Friday morning found us up and about early again. We had to get to the bus station early to take it to Chíchen Itzá. I was really excited about seeing this grand example of the ruins of the Mayan civilization. Noel...not so much...he's not big on history and ruins, but he went along for his friend. Isn't that was a great relationship is all about??
It was an all-day trip and were glad it was an air-conditioned bus. After leaving Cancún behind, we entered the state of Yucatán. The road was basically in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice change of pace from being in the city.
Our first stop was at Suytun Cenote. Cenotes are natural underground wells that are interconnected by underground rivers. The Yucatan Peninsula has no above ground rivers. The Mayans useds the cenotes for their water supply and also considered some of them to be sacred and used them for rituals at times. It was in a rural area and it was interesting to descend the steep stairs into the cool, moist air of the cenote. There were a few stalagtites and other formations. The water was clear and cool and there were even a few small fish swimming around! Some of the people went in for a dip but Noel and I didn't feel it was necessary. After a while, we loaded back into the bus and went on down the road to our next stop--souvenirs.
After we purchased all we wanted, we made a short stop in the town of Valladolid and then on to a Mayan restaurant to eat lunch. I had Mayan lime soup and cochinita pibil along with some other Mexican dishes. It was absolutely wonderful! After a few more customers were eating, a small group of Mayans performed a few dances for us with filled bottles on their heads! I have no idea how they didn't drop them! When everyone was finished eating, we loaded back into the bus and headed for Chíchen Itzá.
Upon arrival, we received our tickets and waded through the sea of locals selling their wares. I did break down and buy a hat because the sun was bearing down on us at full throttle. Our tour guide led us through the gates and started his presentation. Since everyone else in the group was a native Spanish speaker, he started speaking in Spanish. When we was finished, he then spoke only to me in English. I think he soon realized that it would take him forever, so he found an all English-speaking tour and asked if Noel and I could join it. The guide was very good and had a good sense of humor balanced with lots of information. I won't bore you with all the details of the visit, but I learned a lot about the Mayans in a short time. I knew they were a highly developed people but I never knew just how absolutely intelligent they were. Their mathematical and astronomical skills were outstanding and everything was built to perfection for them to know the signs of the seasons. The pyramid itself was absolutely amazing!
After a very nice tour, it was time to walk around and see more of the grounds and then head back to the bus. We returned to Cancún late and finished the evening at home. Saturday was our last full day there. We spent it walking around Cancún and seeing another movie. It was another nice time together even if we were hot! That night, we went out with Noel's friend and another guy to eat tacos al pastor! I absolutely love them! It was a nice evening.
What can I say? Yes, Cancún is touristy and definitely not representative of the real Mexico, but I really enjoyed my time there. I am planning on going back in the future to see everything else I missed.
¡Cuidate! Nos vemos.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Isla Mujeres
On Wednesday, we took a rest day. We slept in and then spent the day around Cancún shopping and looking at the city. We even took in a movie to escape the heat! Noel was in coffee heaven because he found a Starbucks! Haha!
On Thursday morning, we got up fairly early and went back to the Hotel Zone to get on the boat for Isla Mujeres. We were way early! But that's just like Noel. He prefers to get somewhere very early and wait! I'm not quite that way, but when in Rome...
Once the people let us on the boat, we were immediately served breakfast in an air-conditioned room!! Oh, the joy! It was a nice American-style breakfast with a few local Mexican touches. The first offer was a giant platter of fruits--pineapple, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and papaya--all cut and ready for the plucking. While I was trying to pluck the different fruits with the provided tongs, I tried to maintain a modicum of decorum since I was in a public place. But alas, it was not meant to be! The papaya was particularly evil that day and decided to fly out of the tongs and land on the floor of the room. Now...what should I do? Ignore it? Or should I pick it up? If so, where would I put it?? In that split second time of decision-making, I chose to ignore it. I know that probably sounds like a stereotypical Ugly American action, but I didn't know what else to do since there were no readily available trashcans. What made it even more funny was the lady at the table beside me. I was telling Noel about it and she overhead me. Her comment was, "Yes, I saw you drop it and knew how slippery it was, but when I went for some myself, I to dropped it on the floor!"
