I just noticed it’s been almost a month since I contributed to the blog. My, how time flies when you aren’t thinking about it. We have been busy with guests; after Susan and Joe, Peter and Debbie visited and then Riley over spring break. We enjoyed all; each brought their interests, ideas and perceptions which was interesting. Sydney and I have got to know ours pretty well by now.
Riley gets the Easiest To Have award, all he needed was sun, food and rest. He got all three and returned to Moscow Saturday with his batteries recharged, ready to tackle the last eight weeks of the semester. Turns out he is a pretty damn good diver, too. In the dozen dives he has in his career he’s already light years ahead of where I was at 50 dives. I do believe he is what may constitute a ‘natural’ when it comes to water, a more relaxed person I’ve not seen. Except maybe his mother. We had six terrific dives, during one Riley touched a sea turtle; a light caress of the shell and flipper to let Speedy know we came in peace. It was pretty neat to watch. Riley also gets his money’s worth as he drains every last drop of air out of his tank, to the point that he has to use air from the Dive Master during his safety stops. Now, that is economy!
We fed Riley sushi, most days let him sleep till he woke and then he camped out by the pool or beach for his allotment of sun. He got us up at 5:30am Saturday morning to go watch the sun rise at the SE end of the island. It was inspiring to be the first in Mexico to see it because there is a place, complete with a sign in Spanish and English that says this is the eastern most point in Mexico and if you watch the sun rise from this spot you are the first to see it. Unique is the best way to describe it.
Sydney and I begin our countdown until we leave on March 26. It’s going to be hard to leave a place that you’ve come to know so well, that has become home. I guess it means we just have to come back. It’s going to be different to return to a life where we have more responsibilities, albeit not related to 8 to 5 anymore. That’s what I’m looking forward to; our new routines at home with no work. Since we’ve not played that game yet, it will be fun to see what develops.
Yesterday, we spent the morning cleaning the condo because the little, bitty ants have been increasing. And I left a package of candy out which attracts them, well, like ants. (Guess I should’ve thought of that.) Anyhow, we cleaned top to bottom with Sydney even mopping the tile floors with her broom and a solution of vinegar and soap in between her bread baking. She has really become accomplished at this art, using a blend of whole wheat, regular flour and avena (oatmeal). We are thinking of starting a line called: Loaves by Sydney, when we get home. We resettled from our guests and are now ready for our last week. We plan on diving 3 more days, the last being a long dive day: morning, afternoon and evening. Three-a-day workouts, you know?
Yesterday afternoon we spent at the beach getting our sun allotments, along with our quotas of reading. I closed my eyes and listened to:
The sound of waves
The cry of seagulls out over the water, “Mine, mine, mine” they say
Dogs barking back amongst some buildings behind
A boat going by, the sound of the hull hitting waves, the drone of the engine
Mexican children playing baseball, Spanish in youthful voices
Mexicans in the ocean swimming, laughing
A jet flying high from Cancun
I spent time watching three Mexican men on the dock nearby searching for fish to spear. They made a spear out of a length of welding rod (?) and had fishing line attached. We talked to them later and they had one fish. I saw the one guy go 0 for 12 on his throws.
We also watched the sunset, which never fails to provide an aura of beauty. Looking west the land is flat and there are no obstructions to prevent the sun from literally sinking in the west. We have tried and tried to see the rumored blast of green light which follows the sun’s sinking; it’s a myth.
That evening, Sydney beat me again (18-11) in Cribbage as we waited for the chicken and rice to heat. She may be on her way to winning the 2008 Isla Mujares Cribbage Championship. But, it’s not over till the skinny Mexican sings, as they say. We are looking forward to attending the National Masters Cribbage Championship in Portland, Oregon in September.
Don’t know what we’ll do today, probably ride our bikes into town to post this entry at Adrian’s Internet Café, do some grocery shopping as Sydney has promised a batch of mango salsa for cocktail hour tonight. She also wants to buy some sunscreen that is made out of shark cartilage or some such potion. Aside from that, probably read Three Cups of Tea which is a very telling story of one man’s devotion to helping his fellow man. We’re definitely going to miss the reading when we go home; I hope we can somehow devote a couple of hours a day. Like we tell the kids; it’s all about choices.
