.


Day 2 -- Punta Laguna

June 16, 2002


It was hot, so after eating at a nice restaurant, we went for a swim. It was fun. Had a continental breakfast of pancakes, then drove to Punta Laguna. Once there, Dr. P went back to the airport to get his lost backpack, while we set up camp and swam. Then we went on a 2 hour hike through the paths and saw a group of 5-6 spider monkeys, a frog, leaf-cutter ants, wild dogs, and heard squealing wild pigs. Then we all chilled in the lodge and waited for Dr. P to return. He returned not having found his pack. The active Mayans cooked us an amazing dinner of “Panoochas”. This tortilla-like rolled food had beans, crusted lettuce and tomatoes. It was extremely filling and good. Then we sat and watched moths (3 gigantic softball-sized moths) and talked in the lodge (palapa). Then I went to bed after trying to perfect my card tricks for the natives and Cesare.


Day 3 -- Punta Laguna

June 17, 2002


I woke up at 4:15 am! I went running from 4:30 to 5:00 then we all convened for breakfast. It was before sunrise when we were waiting on the pavement for Alejandra and Elogio. They came an hour late at 7:30. Finally on the trail we saw schools of monkeys traveling above us constantly. We saw the two twin trees (Ichob in Mayan), Chaka, which has sun-burned-like bark and Chichen, which has poisonous berries and a sap that causes blisters, but can be used by the bark of the corresponding tree, Choka. We saw a pig, more leaf cutter, a spring capock tree, the huge Alamo tree, three omnipresent Pamas trees, and we began to know the names of the monkeys by their facial hair, faces, teste color (eww, the scientists were very scientific about all of this), and overall movement style. Then we came back, bathed, swam, and played Frisbee in the water, this was the most fun all day. When these little 13 year old kid Jose and I swam to the island, “La Isla”, I got to ask him a bunch of questions about his family and sports, and once we arrived at the island, he began doing things with the quicksand-like mush; it was really fun. I wanted to explore the area more, but I decided not to, for fear of getting stuck in the lake-like swamp. I asked him about his favorite animals – jaguars, panthers, and monkeys. He told me that he sold pictures of jaguars at the local market. It was a long trip, and it looked a lot like it was. I really wanted to swim longer, but I decided to return with Jose. We got back and these three scientists were here, one of them told me he was a “student of life”. That was really cool. Then I chilled in the lodge and ate lunch and showed Jose pictures. I got kind of frustrated at Dr. P on the hike, but overall it was okay. Dr. Vick flipped off a branch while seated and bumped her head on a tree. She had to return to the lodge to mitigate swelling in her arm. The coolest part of the day so far had been swimming and the farrago of monkeys. Later that day, after the swim I showed Jose and Alejandra, the scientist chick, pictures of my family and friends, grandmother, and sports; we nick, Chole, Sam, and another Mayan guys played BS and Crazy Eights (James’s favorite). After the lunch, I showed off some clever card tricks before the games, “What’s the name of the card?”, and “The Braue Force”. After the lodge activities we went to play soccer! It rocked, we played 30 minute halves in the intense heat and only lost to the mad soccer playing Mayans by 9 to 4. Soccer is so amazing because it’s internationally admired, followed, and practiced and played. It was a really intense game. I sweated buckets. We played on a concrete slab that could’ve been, and previously was, a basketball court. “Regetean muy rapido”, I said to Jose afterward. We had this awesome palapa thing for lunch. Eating here has been anything but bland. It’s been like eating at an organic La Super Rica everyday! (In hindsight: I can’t believe all of this was in a single day – talk about a full adventure – getting up early with a run really pays off for excitement later on!)


Day 4 -- Punta Laguna

June 18, 2002


We got to sleep in a little bit today (to 6:00 am instead of 5:00!) so “only” had to get up at 5:00 instead of 4:00am to run. Dr. Vick and Dr. P were concerned about Far de Lance snakes, but I assured them that, if dark, I ran with a light (to see the road, too!) and ran in the middle of the road. Chole came with me this morning which was kind of annoying, but I just ran ahead – fast. The dogs attacked us on the way back. It’s so weird seeing their ghostly glowing eyes (3 or 4 pairs of them) in the dawning lights. After the run and breakfast, I joked with Dr. P for awhile about how British Red coats were so hot in their ”suits” fighting. The heat was almost 90 degrees or so with intense humidity. We, then, went to go make trails with blue ribbon. We marked the main trail, which we used a machete and clear out a little bit, later. The Mayans are always smiling and so nice! We swam with them after the morning trailblazing. I caught some of their names – Manuel, Luis, and I and some other SPTCers became the human amusement park aquatic “ride”, when we began launching them and seeing how far we could throw each of them! After the swim we ate, 2 of Dr. P’s Latin School Lower School teacher friends came, and I took a nap (after bumping my head on an overhanging fluorescent lantern and knocking out all the batteries!) I was so frickin’ exhausted from swimming and soccer. Next we went back and retraced/verified our trail-making and got to talk to Dr. P’s friend about Costa Rican waterfalls and Volcanoes before they left. Some what really cool. Next exciting trip! It’s pouring now, making things pretty incredible. We saw the ancient pyramids, altar for watergods, sinkholes for water, more monkeys (I’m starting to be able to identify their names!) and learned all about Mayan religious worship, language, and saw their actual architectural remains. One thing that was really cool was that the population of ancient Mayan cities I unknown because some of the houses, the method archaeologists have used to estimate ancient population, were built without a foundation. Totally rocked! Oh yeah, I forgot to throw in an update of Dr. P’s terrible luck! He lost his back at the airport (they left it in Indianapolis) so he had no toiletries or clothes. When he asked the Mayan, Cesare, to get him a toothbrush, through miscommunication, he brought back a razor! His Casio watch got water in it and died, and his tent leaked, soaking all his stuff!

We learned a ton about Mayan worship, how they offer sacrificial liquid in gords, believe in “ill winds” that can steal baby’s souls, how the rain ceremonies brought rain every time Laura Vick attended them (5 to 6 times 100%)! And how you can conjure up evil winds if you enter a house out of breath after running and stuff.

For dinner we had a beans and chicken in broth. I did kp. It’s so frickin’ awesome being in a tent with heavy jungle rains pouring down around you. We talked for awhile after dinner, Chole did an ET impression, Laura talked about her ear implant, then we all did puzzles and games, Laura showed us a word game, and went to bed.

I forgot to add this, but we went, even though it was scorching hot, to see this woman’s convention in this abandoned pink building juxtaposed, oddly enough, to the soccer field! They had brought in an outside rep. that was speaking to the women about making, producing, massive amounts of cloth, with demonstrational pictures. These clothes, to be sold at markets, were all brightly colored and they discussed the process of bringing in pens, pencils for making the designs, the actual fabrics, the actual drawings, etc. all with posters on the wall, all concentrated into a small adobe building, sitting in the wooden school building and speaking, entirely, Spanish. The reason for doing this “governmental” meeting with the Mayan villagers is to allow them to economically save themselves internally, so people don’t just come in “from above”, kind of swoop down and take control of the Mayan way of life by shoving money and financial aid into their way of life. After the chicken dinner, this night, Sam and I did the dishes in the glowing light. It was a million dishes, came along slowly, but I was unaware of the burden because we conversed the whole time. So the treading lightly, not smothering with ecotourism and Mayan culture is part of goals down here.

At the governmental meeting, we were witnessing eth Mayan women expanding their defined semantic boundaries and socio system to adapt the marketplace ecosystem and protect the economical situation.

*Experience: It’s unfollowing, indelible scars with visual senses of the abrasive removed; it’s an impregnatable, imperishable, protected garment that hues attention of the other end, always has a garnished avenue – that you embrace everlastingly throughout life.



Day 5 -- Punta Laguna

June 19, 2002


Today frickin’ rocked! We did a 7-8 mile hike, tagging tracks and looped half-way around the entire Punta Laguna reserve in about 6 hours! 8-3 – about seven hours! I got some pictures, had some awesome conversations – talking about partying, running everything. It was spectacular! We flew on the way back at an extremely fast pace after our break.

