And to sum it up...

The Zocalo in Mexico City.

We're in a hotel room about the size of a large closet in Mexico City (though it is cozy, and we do have a washroom). Brian is working his magic on Otis, who has had his roughest day yet. It's probably the two bottom teeth that are working their way in. And the shortage of naps taken. Or given. Naps are a mutual project - we make sure to lay the groundwork, and he takes advantage. We've passed so many families with children just sprawled on laps/benches/over shoulders. Man, they make it look so easy. Otis needs to either be in his bed, or be covered with the muslin cloth in order to nod off, otherwise he just gets swept up in watching the world as it passes. So far there hasn't been a 'so knackered that he just fell asleep like that' moment. I think it was Becca who noted that he probably comes by this FOMO honestly. (Fear of Missing Out). Yep, I'm a sufferer.

Anyways, we leave for home (or Vancouver at least) tomorrow morning early early early. It feels great to be going home - it's one of the highlights of going away for more than 2 weeks, I think. We get to miss 'the usual'. And once we get home, and get our fill of the usual, we'll have the gift of missing 'away'. There's no doubt about it, we are blessed many times over.

So on our bus ride into Mexico City from Cuernavaca, we came up with our top ten. And since I can never pick favourites, these are in no particular order. Except for number 1 :)

10. Food! The trio of moles that we tried; the fresh churros; the gorgeous, fragrant, fresh tropical fruit!; enchiladas verdes; guac-guac-guac-amole!; margaritas and mezcalinis; chocolate con leche; and that steak.

9. Becca coming to travel with us.

8. La familia. It was so wonderful spending time with the Verjovksy's, not only are they family, but they're our kind of people. We'll miss them and hope to see them again soon!

7. Ocean, beach, and sunshine! (and shade too - turns out that's important with the fair fellas in my life).

6. Oaxaca. I love that city. Already planning how to make it back.

5. Walk-by beauty. By this I mean stumbling upon marvelous places, and marvelous experiences. The courtyard outside of the renovated convent in Oaxaca, which was right beside the Calder circus art expo. We had fun. The matria garden. The open mic night that Becca and I stumbled on. The street art that's justaroundthecorner.

4. New red shoes! Heeee. I saw a shoe store in Mexico City from our cab, and Brian walked us past (I know! What a gem!). They're so fun, my new familymoon shoes.

3. How much everyone loves Otis. He now just stares and smiles at people until they smile back and give him his due.

2. Speaking Spanish. We both speak enough to be understood, and understand enough to nod as though we get it. And then we walk away and say 'did you just get that?'. But really, I have loved being surrounded by this language, and I just want to keep practicing and learning.

1. Familymoon! We did it! We traveled together, we adventured together and we truly enjoyed ourselves. Looking back, I find that I experienced plenty as an individual - through my own Leanna self (I don't think I expected that). And I found this new perspective, that of witnessing and enjoying how Otis and the world get along. And finally, Brian and I definitely rose to the occasion of parenting together 24/7 while abroad. We're a kickass team!

It has all been absolutely perfect. By perfect, I mean in its entirety. Nothing would have any meaning if everything was 'great' all the time. Real life has stomach aches, and surprises, and nastiness too. I've certainly felt challenged in the last month, my sense of safety went through a revolution, and my stamina took a hit by those free-loading amoebas. And you've also just read about how much I've loved this time away. I've gotten to witness Brian be a loving, hilarious, inventive and adventurous father (and husband, while he's at it), and I've watched Otis light up the world as it lights him. I told people before we left that I imagined that we'd just be doing life elsewhere, and I think I was right. It's been just beautiful.

So until next time, good people. Que les vayan bien.

Cuernavacation!

Ahhh, back in Cuernavaca, long bus rides are history, and a long flight is imminent. It has been so nice to come back here to stay with the family before heading back home. An excellent transition station, we arrived with a sigh of relief and a cool garden yesterday afternoon after an uneventful bus ride from Puebla. I had been battling some ferocious stomach aches that were just coming and going without rhyme or reason, so an uneventful bus ride was precisely what we were hoping for.

Brian had sent word to aunt Janet that I hadn't been feeling well and I arrived to a doctor's appointment already scheduled - and the doc spoke English! How thoughtful - I probably wouldn't have booked myself in, hoping instead that the symptoms would just disappear once we got home. That was wishful thinking, since it turns out I've picked up some passengers! I don't know - is it gross to include this in the blog? Brian says that it's part and parcel of traveling to interesting places. So, folks, I've got amoebas. Well, I did have amoebas. Or I am in process of not having amoebas (how does one conjugate amoebas in transition?).

The view of Oaxaca from waaaay up a bunch of stairs

Anyways, amoebas aside, we had a lovely time wrapping up our Oaxacan experience. One fantastic piece of news was shared with us over skype on our last day there: Martin proposed to Becca when she got home, and she said yes! We feel like it must have been a good thing that we had Becca to ourselves for the week, cause Martin clearly had some planning to do :) We are just so happy for them.