After breakfast, we went out on the upper deck and stayed there during the 30 minute trip to the island. It was so beautiful! The breeze was very nice and the view was absolutely stunning! The guides on the ferry were very funny while telling us about the park and what we could do and the times. Once we docked, we were treated to a small dolphin show and then taken by taxi to Parque Garrafón, where we spent the rest of our day.
Once we entered the park, we went straight to the snorkel gear area and were fitted with our flippers and the rest of the gear. We put our belongings in the locker and headed for the beach. We entered the reef area and put our gear on. When I entered the water, I suddenly realized one of my flippers had slipped off my feet and was sinking to the bottom. Noel asked the lifeguard to help me and he dove in and retrieved it for me. I am sure he was muttering something about "el gringo loco"! And yes, I was embarrassed!! When I put it back on my foot, I made sure it was on TIGHT! After that small delay, we started snorkeling. Of course, by now, I was a professional snorkeler and didn't have quite so many panic attacks. I was enjoying the view of the reef immensely and also enjoying just being in the water. We had limits to where we could snorkel and Noel made sure I was in the right place at all times!
After snorkeling for a while and trying unsuccessfully to get good underwater pictures, we tried the sea kayak. We made two passes along the edge and Noel decided he didn't like it. Honestly, we couldn't get a rhythm going! haha. I decided then that I had had enough water for the day. I went to rinse and dry off while Noel soaked up some solar rays on the beach. During this short time, I decided to try the zip line. All to no avail. Once I was suited up and saw how high and how far away the end was, I chickened out. Now I think back on it and regret it, but there's always a next time!
After Noel's teasing of my zip line fiasco, we went to eat lunch at a nice buffet. The breeze was blowing through the restaurant and the view where we sat overlooked the beach and ocean! WOW! After stuffing ourselves, we went to the Jardín del las Hamacas and spent the rest of the day there. It was WONDERFUL! I took a nap under the palm trees and enjoyed every minute of it. After my short nap, Noel and I sat in chairs and enjoyed our remaining time before we had to take the taxi back to the dock.
Once back at the dock, we watched the sharks while waiting for the boat to open. The trip back was equally nice and we made it back to Cancún a little after 6 PM. It was an absolutely wonderful day and I am looking forward to returning one day!
On Thursday morning, we got up fairly early and went back to the Hotel Zone to get on the boat for Isla Mujeres. We were way early! But that's just like Noel. He prefers to get somewhere very early and wait! I'm not quite that way, but when in Rome...
Once the people let us on the boat, we were immediately served breakfast in an air-conditioned room!! Oh, the joy! It was a nice American-style breakfast with a few local Mexican touches. The first offer was a giant platter of fruits--pineapple, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and papaya--all cut and ready for the plucking. While I was trying to pluck the different fruits with the provided tongs, I tried to maintain a modicum of decorum since I was in a public place. But alas, it was not meant to be! The papaya was particularly evil that day and decided to fly out of the tongs and land on the floor of the room. Now...what should I do? Ignore it? Or should I pick it up? If so, where would I put it?? In that split second time of decision-making, I chose to ignore it. I know that probably sounds like a stereotypical Ugly American action, but I didn't know what else to do since there were no readily available trashcans. What made it even more funny was the lady at the table beside me. I was telling Noel about it and she overhead me. Her comment was, "Yes, I saw you drop it and knew how slippery it was, but when I went for some myself, I to dropped it on the floor!"
After breakfast, we went out on the upper deck and stayed there during the 30 minute trip to the island. It was so beautiful! The breeze was very nice and the view was absolutely stunning! The guides on the ferry were very funny while telling us about the park and what we could do and the times. Once we docked, we were treated to a small dolphin show and then taken by taxi to Parque Garrafón, where we spent the rest of our day.
Once we entered the park, we went straight to the snorkel gear area and were fitted with our flippers and the rest of the gear. We put our belongings in the locker and headed for the beach. We entered the reef area and put our gear on. When I entered the water, I suddenly realized one of my flippers had slipped off my feet and was sinking to the bottom. Noel asked the lifeguard to help me and he dove in and retrieved it for me. I am sure he was muttering something about "el gringo loco"! And yes, I was embarrassed!! When I put it back on my foot, I made sure it was on TIGHT! After that small delay, we started snorkeling. Of course, by now, I was a professional snorkeler and didn't have quite so many panic attacks. I was enjoying the view of the reef immensely and also enjoying just being in the water. We had limits to where we could snorkel and Noel made sure I was in the right place at all times!