Last, but not least, we want everyone to know that Hadley completed her Masters degree this past weekend! She has obtained it in Child and Family Development at Boise State and will go through commencement in May. Congratulations, Hadley, we are very proud of you for accepting the challenge of higher education. You have set the bar for all of us. Josh, you’re a great guy to be supportive of her the past couple of years.
So, if your family needs an overhaul, call Hadley, she’s your gal!
Thanks for reading; it’s been my pleasure to share. Adios, Esteben
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Isla Files 3.6
Falling down on the blog.
Unfortunately I feel like I have abandoned my blog. So much has happened in the past several weeks. We have had company for most of the time and are getting ready for Riley’s visit today. It has been a truly inspiring 3 weeks.
We were fortunate enough to watch the full eclipse of the moon from our pool-side patio. It was a beautiful evening. Our friends Susan and Joe were here from Boise and we joined other friends to watch the shadow of the earth slip slowly over the moon. One of our friends had a very high tech telescope and we had our trusty binoculars but the moon was elegant to the naked eye. The Mayan people mapped the coming of the full moon through this century and beyond. Their calendar was more precise than ours and they made up the time more succinctly than having an extra day every 4 years. I am sure that events such as this eclipse were truly magical for the Mayan. It was so lovely to be able to recline in a lawn chair and just lay back and watch it happen as opposed to shivering from my front porch for a few minutes in the North.
We had good days of diving with Susan and Joe but also had a couple of severe days of wind. The bizarre weather across the Great Plains manifests itself as high winds that whip across the Gulf of Mexico and swirl around this island. When the winds are high, the port in Isla is closed to small boats. That is just as well as being out in choppy water isn’t a great deal of fun for me!
We have seen all kinds of sea creatures on our dives. Also, because of the currents associated with the wind, drift diving has been supreme. It is possible to drop down to about 50 feet, get set, and then just skim across the bottom with no effort at all. It reminds me of dreams of flying.
Susan and Joe left on Sunday, February 24 and Debbie and Peter arrived from Vermont on Monday, February 25. They have had a very hard winter with tons of snow and supreme cold. They have also had much going on in their lives: weddings, illnesses, and the birth of twins. They were in desperate need of a vacation and we had just the spot for them. They rented bikes and we proceeded to terrorize the island, checking out anything and everything that even looked remotely fascinating. One morning we even got up super early and road down to the South end (Punta Sur) to watch the sun come up. That is the Eastern most point in Mexico, so perhaps we were the first people to see the sun that day? The park at Punta Sur is guarded by the Armada. We had to request permission of a machine gun toting soldier to proceed to the point to see the sun. Very sobering! The soldier was friendly and didn’t hassle us at all.
Yesterday Steve and I were running around this end of the island on one of our usual routes. My hamstrings are bothering me a little so I was kind of poking along at the back of the pack. Steve smelled the barn and decided to pretend his last name was Prefontaine. He took off up the hill and as I watched him go, I noticed a large shape stretched out across the road. He ran by it within about a foot, so I was thinking it probably was a palm frond that had gotten hooked off of one of the trees by a large truck. As I got closer, I couldn’t help notice that it was moving. Imagine my surprise when I realized I was looking at a 12-15’ long boa constrictor!! It was just slithering across the road, minding its’ own business. It was pretty big around and probably had just had a rodent size snack. A local man on a scooter stopped and watched with me as it slithered off into the underbrush at the side of the road. We both yelled and whistled at Steve but he did not hear us. When I jogged up to the store and asked him if he had seen it, he was surprised. He had not!! Jose Luis tells us that he found one about that big on his patio last year. He hooked it with a stick and then put it outside the property. The snakes are not dangerous if you leave them alone and also if you are not a small rodent or lizard! I sure wish I had my camera!!
Unfortunately I feel like I have abandoned my blog. So much has happened in the past several weeks. We have had company for most of the time and are getting ready for Riley’s visit today. It has been a truly inspiring 3 weeks.
We were fortunate enough to watch the full eclipse of the moon from our pool-side patio. It was a beautiful evening. Our friends Susan and Joe were here from Boise and we joined other friends to watch the shadow of the earth slip slowly over the moon. One of our friends had a very high tech telescope and we had our trusty binoculars but the moon was elegant to the naked eye. The Mayan people mapped the coming of the full moon through this century and beyond. Their calendar was more precise than ours and they made up the time more succinctly than having an extra day every 4 years. I am sure that events such as this eclipse were truly magical for the Mayan. It was so lovely to be able to recline in a lawn chair and just lay back and watch it happen as opposed to shivering from my front porch for a few minutes in the North.