The bus to Puebla was also uneventful, the scenery was worth the mode of travel (it also helps that the fancy buses here have legroom that even allows comfort for Brian's long legs). I think Puebla deserves another visit at some point, because we were only there two days and it's a big city. Kind of like going to Vancouver and hanging out in gastown/waterfront the whole time. So I didn't love it as much as Oaxaca, but I'll reserve judgment for another time.

One of the many remarkable churches in Puebla

Okay, I've just been told that we may be able to make margaritas from limes plucked from the tree outside. Apparently the fruit hanging on our side of the wall is fair game. Hah! Buenas tardes, folks!

Last days in Oaxaca

We have only 2 more days left here in Oaxaca, and Becca has already made her way back home. We have been so lucky to have such a great traveling partner! Becca and I even had a night out while B & the little one stayed in :)

Churros!

We have had a STELLAR week here. Oaxaca city is so full of art, vibrancy, great food and really warm people - pretty much my ideal in a city. Do you ever feel a city as sympatico? Like, when you meet a new person and you just know that you could be friends? I've felt that way about a few cities here and there - definitely parts of Barcelona and Granada in Spain, Hornby Island, and equally so here. Something about the blend of culture, language and the intangible spirit of these places. From day one, I've been telling people we'll be back when they ask if we like it here.

View from a rooftop terrace

We have a few places where we're regulars. A coffee shop down the way, it's just a small room-sized place, opened only 2 months ago. We take cortados and sip in the handmade blue-brown pottery espresso cups with our freshly squeezed orange juice (bought from the guy on the corner). The next stop is a churreria 7 mins walk that-a-way for fresh churros and chocolate con leche. MMMMmmm. Fueled on caffeine, sugar and dough we just wander where we like and stop when we want. This way we've chanced on some beautiful scenes and experiences. Becca and I were walking down the street aimlessly and popped our head into a space that looked under construction, it was full of garden! We asked if we could enter and they said "claro". Turns out it's an art installation called Matria - jardin arterapeutico each room in the derelict roofless building offers a whimsical, earth bound garden scape. One quite literal 'garden bed' - a metal bedframe mounted on the wall with squash growing through it.

Matria - the garden you see from the entrance

Moments like these are the ones I hope for and can never really plan for. It was signless and isn't on the tourist map. This is why wandering is so beautiful.

And Otis? He's still a star. He just smiles his way through sidewalks and markets. He's getting bored at restaurants more and more quickly now, so we have to take turns eating and walking him around. We buy some time feeding him from our plates though - Otis LOVES black beans. We'll have to learn to make them like this at home.

On Tuesday we're taking the bus to Puebla for a two night stop. We figured it would be a good way to break up the trip back to Cuernavaca while checking out a new place. Seems we've still got some steam!

City mouse returns

We've made it over the mountains, and have landed nicely in Oaxaca City. We were a little sad to leave our warm & wonderful hosts at Quinta Lili, but are really happy to be in the city. We flew in on a 14 passenger cessna (auntie Gwen - I told Otis all about your flying skills!) and O handled it like a pro. We're now happily ensconced in an apartment found through air bnb right on the fringe of the tourist zone and Becca will be joining us this evening. Very shi-shi, plenty of art galleries and restaurants to be found here. 

 

Otis checking to make sure that the pre-flight trip is done according to regulation

One of my favourite things about traveling with Otis is how pleased everyone seems to meet him. We just had lunch (a fabulous menu del dia from the resto across the street) and each person had their turn exclaiming over him. His gordito little feet, his large size (he's comparatively huge for an 8 month old here), his munequito self. A white haired grandmother with few teeth stopped in the zocalo to give O a kiss on the forehead.

Beautiful scenes abound!

Now, just a few short weeks ago, a woman in Seattle gave Otis a kiss on the cheek and I really was shocked while trying not to show it. Played it cool like the polite, well-behaved, rather waspish Canadian I am (well, I don't actually think of myself in those terms, but compared to this warmth I may as well be!). It's so liberating here for Otis to be so warmly welcomed - in the streets, in restaurants. Otis has seen more kitchens and hung out with more restaurant patrons and servers than I have! Once I got over the stranger danger thing, it's been lovely. I mean, I know it's still wise for us to be alert, but I sure do rejoice in the love of children here. Otis simply laps it up. I'm learning to be more overtly complimentary and inquisitive towards others' children as well.

What a streetheart

The boys are down for a nap after our initial neighbourhood scouting (and first coffee tasting!) and I'm going to start prepping for this online course that Beth (a colleague friend) and I are co-teaching. What a stinkin' beautiful life, eh?

Back in the saddle!

