Patty's excellent adventure

[pattyayers]

Greetings to everybody! I'm happy and excited just thinking about leaving for Tulum in 3 days. Thanks very much to all here who have been so friendly and generous with advice and help so far.

I'm planning to blog about my 3 1/2 months in Tulum, including photos and videos. I figure I'll post here now and then when I've made a few new entries on it.

Here's the blog: http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/

Again, I'm grateful for all of the good energy on this forum, and the friends I've made here who I hope to meet face to face before too long.

Tu amiga,

Patty

[minniemex]

We will love for you to share in your adventures!! Living the life in Tulum :p ~ have a wonderful time!!

[Lynnette]

I just bookmarked your blog, and I'm looking forward to sharing your experiences!!

[BP.]

Got it, thanks! Look forward to checking in. Have a great flight down.

[minniemex]

Checked your blog today Patty ~ You are in Mexico now! Whoo hoo!!! Thanks for the heads up on the hotel. What do you get for the $35 a night??

[pattyayers]

Hola todos! I'm in Tulum and doing a little blogging: http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/

Will try and answer specific questions when I settle down in the evenings on the computer!

Cheers,

Patty

[Lynnette]

Yea, you made it!!! I love your blog...you'll have to post a photo of your new bike after you paint it. BTW.....did you name her...it is a her, right?? :D

[pattyayers]

Yea, you made it!!! I love your blog...you'll have to post a photo of your new bike after you paint it. BTW.....did you name her...it is a her, right?? :D

I will! good question.. and if you say, yes, I think it is a she. Some kind of Maya or Mexican name.. I'll have to think about that! :-)

[Added later: Actually, I think it's a he, and I might have to name it after some member of the Buena Vista Social Club! I'll keep you posted!]

Patty

[PhyllisB]

Oh boy, I'm going to love reading this! You're going to have a big audience to write for! I can't wait to hear how the Skype stuff works out. It makes me think of dumping our land line here!

I'd love to experience Tulum this way. But I'm saddened by that story about the camps. It's amazing that in place after place, all around the world (and right here at home), there is so much privilege right up next to people who have next to nothing. :(

[pattyayers]

Oh boy, I'm going to love reading this! You're going to have a big audience to write for! I can't wait to hear how the Skype stuff works out. It makes me think of dumping our land line here!

I'm loving sharing my daily experiences and photos and I'm thrilled if people are reading along!

Skype is working great. I can't recommend it enough. As long as I've had a reliable, fast Internet connection, it has worked really well for me. Even my 80-year-old father said it sounded perfectly normal. I think that if I had a wireless headset, it would really be perfect, because I have a hard time sitting still. But even with the corded headset, I'm kind of enjoying sitting and relaxing without having to clutch a handset to my ear.



I'd love to experience Tulum this way. But I'm saddened by that story about the camps. It's amazing that in place after place, all around the world (and right here at home), there is so much privilege right up next to people who have next to nothing. :(

That was heavy, wasn't it. I'm hoping I might find some way to help.

I hope that you get to experience Tulum in bigger quantities before too long too. I'm very blessed, and after 2 days, it's just beginning to really sink in.

Thanks for the good energy, Phyllis!!

Patty

[pattyayers]

Checked your blog today Patty ~ You are in Mexico now! Whoo hoo!!! Thanks for the heads up on the hotel. What do you get for the $35 a night??

Hi Minnie - The Hotel Colorado (in Playa) is pretty interesting. It's pretty basic, but has a whole lot of charm. It's just a few blocks from the beach and that glitzy pedestrian avenue, so the location is pretty good. The room this time was big and clean and functional, but bordering on hostel-like - the pillows were stuffed with lumps of foam, the sheets didn't fit the bed, and there was only one cover, a polyester bedspread. The shower was hot and the TV worked fine. There was a sink, a hot plate, a tiny fridge, and a motley collection of thrift-store dishes. It was kind of noisy at night too, dogs barking and traffic. But I actually was quite comfortable and had a nice stay, so go figure!

Patty

[heenan]

Nice work.
Will enjoy reading about your life in Tulum.

[minniemex]

Hi Minnie - The Hotel Colorado (in Playa) is pretty interesting. It's pretty basic, but has a whole lot of charm. It's just a few blocks from the beach and that glitzy pedestrian avenue, so the location is pretty good. The room this time was big and clean and functional, but bordering on hostel-like - the pillows were stuffed with lumps of foam, the sheets didn't fit the bed, and there was only one cover, a polyester bedspread. The shower was hot and the TV worked fine. There was a sink, a hot plate, a tiny fridge, and a motley collection of thrift-store dishes. It was kind of noisy at night too, dogs barking and traffic. But I actually was quite comfortable and had a nice stay, so go figure!