I had a Nutella w/pancake for breakfast and coffee, and may play soccer later. If I ran this morning, I would’ve died on the trail! When Nick and I got back we dove in the water and were playing with the kids for two hours at least. We had these huge bottles – as, the gringoes, versus the Mayans. They air-raided us by jumping from the pier at us, splashing us and throwing various objects. They brought half a gas canister and a tire! Down to the lagoon, so they were using the gasoline canister as a submarine, ambush attacking vessel! Then they started really schooling Nick and I. In addition to jumping on us, sneak attacks, and “Superman” assaults, they began to launch “ludo” sand/gravel/rocks at us, while deceiving us with crying fake-outs (Luis did a huge belly flop) and wild sporadic jumping! We washed all of the dirt ingrained in our hair in the showers. It was a blast! I’ve never met such constantly alive, active, and energetic kids in my life!

They seemed to be full of air when I threw them! So light!

Nick and I were called snakes! This one kid in maroon, underwear/trunks always wore a goggle-mask and did “Superman” build-ups before he catapulted rocks or sand at us. They jokingly called me the “Fer de Lance”snake that tried to “eat” them. I loved using my Spanish, saying things like, Juego con ustedes mananas, pero yo como tu, tambie, porque yo so un alligator! All the kids called me tiborones, alligator, and Fer de Lance. The kids’ faces are so tranquil, and wild, with huge eyes, and they are always smelling, spinning, swimming, and kerplunking. Our trail walk today felt so tranquil and non-stagnant because of last night’s rain. It was probably seventy or so, with a breeze at our sit down break before we looped back around. Chole scared the crap out of me by shouting, on purpose, when I went, tried to find our distant campsite with binoculars. Oh yeah, on the way back I talked about the teenage mutant ninja turtles movie, and karate acting with Lisa for a job. After the swim, Nick and I were filthy so we took showers in the camp showers. A funny thing that we joked about is recording and putting on the SPTC website, was the sound affects of us trying to refill the 5 gallon water bags and hang them. From the behind the blue tarp separator, the people heard nick and I fussing about how to tie and hoist up the bag, then a huge “whoosh” and followed by a crack, and “oh, shit!” ensued much laughter. As the hose popped off and drenched my clean clothes while tying and hosting up the bag. In a few days, we will apparently lead an English lesson to the Mayans, to help repay our soccer debt and to teach them English to the eager young Mayans. Right now, I am sitting in my tent undergoing the most massive torrenting rain I have ever encountered. It feels like Nick, (the dude on the other side of the tent – kind of like the college roommate. Conan O’brian says everyone has a weird college roommate. Nick wasn’t that weird, so I probably was the weird college roommate!) and I are, as we drift off to sleep, encased in some kind of jungle bubble. All the bugs must be trying to get in hear for miles around – the only dry spot in the jungle – encased by so many insects right now. This rain, so thick and powerful seems to come in sets of torrents which come in waves, so you think it’s letting up, but then it’s just getting ready for the next torrent. On a different note, one thing I noticed about Laura, is her linear send/receive form of communicating backed with such a pensive, usually pretty funny, response – it’s great. The palapa (the lodge) has to be pretty loud in the rain.


Day 6 -- Punta Laguna

June 20, 2002


This day was pretty chill and laid back, seeing that we were allowed to sleep into 8:00, , and chilled at the palapa, for the entire day, while Dr. P went with J.C (Juan Carlos) to get his bag in Tuluum (In hindsight: interest how unproductive we are when the P Doctor wasn’t there. That guy pioneered all of the jungle excursions and spearheaded the whole program). We wrote letters, exchanged tree/monkey notes, and developed our lessons for los ninos to teach them English. During the free time chunk I went for an 8km run down to this secondary lagoon. The lagoon resembled, precisely, the lagoon I described (fictionally) in my 7th grade Kenya story. I came back – drenched with sweat and rain, rounded up nick and played soccer with the little kids in the rain. When it was really pouring the kids began to splash and play in the puddles and nick, Santos, and I, later kicked around the soccer ball. Nick and I, decided, later, that we would purchase new nets for the boys tomorrow in the tour of Merida.


Day 7 -- Merida

June 21, 2002



Today we woke at 4:00 am for Merida. We all climbed in the two cars that Dr. P rented the day before, one of which we would later find out (to our chagrin) could only be started with a “rolling push-start” and handed out. After locking up the Punta Laguna gate, the drive was about 3-4 hours to Merida. Once their, we immediately checked into El Luz en Yucatan – the light in the Yucatan, which was a beautiful hotel owned by an extremely eccentric woman, whose original design was to use the building as a hotel for fat people! Wow! It had an atrium, and my room had two upstairs beds, and one lower room which had a TV and a big double bed, which Dr. P claimed (I don’t know what the chicks sleeping situation was like, but this was surely different from the jungle)! After getting settled, we strolled out and checked into the town (atleast, I couldn’t get over how the whole place looked so European – like Spain). Next, we grabbed a killer lunch of Pineapple Pizza at a Pasta/Pizza sit-down restaurant, trying to shoo off hammock vendors while sitting down outside. Next, we went to the Governor’s House to see some amazing paintings about Mayan suffrage and education. I guess they really fixed up the place for Hilary Clinton a while back, preserving the art! After the Governor’s place, we toured the center square and checked out the amazing architecture of Mantigo’s House. This had some amazing pillars and architectural carvings, It was pretty spectacular seeing the building that housed the Mayan’s, then the Spanish conquerors in the 1500s.


(Hindsight realization: I obviously prefer the jungle, the simple, wild exciting jungle or ocean to any complex architecture or urbanely constructed cultures. But transitioning from living in the jungle to seeing the Mayan ruin constructions and the urban city life, I could see how that transition occurred, thousands of years of construction and it’s really not the right direction! It’s the wrong direction! Then you have floors to vacuum, hinges to oil, all this crap that you don’t need that distracts you and keeps you from the things that keep you alive! I’m so thankful I got to experience that raw jungle so I know it exists, but most importantly so I can go back and live init and don’t have to settle for sub-par life – urban life. I hope everyone gets that flavor, some people may not like it, but at least experiencing it, you can then choose – you will actually possess volition of your destiny – between those vastly different environments. Secondly, ideally, I’d like to be in an urban life, like it was the jungle, meaning feel and live with as much enjoyment as I do in the jungle in the urban life. Well, that’s what I’ve done for the past 5 years, and it’s not fun. It’s not exciting. It’s hard, grueling work. In a way, I’ve been on 5 year Peace Corp in the United States! Returning home, is going back to that jungle, the exotic environment that I love. I’ve been played like a tuba by foxy, conniving women so I am very unlikely to fall for that trap again, and it’s really kind of exciting realizing this positive connection that’s more than a mutable neuro-association, but just a raw visceral connection with that jungle life.)


The shiny ancient wood was encased and the carved pictures and sketchings were extremely interesting. After that we went back to shop in the hectic markets of Merida. The colors, sounds, and smells, all were whooshing by in a flurry of excitement. We went to a renowned, hammock store, La Poblana, and got dragged upstairs (just like in turkey w/carpets) for a hammock demonstration – we all fought bought hammocks. Huge sales gimmick, which we all got sucked into. Next we went to their Mayan Artesas store, and I bought a necklace, carved turtle and jaguars for my parents. It turned out I left my camera in that artist’s store and I, Dr. Vick, and the group, had to return back to La Pablana and the artesian store. The guy sold me my merchandise, luckily, had saved my camera as well. We, then all went back to the Hotel, showered, caught some of the Brazil/England game and cabbed it to the archaeology museum. The Mayan artifacts were astounding, but I was incessantly intrigued and interested in their origin and original purpose. Dr. P confirmed that I, in my doubt, had a strong scientific mind. It was weird being in an air conditioned building for so long and I felt disorientated upon leaving. We had some personal time to shop and get a soccer goal net for our Punta Laguna natives, candy, and waited for Laura Conway. We then ate at a restaurant with J.C. and had panoochos, cokes, and lime-chicken broth. I felt really groggy after dinner (different diet? Too much dinner?) We then got some ice cream, mango, and coconut sherbet, checked out the late night fiesta scene of salsa bars, came back and then hit the hay.


Day 8 -- Mayapan

June 22, 2002



Today I woke up in the comfort of a spring mattress, but surprisingly didn’t sleep all that well. I showered, threw on clothes, and left to try to make a phone call. The phone call ended up being futile w/out a calling card, but I found another hammock deal and bargained a blue and white hammock down to 150 pesos. Frustrated about not making my call, I grudgingly returned to the hotel for coffee, wake up of others and “deportation”. Our room really was like an apartment and some guy’s sweaters were left in it! I bought a fan before we sped off to Mayapan. On the way, I had an amazing conversation with Dr. P. We started of talking about comedy, comedians, Cosby, styles of comedians, how they are all bitingly witty and intelligent, by how they work behind the scenes in order toe release the burden of others. It shifted and rippled through history, origins, culture, the radicals (trend-setter people who have to push ideas for conservatives to evolve. Johnny Carson, being the family-man comedian, Cosby, and Eddie Murphy (I told the ice cream taunt from his stand up line).


