Here kitty kitty!

We've done some pretty fun things these last two nights!

Most evenings, we walk down the pedestrian shopping/dining mall.  Although some parts are a bit repetitive, we seem to notice different things each night.  The last  two nights, we've also done some different things.

Last night, while in a cute artsy side street, we noticed a massage/spa place.  It was cute and had a Trip advisor poster that gave it a really good rating.  So we went in and asked about a foot/leg massage.  How nice!!!  The massage tables were set up outside in a back courtyard.  There was a fan over each table so we got a nice breeze.  It was 30 minutes of bliss!

Tonight, we had our pictures taken with a baby Mexican jaguar, a baby lion, and a baby tiger.  Wow!  What a treat!  Yes, it's a "tourist" thing.  And maybe a bit controversial.  But the keepers seemed to be taking good care of the animals and the animals are part of a breeding station for species preservation, at least that's what they say....And the animals seemed content. Until the baby lion "baby roared" while Lorraine held him, and the baby jaguar bit the handler.  It was play biting though!

Oh yes, and Lorraine got to hold the monkey too!

Photos (Top to Bottom)
1 - The baby lion seemed to be very content when Lorraine fed him.
2-  The four month old Mexican Jaguar was amazingly heavy and solid.
3 - The monkey was very curious. 
4- Me, sitting in a funny chair!

 

Enjoying the last days of Playa del Carmen

I'm in the countdown to my return home on Thursday February 13.
I'm a bit sad about leaving Mexico. Who wouldn't be, sun, sand, heat, and not many obligations!
But I'm slowly getting ready in my mind.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the last few days.  I'm still doing lots of schoolwork every day. But I'm also walking around, swimming, and generally enjoying the atmosphere.

Yesterday, the water was especially nice for a swim, visibility was probably about 20 feet.  A nice treat! Cause it's usually only about 3 feet.  I'm definitely going to try swim again these last couple of days.

Today, on my way to the grocery store, I went into a fabric store. They have such amazing stuff! So many fancy sparkly shimmery fabrics in such pretty colours!  I bought something more practical though - 3 meters of t-shirt type fabric in grey and purple.  I want to make 2 sundresses with it. 

Last year, I bought 2 really fun sundresses at a cute little store here in Playa del Carmen.  I was so excited to go back to the same place to buy another in the same-ish style.  But nope!  They had a few that were fun.  But they were $100 each!  The fabric I bought? A total of about $2.80 for all of it!  Yeah!  Now I just have to make the time to sew when I get home.

Photos (top to bottom)
1-The cutest stuffed cat dolls ever!
2 - There are lots of very fun and funky "beach cruiser" bicycles around here.  This one was especially fun looking.  I want one!
3 - some of the beautiful fabrics in the stores.  They are much prettier in person.
4 - The local burger palace.  Yes, the chairs are on the sidewalk and the whole restaurant is about the same size as a large clothes closet.  Missing in the photo are the local dogs - Jackie and Pancho.

Doctor fish foot spa

Yeah!  We did our first `touristy` thing here in Playa Del Carmen.
We went to a ``doctor fish`` foot spa!


So far, our time in Playa del Carmen has been very tame. Partly because Lorraine has been sick, partly because I`m still trying to get lots of school work done, and partly because I like it that way.
But, it is fun to do a few touristy things too!

This evening, after walking to dinner and to shop around on the 5th avenue pedestrian mall, our feet were sore and tired. So, we decided to try one of the doctor fish foot spas. 

For about $20, Lorraine and I got to put our feet into a tub of cool water full of doctor fish, otherwise known as Garra ruffa.  A little fish that comes from Turkey that likes to nibble on dead skin. According to the promotional material at the spa, they also release some kind of beneficial enzyme.  Though Wikipedia doesn`t mention anything about such enzymes. Hmmm...I wonder which information source I should trust most?

Regardless, it felt nice to sit for a while, with my feet in cool water, while getting a mini suction massage from hundreds of little friends!