After snorkeling for a while and trying unsuccessfully to get good underwater pictures, we tried the sea kayak. We made two passes along the edge and Noel decided he didn't like it. Honestly, we couldn't get a rhythm going! haha. I decided then that I had had enough water for the day. I went to rinse and dry off while Noel soaked up some solar rays on the beach. During this short time, I decided to try the zip line. All to no avail. Once I was suited up and saw how high and how far away the end was, I chickened out. Now I think back on it and regret it, but there's always a next time!
After Noel's teasing of my zip line fiasco, we went to eat lunch at a nice buffet. The breeze was blowing through the restaurant and the view where we sat overlooked the beach and ocean! WOW! After stuffing ourselves, we went to the Jardín del las Hamacas and spent the rest of the day there. It was WONDERFUL! I took a nap under the palm trees and enjoyed every minute of it. After my short nap, Noel and I sat in chairs and enjoyed our remaining time before we had to take the taxi back to the dock.
Once back at the dock, we watched the sharks while waiting for the boat to open. The trip back was equally nice and we made it back to Cancún a little after 6 PM. It was an absolutely wonderful day and I am looking forward to returning one day!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Xcaret
OK. I do apologize for the length of time in between my postings about my trip. Some days just seem to get away from me and I don't get a chance to post...
On Tuesday morning, we walked to the bus stop and took one to the Hotel Zone to catch the bus bound for Xcaret. We had to wait a short while, but finally we were on our way. Xcaret is an ecological park about an hour south of Cancún. Since we were visiting during the off season, our guide told us that the park has only 1000 visitors per day but during the peak season 12000 visitors attend. Wow!
After entering the gates, we started our self-guided tour of the park. The first activity we did was the boat ride. It was very nice and we were told to remain totally silent and let our senses take note of everything around us. With that admonition, I was able to notice the sunlight played on the water and luminated certain reliefs along the way. I also was able to notice many iguanas sunning on the rocks that I am sure I would have missed had I been talking. It was a lovely ride.
After we left the boat, we made our way along the trail and saw an orchid farm, some White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other creatures native to the Yucatán Peninsula. Our next destination was the Underground River. It's a place where you snorkel your way from one end to the other. I was excited about it because it was my first time to snorkel. Noel was nervous because he knows I'm no Michael Phelps, but I told him to relax and just enjoy it. We had to get our snorkel gear and towels first, but it didn't take too long before we were all suited up with life jacket, flippers, mask, and tube. We were now ready to make the plunge...
The water was just a little cool and once I stepped off into the "deep", Noel went into training mode. He was showing me how to snorkel properly. I will be the first to admit that the first few times I did it, I had slight panic attacks for few moments because I kept telling myself to breathe through my mouth and not my nose, relax, make sure my mouth was closed around the tube, etc. But after a few tries, I was able to get myself under control and enjoy the moment. It was very relaxing and I was really liking snorkeling a lot. The river took us under caverns and near "ruins" and at one point, there was even a Mayan warrior watching us from the shore. We both had a very good time snorkeling our way down the river and all too soon, it came to an end and we had to return our gear, rinse off, and dry ourselves.
As we were leaving the river area, we heard music and Noel told me that the Voladores de Panantla were getting ready to perform. We sat down and watched as these men performed this centuries old ritual. Basically, 5 men climb a very tall wooden pole. Four of them tie ropes around themselves while the other plays some kind of pipe. When the climax is reached by the piper, the men launch themselves off of the top of the pole and are gradually lowered to the ground while swinging around the pole on the ropes. They are hangning upside down with their eyes closed. When they feel the nearness of the ground, they flip over and land on their feet. The last to return to earth is the piper. It was an amazing sight to see them swing around the pole! I know I wouldn't do it! The rest of the show consisted of a short dance and another spin on a shorter wooden pole with wooden spokes. They looked like a human pinwheel!