We also talked about me switching schools, how that planted seeds of change, and the social arenas that opened for me (In hindsight: those seeds of change and opening social arenas prove to increasingly invaluable, opening, and awesome). We discussed James, and his strong focus on grades, and not love of learning. How he can be un-relaxed and, but great guy and proficient.


Dr. P told me about Latin. How the Upper School has so much power but little perspective, and how seeing the 3rd world – slow changing, non-technological countries -- creates huge perspective. Dr. P is a radical, so he pushes the brink and allows the history to fill in, or something.


Mayapan rocked. So incredible seeing the sacrificial area, the dance platform, Great Pyramid, and the serpent platform.

Then we headed to Taab’s Hacienda, which was glorious – like a museum with its incredible construction. It was a summer-house really. I went for an 8 mile run toward Selecum from Yunca. I passed motor scooter guys, and felt extremely awkward running shirtless through the strip of 20 houses with Mayans giggling and staring at me. It was really cool when I, on the winding road, was approached by a biker Mayan who asked me “how far”, and if I was going to Selecam. I told him it was 12 km to Selecum, but could be 24 km on the return, so I hauled off and told him good-bye. When returning, J.C. had drove up, chatted with him, ate our Panoochas, and watched movies in the 30 foot high ceiling. Nick and I saw L.A. confidential, Sam and Chole probably went to sleep earlier on, and then we climbed into our hammocks to crash.


Day 9 – Uxmaal & Punta Laguna

June 23, 2002

Today, I work up feeling fresh with odd circulation because of the hammocks “u-shaped” sleeping arrangements (all the blood goes to your center torso). I plunged into the water for a swim, avoiding the few bees in the pool, while Nick picked Avocados. We ate breakfast, packed, said good-bye to the single, Hacienda lady praying in the church, and sped off to Uxmaal. Uxmaal was incredible! It was pretty touristy, has French, Spanish, American – all tourists. We saw the governor’s palace (my favorite), Magician temple (named after the mythical magician who “built” the massive structures), the game arena, grand pyramid, and the nun’s square w/ 4 N-S-E-W walls housing their respective gods.


We got a huge lunch because I was starving of grilled chicken, guacamole, and tortillas. When we stopped at the gas station, I commented to Nick about “how this is a good gas station bathroom”. We both recognized that knowing “gas station bathroom quality” is an emblem of a true traveler. The snack store was closed, so lollypops from my pack in the trunk, and Chole got to pee, so, good stop. 4 hours until Punta Laguna! I read some more of the books I snagged from the Hotel del Luz. When we got back we ate dinner, even though I felt delirious. Nick and I scrubbed the dishes and went for a quick late night swim, with Dr. P, looking out for crocodiles.



Day 10 -- Punta Laguna

June 24, 2002

Today I slept extremely well. I woke up and went for a long, slow run to the 8 km 2nd lagoon from 7:30-8:30. Then Dr. P left and we finished our lesson. After that, we played in the lake with the kids, got some pictures, and handed out candy, eventually to everyone! Nick and I got massacred in the water near the docks with sand beamed at our eyes and lodged in our eyes. I had to take a break to take out my contacts. I came back to even out the candy distribution, and I showed off “magia” with a French drop from the ear. We had a little lunch, then I chilled in my tent for awhile, reading and listening to music before going on a 4:40 hike. I got to try out my gaiters while Dr. P wielded a machete. It was a vigorous hike, up to the right before where we went to before, and I described to Dr. P, my dilemma of RLT or Yucatan for the summer. We headed back, for panoochas. I took a late night skinny dip to cool of, read some Motorcycle Maintenance, and then hit the sack. I started to get really homesick earlier on tomorrow, Day 11, I missed restaurants, good-crunchy breakfasts, carbs, surfing, pool-hanging, popcorn, ice cream (my favorite food), but this rocks here. 14 more days!


Day 11 – Punta Laguna

June 25, 2002

Woke up today at 5 sharp. I was exhausted from all my swimming, running, and walking exercises yesterday. I ended up going on the Estados Unidos hike with Dr. P, Yon, Laura C., Elogio, Macedonia, and myself. We ended up walking 7-8 km! At first I was waking up slowly and felt extremely homesick. We saw a group of 4-5 monkeys and Yon gave me a current E.U.A census of the monkey sheet. We continued to march to the other side of the lake because we heard howler monkeys! We ended up passing our farthest part we had gone, and had to mark new trees with tape. The Howlers ere close to the end of the lagoon trip, and were probably, audible back 2 miles across the lagoon at our camp.

They were huge, voracious, pugnacious, and almost bear-cub-like looking monkeys. There turned out to be 8 growling/screaming monkeys farther in the treetops. They sounded like a dying jaguar or a group of jaguars cackling. They sounded like a demons cackling or chuckling deeply. We stayed at that site for almost an hour until 9:30 or so. We then continued up a ways, steering through dense medium-sized tropical jungle (which I found out, later, was 15 years old from Elogio), until we arrived at a rocky clearing near the lagoon with the sound of ripples echoing on the vacant shore. The plan was, because we were 2 miles by boat opposite the palapa, to take a side trail and continue to a nearby street “cartera”, sitting and relaxing for half an hour to 11:00am. It was incredibly welcoming and comfortable.

With Dr. P, I talked about kin selection, furthering one’s gene pool through self-sacrifice towards kin, and applications of self-handicapping play amongst “Hyaidias?” primates. This conversation rocked because I totally see the humor implications and applications, where the evidence plays into. The evidence shows that the dominant juveniles play more gently when away from the heard male, for sake of maintaining a playing relationship. Yon, Dr. P, and I all talked about Yon’s studies and Dr. Ps co-written paper with a student. We could see the docks, palapa, and parts of tents with binoculars from where we were located across the lagoon! It was incredibly cool because it was what I wanted to do diagonally (by swimming across). We finished up the rest and continued to the main road. I, earlier, ended up talking with Dr. P about how to teach, buying goggles, using memorization and notes for understanding, and categorizing or outlining knowledge. On the way back, I got to thoroughly practice my Spanish while walking with Elogio. I asked him about some berries, the size of the forest, the one we were in was about 30 years old and much more together and tougher than the other, younger forest. I looked on the map, later, what type of forest this was and it proved to be medium as opposed to successional forest (which makes sense because of its developed size). He told me about how the nearby visible forest had been treated with chemicals and slash-and-burned. We, actually, did end up circling the entire lagoon! We hugged the lagoon on the SW trail, stopped at NW. Then cut to the “Cadillac” (very wide trail) that goes to the Yoozmat and went to the main road I run on. When I got back, I thanked Elogio for the long trail fun trip and asked him about his garbage “situation” (which they snuck on tourist buses?). We talked about how fast the kids think and talk and then said good-bye. Upon returning, I was waiting to see how many times Nick’s water bottle fell out, but, instead found him to have a 102 degree fever, Laura off to the “Peru” part of the jungle, and Chole concerned about “Dr. Limpiado” (Dr. P). They ended up going to see the doctor while Sara, Laura, and I stayed at the palapa. I practiced coin tricks while sweating off pints of sweat in my tent. When they returned, they reported having “amoebas” in their digestive system and “Dr. P” had a very serious, angry, doubtful expression on his face – obviously doubting his own leadership capabilities (in hindsight I think he was doubtful of the diagnosis, not his own leadership skills, which are exceptional). Up until now this has been a la, but now, because of “Dr. P’s constant rants of practicing sanitary conditions, we had to clean more bottles, but Chole was freaking out and I need to relate to her. He’s trying to create communication between campers and myself? Sam and I busted out of the palapa to play soccer – a huge relief – 4 on 4; we lost but both teams drank mugs of Coca-cola with ice afterward. We, then, went back to the palapa for a dinner. I was too hot to eat, but ate it anyway. We had dried chicken with the anxious, obscured conversationalist, Chole, got really frustrated with her – kept my cool, and might go for a late night swim (in hindsight, when Nick and Chole got the Amoeba bug, Chole started ranting around, this was when everyone flipped out on the trip and it was where we truly “left civilization” and most everyone was at the end of their rope with heat, and conditions – I still loved all of it, though) Oh yeah, I had some great talks with Sam about Chole's “self-concentration” but caring-for-others syndrome and her inability to have facial expressions, but liked connecting with people, which is how I read emotions.