First of all, thanks all for your notes and thoughts of safety and a peaceful remainder of our trip. We've picked ourselves up and are thoroughly enjoying our time again. It really didn't take much to feel free and easy again - it certainly has helped that we're still staying in the most excellent b&b...and Becca and her friend Molly have joined us! The beach in this neighbourhood, Carizalillo, is as gorgeous as we left it a year and a half ago when we came here with Brian's family for his parent's 50th wedding anniversary. It's something about the flight of stairs that takes you down (and back up again), the palapas & lounge chairs right at the high-wave line, the warm water and the surfer-watching. Pair that with excellent company and fresh guacamole and we've got a recipe for paradise.

Yesterday we went to the market (I found some great flan and tried 'atole', a corn & chocolate drink...kind of like bubble tea, but more corny), cruised the streets and bought a pair of shoes (surprise!), and then went on a tour of the nearby laguna. We saw a ZILLION birds - storks, ibis, spoonbill pink-guys, lily-pad hopper-dippers AND a crocodile! Just layin' around. It was so cool. We also got to help some just-hatched turtles to the sea. I thought that the whole thing sounded a little cheesy, but actually it was super-awesome. Just this one dude who volunteers 7 months of the year to collect turtle eggs when they are laid and protect them until they hatch. He sleeps in a tent in the daytime and works all night. I think he really likes turtles. (In truth, it's a pretty important thing to do, protecting these endangered species. Thanks, volunteer guy).

The fellas on the laguna

Otis has hit his stride, I think (or we have learned to match his stride is maybe more like it). I feel like we're getting to 'do' plenty, as well as kick back plenty. I'm really looking forward to the next week and some we have for hanging out with Becca - we'll be going to Oaxaca city on Tuesday, and in the meantime, more sweet-nothings in Puerto Escondido.

What's a holiday without some serious thinking?

We've lived an experience that has had my mind moving a hundred miles a minute. I've been contemplating how we impact the world around us, as tourists. We are in Puerto Escondido a few days early, having left Mazunte unexpectedly. Mazunte gave me lots to think about. We stayed in a very cool cabana hotel that sat on a bluff overlooking playa Mermejita. It felt wild. We were quite isolated, up a flight of stairs that climbed the hillside, and a dirt road away from the main strip of the small town. I wrestled with this location over the first evening - it was no quick jaunt into town and  the blend of 35 degree heat and mosquitos were getting me worked up. These things in themselves quickly became a part of the experience - what we did have for a time was absolute peace and a wild ocean to watch. Unfortunately the peace was also short-lived. at about 1am on our third night I woke to see a man in our cabana at our bedside table. I screamed like I'd never screamed before, which woke Brian, naturally. I held B back from rushing after the thief, who ran out the front door. Thank goodness we were all unharmed - Otis was sleeping in the bed with us and didn't wake through the yelling. Needless to say, we didn't sleep another wink.

The shadow side of being in a beautiful, wild and isolated place is exactly that. We were the only guests, and while it turned out that the neighbouring family did hear our screams, they didn't think it was anything to be worried about "Those tourists. Probably just a spider" is what I imagine them thinking at the time. The next morning Brian tried to open the locked door from the outside and was able to with just enough jiggling.

The thief ended up ditching my purse, the 6 pack of beer, bottle of wine, and one half of the baby monitor
by the pool - since there was nothing of re-sale value in my purse, and probably running down a hillside with a 6-pack didn't seem like such a bright idea anymore? He did take our camera and my headlamp (which he stole from beside my head, on the bed, within the mosquito netting...uggggh).

The owners of the hotel were very sorry and supportive and took Brian to the police station to make a statement (which we needed for our insurance). This was the first break-in of this nature that they'd experienced. It was such a shame, because this cost them 4 nights stay, and it cost us our peace of mind. I've been jumpy at noises in the night, though we're feeling so much better and safer now. I'm so glad that Otis has been totally oblivious of it all. Even that night when he did wake up to find all the lights on and both of us awake in bed, he just smiled in his sweet sleepy way.

So the theme that has emerged for me is that there is no 'perfectly good, or perfectly bad'. Everything has aspects of each - a beautiful, isolated, peaceful environment clearly has its cost. Tourism has its costs. We are so fortunate to be traveling and I know that we are part of a complex relationship between the local and international. I know this relationship can generate great things; it can also encourage injustice and the shadow-side. I want for us to be a family that participates in, creates and celebrates the great. And I also want us to remember that everything is more complex than 'good' and 'bad'. The theft, which was a terrible experience for us, happened in the context of injustice in wealth, in the perception of tourists as targets and as the 'other'. Just as we are a part of supporting a tourist economy that brings income to people, we are tourists fueling its shadow side. I know I will be mulling this over in the coming weeks. Is there a way to be a tourist that doesn't feed that dark side?

But don't worry, I won't be thinking about this all the time. I'll also continue to enjoy our time here :) Otis will continue to charm the folks here, men and women alike, who squeeze his pudgy feet and call him sweet names. He loves it.

Yeah, Mama!

We've set the bar high. Here in Mexico, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10th every year, while at home it's the second Sunday in May. Which meant double the joy for me, on this, my first year as a mama.