By this time, we were both very hungry and made our way to find the restaurant Noel wanted to try. We arrived at the restaurant seated right on the water's edge! It was a seafood buffet and we made our way around all the food eating most anything we could. It was able to try ceviche for the first time and love it!! (While at the table, I was able to make several observations about people on vacation that will be the subject of a near future entry! Stay tuned!)
After stuffing ourselves, we walked around the park seeing tapirs, spider monkeys, macaws and other parrots, and many other sights. The only animal I missed were the Jaguars (Panthera onca)! They were no where around! We also saw men playing music on glass bottles and marching dancers from the state of Michoacán.
After a full day of excitement, we went inside the show area for "Espactacular Mexico". I was very excited about this show and was really looking forward to watching it. It is a show that tells a little of the Mayan history of the area and recounts a little of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Later, people from the different states of Mexico get to perform in song and dance their local dances. The whole show from start to end was absolutely wonderful! The highlight of the night for me was during a segment of the show where a local singer sang Mexican songs that every Mexican knows and loves. All Mexicans in the audience sang along with him and that rousing show of patriotism sent shivers up and down my spine. It was an unforgettable moment!!
The show ended all to quickly and it was time to return to the bus for the ride home. It was a long day, but a very wonderful day and one that I won't soon forget. I hope to be able to return to Xcaret again one day!!
¡Viva México!
On Tuesday morning, we walked to the bus stop and took one to the Hotel Zone to catch the bus bound for Xcaret. We had to wait a short while, but finally we were on our way. Xcaret is an ecological park about an hour south of Cancún. Since we were visiting during the off season, our guide told us that the park has only 1000 visitors per day but during the peak season 12000 visitors attend. Wow!
After entering the gates, we started our self-guided tour of the park. The first activity we did was the boat ride. It was very nice and we were told to remain totally silent and let our senses take note of everything around us. With that admonition, I was able to notice the sunlight played on the water and luminated certain reliefs along the way. I also was able to notice many iguanas sunning on the rocks that I am sure I would have missed had I been talking. It was a lovely ride.
After we left the boat, we made our way along the trail and saw an orchid farm, some White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other creatures native to the Yucatán Peninsula. Our next destination was the Underground River. It's a place where you snorkel your way from one end to the other. I was excited about it because it was my first time to snorkel. Noel was nervous because he knows I'm no Michael Phelps, but I told him to relax and just enjoy it. We had to get our snorkel gear and towels first, but it didn't take too long before we were all suited up with life jacket, flippers, mask, and tube. We were now ready to make the plunge...
The water was just a little cool and once I stepped off into the "deep", Noel went into training mode. He was showing me how to snorkel properly. I will be the first to admit that the first few times I did it, I had slight panic attacks for few moments because I kept telling myself to breathe through my mouth and not my nose, relax, make sure my mouth was closed around the tube, etc. But after a few tries, I was able to get myself under control and enjoy the moment. It was very relaxing and I was really liking snorkeling a lot. The river took us under caverns and near "ruins" and at one point, there was even a Mayan warrior watching us from the shore. We both had a very good time snorkeling our way down the river and all too soon, it came to an end and we had to return our gear, rinse off, and dry ourselves.
As we were leaving the river area, we heard music and Noel told me that the Voladores de Panantla were getting ready to perform. We sat down and watched as these men performed this centuries old ritual. Basically, 5 men climb a very tall wooden pole. Four of them tie ropes around themselves while the other plays some kind of pipe. When the climax is reached by the piper, the men launch themselves off of the top of the pole and are gradually lowered to the ground while swinging around the pole on the ropes. They are hangning upside down with their eyes closed. When they feel the nearness of the ground, they flip over and land on their feet. The last to return to earth is the piper. It was an amazing sight to see them swing around the pole! I know I wouldn't do it! The rest of the show consisted of a short dance and another spin on a shorter wooden pole with wooden spokes. They looked like a human pinwheel!
By this time, we were both very hungry and made our way to find the restaurant Noel wanted to try. We arrived at the restaurant seated right on the water's edge! It was a seafood buffet and we made our way around all the food eating most anything we could. It was able to try ceviche for the first time and love it!! (While at the table, I was able to make several observations about people on vacation that will be the subject of a near future entry! Stay tuned!)
