Hasta Luego, Playa Del Carmen!

In just a couple of hours, we will leave Playa del Carmen and head up the coast to Cancun for Bill's son's wedding (on the 5th of September). It is a bittersweet morning - we are so very excited for Matt and Jackie and cannot wait for Jackie to become an official part of our family, but we are a bit sad to leave Playa. Despite it's changes and growth, we have enjoyed a lovely, restful 2 weeks here. We found some fantastic restaurants (small, local, out of the way - like we like them), met some wonderful people and stayed in an adorable hotel that we were able to treat like a home. It has been bliss.

As we leave Playa del Carmen, though, I cannot help feeling the way I do when I look at old pictures of my children. I want to hold it by it's face and scream, "Stop growing! You are perfect - I want to remember you just the way you were when you were still young and innocent."

Shopping in Playa

Many, many things in Playa Del Carmen have changed since we were here in early 2003. For example, there has been a HUGE influx of Italians. Though Playa was always full of more European than American travelers, there was a stronger German and Dutch influence before. Italians now comprise probably 90-95% of the tourist base. Because of this, the marketplace has also changed. There are so many Italian restaurants, cafés and boutiques that it has actually been a bit of a challenge for us to find decent Mexican food to eat. I went shopping today to find a dress for Matt and Jackie's wedding and had a difficult time. I had envisioned a simple linen sundress that would have been popular last time we were here, but it seemed like every shop had apparel tailored to fit Italian tastes and figures.

One thing has not changed, however, and that is the aggressive sales tactics of the Mexican shop owners. Granted, it is the slow season right now - and many of them are really hurting for business - but I cannot believe how creative they have become! When we were out today, Henry asked me how we could "find the mayor of this town" - he wanted to report all of the pushy sales people! It was another lesson in cultural differences.

I wonder if, perhaps, the shop owners all attend training seminars to learn common American phrases. I wonder, too, if these are the only American phrases that they know. So

many of these are things we have heard before, but the bar has definitely been raised with a few:

"Almost free to you, señor."

"Only today. Only for you."

"Hello, beautiful family. Come to look in my shop."

"Hello, I have been waiting all day for you."

"Hey, Beautiful Lady - braids for your beautiful niña?"

"Best prrrrrrices in town, señor. I prrrrrromise to you."

"What you want to pay?"

"Welcome back. You promised me to come back."

"Hello, Big Spender! Is that you?"

"I have just what you always need."

"Hey, señor - Let me make you a deal."

And my personal favorite, that actually made me belly laugh:

"Let me be the last one to rip you off."

A Look Back

Though we have moved on from Belize, there are several pictures that I took while there that never made it to the blog. I saw things everyday that inspired my writing, but because of our early departure, I was unable to share many of them. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Reef House: our 'home' on the island

Our house was in sharp contrast to the houses that the locals live in. They live in tiny, often one or two room shanties built high on stilts. This was actually one of the bigger homes.

One of two Caye Caulker cemeteries (the other one is, literally, 7 crosses on the beach)

Henry, tracing shadows in the yard

Fantasia (18 months) and Oscar (3), brother and sister

We met these local beauties while swimming at the pier one day, and I was mesmerized by their smiles.

The bar at "The Split"

Juni told us that this whole end of the island is eroding quickly and that the bar will soon be under water (good riddance). It is pretty, but it is also where all of the riff-raff hang out.

Bill found a fun and interesting use for coconut palm bark!

Home Depot, Belize City

I saw this while waiting for the water taxi to the island - a bit different than in The States!

Henry really wanted to find a pretty conch shell, but after talking to many of the locals, we learned that to do that, he would have to find a young shell with a live animal still inside. Since it is not currently conch season, that would have been illegal. :(

Caroline's favorite midday snack: cold watermelon and toasted white bread

And, finally, Caroline gathered a bouquet of flowers that she found on the ground in our yard. They had fallen off of the trellis that connected our house to the front gate - very pretty!

Studying Tulum

When we decided to home school Henry and Caroline, I wasn't completely sure how it would work. After all, I left teaching for a reason! Despite a bit of a bumpy start, though, we are finally starting to relax into the process. While in Tulum, we visited the ancient Mayan ruins. Given Henry's obsession with Egyptian pyramids and ancient civilizations, it seemed like a natural 'field trip' opportunity. The ruins of Tulum are really quite amazing and we are using the experience to guide what and how we study.