Just a sampling of the crops at the Morelos State University farm

Aunt Janet took us out on el dia de las madres to buy fruits & vegetables from the university farm market - what an unexpected marvel! Fresh, beautiful, fragrant fruits - mini pears, tiny tart plums, peaches alongside soft, young buttery lettuce that the Sooke Harbour House would envy. We were welcome to walk the fields and check out the crops. GORGEOUS. Long hilled rows of greens, strawberries, squash, beans, nopales (edible cactus) and more. It was a perfect outing for this girl.

On the streets families walked together in fancy-dress, we saw small girls with party dresses and pigtails, beautiful mamas in very high high-heels, men and women rushing from here to there with bouquets of flowers in their hands. It's not an official holiday, but most children have the day off school to celebrate. Street corners boasted signs of what precious gifts could be found inside to honour mother, and flower stalls abounded. It felt like this was a big deal. We sat with the family to enjoy a sumptuous meal of steak cooked to perfection over a coal bbq and the salad of my dreams - young greens, that buttery lettuce and orange & grapefruit citrus as dressing. Otis positively loved the steak, the little carnivore. Thank you, Alberto, Janet, Beto, Sonia, Fabian & Tristan for the feast!

L-R: Janet, Beto, Alberto, Fabian, Sonia, Tristan in the hammock and the fellas

Saturday brought us another treat (I mean, really - what won't be a treat on this adventure? Truly, every day that we have here is a blessing). We went to see the cuenta cuentos at Catarina Marina children's bookstore - Sonia's labour of love, shared by Beto. Otis watched the storyteller with rapt attention as she punctuated the highs and lows of the tale with grand gestures and expressive eyes.

Storytime at Catarina Marina

The store itself is a treasure trove - beautiful books for all ages of children, even the adult kind of kid. That night we went to Alberto's sister's for his brother-in-law's birthday - Otis charmed everyone and we had a great time! I was so surprised that the little dude didn't melt down, though we were out way past his bedtime and he'd been short on naps. I welcome any surprise of that nature!

It's been really interesting, figuring out our rhythms as a traveling family. Brian and I take it easy on our travels compared to some - we don't really worry about covering everything; we like to wander, witness, participate and eat. We end up on all sorts of adventures this way. But I'm learning that we need to modify this approach now that we have an Otis to think about. Basically things are just slower as we are mindful of naps, and transitions take longer. Though I think we're at a pretty ideal time to be traveling with O - he's not mobile yet, so is content to hang out with us wherever we go. The really beautiful thing is that wherever we go, people welcome Otis with big smiles and kind words 'que hermoso' 'que bonito'. Agreed!

We went downtown yesterday for our first adventure as a threesome and had a great time. We walked through artist's alleys and had a drink on a terrace, just like our life before babe, only better. We braved the Sunday shopping street and came back home for - you guessed it - a lovely meal en famille. Happiest of Mother's days. I am so blessed.

My Mother's Day treat on the terrace

Tomorrow we leave for Mazunte. Ocean, here we come!

"A very good place to do mathematics"

I'm sitting on the terrace, sharing the table with two mathematicians as they discuss numbers and letters that I can't even hope to grasp. They're also discussing these things in Spanish, which has a tendency to flit in and out of my understanding in the first place.

Our first outdoor swim in Seattle!

We've arrived safely, soundly, and happily at Brian's aunt & uncle's home in Cuernavaca. We spent two nights in Seattle, catching our breath and being thoroughly spoiled by Brian's other aunt, uncle and cousins. Frankly, I've been quite worried about how we were going to travel with Otis - not so much the 'getting somewhere' of it all, but rather the details. Checking in, shlepping bags, carseat, hats that are too big for the baggage. And not least of all, how to make sure Otis sleeps on the airplane, on our laps. Typically, he sleeps in his bed/travel bassinet and occasionally the stroller. He hasn't slept ON one of us since he was an infant.

Our flight was 2 hours delayed, so everything was rearranged to make connections work. I have to say, the folks at United were awesome. I asked if we would be given a prize for being at the checkin booth a million hours early (since we arrived for our original checkin time)...I suggested maybe a free drink for mom & dad? And the agent upgraded us to the economy plus seats. Woot! This is the first time we've ever been upgraded for anything. On our honeymoon I tried and tried to no avail. 'Course, the seats didn't come with the kind of free drink I was thinking of, but I'm pretty sure we got an extra 3 inches of legroom each. Amazing what air travel has become, that we celebrate seating that is simply adequate for someone 6 feet tall (...not me. Brian). Not complaining! It was great!

But here it is, the big reveal: we traveled for 15 hours and Otis didn't cry once. He slept on our laps, he handled the change-over in Houston, he even slept again on the bus ride from Mexico City to Cuernavaca at 9pm Victoria time - as far as he knows, 9pm doesn't exist except in his bed. What a love! This is clearly the right time to be traveling with him.