After stuffing ourselves, we walked around the park seeing tapirs, spider monkeys, macaws and other parrots, and many other sights. The only animal I missed were the Jaguars (Panthera onca)! They were no where around! We also saw men playing music on glass bottles and marching dancers from the state of Michoacán.
After a full day of excitement, we went inside the show area for "Espactacular Mexico". I was very excited about this show and was really looking forward to watching it. It is a show that tells a little of the Mayan history of the area and recounts a little of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Later, people from the different states of Mexico get to perform in song and dance their local dances. The whole show from start to end was absolutely wonderful! The highlight of the night for me was during a segment of the show where a local singer sang Mexican songs that every Mexican knows and loves. All Mexicans in the audience sang along with him and that rousing show of patriotism sent shivers up and down my spine. It was an unforgettable moment!!
The show ended all to quickly and it was time to return to the bus for the ride home. It was a long day, but a very wonderful day and one that I won't soon forget. I hope to be able to return to Xcaret again one day!!
¡Viva México!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Jaw-dropping Excitement
Today was the first of two days in our annual trek to the fair. Today is the day we wade through the crowds to find out if we won anything for our entries. The excitement is really palpable as we get closer to the fair. All of us are eager to get there, but none is willing to let it show too much. After all, that would be childish of us, right? Of course it would. Two of us are adults and should never sprint through the crowds, knocking over old women and strollers just to see if we placed, right?? Of course, right!
So with strongly controlled emotions, we casually hurry over to the Educational Buildings, with a few stops before to make sure no one notices our eager determination. Once there, we begin to peruse the cabinets without making too much of a scene, each one looking for his or her entries. So without further ado, here is a listing of the entries...
Steve--Squash 4th place
Mikayla--Blueberry bread--3rd place
Brownies--2nd place
Divinity--Honorable Mention (What??? For the sticky blob of goo?? Surprise!!!)
Wesley failed to place this year, but he will try again for 2010.
For my entries--Sesame brittle--1st place
Apricot jam--1st place
Sweet Potato Pound Cake--Honorable Mention
Jamaican Banana Bread--3rd place
Serranos--10th place
Cowhorn peppers--4th place
Kellie--Scrapbook pages--2nd and 4th places
Blueberry muffins--Honorable Mention
Apple preserves--3rd place
Spicy plum butter--3rd place
Cran-strawberry jam--2nd place
Apple conserve--1st place and also...
So with strongly controlled emotions, we casually hurry over to the Educational Buildings, with a few stops before to make sure no one notices our eager determination. Once there, we begin to peruse the cabinets without making too much of a scene, each one looking for his or her entries. So without further ado, here is a listing of the entries...
Steve--Squash 4th place
Mikayla--Blueberry bread--3rd place
Brownies--2nd place
Divinity--Honorable Mention (What??? For the sticky blob of goo?? Surprise!!!)
Wesley failed to place this year, but he will try again for 2010.
For my entries--Sesame brittle--1st place
Apricot jam--1st place
Sweet Potato Pound Cake--Honorable Mention
Jamaican Banana Bread--3rd place
Serranos--10th place
Cowhorn peppers--4th place
Kellie--Scrapbook pages--2nd and 4th places
Blueberry muffins--Honorable Mention
Apple preserves--3rd place
Spicy plum butter--3rd place
Cran-strawberry jam--2nd place
Apple conserve--1st place and also...
BEST IN SHOW!!!!!!!
Our reaction? Eyes wide opened and jaws dropped!
Our reaction? Eyes wide opened and jaws dropped!
Kellie, the person who really only uses the kitchen as a go-through to the den, actually won Best in Show for some culinary application! I knew she could do it. After all these years of poking and prodding, she wins the big prize and actually admitted that she enjoyed it.
Never have I been so proud!!
2009 is Kellie's year! Let's all stand and cheer!!!
Never have I been so proud!!
2009 is Kellie's year! Let's all stand and cheer!!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mexico
My trip of adventure began late Friday afternoon on October 2. The plane took off for Houston at 5:45 PM and landed without problems. After a short time, I was in the air again heading across the border to Veracruz. I arrived there at 10:52 PM and after getting into the country officially, I gathered my bags and went out to meet Noel. It was so good seeing him in person again after a year of chatting on the computer and texting by phone.