Day 12 -- Punta Laguna

June 26, 2002

This morning, awoke at 5, again, scrambled for gear – no raincoat, light, so lighter. I went with Alejandra, Lindsay, Jennifer (just met her), Sara, Laura, and a guide (in hindsight this could be the fun day and yesterday was the work day) through the backwoods (in hindsight, I was shocked at how un nervous/excited I was – I was just so focused on the jungle – traveling with 5 women, a guide, and myself). We were flying through the woods moving at an incredible pace, trying to track down Poncho for Alejandra to document. We were almost running through bushes, booby-trapping vines, and rocky sinkholes (it was truly something out of Indiana Jones). We stopped and rested at this cool combination of medium (forest medium) and successional forest) with more towering trees. Jennifer the new, fit, kind of snotty girl got heatstroke and had to turn back. She was just in shape and couldn’t deal with the pace, they said they hadn’t eaten anything, nor felt jetlagged, so it was just their inability to keep up and cope (in hindsight, I realized, man, I was being pretty harsh and inconsiderate, kind of a toughen up or get out approach – well, I had gone through the intense heat of the jungle, too, and that was the best way around it). We, consequentially, decided to head back to the “Palapa-slash-sickbay” housing the amoeba-infested Chole and Nick w/Dr. P. Sam dropped out because of her ankle while Lindsay crashed because of her friend.


Alejandra, Laura, and Algusto, and I continued on at a pretty rapid pace, careening throughout Guatemala, Mexico, then E.U.A. We ended up continuing to 10 minutes away from the back scene that we went to Yesterday. I snapped a picture of Alejandra and Algusto, and Alejandra showed us in detail about her research methods here. She explained how she took GPS readings under the monkey-housing trees, plugging that into her laptop waypoint program to see the entire home domain of individual monkeys. She also showed us her small hand-held computer used for recording monkey individual habits, activity, aggression, etc. It was extremely informative learning about her Phd. We talked about what we missed from home, newspaper reading, and keeping up with the world. We discussed opinionated authors vs. true informatives, like the Economist. We discussed reading current (100 years) history of USA/Mexico. I really want to find a good book on US political/history (in hindsight I took 10 political science CC classes and read a big-time entire book on American history, so I definitely did that, now that that’s al crossed off, going back to Mexico certainly wouldn’t hurt!). Back at sickbay, everyone was clearing up and playing “cosmic wimpout”! This rocked, with cracking jokes about “revenge aspects” for “Dr. P” toward Samantha, when deciding to land on me or her. He didn’t heed my “financial dice advice”, but I couldn’t get revenge anyways. Afterward, rice and beans lunch with mucho spices and we joked about “what do have, weak bones?” with football players. Our conversation continued through old chicken, while reciting “Speed” trivia (the movie). (Oh yeah, we shared tree notes, after I – hehe – successfully complete the tree “medications forest” sheet. “Cosmic wimpout” turned out to be a hilarious success.


We all joked at the creators and how fun it was in the arena of their crazy, outrageous game! It was so much more freeing and we ended up laughing so hard. Chole was in her snotty, silent mode (in hindsight, 2007, yikes, something about Chole was obviously getting under my skin – ironically it was the women I was attracted to that pissed me off the most at that time!), but we all had so much fun doing “train wrecks”, “triples”, “sun with circles” etc. – it rocked! I’m off for a late night noon run! At lunch we joked about how “Wonder Bread” can be compared to a peanut-sized pill and taken as a tablet, while singing the “Bimbo” to pan tostadas. When asked about an explanation of unmarked bread, I said as a native would explain, “No, es bueno, Es Bimbo! Es Bimbo!” Apparently a trusted bread company. Lunch and cosmic wimpout rocked. Nick was stuck before 35 for half the game but caught up big time with a switch of places. I got stuck in last, thanks to Dr. P, and had to hope for a 500-point freight train!

After my sixth run to the water pond, Sam and I decided to watch the soccer game, but while walking down the Punta Laguna road, we ran into our pack of 10 little students (all equipped with pen and pencil), thought it would be awkward if the teachers came and students left, and “escorted” them to the Palapa. We set up the white board, two long center tables, and taught, “Who am I” (“my name is”, “I am 18 years old”, “I am from Chicago”, etc.) “`1-100” numbers, “Family terms”, and jungle animal names (snake: cascabel, serpiente, jaguar: jaguare, etc.). Aside from the crying kid at the end, the watermelon – a nice touch, we did everything really well. We then left the precious kids for dinner at Don Ramos’s house (Santos’s father), who was still working in the milpas (farm) upon our arrival. Nick and I found ourselves seatless and mealless in the quaint grass hatch hut with swinging hammocks and long center-tables, because Don Ramos had not made enough bean-filled tortillas for nine people with tomato sauce. I was shocked at how similar Santos’ habits were with my family’s habits. He came home after a long day of school and sports , watched TV for awhile, then he performed some math homework. He was the one who enjoys running and told me the distance of my second lagoon run! It’s a 180 degree context – to hammocks and hut but our family styles were very similar (in hindsight, watching TV, doing homework and liking sports are pretty common interests and it’s not to shocking the similarities. I just expected everyone to be totally different, but we’re all people, so that makes some connections). Came back, swam, brushed teeth, made a chocolate drink with Cesare, and grabbed Sam’s toothbrush in the dark night instead of the spoon! I, amazingly, really started to feel at home here today. (In hindsight, it’s interesting how the trip to Santos’s house – feeling like home – and how that immediately followed me writing about my feelings of homesickness. After writing it and/or sharing it, it got resolved!) I missed sacrificing some time tonight to write, then, instead of talking to “about to crash” Nick back at the Palapa hammock. Early this day I was seriously pondering going to SB soon, mainly because I want to spend time with my family for my last summer before college. I’m only seeing my dad for a few days in SB. Just like everyday here in Punta Laguna, I have to soak up the juicy marrow from those days, as well (in hindsight, I was putting WAY too much concern into spending time with family. My biological family says “hi” listens to my travel stories for a few minutes, shares one or two sentences at best, and then goes on to whatever they’re doing in their life. They aren’t indifferent at all; they just definitely have their own things going on, which are fantastic, and aren’t waiting around for me to come home! I’m interested in creating a family situation that I wouldn’t want to stay away from and connecting with the family life probably in Hawaii, Mexico, or LA). Cosmic wimpout and talking with Alejandra helped me overcome my family sickness by creating a quasi-family atmosphere here.


Day 13 -- Punta Laguna

June 27, 2002


Today I awoke at 6:30, pretty sleepy-less scrambled for gear and clothes and I got to make coffee! The extra 1:30 of sleep really put me in top shape for the vigorous hike with “Dr. P”, Nick and Chole. We started out a little after 7:00, armed with 2 machetes, 2 sets of snake gaiters, and 2 sets of gloves. At our depot, Dr. P told me to switch to a “daypack” from my “bottle-strapped to fanny pack” method. I got the pack, reluctantly, then when he was tacitly encouraged, I resisted. I told him that I could have my hands free by strapping gaiters to my feet, and on the trail I later informed him of my “predisposition” to not wearing a backpack while hiking because of chiropractic ailments after my military-like RLT trip last summer. We started in Mexico and continued through to E.U.A, talking movies (“Rainman”, “Greencard”, and “A River Runs Through It”). Then Nick and Dr. P strapped up gaiters and began to hack through a connecting side trail – creating a new one. Chole and I plodded ahead of Dr. P and “Nick”, so they could have a “beacon” to look toward.


Chole and I talked about how much we missed our families, while “Dr. P” and Nick looked up to us. I was emphasizing the limited time I had to spend, this summer, with my family. The connecting trail the “Dr. P” and Nick hacked ran into a marked trail connecting-side trail. We backtracked to get our gear and remerged at the end of the nearby flagged trail where Dr. P and I got into a huge disagreement about our direction and location. Both of us were confident about our directions, and both resilient. I, and Nick, both recognized, quickly, that we had completed the square with a connecting trail. “Dr. P” maintained grounded on his impenetrable pedestal of thinking the connecting marked trail was an exterior trail! We argued, brought out compasses (in hindsight, kind of sounds like a cowboy/intellectual “draw!”), backtracked, and drew maps for awhile before giving up the issue and starting another dead end – useless trail. The trailblazing was fun and we definitely became more aware of the trails, but it got pretty busy and/or boring at the end.


