Wednesday, June 18-- Day 2-- Today was a tour of delicious foods and a beautiful city. Enjoy the pictures of a breakfast at the hotel and an extremely large lunch with four courses. The service is extraordinary with attention to detail. It is traditional to have a 'late' lunch as the main meal. Everything is delicious-- especially spicy sauces! Merida is the capital of Yucatan, a Mexican state. Merida has the highest concentration of Mayan people. We experienced part of a normal day in Merida with a driving around the city, exchanging currency in a bank, buying necessities in store similar to our WalMart, and chatting with friends in the city's park. We were in class for several hours learning from an expert / a leader of a national program that promotes the continuation of the Mayan language and culture. I was lucky to win a book about the Mayas for our school! We've had fun marking things off if our 'bucket list' such as wearing a jeweled beetle (which is part of a Maya legend), eating hot peppers, and donning a sombrero. Wrapping up the day with a stroll through the city was beautiful and relaxing. The natives are happy to tell you about their city and don't mind answering your questions. Being in the Catedral de San Ildefonso (which is the oldest cathedral in the Americas & was built with stones from Mayan temples) was a humbling experience that made me feel very connected with the past. Stumbling upon the Governor's Office which is like a museum was a special treat especially accompanied with a beautiful view of the city. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment or ask questions!!
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Tuesday, June 17, 2014- The day started early at 330am! After saying goodbye to my wonderful family, Tyson and I headed to RDU. Thanks to Josh, we arrived at 5am for a super early check-in. Our short flight from Raleigh-Durham Airport to Charlotte left at 710am. After a brief meeting of the minds in the Charlotte airport with all ten study tour teacher participants, we reboarded our plane. From Charlotte, we had a two hour peaceful flight to Cancun. Considering the one-hour time difference, we arrived in Mexico before noon! Hasta la vista America! In Cancun, we had salsa and chips while we talked and waited about two hours for our van. It was rather hot but nice and breezy in the shade. After shoving all of our luggage and ourselves into the van, our driver Juan led us on our three-hour drive to Merida. The ride was relatively uneventful with a mainly straight road lined with trees and shrubbery which was a perfect opportunity for napping. During the ride with Mexican music playing over the radio, the familiar universal sounds of the rain and thunder were comforting during a storm. For a late lunch, we ate at a rest stop / gas station and had fresh Mexican staples. I ate a delicious tamale with pickled onions and a little habanero sauce. Our biggest challenges so far are converting dollars to pesos and using the metric system. We are staying in the Hotel Maria del Carmen in Merida. Soon, we are going to supper with representatives of the Maya Institute. It's been a busy and interesting day of about 17 hours of traveling. It's great to be here! Hola Mexico! In just six days, Tyson Pentecost, a fourth grade teacher, and I are leaving home on an an exciting adventure to Mexico!! We will depart Tuesday, June 17 early in the morning from RDU airport. We will fly to Cancun, Mexico. We will be traveling for ten days all over the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Please follow this blog to see what Ms. Pentecost, our teaching colleagues, and I are learning in Mexico! I will post information and pictures as much as technology and time allows.
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