We left the airport and he drove us to his home on Coatepec, which is a little over an hour away. He had a sandwich, chips, and water for me and I ate it on the way. When we arrived home, we went to his room with my bags and he told me he wanted tostadas. We went to his next door neighbor's house and she made 3 tostadas for us and we ate them around 1 AM! They were the best tostadas I have ever eaten!! After stuffing our guts, we slept soundly through the night.
Saturday morning found us sleeping in a little, but once we started moving, we went shopping at a local mall and just hung out for the rest of the day. We ended the day by watching the new Bruce Willis movie (not that good!) and eating arracheras. What a wonderfully glorious way to end a day. Arracheras are the BEST!!!
On Sunday, we went to Naolinco which is about an hours drive from Xalapa. That town makes leather goods from most any kind of leather and is a nice place to buy leather products for less. Mom told me she wanted another pocketbook, and I found one made from sheep leather for her. We also ate at our normal Naolinqueño eating place--Doña Josefinas. That places serves up a twist on a chile relleno that is excellent! The cecina is also quite tasty.
Monday was our last day in Coatepec/Xalapa. Noel packed his baggage and around noon, his dad took us to the bus station to take a shuttle to the airport. Since Noel absolutely hates to be late or in a rush, we arrived to the airport about 3 hours before our flight departed. I read a book while we waited. When the time came, we left Veracruz behind and flew to Cancún with no problems. We arrived there around 7 PM and Noel's friend picked us up at the airport. We stayed with him to save on the hotel expense. It was very nice of him to let us stay there! We settled in and went to sleep knowing that our adventure would begin the next day...
We left the airport and he drove us to his home on Coatepec, which is a little over an hour away. He had a sandwich, chips, and water for me and I ate it on the way. When we arrived home, we went to his room with my bags and he told me he wanted tostadas. We went to his next door neighbor's house and she made 3 tostadas for us and we ate them around 1 AM! They were the best tostadas I have ever eaten!! After stuffing our guts, we slept soundly through the night.
Saturday morning found us sleeping in a little, but once we started moving, we went shopping at a local mall and just hung out for the rest of the day. We ended the day by watching the new Bruce Willis movie (not that good!) and eating arracheras. What a wonderfully glorious way to end a day. Arracheras are the BEST!!!
On Sunday, we went to Naolinco which is about an hours drive from Xalapa. That town makes leather goods from most any kind of leather and is a nice place to buy leather products for less. Mom told me she wanted another pocketbook, and I found one made from sheep leather for her. We also ate at our normal Naolinqueño eating place--Doña Josefinas. That places serves up a twist on a chile relleno that is excellent! The cecina is also quite tasty.
Monday was our last day in Coatepec/Xalapa. Noel packed his baggage and around noon, his dad took us to the bus station to take a shuttle to the airport. Since Noel absolutely hates to be late or in a rush, we arrived to the airport about 3 hours before our flight departed. I read a book while we waited. When the time came, we left Veracruz behind and flew to Cancún with no problems. We arrived there around 7 PM and Noel's friend picked us up at the airport. We stayed with him to save on the hotel expense. It was very nice of him to let us stay there! We settled in and went to sleep knowing that our adventure would begin the next day...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hitting the Ground Running
Well, I have returned to blogland. It has been a busy past few days. I will tell you all about my trip in the next few entries. For now, I will cover the past few days...
I left Cancún at 11:25 AM Sunday and flew to Miami International Airport. It was the shortest international flight I have ever made! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Cuba because I was on the left side of the plane! (I know that most people could care less, but I wanted to see it!!!) All I saw was blue ocean, clouds, and one lone ship.
I arrived into Miami with no problems and proceeded to make my way to Customs. For anyone who's been to Miami International Airport on an international flight, I am sure you can relate strongly to my experience! Why in the world is the re-entry/customs area so far away from where the plane unloads??? It took me a good 15 minutes to arrive to the area of re-entry and I was walking at a good clip. After being let back in the country, I walked to baggage claim to claim my luggage (I hate this part of the trip!) and waited in a long line to go through customs. There were people there from all over--Peru, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, and of course, Mexico. The Customs lady was genial and after making my way past her, I tried to make my way through the maze of rechecking my baggage. They have spots on the floor to follow that end up going no where! After rechecking, I went to my departure gate and read a book until the flight time. I was so thankful that I had a 2 1/2 hour layover because it took me an hour to navigate all the stops needed in order to return home.