Photos:
My school work station by the pool in the courtyard of our condo here in Playa del Carmen.  A pretty nice place to do work, if you have to.
Lorraine and I at the fish spa
A close up of my feet in the fish spa

Sylvia and the Doctor's Office

With much help from Sylvia, the landlord's Mexican girlfriend, we went to a doctor's office yesterday because Lorraine has tonsillitis.  It was a fun cultural adventure!

For about 5 days, Lorraine's tonsils had been infected and getting worse.  She's a nurse so she knew the infection could be viral or bacterial.  For viral infections, you should just let your body fight it.  But for bacterial infections, it's best to take antibiotics.

You can buy most medications without a prescription here in Mexico.  But you need a prescription for antibiotics. That's good. You can make yourself sick by taking the wrong medicine, but you can't contribute to the antibiotic resistance problem!

So off to the Dr.'s we went....  Sylvia took Lorraine on her scooter and drove slowly enough for me to follow on my bicycle. Fun!

At the Dr.'s office/house, we waited our turn while sitting on white plastic lawn chairs, outside, in the front courtyard.  Watching local kids play and the world go by.


When we got in the exam room, it was a translation fest!  The Dr. spoke no English, Lorraine speaks no Spanish, Sylvia speaks OK English, and I speak OK Spanish.  So we all participated in the exam, diagnosis, and prescription. I wonder what the college of physicians would think of that?

When that part was done, Lorraine paid the 250 pesos (about $20) Dr. fee. And we went to the pharmacy, in the next room.  There, a nice young woman, with a 2 month old pug puppy in her arms, dispensed the antibiotics the Dr. prescribed. 

Lorraine started taking the antibiotics about 24 hours ago now.  She's starting to feel better.  But I think she's still a bit unsure about the whole experience. Except the puppy in the pharmacy part.  She loves dogs.

Photos:
I only noticed today that the patches on this horse, which is outside a roadside shop, are in the shape of beer bottles....
The sign on this local restaurant/pub says " take-out drunks for rent" - cute!
The owner of this scooter also has a good sense of humour!

Feeling sentimental

I'm feeling sentimental.

Things have been fairly low key here for several days.  Although it's still wonderful to be here, I've settled into a fairly tame routine.  School work in the morning, in the afternoon a swim and/or exercises at Blue Angel or Money Bar, my two favourite waterfront places, usually dinner at home, and catching up on emails, my blog, or even a  bit more homework in the evening

Even with Lorraine's arrival on Sunday, things have been fairly tame. No crazy adventures, except for a couple of drinks at Blue Angel last night...

Partly though, it's my frame of mind talking. I`ve been feeling sentimental.

Part of it is stuff that's not for the blog and has nothing to do with Cozumel.  Partly, it's that for me, Lorraine's arrival means the beginning of the end of my trip. In fact, were leaving Cozumel on Thursday to go to Playa del Carmen for the last week of the trip.  It's beautiful there.  But I'm sad to leave Cozumel and my bicycle and the freedom they both provide.

But part of it is also about leaving Susan and Chris.  It's been really nice to have them as neighbours and friends. I know they feel the same way about me. Because something happened.

A few days ago, while having lunch with Chris and Susan, I used the wrong words to express an opinion. Without meaning to, I offended them, especially Susan.  Of course I apologized and they said it was OK.  But I still felt bad and worried that I had created a gap between us.

But early the next morning, something lovely happened.  I was alone by the pool doing my schoolwork.  When Susan came out to read, as she often does, she came to say hello.  But instead of just saying hello, she told me I was the best thing that happened to her and Chris on the this trip and that she hoped the incident the day before wouldn't change things between us. We hugged, we cried.  I'm crying now.

Photos (top to bottom):
Susan and Chris, the night we prepared lion fish for dinner.  Fun!
The chairs that Susan and Chris usually sit on to read, just outside of their apartment on the ground floor.
A religious monument in the central market in Cozumel.
Some "rocking horses" for sale in the market.