Airplane ride #1

So back to the terrace. It's perfect. The air is breezy and warm, Alberto, Brian's uncle, introduced me to the mango tree overhead, the lime, guava, orange, kumquat, pepper plants, banana trees and his pride and joy, the 500 yr old Indian Laurel tree. And as he says, it's a very good place to do mathematics.

The hammock awaits. Until next time...

Gearing up (and do I mean 'gear' - who knew a babe would need so much luggage?)

Otis will be 7 months old tomorrow and we're setting off for 5 weeks in Mexico. Seattle awaits us as we pack our bags here in Vancouver. Our home & garden is being taken care of by great people and nothing holds us back!

In the ferry lineup - we were one of the last cars to board - phew!

So here's the story. Brian and I have spent time dreaming up what might be possible in this first year of our wee babe's life. What do we want our life to look like? What's really important? How can we make the most of this time, this gift of a year's leave as we learn to be a family of three. Given that we both have the right to take time off of work (though only one person collects EI) we decided that Brian would take 4 months off so we could familymoon. And it was a short leap to making all sorts of adventuring plans - Mexico felt like a great first international adventure, as Brian has family in Cuernavaca and we really liked where we stayed last year in Puerto Escondido. We've heard great things about Oaxaca City as well, so why not?

But don't worry, we've been in training over the last half-year. Otis is well-versed with the BC Ferries, and travels the Malahat like a pro (that's our mountain pass from Victoria to up-island). We've even spent 3 nights in Tofino - land of grand waves and fine sands.

Although, the airplane is a whole other kettle of fish. Trying to pack efficiently has been an exercise in spatial logic and serious prioritizing. Basically, Otis gets all the bells and whistles; carseat, stroller, hiking backpack, and sun-protecting clothes. Me? Well, I've never packed so light. See ya later 'just in case we go out for a nice dinner' heels. So long 'chacos AND running shoes'. One or the other, baby. It's been a major breakthrough.

Enjoying the sun on Granville Island with Stefanie, Jo & the Kung Fu team (Master Zhang & Ally)

3 days in on the mainland, and it looks like our systems are a go. We are so fortunate to be on this journey together, and look forward to chronicling our adventures along the way. Please feel free to send in warm-weather-baby travel tips and encouragement along the way.

Jetlag: The sweet mistress of the air

10 place Paul Verlaine: My apartment in Paris from 2002

The most spectacular lunch at the Musée D'Orsay. That's thyme sorbet on my plate - heavenly.

Seriously. Look at the room! Brian says 'a happy wife is a happy life'. I was pretty spoiled :)

Il est venue le temps des cathédrales!

We're HOOOOOOME!!!
And now I don't remember how to type on a qwerty keyboard, so I'll keep this mercifully short.

1) Paris was perfect. It was beautiful, we got some sunshine, and mostly we roamed around the town in between food stops. Heavenly

2) We had the best honeymoon ever. Brian is such a wonderful travel partner, so this bodes well for the miles in years we will cover.

3) We fulfilled our top ten (I rode a mule! What could be more important than THAT?!). But nicest of all is that we looked forward to coming home. We're really happy to be home :)

That's all for tonight folks! I'll be posting photos to the entries tomorrow, so if you're curious (and still reading this) check back in and you should see illustrations for the entries.

Thanks for joining us on this beautiful loving adventure. I've appreciated writing down some of our stories, and sharing them with you.

A birthday in Marrakech

Brian the Marrakchi

My birthday dinner in the place Jemaa el Fna - I wasn't feeling in tip top shape this night, but it was just perfect regardless

This is the historic Medersa, the islamic school now open to the public as a tourist site. Incredible detail on every inch of the building.

The museum. That's a big lamp.

The ancient water cistern in the old (12th century) centre of the Marrakech medina.

Well, Marrakech isn't as hardened to tourists as we were led to believe. I mean, yes, some people can be persistent - take for example the woman who grabbed my hand and started henna-ing on it throughout my protests. When I refused to pay her, as I said I would, she took her henna thinger and scooped the black goop back up leaving a not so gorgeous yellowish tinge to my hand. But that's been the most audacious attempt at money-making so far. I've heard to steer clear of fellows with monkeys, cause they'll throw the monkey on you and ask to be paid to get the monkey off your back (hah! sorry, pun intended). Brian and I got lost a few times yesterday wandering through the medina and we were guided helpfully by numerous people, none of whom asked for compensation. I'm not sure if this was a stroke of luck, or if we just look too darn cute to be harrassed :)

I'm still struggling with the head-turned-chest cold, but that hasn't slowed us too too much. We may save my fancy birthday dinner for another day, but we did go out to the Place Jemaa el Fna - a remarkably lively square FULL of temporary food stalls. They set them up and take them down every night, the prices are reasonable and you eat on benches alongside other tourists and locals alike. It was certainly a memorable birthday dinner! And really the narrow streets are FULL with pedestrians, scooters, cars, and mules and carts. The only thing I can compare the volume of people with in Vancouver standards is Fireworks nights. But it was just a regular saturday night out for these folk. Very cool. And kind of tiring :) Two more nights here and then Paris calls us!
I would love to post some photos, but we can only rely on borrowing card readers (silly me!) so you will just have to use your ol' thinker and imagination until we find the equipment again.