I did my 7th 8km run down to the lake again. I did it, relatively fast 45-50 minutes in scorching heat, and I missed the swim with the kids. After performing a quick magic trick, I ate a PB and J/Nutella bread lunch, and played “cosmic wimp-out”. Cosmic wimpout was still, after 2 games today, riveting with “Dr. P’s” beer-drinking, wise-cracks, Laura’s obsession with the game (she was seen rolling dice by herself – “practicing” - alone near the game), and the crazy “shnide-stinker”.


Next we went back to Don Ramos’s house to interview his wife, while she made tortillas in the kitchen. The shiny-smoked black wood, which adorned the kitchen roof gave off this incredibly sage-like, smooth, hickory smell. The kitchen was also filled with all types of little trinkets – heirlooms, grain, frijoles, hanging cups, etc. We asked a ton of questions, and after the interview, and sensual kitchen experience, I began to see a concrete topic for my anthropological emphasis of this trip – “Examining similarities/differences in Mayan/American family dynamics in how the culture(s) spend their time, examining each family member” (in hindsight, this is will make me comfortable and relaxed looking at American families just as research! Not necessarily trying to connect them to live, but to connect for research!) I found, for example, most of the time within Mayan families (3-6 hours) is spent cooking 3 daily meals. We took pictures, thanked them as heartily as we could through limited Spanish tongues, and left.


Walking back to the reserve, Nick, Chole, and I saw, and were invited to play soccer in the “concha”. It’s amazing how amazingly casual we shifted from superb “best of the best jungle trailblazing” to anthropological social experience, to nature soccer out here! You go from jungle trailblazer to Phd anthropological researcher to Mayan futboladore) and quickly returned for a 1 hour 4 v. 4 soccer game. It was so heated. They had Pepe in goal, 100%, Santos performing moves and flicking assists, and Juan coring all their 8 points. We lost 7 to 8 (in hindsight, I realized we lost about every soccer game against the Mayans. Wonder if it would have been the same if it had been basketball). Nick scored 3, Cesare 4, and I shouted “ganamos” when we were winning for the first time ever 6-7!


It seriously seems like they are just teasing us on, but after losing my 3rd game this closely played, I’m more determined. I decided not to buy Coke. We repaid Cesare 25 pesos for losing today and yesterday, and dove into the lake. Chole, Nick, and I with goggles, all practiced butterfly, before being called out of the calm, relaxing water for an incredibly “soy and mushrooms” Mexican meal with, of course, tortillas. During dinner, and continuing about an hour afterward in the dark candlelight, “Dr. P”, Nick, Sam, and I talked movies – recent, comedy, horror, Halloween, A.I., Nicholson – everything. I got tired, had my nightly orchata/chocolate drink, and went to bed (in Hindsight, this day was like 5 days in one and seriously got a lot of great things covered that I was interested in – butterfly, movies, etc. maybe yesterday was everyone else’s day!). Today rocked! I got to see a really funny, laid-back side to Dr. P today when he drank beer and played “Cosmic”, he remarked how good the meal was, our trail disagreement, of course, his movie talks, and his newly revealed east-coast “Justin L. –like” comedy and wisecracks – cool guy, I’ve realized, maybe just a little stressed with duty (I also realized this is one of the few teachers that I’ve connected with like he was a friend instead of an authority figure. This was a trip full of life breakthroughs!) We knocked shoulders in joking agreement when I kept asking 3 or 4 times if I could take identifying bark from a tree with a knife and he said “No” every time! Funny! Oh, one funny thing this morning: Cesare was standing in the center of the kitchen, stirring his coffee and laughing. “Dr. P” and I looked at each other, I flashed a questioning eyebrow to Dr. P and Cesare, and Dr. P responded “I don’t know he’s always laughing about something.”

Then I responded, “Yeah, like he peed in the coffee or something!” Dr. Ps vocabulary is pretty frickin’ impressive. Chole and I bonded, learned more about Dr. P, and Nick, Sam, and I got down with some of the villagers, too. Killer Day! (In hindsight, after the argument with Dr. P I definitely seemed to respect him more, in some ways, kind of evened out the relationship so I could connect with him, instead of him being only the commandeer of the program!).


Day 14 -- Punta Laguna

June 28, 2007

This morning we got up way too early – 5 am. I quickly strapped on gaiters, downed some coffee, sit-ups, barely made it to the cross road to meet Macedonio for our all-day-tree analysis walk. We all had our tree identification sheets, and gear, except for Chole, who apparently didn’t even bring binocs to Punta Laguna! She and “Dr. P” got into a fiery argument about “Chole’s” funds running out and not being able to afford the binoculars. The argument became detached from us, when “Dr. P” told us to go on identifying the trees. During this argument, I realized the significance, and consequences of not having binoculars (I had forgotten mine, too!), booked back to my tent, and snagged mine during a “bathroom break”. Macedonio showed us:

Dr. P and Chole caught up with us when we were entering the “medium forest” list and about to go on to the 6 successional forest trees. In all, after mastering trunks, leaf, fruit, branching systems, and flower identifications, we will be able to identify 20 different trees. After bagging leaf samples with fruit we went back to the Palapa and exchanged notes such as variation pattern, leaf pattern, modeled bark structure, tendon, bark color/striations, and got detailed descriptions of all the trees. We lounged around for awhile because we were all so exhausted, then I eventually went for my 8th 8km run after realizing the palapa had too many bugs and my tent was way too hot. (See sidebar for my 8km run experience).


Cesare almost ran with me, but had to go to Tuluum instead with Dr. P to pick up the rentals. Man, the road is always crunchy and barren and today, like most days, there was this incessant dull, heavy heat that seemed to numb your body, so I only hear my feet smacking the ground. This dull heat was only interrupted by an occasional (very infrequent) wind gust, which was, ironically, most of the time a whisp of stale scorching jungle “breath” that had laid dormant and was relinquished from its stagnant pocket by a little wind. So the wind is never “cool”, but 90% of the time hotter than the typical atmosphere temperature! I got back from my 8th run, helped swab the alcohol on dishes in the palapa, smelled, and went for a swim. I ended up meeting a guy named Juan and who was also 18. He was swimming in the lagoon, after I began swimming, while his family baptized, playfully, their 6 month-old daughter baby. He was from Tres Reys, only had one week (5-15) days of vacation a year, was going to college, and enjoyed playing basketball, football, and volleyball. Swimming just a little freestyle felt so refreshing, and I headed up to the Palapa to relax and catch up in my journal. I ended up sleeping in Sam’s mosquito-protected hammock for an hour, then we all went swimming, talked, saw three kids fishing with strings off the dock, then came in for Pollo con Arroz (chicken with rice) and tomato dinner with tortillas and red onions. We read a little bit, played a quick late-night “cosmic wimpout”, which Laura, after practicing dice-rolling by herself, of course, won, then we all went to bed at 9:30. 6 am wake-up for vacation to Rio Legarto tomorrow!


My 8km Daily Run

Go left off “Punta Laguna street”. I go straight passing the Punta Laguna white start/finish sign (adorned with the monkey tour information). Continue past the straw-grass hut houses, then I get to a jungle clearing, where I pick up the pace. I pace the loley dead tree on my right, in front of the perfectly erect dead one behind it with green foliage growing equally on both sides. I pass the road to “Yodzonot” sign on the left, a “Picchen 5” sign focusing me on my right, then 20m later back-side facing me on my left. Then a triple set of hills, the village and school? On my left, the tombstone (“toomba”) with brightly decorated flowers on my left, then my waterhole/2nd lagoon.