We had good days of diving with Susan and Joe but also had a couple of severe days of wind. The bizarre weather across the Great Plains manifests itself as high winds that whip across the Gulf of Mexico and swirl around this island. When the winds are high, the port in Isla is closed to small boats. That is just as well as being out in choppy water isn’t a great deal of fun for me!
We have seen all kinds of sea creatures on our dives. Also, because of the currents associated with the wind, drift diving has been supreme. It is possible to drop down to about 50 feet, get set, and then just skim across the bottom with no effort at all. It reminds me of dreams of flying.
Susan and Joe left on Sunday, February 24 and Debbie and Peter arrived from Vermont on Monday, February 25. They have had a very hard winter with tons of snow and supreme cold. They have also had much going on in their lives: weddings, illnesses, and the birth of twins. They were in desperate need of a vacation and we had just the spot for them. They rented bikes and we proceeded to terrorize the island, checking out anything and everything that even looked remotely fascinating. One morning we even got up super early and road down to the South end (Punta Sur) to watch the sun come up. That is the Eastern most point in Mexico, so perhaps we were the first people to see the sun that day? The park at Punta Sur is guarded by the Armada. We had to request permission of a machine gun toting soldier to proceed to the point to see the sun. Very sobering! The soldier was friendly and didn’t hassle us at all.
Yesterday Steve and I were running around this end of the island on one of our usual routes. My hamstrings are bothering me a little so I was kind of poking along at the back of the pack. Steve smelled the barn and decided to pretend his last name was Prefontaine. He took off up the hill and as I watched him go, I noticed a large shape stretched out across the road. He ran by it within about a foot, so I was thinking it probably was a palm frond that had gotten hooked off of one of the trees by a large truck. As I got closer, I couldn’t help notice that it was moving. Imagine my surprise when I realized I was looking at a 12-15’ long boa constrictor!! It was just slithering across the road, minding its’ own business. It was pretty big around and probably had just had a rodent size snack. A local man on a scooter stopped and watched with me as it slithered off into the underbrush at the side of the road. We both yelled and whistled at Steve but he did not hear us. When I jogged up to the store and asked him if he had seen it, he was surprised. He had not!! Jose Luis tells us that he found one about that big on his patio last year. He hooked it with a stick and then put it outside the property. The snakes are not dangerous if you leave them alone and also if you are not a small rodent or lizard! I sure wish I had my camera!!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Steve and Sydney Stardate: 2.25
Last Friday we couldn’t dive because the ocean had an upset stomach. Instead, we went with our friends, Susan and Joe, to Cancun, where we thought they would enjoy some malling. We walked it, end to end. The only member of the group who saw something she couldn’t live without was Sydney. She found a darling* top that ‘called out to me,‘ as she says. We had a nice lunch, Sydney and I split a salad, our first in many weeks. It was worth the wait. We’ve been warned to stay away from lettuce, although not sure why. It was great to taste dressing, again. We went and saw the movie Vantage Point in the Cineopolis. Don’t waste your money or time; it was substandard beginning to end. Dennis Quaid tried way too hard and Forrest Whitaker didn’t try hard enough. On the way back to the ferry we stopped at a tile, sink, etc., distributor and found some incredibly beautiful sinks for $90. These are glazed Mexican style, very vibrant colors. While this is a steal, the problemo is getting them (x2) shipped to Boise. I’m going to see what DHL and FedEx can do. Joe and Susan returned to Boise yesterday, we hope they enjoyed the week as much as us. Thanks you guys for the beautiful silver candlesticks which will look so nice in the condo at Elkhorn! The wine is still flowing! They came bearing 8 bottles! They are both wonderful divers and the cause of our addictions to the sport!Today, Sydney’s cousin, Debbie and her husband, Peter, arrive. They hail from deepest darkest Vermont and we know they can use a good dose of sand and sun. This will be good medicine for them.Winter has been tough on everyone this year; we’re holding out that when we come home in a month, it has moved on. We lament the need to wear pants, shoes, socks, coats upon our return. Down here I wear