With love and good wishes from Marrakech, L Stomp

The masseuse fell asleep on me!

Seriously!

So B and I are in Essaouira, as you know. It's been great taking it easy in the city - especially nice to be in one place and in some comfort as I'm still duelling with a head cold. I think I'm winning, just gotta keep it from becoming a chest cold - harder to do in this humid climate. ANYWAYS, on the up and up.

We went to the beach yesterday to catch some rays (first time I've 'sunbathed' in t-shirt and long shorts) and like Allison's comment in the previous post, the wind kicked up so much fine sand that by the time we arose our beach blankets were almost submerged! I still have sand in my hair. There's a song out there about sand in shoes being the reminder of a wonderful holiday, well friends, we'll be reminded for a while to come I think.

Following our day on la plage we treated ourselves to massages - swedish style relaxation massage in a well-appointed spa atmosphere complete with muzak piped in for our listening pleasure. Finally, a Bryan Adams revival! My masseuse began to seem distracted during the foot massage, to the point that I thought she might be reading while massaging or something like that. Once we got to the head massage I noticed that she was again losing vim and vigour. Her fingers would by turns massage and then pause, twitch awake again and massage. I'm pretty sure her head laid on her arms beside my head because I could hear her breathing. I didn't know what to do! I was face down on a massage table with a very tired (and quite possibly overworked) masseuse with her hands in my hair! It was a little bit hilarious, actually. It ended well once we got past the head massage - I thought I was the one meant to be relaxed into slumber!

Brian's experience was much more typical. I can only hope that the lady takes a day off to relax and sleep a little. That's it, Maegan, I'll never stray again! (Maegan's a fantastic Massage Therapist for those of you who don't know - a shade or eight more therapeutic than the one described above).

Today is our shopping day, since we want to avoid the pressure of shopping in Marrakech (which sounds like 'Marrrrkch' when the locals say it).

OH AND PS. in case you didn't remember, tomorrow is Ghandi's birthday. And an unkown friend from my travels in India has emailed to remind me that it's mine as well! Goodbye 27, helloooo 28! 12 hours left to live it up as a mid-twenties'er.

Sooo much water!!!

Its Brian here.

These keybords are a pain, and my brain seems to be less adaptable than Leannas so I am forgoing some punctuation.

Yep, the lady got her mule. We had a great day hiking and riding in the hills above Dades gorge. It was beautiful and restful and tiring too. We stopped under a lone tree next to some nomad caves and our guide Mohammed made tea. We were well away from it all.

The next day Leanna was well into a head and throat cold and we did a fairly relatively short three hour bus ride to Ouzarzate. But forst we had to get to he bus stop, which consisted of sitting in the shqde for about an hour by our hotel until a minibus came along. We had a good chat with Mohammed who gave us a copy of the 2010 Michelin Routard guide for Morocco... super since we left our Lonely Planet in our hotel room in Er Rachidia.

We had a relaxed evening in Ouzarzate and bought some good cold drugs for L. Then the next day, yesterday, we did another loooong day on the bus. First we headed over through the Atlas montains to Marrakech. Beautiful scenery!! We bought some Argan herbal soaps fro, a womens cooperative. When we got to the Marrakech bus station a guy guessed where we were headed and led us to the next bus. The ticket seller tried to grossly overcharge and the gave us about the right price when we asked where the general ticket office was. The the guy who led us to he bus asked us for money and I gave him the two Driham I had in my pocket. He threw them down insulted. We were lezss than impressed with each other at this point. leanna fished out some more Dirham and he left fiarly satisfied. This was sooooo different from most of our interactions in Morocco where people have been very generous of spirit.

The next bus took about three hours to Essouaria on the Atlantic coast. Its a beautiful city with an intact fortress and friendly folk. The oceqn is so big after being in so much dryness!!!! Its more touristy than most of where we have been so there is more of a divide between visitors and Moroccans. This morning I went for an early walk out of the tourist zone for a cup of the excellent coffee served in so many road side cafes. The touristy stuff is fun, but so is watching people walking to work and seeing the garbage pick up system in action.

AND TOMORROW WE RIDE A MULE!