Day 15 – Rio Legartos

June 29, 2002


June 29, 2002

Wake-up call was at 6:00am today, I was pretty much packed from the day before for Rio Legartos. I took an “Immodium” this morning to hold off my killer stomach pains/drinks for the past few days, finished packing, threw the gear into the red car with “Dr. P” and Sam (the push-start car) and sped off (or as close to “speed off” as a push-start car can do). I forgot to talk about the “alive compost heap bathroom” that was gyrating and swaying with over 50 swimming maggots! Portending the severity of the situation, I suggested a new rule for each bathroom user: “to stab the compost heap, or shoot it, once, twice before leaving the bathroom! It was a gross, but funny joke about our living conditions. We’ve arrived at Rio Lagartos (and for a two, 3-person boat ferry service). Chole, Sam, and I took one boat and saw an enraged tiger-striped heron in the bush along the banks of the canal. Its neck became puffy and outstretched as a defense mechanism. Next we came to an odd part of a jungle banks/rivers with a broader line coastal sea region scattered with hoards of flocks of pink flamingoes (3,000 according to our guide). We snapped some pictures, collected pink feathers on the horseshoe crab burial ground, sand bar/beach, then went to the Aguas Rosas. This island sandbar in the salty sea river, sea clearing was amazing. After abandoning our boat, walking barefoot in mud (leaving yellow-stained footprints) and climbing over hard, rocks, we came to an inlet holding perfectly fuscia pink water! Not only that, you couldn’t sink in it either! The extremely high salt concentration in the water made you automatically float to the surface, and the pink color came off flamingo feathers, dying the waters bright pink! Chole and I floated face up in it, and it felt, according to Chole, like some sort of skydiving suspension. Because the residual salt was so refined, walking on the floor bottom felt like walking on glass and frosted crunchy ice. We returned, caught up with “Dr. P”, who remained ashore due to boat sickness, and ate some killer spicy bread fish and conch with chips. Next we drove to Valladolid and stayed in this extremely luxurious “El Mason” hotel. The pool was actually cold (cold – a word simply removed from the daily vocabulary in Mexico!), and we horsed around dunking each other and enjoying our first “showers” of the trip. Next we went to the center square, which looked exactly like Merida (church/everything). I bought two jaguar heads of cedar, and a Chakah totem statue for dad (which I threw into the 200 pesos deal). I tried 5 numbers to call home (SB, Mich, Chicago, Mom’s voice, Dad’s voice) and after my 3rd calling attempt I had tried 11 numbers in a day! We then went to a giant cenote – swimming pool, naturally made in a sinkhole, and jumped off about a 10 foot jump into the water. The stalagmites, and overhanging roots were elaborately cool, and I picked a bitter orange to juggle around on the way out. All of us except Sam and Laura C jumped in. We had a dinner of Baby shark tortilla, stacked “pie” and ice cream at the hotel before we used e-mail at an internet café and hit the hay around 11:45 (in hindsight, 2007, We were all pretty much leading ourselves by this time during the trip and Dr. P was kind of operating in the background – even sea sick on the boat – so we definitely became leaders during the trip, just naturally navigating, carving trails, and knowing the twists and turns of an exciting travel journey).


Day 16 – Chitzen Itza & Ek Bellam

June 30, 2002


Gooooal! Brazil won the world cup 2-0, and we got to see the whole game, by getting breakfast pancakes (killer), coffee, and toast and showers in at half-time. Now, we’re off to Ch’ichen Itza and Ek Bellam before heading back to Punta Laguna.


Chitzen Itza

Ek-Bellam


Today was extremely weird. I felt out of control, disjointed, fragmented, and dull. I did not know how to cope with Senorita Weville. I really like her as a teacher, and, well, I feel I’d have to change so much here. Dr. P definitely has a scoffy attitude of her; but she is definitely modern and what not. I liked the talk I had about “being Dr. Ps munchkin” with Sam at the roadside souvenir shop. I need sleep, even though there’s so much to write. It’s like I’m so obsessed with everything now, I’m afraid of doing things with other people. I need to run, too. That screwed me over 2 days of no running. Yep – can’t stay focused and fresh without running. I am not riding in Dr. Ps car tomorrow. Too much “traditional gloating shit” he talks about I got in an argument with Nick, who I really like, he’s a nice, intellectual guy, but I don’t know why I talked about the stuff about Native Americans rights and the Okonawa body. I realized Dr. Vick is an idiot conversationalist, who tries to relate to everyone, but has not identity. I’ve been up here, avoiding her crap that she knows didley about, and when Senorita Weville comes down, she’s an awesome person I want to relate to, and can in so many different ways, I push her away and turn our possibility of dynamic relating into a confrontation! I’m afraid of being stripped of my old ways, but I associate this, so I simultaneously want to learn stuff. I’m afraid of people shoving a profession down me when I’m not the slightest into it. It doesn’t make sense! Well, in one way, it does, I felt pressured by Dr. P towards primatology, and I was just stressed out. (in hindsight, 2007, jeez, Woah! Slow down! the arrival of Senorita Weville got me angry and frustrated at everything! The conversations I used to love with Dr. P and my sense of clarity all plummeted, I developed all of these fears of professions, and got in arguments with Nick. Those could be fears of Senorita Weville, attempts to impress Senorita Weville, or things evoked by Senorita Weville, but Senorita Weville definitely had a huge impact on me!)


Day 17 -- Coba and Punta Laguna

July 1, 2002

Today was pretty hectic, again. But I figured out a lot of stuff which was great, socially. We first went to Coba, back to that hotel we stayed at our first night with the pool. Then, we walked over to the Coba archeological site. Like all the others this was authorized by INAH. Coba was really interesting because it was not landscaped like the other sites. It just had jungle carved out and seemed only near each building, so it felt more like what one would feel if they just fell upon the ancient city in the jungle, instead of what it was really like. According to “Dr. P”, we saw the tallest Mayan Pyramid. Although crumbling on the sides, we still climbed it, and overlooked the two lakes, hotel, flat jungle, and rounds of undiscovered pyramids. We saw a very intact ball court with a complete ring (a lot smaller than Chichen Itza’s ball court) and a skull rock in it’s center. We also got a chance to see a wide variety of ancient tombs and worshipping religious buildings, as well as some other less known buildings. The city, fragmented by forest seemed too obscure, or disassociated from what it was like as one united city, but it was really cool to try to picture in our minds. We then walked along the shaded jungle path to the hotel, past the place where we saw the 6 foot crocodiles floating in the water, swam and had some Calamari and Coca-cola for lunch. When we returned to Punta Laguna, I w went for my 6th run (9th total) run past the second lagoon (almost 9 km). On the way back, I ran into Santos, who was on his way back from cutting out a trail, and we talked about his likes for math and English, his graduation, and the “pen pal” thing, after I leave. I then caught up with some ninos afterward for some fun exchanges of card tricks besides the road near the Punta Laguna entrance.


I then went back to the palapa, reported my run and “magia” and played a kid’s half (30 minutes) game of soccer back at La Concha with Cesare and Pepe and me v. Juan, Negro, and Santos (interesting how I blended right into a local Mayan soccer game!). I scored! And we won the half game, 3 to 1! (Interesting how when I was the only gringo in the game – only Mayans and me – my team won for the first time, ever!) I had this sweet horizontal pass to Cesare which brought out the goalie, then he dished it back for a give-and-go, and I had the wide open goal frame to tap it in left side with the left foot. Beautiful!

Then we came back for a quick dip, and panoochos. I was frustrated at having to abandon the game at half-time, but I had to eat with my group. “Dr. P” said, after dinner that he disliked the “grassy” meal, and then was childish and spoiled because we, originally were to dine solely on rice and beans! (in hindsight, jeez, I sure am critical and highly laudatory of Dr. P a lot of the time!). Nick and I did dishes and talked about the laid back, book-reading East Coast, and the, in contrast, very athletic, active West coast Santa Barbara, surfing, bike, pool, restaurants, traded stories about boating/surfing, and discussed the beauty of being able to just go do anything the summer – bike with friends, surf, etc.! Anything – library. And you don’t have anyone telling you what to do. That’s odd with my and my brother when we ask my parents what to do, or to do something because we have the power to do any fun excursion ourselves! We’re big! Then Nick, Senorita Weville, and I had a killer conversation in candlelight about writing vignettes (2-10 pages), my novella with Mr. Urioste, and using another author’s voice to launch your own tone in a piece. Next “Dr. P” broke up our late-night conversation at 10:15pm and Nick, silently in the tent, talked about the benefits of being someone who has an outlandish/idiosyncratic profession because they’re so nice and interesting! Then I went to bed, exhausted.