My flight arrived in RDU at 6:35 PM and when I deplaned, I felt as if I was still in another city. The new terminal at RDU is amazing! I just kept looking and looking while walking to the other end. I couldn't believe I was in the same place where I used to work. (But then again, I guess I really wasn't at the same place!)
My family found me going down to baggage claim and followed me there. They were running a bit late and came in with arms a-waving and feet a-hustling. After what seemed an eternity waiting for the baggage, we came home and immediately began the process of making entries for the fair. My original plan was to be home be mid-afternoon to give me a little more breathing room but that wasn't meant to be. I just had to make the best of the situation at hand.
Kellie, Mom, and the twins had already started on Mikayla's blueberry bread and Wesley's chocolate pound cake. What was left for the evening was the divinity that Mikayla wanted to make. It turned into a sticky flat glob because of the weather. I didn't think we would ever get through messing with it! Isn't October supposed to be the driest month in the North Carolina calender year???? Now I remember why I don't make it often!!
I came home and unpacked after that experience. I certainly wasn't in the mood to start any of my entries so I relaxed a little and went to bed. The alarm buzzed waaaaaayyyyy too early! I proceeded to start the making of my sweet potato pound cake. It was pretty straightforward as cake recipes go and I had it in the oven in good time. The problem arose when I was getting ready for work. Where did the time go? I looked at the clock and realized it was already 7:25 and I wasn't quite ready to go! I normally leave at 7:20! I put my rear in high gear and screeched my way into work on time (OK, OK...it was a tad past 8!)
With special permission from my manager, I was able to leave early and arrived home to start the process all over again. I toasted sesame seeds, made blondies and bittersweet brownies, and then quickly swallowed come of the Colonel's chicken before heading back down to Kellie's to finish their entries.
When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kellie had already made her coconut-cashew brittle and it was cooling on the table. And believe me, I didn't feel like yesterday's newspaper that she had just thrown out in the trash. I was very proud!! (I told you you could do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We immediately began making Mikayla's dark chocolate brownies and then moved on to Kellie's blueberry muffins and Wesley's honey muffins...all while watching Dancing with the Stars. Who knew one could keep an eye on the baking process and enjoy a good Charleston at the same time! Both muffins and the brownies turned out wonderfully. I think this will be Wesley's year to win a ribbon on his honey muffins. He has tried for 3 years and these are very tasty!
We finally left Kellie's house a little after 9 PM and returned home to start again with my entries. I make apricot nut bread and Jamaican banana bread and put them in the oven at the same time!I didn't have all night to wait for them to bake separately! While they were baking, Mom was working the clean-up crew, Dad was preparing the entry plates, and I started my sesame brittle. The syrup reached the hard crack stage before I realized it and I almost burned it, but luckily, I had everything ready and poured the hot confection out to cool on the baking sheet. By the time I took the breads out and make the topping for the banana bread, it was close to midnight! I was too pooped to pop and went to bed.
The alarm buzzed again and I was up making biscuits before getting ready for work. The kitchen looked like a storm had blown through it, but at least I was finally finished with all the entries!! Kellie breezed in on her way to school to drop off their entries and Mom and Dad took them all, including my produce entries, to the fairgrounds before noon.
WWWWWHHHHHHEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
I finished them on time! What a relief!
Tomorrow, I plan to start telling about my adventures in Cancún.
Stay tuned...
I left Cancún at 11:25 AM Sunday and flew to Miami International Airport. It was the shortest international flight I have ever made! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Cuba because I was on the left side of the plane! (I know that most people could care less, but I wanted to see it!!!) All I saw was blue ocean, clouds, and one lone ship.
I arrived into Miami with no problems and proceeded to make my way to Customs. For anyone who's been to Miami International Airport on an international flight, I am sure you can relate strongly to my experience! Why in the world is the re-entry/customs area so far away from where the plane unloads??? It took me a good 15 minutes to arrive to the area of re-entry and I was walking at a good clip. After being let back in the country, I walked to baggage claim to claim my luggage (I hate this part of the trip!) and waited in a long line to go through customs. There were people there from all over--Peru, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, and of course, Mexico. The Customs lady was genial and after making my way past her, I tried to make my way through the maze of rechecking my baggage. They have spots on the floor to follow that end up going no where! After rechecking, I went to my departure gate and read a book until the flight time. I was so thankful that I had a 2 1/2 hour layover because it took me an hour to navigate all the stops needed in order to return home.