Hello from the Dadès Gorge, where the rocks are high and the river is low. And the tea is sweet and the views are glorious. I could go on.
So since I've last written we've travelled 14 hours in 3 busses, spent a night in Errachidia and gotten cozy in the gorge. We have a few highlights to share with you.
A GRAND DAY OUT WITH MOHAMMED IN FIGUIG:
The day almost didn't happen, since we missed the delicate meeting 'time' that is so elusive in these parts (2 minutes sometimes means 20). Brian says that in Ghana, they say 'any moment from now' which seems to carry well here as well. But once we did meet up with our guide, Mohammed, we were traipsed throughout an entire labyrinthine Ksour - traditional village - in the company of two lovely french octogenarians. We had tea in the courtyard of a weaver woman who dressed me and the french lady in the traditional white cloth covering that the older women wear out. From head to toe, I was swathed, with only one opening at my left eye. I was veeerrry mysterious for about 2 minutes - long enough to have some photos taken and to nearly wilt with the heat. We went out again at night and explored some more with Mohammed - he took us to underground baths - 115 stairs down, hot, humid and pitch black. Except for our headlamp which only served to illuminate scuttling critters...EEK! But both B and I went in for a dip. No sooner than we emerged back into the street were we dry. That's the desert for ya! We had a beautiful time with our guide - if you find yourself hankerin' for a trip to the desert, have we got the hookups for you!

MINI HILARIOUS HIGHLIGHT: 'Do you know Celine Dion? Do you have her address? I love her.'

RIDING THE BUS:
Folks, this is the best way to catch interaction with the regular people. Other bus riders are also just working their way to a destination, they don't have ulterior motives for chatting with you. I commented to a gentleman at the bus station that I liked his scarf, he told me it was from Agadir and I said 'dommage, too bad cause we aren't going there'. He replied by taking off the scarf and putting it in my hands. PEOPLE this is SO KIND. He refused any kind of exchange, much to my dismay. He later made sure Brian didn't get left in the bathroom at a rest stop. People are just generous and curious and kind. Of course there are people who are used to tourists and are skeptical or whatever, but these instances of kindness fill me up to brimming with appreciation for this country. I almost needed to have a moment. Fortunately for all those on the bus, I resisted. Thanks Brian.

THE GORGE SO FAR:
We're staying in a pretty chi-chi place as far as our budget goes, overlooking the Gorge, a beautiful room (albeit with some creative plumbing), and the mountains at our doorstep. This place is pretty much built for tourists and we've seen more in the last two days than since we left Spain. Luckily for us, the mountain was empty! We were accompanied by a guide named....Mohammed! We took tea with nomads in a cave and we pleasured in the wind and expansive vista. We returned through a village and ate figs off a tree and saw GARDENS!!!! Tomatoes, cabbages, carrots - very similar to our veggies and flowers.

This is the best honeymoon EVER. Tomorrow I get to ride a mule - can it GET any better?!

LOVE!

Long awaited photos!

We've finally sorted out a card reader! So for your viewing pleasure, we're including some photos that represent our trip to date...and sorry, but so far no photo of Brian doing the 'Leanna walk' yet. We'll get working on that!

1st photo: Yours truly. We took this on our beach day in the outskirts of Algeciras.

2nd photo: The Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, still in construction. And totally magnificent.

3rd photo: Our reflection in a nutty mirrored construction. Barcelona.

4th photo: THE shoes. Sevilla.

5th: in the Alcazar, Sevilla. Note the shoes.

6th: The medina in Oujda

7th: Tea with the fellas

8th: 7 hour bus ride through scrub desert. Occasional glimpses of nomadic camps. Amazing. And frankly, a little boring after the fourth hour.

9th: The date palm oasis that is Figuig. This is taken from the hotel terrace.

And finally, the breakfast of champions. Yes that's freshly squeezed orange juice, yes that's fig jam, yes the olive oil is olivey. YES! Jealous yet?

Figuig: Land of Fi...Dates

Just in case the title isn't clear, Figuig is a date palm oasis - not a fig factory.

It is amazing here. We bussed in from Oujda, taking us 7 hours into the desert, to the easternmost corner of Morocco. It's everything my imagination told me it would be but BETTER!

Last night we were walking around Oujda looking for a place to eat when some fellas approached us with a 'bon soir'. Usually, as a lone woman traveller I quickly bon soir back, keep my head down and keep walking. But with the awesome company that is Brian, we actually talked back enough to get invited to tea. It turns out both of these guys are from Figuig (I know, I thought they were pulling my leg too...but nope, truly they're from here.)

Momo and Abdel proceeded to walk us around town, warn us of bad guys, and set us up with Momo's cousin who lives in Figuig. Momo also invited us over to his house (on a Sunday night at 10pm) for cous cous (since Brian's in a state of anticipation, not having eaten ANY cous cous since we left home). Anyways, point is, Momo volunteered his mom for this hospitality. We graciously declined. But we did leave with a mitful of phone numbers and a feeling of really being welcomed to this part of the country.

THEN on today's bus ride in I had the good fortune of sitting beside a woman. She's about my age, a teacher, and is a member of the association des droits humains (human rights). She shared her story with me and all I can tell you is that I am so lucky to have heard it. She has invited us to stay with her on our way from Figuig to the Draa Valley. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the kind of place where you are invited into people's homes.