Day 18 -- Punta Laguna

July 2, 2002


Today, I was so exhausted, I could barely rouse myself out of bed, but I did, and after Senorita Weville spilled a 20L water jug, we set out on the trail. I went monkey-hunting with Alejandra, Algusto, Senorita Weville, Dr. Vick, Lindsay, and Chole. I talked to Alejandra about the possibility, reasoning, of monkeys traveling in subgroups is related to their desire to know their directions and routes, where to get food and protection, and the re-fusion with the main group at the days end. I thought certain monkeys would have the duty of navigating a group. Then there could be a “hunter” monkey who knew all about food, and “warrior” monkeys who knew about protection and “dunadain” monkeys who reformed the factional subgroups at the days end! Cool stuff looking at the sociological stratification of civilized roles within primates. We ended up seeing the monkeys running on the ground -- zigzagging and darting back and forth before bolting back up in the tree again! IT was an amazing sight to see in the cliffy area, after following this one subgroup for about three hours. We then returned, after I got attacked by ants, swam, and I went for a run at 11:30 to 12:30. I saw Yon on the way out on his bike going to Punta Laguna and Santos’s 15 year-old brother, Negro, on his bike coming from school. I ran, while he biked along side me for awhile before he sped off and I finished my run in the scorching sun. I quickly dipped in the lake and caught up on journal and cards in the Palapa. We folded clothes, swabbed dishes, and Chole and Senorita Weville returned from Satalina’s cooking lesson. We played our 5th game of “cosmic wimpout”, which I won! Laura C. had a stalemate strategy of waiting for a high roll, and I just inched up, while everyone else “trained” it, and I stole the win. I went out and did the Mexico trail perimeter twice, starting left then looping to the cuevo de los monos. Then I came back, swam with Juan and his Gamal-cha family, ate guaya with Alejandra and Lindsay, which rocked! It tasted like mini-cotton candy fruit. Then I took a nap, read Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance in the hammock, before everyone returned for dinner of soy and onions in a fried, folded tortilla. I brought up “fruitism diets” and “Hide-and-seek jungle finding” expeditions as a joke and Nick’s “blinded scientific mind” scoffed this interesting and idiosyncratic connection topic with his “impossibles” and “rational objections”. I tried to cheer up Senorita Weville earlier with a joke about Mexico Pharmacy, but she continued to shoot me down conversationally whenever I brought up an interesting topic. They like use my conversational initiative, then continue the conversation shutting me out. Zen was great talking about a qualityless world.


Day 19 -- Punta Laguna

July 3, 2002


Today I woke up to Chole puking before we (Nick, “Dr. P”, and I) ventured out to hike the E.U.A trail and tag it. We put tags up every 100m for 2,400m (2300 exactly)! Then we did every 50m after 1700, so 30 pink distance ribbons including “zero”, at the beginning. We started tagging from the E.U.A end of the “toe path” all the way to the beach where we took valiant machete-pictures. We were out for 7.5 hours! From 6:00 to 1:30! When I came back, we ditched the snake gaiters, through out the empty roles of tagging tape, and overheard Chole talk about puking 12 times and going home. “Dr. P” informed Nick and I that Chole had anxiety disorder, had puked up her daily medication, and had not been calm. Her mother is OCD, and dad has anxiety, too. Her mom cleans/vacuums impeccably, the entire house each day. Senorita Weville told me to “wait” for my run, or I else I could collapse. I went for my 11th (8th 8km) run, and did consistent goal-setting marker pace method of continuing the distance in 22 minutes out, then 22 minutes exactly back. I saw Cesare and played a game of 2 on 2 (Juan and Santos vs) with 20 minute halves and the mini-ball. The best part of the whole game was…I won! After 4 games of losing, we won! Cesare scored 14 and I scored a hat-trick, three goals. Juan bought us victory cokes afterwards, and Cesare showed us the Coca cooler. I then, picked some Guaya, and got ready for bean dinner with tortilla (interesting, in hindsight, how I seemed to finally start winning soccer games after Senorita Weville arrived and that is). I was jump-started to go at 8, the graduation ceremony. We al piled into the back of Laura’s truck and headed off to Tres Reyes, after trying to convince Cesare to shut the door, which he failed to do. We arrived and piled out. Santos met us and picked Lindsay, because Laura wasn’t feeling well. And we surrounded the square, lit by streetlamps. It was a surreal ceremony! First, there was a militaristic march with an accompanying song, then a bunch of plays about trees, a soap opera play called “Love always Triumphs”, and a bunch of dances (“Luck”, “Mayonaisa”, and a “Machete Dance”).


Songs like “I like my school” and “A tribute to my school”, and one or two speeches were additional events. Overall, there were two total power blackouts, where everything, including music shut-down in mid-performance, we were also rained out on. It was really cool seeing the waltzes (valls) with Santos and Elogio and their respective Medrinas (Lindsay/Alejandra). Afterward, we went to Southdina’s house for a midnight celebration dinner. There were 3 (2L) bottles of Cola, I seriously drank about 1 liter of Coca Cola, but wasn’t very hungry from the meal before. At 1:00, when we got back, I was exhausted from the dream-like, sleepy dinner, and crashed. Oh, at dinner, Santos showed us this really cool flower with a napkin trick, yesterday.


Day 20 -- Punta Laguna

July 4, 2002

Today we got to sleep in until 8:00am because of the late night last night. We (“Dr. P”, Sam, Chole, Senorita Weville, Nick, and I) woke up with Don Serapio, the head honcho and herblore master of the village. We learned plants and tree resin that could cure muscle aches, rashes, sunburns, diabetes, hemophelia, scorpion bites, snake bites, and could be used to ferment alcohol. We came back to the palapa, milled around, made pancakes, then I went for my 12th (9th 8km) run. It was weird because I ran into this German family and gave them directions to Punta Laguna. Alejandra, for the 2nd time, stopped and asked me if I wanted a ride, too. When I got back, I was bombarded with “Juan! Juan!” and this really annoying Mexican music. I couldn’t find any peace and space anywhere at the reserve – even the lake was jam-packed with people (Before the run, I got a picture with a fer-de-Lance” dead snake!

I, after feeling constantly invaded, propounded a game of soccer. The teams were Santos (captain), Sam, Chole, Elogio, and Jose vs Me (captain), Pepe, Guadalupe, Chino, and Carlos. It was 1-0, then, at the end of our 20 minute half. We had to head back for our rice and bean dinner. I swam after ward and bathed. Santos, Chino, and Carlos showed up and I underwater raced Santos and beat him by, according to “Dr. P”, 20 seconds! It was a great day, aside from extra fatigue, longing for family, craving a personal space, dreaming of luxurious civilization and food (in hindsight, 2007, that is the opposite of what I want now. Now I crave the uncivilized jungle life and food!), without worrying about diseases! I packed, and charged headlamps for the Tuluum trip tomorrow!


Day 21 – Rio Legartos & Akumal

July 5, 2002

We woke up at 4:00am sharp to get ready for our 4:30 departure to Acumal (in hindsight, I’m astounded at all of our early wake-up calls, 4am, 5am, 6am was NORMAL for that whole month, there were a few abnormal days after 7am, but everything was before sunrise – great times!) in and estimated 15 hour car ride! We drove until 10:15 (almost 6 hours) to stop at the beach and gather shells.


We had stopped for 10 minutes at the Sian Ka’an reserve to examine the unique swamp plant-road structure which are highly elevated above the water, and we passed two foxes and two big “roadrunner birds” before we stopped on the coast of Quintana Roo at Restaurant Mahaheal. After a 6 hour car ride, I got to eat fish pasta, “Vera Cruz” style, which rocked! Nick ordered a huge “conch” platter, of which we all had some. We then drove through three hours of hellish bumpy roads to see the vacant living quarters and observation tower of the Si’an Ka’an reserve.

My legs/neck/mind was killing me. Finally, we left, and went to the “Akulum Hotel” right beside the beach! We (Nick and I) shared a huge room with a ridge and all ate at the restaurant fries, cokes, pineapple pizza with tomatoes, and snicker’s pie dessert. We then swam in the Caribbean sea, pitch black at night before Nick and I went back to talk in our room about firewalks, sledding, playgroup, flying planes, and booby traps (Rube Boldberg) and tree forts. I had a great “venting” talk with Chole for awhile beginning the 14 hour car ride! 5 to 8:30 (mine 1:30 for lunch)! Snorkeling tomorrow.


Day 22 – Akumal

July 6, 2002

After doing a quick 5k this morning, we ate breakfast at the Hotel restaurant, then took a long walk down the beach. I got to talk with Tiana a lot and got to know her, which was really cool. Then we changed and rented snorkel equipment. From 11:00 to 6:00pm I was pretty much out in the water swimming and diving under the coral in the turquoise water, except for a 1.5 hour break! I saw a stealth black stingray, parrot fish (green and round), black and white French Angelfish, French grouper, Brown trumpet fish, ten giant sea turtles which I got to touch. Green baby shark-like fish swam under the under the turtles for protection and, for mutalistic symbiosis, cleaned the turtle’s shells. These baby deep royal purple fish with phosphorescent aqua glowing dots, sea fans, and crab, and Torrin saw a shark! Then we ate dinner (quesadillas) and went for a hellish 4 hour 10k walk along the beach from 9 to 2am (1 hour of driving) to look for egg-laying sea turtles! Snorkeling rocked!