one garment: shorts. Blue, maroon, or green. Take your pick! Sydney wears two: top/bottom. I have encouraged her to go ala’ European, no doing. She does that when we play Tarzan & Jane on the beach at night. Oops, sorry, over sharing.We thought about getting out Dive Master Certifications while we were here, realizing we had ample time for the course. They recommend a minimum of two weeks, but prefer at least a month. It would cost $500 each, plus the materials ($150) and a re-up on our CPR qualifications ($100). We decided to forego it this trip and shoot for next time. Speaking for me, the thought of studying every evening somehow just doesn’t have much appeal. At 1:00pm everyday my brain goes on break until the next day!Week before last, Sydney and I heard the most wonderful music while having a late breakfast in town. A little investigation, i.e., pawing through the CD cases next to the stereo, revealed it was Fernando Lima, Pasion’ Album. We had not heard of him, or the woman who does most of the vocals. This is an incredible arrangement if you want some nice bold Spanish music for a quiet evening. Of course, it’s all I listen to now. I bought it from Itunes, downloaded to my laptop. Technology is great! Saturday we had two very relaxing dives on the reef. I spent the dives helping a condo acquaintance, Jerry, with his dives, as he last dove years ago. He did fine; the reef was perfect for him to meet Mr. Ocean, again. Sydney saw a nurse shark, but was too far away to garner attention. Of course, we all thought, “Sure, Sydney, sure!” about her shark. But, we all said, “Wow,” “Really,” “Cool,” to legitimatize her find. Diving, hunting, fishing, it’s all the same: 50% real, 50% imagined! Anyhow, they were nice dives. Sydney and I did find a large grouper hiding in a coral cave; he had to go 100 lbs! He had the protruding lower jaw that made him look like a grandpa. Nobody messes with him! I think groupers might be my favorite fish, well, maybe moray eels, too! While on that dive I thought of a word that best describes the ocean; “teeming.” The ocean is teeming with life. God, I hope we don’t ruin that, too.‘Nough said, looks like another good day, how can’t it be? Think we’ll go down to the ferry dock and watch Americans come off all stressed and angry! Thanks for reading; I enjoy talking with all of you. Until next time, Nannu-Nannu! Adios, Esteben.*Notice my use of adjectives? Totally learned from weeks of female influence
Friday, February 15, 2008
Isla Files 2.15
El comejen (the terminte).
Evidence of Senor Comejen is everywhere on Isla. Little gray trails snake away from anything wooden in our apartment. Look into the brush and woods beside the road and you can see their houses. Large black blobs in the crotch of a tree, a brush pile, along the remnants of a fence. The biggest terminte nest I have seen so far is in the woods across from the hospital. It is as large as a Volkswagon. How many termintes do you think live there? It must be millions, perhaps billions.
We showed Adrian pictures of our house in Boise. He was amazed that it is built out of wood. A house like ours would be a palace here but would not last long. Senor Comejen would bring his wrecking crew, like Marsellas in Pulp Fiction. They would use their jaws instead of chain saws or crowbars and pretty soon our house would be their house, a black ball stuck in the crotch of a tree.
Evidence of Senor Comejen is everywhere on Isla. Little gray trails snake away from anything wooden in our apartment. Look into the brush and woods beside the road and you can see their houses. Large black blobs in the crotch of a tree, a brush pile, along the remnants of a fence. The biggest terminte nest I have seen so far is in the woods across from the hospital. It is as large as a Volkswagon. How many termintes do you think live there? It must be millions, perhaps billions.
We showed Adrian pictures of our house in Boise. He was amazed that it is built out of wood. A house like ours would be a palace here but would not last long. Senor Comejen would bring his wrecking crew, like Marsellas in Pulp Fiction. They would use their jaws instead of chain saws or crowbars and pretty soon our house would be their house, a black ball stuck in the crotch of a tree.
Valentine's Day 2008
Sydney and Steve Stardate: Valentines Day
Valentines Day 2008, we were going to celebrate with a dive. Unfortunately, Arturo said it was no-go today, left word with Louis who told us just as we were headed out with our gear. It looks gorgeous out in the channel, perfect for diving. We don’t know what to make of Arturo, whether he knows it is going to get rough or just has other pressing matters. Oh well, as Scarlet O’Hara said in Gone With The Wind, “After all, tomorrow is another day.”