So tonight, the menu is cous cous. I will have a happy belly and special man-friend-husband on my hands :)

Flamenco

Last night we happened into an auditorio on a side street, on one of our 'let's get lost' walks. (really, it's a strategy for finding cool places to eat and see). We stopped because we could hear singing, strumming and stomping coming from inside the courtyard - who wouldn't stop? It was like a Sevillan calling card: Yes! Flamenco is here! Come on in!

And holy moly was it ever beautiful and intense! I've seen flamenco in a theatre before, and it was great, but I was far away, and it looked so perfect that it was hard to see the human behind it. Last night was so different - we were in a tiny courtyard with a recessed alcove-stage, three rows away from the action.

In a nutshell, flamenco last night felt like witnessing a group therapy session. A singer, a guitarist, a female and a male dancer. They would periodically olé eachother, as if to say 'yeah, that was a good one', or 'you sing it, sister'. The dancer would frown and stomp and the musical entourage would olé, 'You stomp it out, girl. Just stomp that man right out of your life'. Then the dancer would smile and they'd all smile with her. Relief! Olé! 'It's all good, so glad you worked it out'.
It was a rollercoaster. A truly beautiful experience.

And now for today - bussing to the port (we were told by the barman who served us coffee this morning that Algeciras is really nothing special, that we should go instead to Tarifa...so we'll see how that works out. Brian commented that maybe we should start asking people things more often, it seems that they have useful things to say. Sounds good to me!)

Hasta la proxima!

Flan, Shoes and Cathedrals

Well ladies and gents, I found them.

My spanish shoes. I was just walking around, innocently minding my own business when Brian and I came upon the Camper store. THERE'S A CAMPER STORE!
It's full of...beautiful shoes. And, well, as I'm sure you can all imagine, it was love at first sight.

Following my conquest, we walked into the Alcazar, which is what it says on the map. Not exactly sure what the story is there, but it's a beautiful part of the city with a giant cathedral, fountains, plazas and yellow & pink buildings. But not cheesy yellow and pink - perfect yellow and pink.

We also found a small tapas bar with an inner courtyard and ate some more great food. I'm happy to report that the gazpacho here DOES taste like the gazpacho I make at home...except that it's puréed to a pulp. I'm on the hunt for the best flan, so needless to say we eat lots of dessert.

So aside from eating and walking, we don't really do much! It's perfect! Brian has mastered the art of mimicking my walk - it's not exactly flattering, but it's a little bit hilarious in its likeness. We were walking to find café con leche this morning, and he stopped me in the street, jutted his head out in front of him and commenced walking at triple speed, arms swinging.
Yep, that's me.

Okay, up, up and away we go!

Sevilla

Hello fellow humans,

We left Barcelona wanting more - a good state to leave it in. We didn't make it to the castle, thanks for the tip, Dad, but we did make it into the Montjuic park. Barcelona was just super awesome. It´s a little bit confusing between the Catalán and Spanish being spoken, but we made out just fine.

So now we're in Sevilla, south and inland. It is hot, hot & hot out here. We arrived last night to 43 degrees - HOLY MOLY! And I guess this is just the beginning of what the remainder of our trip will be, gotta acclimatize.
We're staying in the more touristy neighbourhood in central Sevilla, so everything's a little more expensive, and a little more english-ready. Our servers last night definitely became more friendly after we attempted our Spanish with them - for sure the way to go.

Today's my first tired day, so we're just going to take 'er easy...wander, sit, drink coffee...what a beautiful life!

We haven't seen much of the city yet, so this will be fun. The Spanish spoken here spouts out like a fountain, so fast, and rippling. It takes lots of ears to eavesdrop ;)

Was trying to upload photos, but sorry folks, too confusing for me right now!
We're here for another two nights, then we're planning a trip to the south - Algeciras? To hang out on the beach for another day, and then take the ferry to Morocco...WOOOOHOOOOO!!!

Keep dry out there, thanks for the emails, comments and updates!

Melon Soup

We found the best restaurant last night.

And we ate melon soup - is this a thing? Have YOU had melon soup before? I'm going to make it when we get home, you can come over for dinner that night.

We sit on terraces when we can, to watch people and to maximize this beautiful outside time. But yesterday afternoon we found ourselves at the tail end of the lunch time (around 4pm...if you miss lunch, you are waiting until the restaurants open back up at 9pm), sitting inside a bustling traditional resto. The waiters were rambunctious, noisy, yell-y...and hilarious. THIS is what you miss if you sit out on the terrace.
Just letting you know.

But the restaurant last night - we were on the terrace, and placed our dinner order at around 10:30pm - tail end of dinner on a Sunday night, I think. And the servers were pleased, I think, that we loved their food, and that we spoke terrible terrible Spanish (here it's very easy to get away with speaking english always). We were gifted at the end of the meal with two glasses of house muscatel. Straight out of their barrel. (seriously - many restaurants just have barrels of wine. Forget bottles.)

It was delightful.

We heart Spain. We're gonna live here for a year. Like, maybe in a few. Better find a marketable skill.

Hasta la proxima, amigos!