We are so fortunate to have access to the Internet and all of it's offerings! We have been able to find all kinds of information about Tulum and ancient Mayan civilizations that we incorporate into our "lessons." The kids have read about the history of Tulum, are learning about the astronomy that guided it's creation and are writing about our experiences there. They are brushing up on their math skills daily with currency conversions (it is pretty funny to watch their amazement when they go from dollars to pesos!).

Henry absolutely hates anything that feels like school (some things never change), so finding things that peak his interest is critical to his willingness to work. He would still rather do anything other than write, though! Caroline, on the other hand, is very matter-of-fact about the whole thing. She does what needs to be done and gets ready to move onto the next thing. Hmmm, I wonder which parent each takes after . . .

A Stroll Down "Memory" Lane

The first time we came to Playa Del Carmen (Jan. 1999), it was sort of by accident. It was our first time in Mexico, so we went the safe route and stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel. We spent the first 3 days feeling like there had to be more to Mexico than what we were seeing (and tasting). At dinner on the third night, we met a couple who told us about this great day they had just had, and it was only a short $2 ferry ride away in a town called Playa Del Carmen. First thing the following morning, we were on the ferry heading to what would turn out to be our favorite Yucatan destination. Once Bill saw that the beaches were topless and that he could get an ice cold beer delivered to him for $1.20, we never looked back. We spent the remainder of that trip taking the first ferry out of Cozumel and the last ferry back. We had found our paradise!

We returned to Playa many times after that first trip and always stayed in small, out of the way hotels. Our favorite - where we stayed several times - was a small B&B about a half block from the beach. Our room was enormous and had a beautiful wrap around deck with hammocks where we would spend our siestas. Most times, we were the only people staying there, so it was very peaceful. If memory serves me, we paid about $36 per night! When Henry was a baby, we stayed in a small hotel a bit further away which was about $60 per night. It was a clean, simple place with incredible service so it met our needs. Today, we moved to another small hotel (Aventura Mexicana) a few blocks from the beach. We have a basic room right off of the tropical courtyard and pool - we are very comfortable and the kids are in heaven!

So much of Playa Del Carmen has changed, and I am still deciding whether I think the changes are good or not. There were no large hotels in the Playa of our past, and the beaches were dotted with small, authentic Mexican hotels divided by yards and yards of sandy beach and palm trees. It was charming. Walking the beach now (which is much wider due to imported resort sand), the open vistas and serene settings have been replaced with tightly built large hotels and all-inclusive resorts. At times, it is difficult to see where one ends and another begins. It doesn't seem right. Streets that I would never have ventured down before (mostly because they were more like sandy paths to nowhere) are now bustling night club districts. The first few times we came here, Playa only had one night club! I guess like all beautiful destinations, with tourism comes commercialism.

We have, however, been pleased to discover that some of our favorite spots are still around and thriving - though a few are in different locations. Walking to the beach today, Bill recognized "La Vagabunda," the restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning on our last trip. It was the one restaurant in all of Playa that had a high chair (one). However, the Mayans apparently never met a toddler as active as Henry and the highchair did not have a strap, so we spent many meals chasing him down the middle of the street after he would climb out and escape. We finally got smart one day, though, and stuck a piece of rope we found on the beach in the back of our stroller so we could tie Henry into the highchair. The Locals, as well as the European tourists, may have given us a lot of dirty looks, but we thought we were brilliant! The gravel floors and rickety tables at La Vagabunda have been replaced with brick tiles and solid wood, but it is still a special part of our history and we will eat there again on this visit. This evening, as we sat enjoying our 2 for 1 cocktails and appetizers in the Mayan restaurant in our hotel, we realized that we had also been here before! We ate dinner in the restaurant with a family we met in our last hotel and remembered the courtyard setting. Back then, it was not connected to our current hotel (they were 2 separate facilities), but it felt familiar all the same. Later in the week, we hope to revisit The Tequila Barrel (where Bill would sample local elixirs while waiting for me to get ready for dinner) and The Beer Bucket - a cool, upper level hang out with a great view of the action.

Right now, it feels really good to be back in Playa Del Carmen, and I don't think it is only because I was so ready to leave Caye Caulker. It is beautiful here. The biggest challenge I am currently facing is trying to remember that I am NOT on vacation . . . I am NOT on vacation . . .