My flight arrived in RDU at 6:35 PM and when I deplaned, I felt as if I was still in another city. The new terminal at RDU is amazing! I just kept looking and looking while walking to the other end. I couldn't believe I was in the same place where I used to work. (But then again, I guess I really wasn't at the same place!)
My family found me going down to baggage claim and followed me there. They were running a bit late and came in with arms a-waving and feet a-hustling. After what seemed an eternity waiting for the baggage, we came home and immediately began the process of making entries for the fair. My original plan was to be home be mid-afternoon to give me a little more breathing room but that wasn't meant to be. I just had to make the best of the situation at hand.
Kellie, Mom, and the twins had already started on Mikayla's blueberry bread and Wesley's chocolate pound cake. What was left for the evening was the divinity that Mikayla wanted to make. It turned into a sticky flat glob because of the weather. I didn't think we would ever get through messing with it! Isn't October supposed to be the driest month in the North Carolina calender year???? Now I remember why I don't make it often!!
I came home and unpacked after that experience. I certainly wasn't in the mood to start any of my entries so I relaxed a little and went to bed. The alarm buzzed waaaaaayyyyy too early! I proceeded to start the making of my sweet potato pound cake. It was pretty straightforward as cake recipes go and I had it in the oven in good time. The problem arose when I was getting ready for work. Where did the time go? I looked at the clock and realized it was already 7:25 and I wasn't quite ready to go! I normally leave at 7:20! I put my rear in high gear and screeched my way into work on time (OK, OK...it was a tad past 8!)
With special permission from my manager, I was able to leave early and arrived home to start the process all over again. I toasted sesame seeds, made blondies and bittersweet brownies, and then quickly swallowed come of the Colonel's chicken before heading back down to Kellie's to finish their entries.
When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kellie had already made her coconut-cashew brittle and it was cooling on the table. And believe me, I didn't feel like yesterday's newspaper that she had just thrown out in the trash. I was very proud!! (I told you you could do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We immediately began making Mikayla's dark chocolate brownies and then moved on to Kellie's blueberry muffins and Wesley's honey muffins...all while watching Dancing with the Stars. Who knew one could keep an eye on the baking process and enjoy a good Charleston at the same time! Both muffins and the brownies turned out wonderfully. I think this will be Wesley's year to win a ribbon on his honey muffins. He has tried for 3 years and these are very tasty!
We finally left Kellie's house a little after 9 PM and returned home to start again with my entries. I make apricot nut bread and Jamaican banana bread and put them in the oven at the same time!I didn't have all night to wait for them to bake separately! While they were baking, Mom was working the clean-up crew, Dad was preparing the entry plates, and I started my sesame brittle. The syrup reached the hard crack stage before I realized it and I almost burned it, but luckily, I had everything ready and poured the hot confection out to cool on the baking sheet. By the time I took the breads out and make the topping for the banana bread, it was close to midnight! I was too pooped to pop and went to bed.
The alarm buzzed again and I was up making biscuits before getting ready for work. The kitchen looked like a storm had blown through it, but at least I was finally finished with all the entries!! Kellie breezed in on her way to school to drop off their entries and Mom and Dad took them all, including my produce entries, to the fairgrounds before noon.
WWWWWHHHHHHEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
I finished them on time! What a relief!
Tomorrow, I plan to start telling about my adventures in Cancún.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Adiós
This will be my last posting for a while. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon for Mexico. One of my best friends and I have been planning this trip for over two years and it's finally here! I will fly to Veracruz for the first few days and on Monday, we will fly to Cancun to spend the rest of the time there. I am really looking forward to it!
I will write all about it when I return. It might take a few days because I will be busy the day I return baking and making other fair entries. Busy times...busy times!
Until then, have a blessed week!
I will write all about it when I return. It might take a few days because I will be busy the day I return baking and making other fair entries. Busy times...busy times!
Until then, have a blessed week!
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