Sydney and I went for a sunset run last night around our usual route. It was nice seeing the island at that time, far less gringos blasting around in golf carts and scooters. Locals coming home from work, taking it easy. The smells were different, more pungent aromas. In the mornings the smells seem sweeter. We have not idea what we smell, there is something blooming all the time. Hibiscus is my favorites. The marigold seeds Sydney planted 3 weeks ago have shown no signs of life. We agree that next year, should be come for this long, we are bringing marigold and cilantro seeds. Everyone uses cilantro in their cooking but no one grows it, you have to buy it in the store. We have basil growing, about time for some pesto!
We are enjoying our reading, we often read up to four hours a day. It’s fantastic to have so much available time. After diving in the morning it is not uncommon after showering and some lunch, reading on our beds for a couple of hours w/ 30-45 minute siestas (I can’t call it a nap, I’m not four years old!), then to the beach for a couple of hours reading while we work on tans. That, my friends, is some great reading time!
Sydney and I have spent 24/7 together since we arrived January 9. Save for maybe 20 minutes here and there, we have been together. I thought about this before we came down, wondering if not having the away time that work offered might be too much. I am proud to say it has not. We have become closer than ever, able to anticipate behaviors and speech. Kind of scary sometimes when we both have the same thought, like ESPN we joke. Being together has been a fortunate experience; we agree that it is a great way to start a retirement. I thought the honeymoon might wear off, not the case. We’re thick as lobsters in a cave!
I received news from USADA yesterday that I was one of the Doping Control Officers who volunteered and was accepted by the Canadian Olympic Committee to assist with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2010. Pretty cool, being a part of something so historical. There will be training and pre-event experience in Canada, it should be one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities. I am proud of my selection and hope to segway Sydney into a role. We both are anxious to get back into testing, now that we don’t have day jobs to schedule around.
We are looking forward to our friends Susan and Joe Murray arriving on Saturday. We will dive our brains out with them next week, everyday! We hope to go down to a cenote’ at Akumal and dive on Friday or Saturday. This is fresh water in limestone caves that honeycomb this country. Periodically, the ceiling falls in which creates access, most were found by the Mayans centuries ago. Susan and Joe haven’t dove a cenote’ and we want to help them get it in their logs. We may go spend the night in another small town inland. We’ll see!
We hope all of you had a memorable Valentines Day. We thought of all of you, hoping that spring is knocking on the door and ‘Ol Man Winter is headed down the stairs. Adios, mia amigos! Esteben
Valentines Day 2008, we were going to celebrate with a dive. Unfortunately, Arturo said it was no-go today, left word with Louis who told us just as we were headed out with our gear. It looks gorgeous out in the channel, perfect for diving. We don’t know what to make of Arturo, whether he knows it is going to get rough or just has other pressing matters. Oh well, as Scarlet O’Hara said in Gone With The Wind, “After all, tomorrow is another day.”
Sydney and I went for a sunset run last night around our usual route. It was nice seeing the island at that time, far less gringos blasting around in golf carts and scooters. Locals coming home from work, taking it easy. The smells were different, more pungent aromas. In the mornings the smells seem sweeter. We have not idea what we smell, there is something blooming all the time. Hibiscus is my favorites. The marigold seeds Sydney planted 3 weeks ago have shown no signs of life. We agree that next year, should be come for this long, we are bringing marigold and cilantro seeds. Everyone uses cilantro in their cooking but no one grows it, you have to buy it in the store. We have basil growing, about time for some pesto!
We are enjoying our reading, we often read up to four hours a day. It’s fantastic to have so much available time. After diving in the morning it is not uncommon after showering and some lunch, reading on our beds for a couple of hours w/ 30-45 minute siestas (I can’t call it a nap, I’m not four years old!), then to the beach for a couple of hours reading while we work on tans. That, my friends, is some great reading time!
Sydney and I have spent 24/7 together since we arrived January 9. Save for maybe 20 minutes here and there, we have been together. I thought about this before we came down, wondering if not having the away time that work offered might be too much. I am proud to say it has not. We have become closer than ever, able to anticipate behaviors and speech. Kind of scary sometimes when we both have the same thought, like ESPN we joke. Being together has been a fortunate experience; we agree that it is a great way to start a retirement. I thought the honeymoon might wear off, not the case. We’re thick as lobsters in a cave!