Day 23 – Tuluum

July 7, 2002


Today we woke up at 9:00 after our hellish late night on the beach (in hindsight, it was actually pretty cool, seeing the throngs and throngs of sea turtles). Then we met for breakfast at the Hotel Restaurant (continental, fruit plate, toast, OJ, coffee). Then I went snorkeling for an extra 45 minutes, I saw the phosphorescent fish, a sand ray, and a bunch of cool fish. I stopped at 11:15, then had to return the equipment. I’m totally getting certified in diving sometime! We then drove to Tuluum with Tiana and Torrin (who is a really cool, laid back kid). Saw the three-walled off city of temples, pyramids, and sacrificial altars. Then, it was 2:00 so we went to a restaurant away from last night’s in Tuluum, waited for a 2 hour meal and got only pasta with “The papas fritas (that could be re-used perpetually if no one ate them). Then we drove to Punta Laguna, got there at 5:00, swam until 6 to 6:45 Ms. Pereira and Torrin, who, with “Dr. P”, returned to Coba late. We ate our tomato and bean dinner, talked about cochinillos, pae-man platos, compost and snorkeling. Then we went to bed at 10:00pm.


Day 24 -- Punta Laguna

July 8, 2002


Today, I woke up at 6:30 for an 8k run (my 12th, or something). We ate some Zucharitas (Mexican frosted flakes) and really sugary coffee before Same, Chole, Nick, Laura, Senorita Weville, and I set out for the beach part of the trails on the other side of the lagoon. We used our marked E.U.A trail and got there by 11:30 about 2 hours. Then we endeavored to go off the trail and bushwhacked for about 30 minutes to the Yodzonat trail – to finish the loop. We headed back after 20 minutes of spikes, and brambles in the bushwhacked arenas of brambles. We returned to the trail, then the beach (where we had taken victory pictures for navigating the trail without a guide!

“Dr. P”, then we rested before heading our bruised, skewered, probably tick-covered bodies back to camp. We did the beach all the way to the jungle entrance in exactly 1:00 45, so 1 hour – right on! Then we had Cokes, Nutella, half a PB and Nutella sandwich and swim with the Frisbee, doing flying jump catches, and flips, or water, aquatic breaches, and I, donning my mask, swam out toward the island and touched bottom before we did a palapa chilax of checking out Nick’s music from 3 to 3:30. Still chillin’ and waiting to go home! Pizza, baby, ice cream, and pop! (In hindsight, those things don’t really matter to me now compared to how awesome the entire Mexico experience was). Then we learned how to play and played Spades for three hours before our 4:30 to 5:00 soccer game. I was jumping and running and so charged from resting (no soccer) over the weekend. It was Cesare, Nick, Chole, and I versus Santos, Chino, Juan and their awesome lightning-quick feet moves. We lost, but not surprisingly, but only 4-3, in an hour long game! I sweat so much! We came back, rested, and soaked the Palapa with sweat, got our shirts, played “cosmic wimpout” to 300 points, and then ate dinner – fanta, chicken, and beans. Then we swam for a half hour until 8:15, bathed, splashed around, and then went to bed.


Day 25 -- Punta Laguna

July 9, 2002


Got to sleep, late, until 7:00, then met for a 3k walk with Tiana, Torrin (the Pyer-Pereira family) and all of us went down to the milpas. The farmer dude showed us how the carved out his four hectares (and 10 acres) with just a machete (now that’s some impressive resoucefulness), and grew yam, yucca, watermelon, peppers, squash, gourds, and corn. He grew his own food, cooked his own food, built his house all from the wood from the milpas (the epitome of resourcefulness). I asked about his interest in passing the land down to his sons, usage of crops for family and personal use, and surplus (if there was any) for the market. He loved finding every new growth in his forest and milpas (a new yam or pepper, for example). We watched him machete a trail and fertilize before we headed back on our 3k walk in the rain. We played cards (Yuker, which I learned, Spades), and ate “Zucharitas” until Nick, Torin, Sam, Cesare, and I all got our butts kicked in soccer (again). It was fun, but I was a shooting gallery as keeper for their governmental dude, and then returning really quick and fast dude. We had dinner, Dr. P and Ms. P went to Coba, we swam, then crashed (after I showed some tricks with Torin).


Day 26 -- Punta Laguna

July 10, 2002


In hindsight, it’s amazing how we took 3 to 5 hour hikes almost everyday in Mexico – very health. Today I got to sleep in until 9:30am then went for an 8k. Then I came back swam with Torrin and held my breath underwater for 1 minutes, 40 seconds! (I think this was possible because of heavy breathing after the run – this created a sense of hyper-ventilation, which decreases the speed that CO2 is produced in your blood). Then I swam out to the island (La Isla), got a victory reed and shell (to prove that I did the swim) and swam back in 23 minutes (about the same time it took to do the run!). It rocked, incredible! Then I had to immediately go out at noon with Yon, Nick, Lindsay, and Audrey. We waited around for three hours, saw tourist groups, talked about Audrey’s 6 year climbing teaching experience, her climbing roadtrip across the country, and “Rescue Diver Level” scuba certification! We finally found monkeys in the Mexico patch. (They were top-rope climbing, spot, and traditional climbing). I snapped some pictures of the monkeys, and got Elogio to climb up a trick to pick massive amounts of guaya!


Nick and I left at 9:30, but I went back out to see the bee hive. I first went with Senorita Weville, then ran, into Juan and Alejandra. I saw how he makes over 300 liters a year of honey (miel) and how he captured the queen bee (la rena) and larvae and how the “bejas” make honey for him. I went back, packed, ate chicken in cornmeal (nar), and swam and played frisbee with Torrin and Tiana, and went to sleep. (I didn’t want any bugs to get transported back with me to the United States, so I emptied every packet of every bag! I wish I could bring back my popcorn-sized bag of guaya! We exchanged emails, pigged out on candy, got some great pictures by the dock, made for “jalapeno-mango” lollipops, and hit the hay!


Day 27 – LEAVE

July 11, 2002

It’s so amazing waking up in this tent-bubble surrounded by ever-pervasive sounds of the jungle. I hear pigs grunting, howler monkeys howling, birds peeping and chirping, bees buzzing, bugs whining and humming, roosters crowing, and dogs barking! I am about to go for a run then “we outa here at 10:30! Audios Mexico de Yucatan! I realized how much I will miss this place – the sounds, the surrounding intense uncomfortable, unforgivable learning experiences, the scientists, the crazy group dynamics and Laura, jungle, and observations! Rock on! The rest of the day included a stop to Pizza Hut for 3 slices of Hawaiian pineapple pizza and pop! Our flight finally departed by 4:30pm and we said goodbye to Dr. P and Senorita Weville. We saved a guy from a scorpion in the airport, and there was a crying baby on the plane, but other than that I got to comfortably read the paper (NYT) from front to back, pretty much. There was a typical American dude next to me who talked about Australia and Fiji trips. I got an extremely awkward ride home from Ms. Buttrick (after we said our final goodbyes in the airport) because I sat between Nick and his mom who were both remarkably quiet. I could have talked up a storm about the things we did but I chose to be taciturn and let the infrequent exchange between re-united son and mother, happen in due time (in hindsight, I am so focused on happy family-life! It’s ridiculous! It’s good for son and mother to grow apart, it’s unhealthy for them to stay the same relationship the entire life!). When I got back to 428 I was met with a host of problems. Getting in at 8:30 before left me with what seemed like no time to pack or do anything! I ordered farfale from Pasta Bowl, vacuumed the floors (unbeknownst to me, the fish tank had caught fire and covered everything with soot!, hence the “weird dust” in the basement) I also, knocked over the plant when I came in). I partied in my room, opened old graduation gifts, wrote letters, signed up for a 5k, read all my mail, unpacked stuff, then repacked everything, including presents into my suitcase (excluding hiking gear), and still had time from 12:00 to 1:30 to pig out on 3 bowls of ice cream with cocoa puffs, farfalle pollo, and 4 cans of pop (2 sprite, 2 rootbeer). It was a grotesque amount of food that I consumed while watching Austin Powers. I hit the hay half dead, nearly exploding, worrying if I picked the right stuff, and exhausted at 2am!