On Mexican Time

We already knew this about ourselves, but we just don't enjoy spending time in All-Inclusive resorts. Therefore, after spending the past 2 nights in a nice, safe resort in Tulum, Mexico, we decided to rent a car and head up the coast to Playa Del Carmen (one of our old favorite spots). We arrived in Playa a few hours ago and cannot be more thrilled! We used to come here a few times a year - we loved it that much. It has been almost eight years since we were last here, though, and we cannot believe how much it has changed! The growth is unbelievable. If it weren't for a few familiar restaurants, it would seem like a completely new experience for us.

We found a small, cheap hotel for tonight and have already booked the next three nights in another. It is just a block from the beach and on the northern end of the town. When we came here when Henry was a baby, we stayed somewhere nearby (even though we can't find that hotel because everything has changed so much), and we really came to like this end of town. It is a little off the beaten path and away from the noises of the town. It is, however, still close enough to walk to everything. Depending on how we like the hotel, we may just stay there until we have to leave on the 31st to head to Cancun for Matt and Jackie's wedding.

We feel relieved to be away from the deep jungles (and bugs) of Belize, but our experiences there were invaluable. We saw so much and learned so many new things - about ourselves and about others - that it will be an experience we all treasure for years to come. We are ready, though, to relax a bit into a life that is a little less "work." Being in Mexico, I need to remind myself that everything is done at a much slower pace and that things (like phones and WiFi connections) don't always work the way I think they should. Somehow, though, it all works out and we enjoy ourselves enough to keep coming back.

Diagnosis: Simple Virus

Today, we got the news that we had been hoping and praying for - Henry does not have Dengue Fever! Although his fever had subsided, he developed a rash on his torso so the doctor wanted him tested for Dengue. This morning, we again hopped the water taxi to the mainland for a blood test at a medical lab in Belize City. After an hour, we were told that the Dengue test was negative. We walked the results down to the pediatric clinic to show the doctor, and he confirmed that it is just a virus - not Dengue.

Other than the time that Caroline was hospitalized as in infant for dehydration, I don't think I have ever been as scared as I was these past few days. Nothing makes you feel more vulnerable than hearing the words, "Potentially life threatening," come out of your child's doctor's mouth. It has been 6 days since Henry first developed his fever and we haven't slept much. We have been riddled with worry - and with guilt.

Up until the last few days, we really didn't think that the mosquitos were that bad here (we've certainly had FAR more problems with them in Michigan). Though we each had a couple of bites, it was really the flies and sand fleas that were more troublesome. We also assumed that the strong ocean breezes would blow the mosquitos away. However, we are next to a jungle, so with every rain came the mosquitos.

As Bill and I sat waiting for the water taxi to bring us back to Caye Caulker today, we wondered how the poor islanders here would have been able to deal with a similar situation. These people face the threat of mosquito borne illnesses like Dengue Fever and Malaria everyday and have very little means to prevent it. They don't have air conditioned homes that they can close up at night and they certainly don't have easy access to medical care if and when they do get sick. It is heart breaking to think of them having to watch their babies suffer through one of these illnesses. Our hearts were breaking for Henry, and he is otherwise strong and healthy - what if he already had other medical issues to contend with?! I can hardly let myself think about it . . .

When we went to the travel clinic in Chicago, we were vaccinated for Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Tetanus and were given Malaria prophylaxis. Dengue Fever was vaguely mentioned, but there was nothing we could do about it, so we sort of dismissed it. I left the clinic thinking it was just a mild disease. Having done hours of research this past week, I discovered how wrong that thinking was! Dengue Fever is fast becoming a global threat and is every bit as serious as Malaria. However, there is little mention of it in the media. It is a serious, painful disease that has the potential to develop into Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, a life threatening complication. Once contracted, there is little you can do other than wait it out. There is no medication, no vaccine and no treatment other than rest and hydration. It is extremely scary!

Given the events of the past few days, Bill and I have decided to cry "UNCLE!" and leave Caye Caulker in the morning. We cannot prevent the kids from getting more bites here, and we cannot relax. We have this beautiful house with big french doors that we are too scared to open, and gorgeous decks that we are too scared to sit on. It just isn't worth it anymore. We have bought tickets for the early morning boat to Chetumal, Mexico where we will board a bus to Tulum. We still need to use tonight to do some further planning, but we are thinking that we will find a resort along the shore and away from the jungle (anyone who knows us, knows how desperate we must feel to be considering an all-inclusive resort!). Hopefully, we will find a spot where we can relax and enjoy ourselves again. Kim and Ruby have been absolute life savers and have done everything in their power to make our stay here a good one, but it is time for us to move on. When we started out, we said that we would go somewhere until it didn't work for us anymore, and Belize just isn't working for us right now.