I received news from USADA yesterday that I was one of the Doping Control Officers who volunteered and was accepted by the Canadian Olympic Committee to assist with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2010. Pretty cool, being a part of something so historical. There will be training and pre-event experience in Canada, it should be one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities. I am proud of my selection and hope to segway Sydney into a role. We both are anxious to get back into testing, now that we don’t have day jobs to schedule around.
We are looking forward to our friends Susan and Joe Murray arriving on Saturday. We will dive our brains out with them next week, everyday! We hope to go down to a cenote’ at Akumal and dive on Friday or Saturday. This is fresh water in limestone caves that honeycomb this country. Periodically, the ceiling falls in which creates access, most were found by the Mayans centuries ago. Susan and Joe haven’t dove a cenote’ and we want to help them get it in their logs. We may go spend the night in another small town inland. We’ll see!
We hope all of you had a memorable Valentines Day. We thought of all of you, hoping that spring is knocking on the door and ‘Ol Man Winter is headed down the stairs. Adios, mia amigos! Esteben
Monday, February 11, 2008
Isla Files 2.11
La lengua d’esparanza (the tongue of hope).
The Mexican people are incredible in their ability to make lemonade out of life’s lemons. We watch the young boys sifting dirt and hauling loads of concrete at the construction site. They are wearing sandals, old blue jeans, many do not have shirts or caps. They smile shyly or sometimes are too shy to even meet our gaze. “Hola. Buenas dias.” we greet them. As the weeks go by and we see them in the bodega, some of them even offer the greeting before we speak. They come from Chiapas and other poor areas of the interior of Mexico. Most are Indians, many Mayan. Most speak Spanish as a second language and no English at all. They are recruited from the poor villages with promises of a better future. Many will never return to their villages. Some will work in places such as this for 9, 10, 11 months of the year. Even though they make almost nothing, they send over half of it back to their families in the mountains.
You can see the hope in their soft brown eyes, the squareness of their shoulders, the gleaming whiteness of their shirts as they walk in to town on Saturday night. What is the dream? To return home and marry? To see their children, their sweethearts, their mothers? You can see the tongue of hope caress their souls as they cross the square in front of the church. They trace the sign of the cross on their chests with their thumbs, kiss the thumb, and press it to their hearts. Life will get better, just one more day, one more bucket of sand, one more gringo hotel.
The Mexican people are incredible in their ability to make lemonade out of life’s lemons. We watch the young boys sifting dirt and hauling loads of concrete at the construction site. They are wearing sandals, old blue jeans, many do not have shirts or caps. They smile shyly or sometimes are too shy to even meet our gaze. “Hola. Buenas dias.” we greet them. As the weeks go by and we see them in the bodega, some of them even offer the greeting before we speak. They come from Chiapas and other poor areas of the interior of Mexico. Most are Indians, many Mayan. Most speak Spanish as a second language and no English at all. They are recruited from the poor villages with promises of a better future. Many will never return to their villages. Some will work in places such as this for 9, 10, 11 months of the year. Even though they make almost nothing, they send over half of it back to their families in the mountains.
You can see the hope in their soft brown eyes, the squareness of their shoulders, the gleaming whiteness of their shirts as they walk in to town on Saturday night. What is the dream? To return home and marry? To see their children, their sweethearts, their mothers? You can see the tongue of hope caress their souls as they cross the square in front of the church. They trace the sign of the cross on their chests with their thumbs, kiss the thumb, and press it to their hearts. Life will get better, just one more day, one more bucket of sand, one more gringo hotel.
Stardate: 2.10
Today is Sunday, a day of rest. Domingo, in Spanish. Last night, Saturday, Sydney and I sat on our patio watching the traffic on the road in front of the condo. We are elevated about 20’ up and set back about 25’ so we get almost a voyeuristic opportunity. We can watch the traffic; the traffic doesn’t watch us. It was a beautiful evening, probably 77degrees, a soft breeze. Down the beach we could hear the distant sound of music. Pretty romantic, actually!
There is a lot of foot traffic on the road, mainly Mexican workers going back and forth to the large hotel building project about half mile from us. We have inquired about these workers and learned that most of them are young Mexican men (boys?) from Chiapas, a poor agricultural state in the interior of Mexico, the majority are Mayan Indians and speak their own language. They are considered to be the low of the low in this culture. These guys come here for the work, which is all manual labor. Some of the workers are skilled, like in brick laying or applying stucco, most are just strong backs. Since we arrived we have watched them walking back and forth, early in the morning and after dark, groups of two, three or four.