Patty

Thanks Patty!! It sounds terrific for the price if a person just needed to stay for a night in Playa.

[pattyayers]

A few more blog posts, some with videos. I went to the beach today... :-)

http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/

Patty

[PhyllisB]

Wonderful, Patty! I love reading your daily posts! I look forward to it every evening! Looking forward to hearing more about your neighbors and the local community as well as more fabulous pictures from the beach!

[minniemex]

Love your blog!!:)

[Lynnette]

I love your "little moments"......Urge is one of our favorites, also!!!

[susan]

Enjoying your blog- looking forward to the next couple of months of great reading from a little bit out of the ordinary perspective.

[BP.]

Me, too! Enjoy reading about your doings & seeing your pics, Patty.

[pattyayers]

Still posting just about every day to http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/. Mostly just "little moments" and adventures, but from the heart!

Best,

Patty

[minniemex]

Love that wall of flowers!! I would ride by that everyday!! Do you??

[pattyayers]

Love that wall of flowers!! I would ride by that everyday!! Do you??

I was on that block again today - but mostly because I keep getting lost over in the old section of town where the streets all get diagonal!

But it is really beautiful, isn't it. There are a few really gorgeous houses in town, and that's one of them.. but they tend to be walled-in and kind of half-buried in foliage, making them all the more mysterious..!

I love Tulum Pueblo - I just can't seem to get enough of it.

Cheers,

Patty

[pattyayers]

Yesterday was El Dia de La Virgen de Guadalupe in Mexico, and Tulum has been celebrating in its own unique way all week. Yesterday I was minding my own business at the casita when I heard crazy noise from the direction of the highway - lots and lots of sirens blaring in a totally chaotic way. I hopped on my bike to go investigate, and found that it was the big parade! I got some great photos and videos which I've posted on my blog:
http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/

Coming next, as soon as I get them posted: photos from a long walk today in the Hotel Zone, near Ana y Jose. It was a cloudy day, but perfect for walking and walking on that beautiful smooth sand during low tide.

[PhyllisB]

Thanks for all the great posts Patty! I'm loving reading about your daily adventures! For some reason the flickr pictures didn't come up when I just checked, but I'll try again later. I gotta see that bike!

[pattyayers]

Thanks for all the great posts Patty! I'm loving reading about your daily adventures! For some reason the flickr pictures didn't come up when I just checked, but I'll try again later. I gotta see that bike!

D'oh! I'm such a dummy. I changed my Flickr account, where a lot of those photos are stored, and now I have to put them back into the blog. Please check back in about an hour!

Patty

[BP.]

Lovin' it all, Patty!

[pattyayers]

Okay, I've just fixed the stuff on my blog that I had broken. I have a slide show of the parade yesterday; I just discovered how to do that on Flickr, and I really like it. Also a video of the parade.

Best,

Patty

[beachreader]

Hi, Patty! I forgot you were going to be down there at the same time I was, sorry I missed that minor detail, or we could have hooked up at some point!

Sounds like you're having a fantastic experience, I love that wall of flowers especially, might have to make a point to ride by there every day. :)

[pattyayers]

Hi, Patty! I forgot you were going to be down there at the same time I was, sorry I missed that minor detail, or we could have hooked up at some point!

Sounds like you're having a fantastic experience, I love that wall of flowers especially, might have to make a point to ride by there every day. :)

Are you still here??

Patty

[beachreader]

No, I'm sorry to say I've already been home a week now; Tulum feels like it was ages ago. :(

[pattyayers]

No, I'm sorry to say I've already been home a week now; Tulum feels like it was ages ago. :(

Well, I'm sorry I missed you. And home is a good thing. :-)

Patty

[minniemex]

Well, I'm sorry I missed you. And home is a good thing. :-)

Patty

Patty, does that mean you might be a little homesick?? How is that going?? I guess that would be one of my fears.

[pattyayers]

Patty, does that mean you might be a little homesick?? How is that going?? I guess that would be one of my fears.

No, I'm really not. I'm at a point in my life where I need new experiences really badly! Also, home seems so close.. my people at home and I are in touch pretty much whenever we want by Skype phone, Facebook, email, texting, cell phone. They're seeing photos and videos I take here only minutes after I take them.

P.

[minniemex]

Glad to hear that!! Don't you just love electronics?? I can remember the days before all of it!! :eek:

[stlgail]

Patty, I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying your blog. We had an ice storm last night and it was 9 degrees when we woke up today... my kids are home from school...it's too early for a drink ... but all was put right when I saw your pics of the beach. A cloudy day in Tulum is just fine with me. You have cheered me up! Keep those pics coming...:margarita:

[pattyayers]

Thank you, "stlgail"!