Some of them, (and I estimate the job probably has upwards of 250 men working), live across from the worksite where the company has fashioned a camp. The workers can live there for free, which I’m sure is a hammock in a shack, sans A/C. The company feeds them, for a price of course. Many of them look about 14 or 15 years of age, really kids that should be in high school. This was confirmed by Jose Luis, our condo manager who also runs the little store where these guys come to buy beer, chips, sweets. We went down to the store last night to get some juice and noticed all the beer had been sold. Jose Luis described that the workers bought it all (6:00pm) and that they work all week and “have to put much party in a little bit of time.” Jose Luis has quite a bit of empathy for them.
Do you know what these guys are paid? Get this, about $5 ($50 Pesos) a day! Yep, a day, not an hour! And that is for the skilled help, the ones that know something! The strong backs get less. Then, if they eat the company food that is deducted from their wages! And most of them are still sending money home to their families. They are paid in cash every Saturday afternoon and last night there were quite a few of them walking by. Most of them had cleaned up, putting on their best Saturday night clothes, some of which looked like what Sydney and I wear to do yard work. They walked down to the little store, bought some beer and munchies, sat out front talking and then walked back to the project. Some of them continued into town, another 2 mile walk.
This is the life these people have to look forward to. No wonder there are revolutions and uprisings in the world. People get tired of being oppressed, of literally killing themselves and getting nowhere. This has been a real education for me, a first hand look at what it means to be the low man on the totem pole. We have all been fortunate enough to have the opportunities to better ourselves. These folks have little, if any. Nada.
So, why do they do it? What do they work for? I saw the answer last week during one of our trips into town. A young mother was holding her baby, sitting on a bench in the municipal square. Her baby girl was sleeping. I asked her if I could take a picture of she and her baby, she nodded a polite yes. It says what I can’t. Adios, mia amigos! Think Spring! Esteben
There is a lot of foot traffic on the road, mainly Mexican workers going back and forth to the large hotel building project about half mile from us. We have inquired about these workers and learned that most of them are young Mexican men (boys?) from Chiapas, a poor agricultural state in the interior of Mexico, the majority are Mayan Indians and speak their own language. They are considered to be the low of the low in this culture. These guys come here for the work, which is all manual labor. Some of the workers are skilled, like in brick laying or applying stucco, most are just strong backs. Since we arrived we have watched them walking back and forth, early in the morning and after dark, groups of two, three or four.
Some of them, (and I estimate the job probably has upwards of 250 men working), live across from the worksite where the company has fashioned a camp. The workers can live there for free, which I’m sure is a hammock in a shack, sans A/C. The company feeds them, for a price of course. Many of them look about 14 or 15 years of age, really kids that should be in high school. This was confirmed by Jose Luis, our condo manager who also runs the little store where these guys come to buy beer, chips, sweets. We went down to the store last night to get some juice and noticed all the beer had been sold. Jose Luis described that the workers bought it all (6:00pm) and that they work all week and “have to put much party in a little bit of time.” Jose Luis has quite a bit of empathy for them.
Do you know what these guys are paid? Get this, about $5 ($50 Pesos) a day! Yep, a day, not an hour! And that is for the skilled help, the ones that know something! The strong backs get less. Then, if they eat the company food that is deducted from their wages! And most of them are still sending money home to their families. They are paid in cash every Saturday afternoon and last night there were quite a few of them walking by. Most of them had cleaned up, putting on their best Saturday night clothes, some of which looked like what Sydney and I wear to do yard work. They walked down to the little store, bought some beer and munchies, sat out front talking and then walked back to the project. Some of them continued into town, another 2 mile walk.
This is the life these people have to look forward to. No wonder there are revolutions and uprisings in the world. People get tired of being oppressed, of literally killing themselves and getting nowhere. This has been a real education for me, a first hand look at what it means to be the low man on the totem pole. We have all been fortunate enough to have the opportunities to better ourselves. These folks have little, if any. Nada.
So, why do they do it? What do they work for? I saw the answer last week during one of our trips into town. A young mother was holding her baby, sitting on a bench in the municipal square. Her baby girl was sleeping. I asked her if I could take a picture of she and her baby, she nodded a polite yes. It says what I can’t. Adios, mia amigos! Think Spring! Esteben
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