Photos from an afternoon on the beach in front of the ruins...
http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/2008/12/beach-beneath-pre-columbian-walled.html

Patty

[PhyllisB]

Patty, still enjoying your blog so much. I can't wait to hear about these English classes! Good for you for just going for it... I'm so... I don't know the word for it... I admire your courage!

[ilovewyoming]

Great blog and report..like your style of reporting !!! Keep it up as i look forward to living vicariously through your reports:)

[pattyayers]

Patty, still enjoying your blog so much. I can't wait to hear about these English classes! Good for you for just going for it... I'm so... I don't know the word for it... I admire your courage!

Well, the English classes didn't quite pan out; they didn't show up for the meeting, and as I sat waiting, I decided it wasn't right for me. But it gave me a good idea; I think I'll look for an English-Spanish exchange of some kind here.

Thanks very much, Phyllis.. but there's a lot of "loca" in courage! :-)

Patty

[pattyayers]

Hola todos,

http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/2008/12/sand-mermaid-and-strange-pole-dance.html

Patty

[susan]

I also questioned the pole dance when we saw it- though in itself it is quite amazing to watch. But when we got home I did a little reasearch on it and it is an ancient ceremonial dance, knowing that made the experience of seeing quite satisfying.

[pattyayers]

I also questioned the pole dance when we saw it- though in itself it is quite amazing to watch. But when we got home I did a little reasearch on it and it is an ancient ceremonial dance, knowing that made the experience of seeing quite satisfying.

Was it part of the Maya culture, though, do you know? I know that there were similar ceremonies among the native Americans of what's now the U.S. southwest and nearby parts of Mexico.

I found this reference: http://tinyurl.com/8b2ftv which is about the Plains Indians, but in a book about the Maya, so maybe there's a connection.


Patty

[susan]

What I found was that it was first started by the Totonac people and then picked up by the Mayans

[pattyayers]

I've been posting some new blog entries:
http://pattyayers.blogspot.com

Que le vaya bien,
Patty

[minniemex]

Patty those were such uplifting posts!! I too have lived away from home for holidays and you found such joy!!

Was that your apartment door in the morning sunrise video?? And was there Xmas lights on the palm tree, bush?? Oh, and I love the flowers on the railings. What a wonderful Xmas present to you ~ your new "home".

[pattyayers]

Patty those were such uplifting posts!! I too have lived away from home for holidays and you found such joy!!

Was that your apartment door in the morning sunrise video?? And was there Xmas lights on the palm tree, bush?? Oh, and I love the flowers on the railings. What a wonderful Xmas present to you ~ your new "home".

Thank *you*, Minnie. It really does my heart good to hear that somebody enjoys the stuff I'm sharing. Seriously!

Yes, that was my apartment door.. yes, Cmas lights. And those flowers, I know.. that's the kind of little thing that makes my days. I know, I'm so blessed. Now my task is to really teach myself to slow down, calm down, and just enjoy the moments.

Patty

[susan]

I just watched the sunrise video- what a cool place you have found to live. Are the renters in the building mostly locals or transplants from other places?

I don't know about the roster though:rolleyes: but it probably saves the need for an alarm clock.

[pattyayers]

I just watched the sunrise video- what a cool place you have found to live. Are the renters in the building mostly locals or transplants from other places?

I don't know about the roster though:rolleyes: but it probably saves the need for an alarm clock.

The other renters are mostly short-term transplants, like me... Mexicans, Canadians.

I love the rooster and the other gentle waking-up street sounds. What's problematic (though not usually in the morning, thank God) are the vehicles passing by blasting campaign messages at an absolutely deafeningly high volume, and on party nights, canned pop music from houses and bars. Mexico's sounds are fine with me until they start amplifying stuff - then it gets ridiculous! Though I'd rather not, I have to close all of my windows tight at times.

Patty

[susan]

just curious- could you share with us mapwise where you are living in Tulum?

How long before the election so you will be able to get some peace and quiet?

[beachreader]

If the US election cycles are any indication, I'd say about 2.5 more years! :D

[susan]

If the US election cycles are any indication, I'd say about 2.5 more years! :D

LOL:)

If you live in Minnesota it still isn't over:eek:

[pattyayers]

just curious- could you share with us mapwise where you are living in Tulum?

How long before the election so you will be able to get some peace and quiet?

Sure - it's in the southwest part of town, near the Mayan church and old town center.

I don't know about peace and quiet - I'm not holding my breath! :-)

Patty

[pattyayers]

Hello all - I've just posted photos of a friend's beautiful little home in Tulum.. very simple and unusual.
http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/2008/12/stephanies-casa-pastel.html

Patty

[PhyllisB]

I have so much catching up to do! I know how I'll be spending my New Year's holiday!

[minniemex]

Hello all - I've just posted photos of a friend's beautiful little home in Tulum.. very simple and unusual.
http://pattyayers.blogspot.com/2008/12/stephanies-casa-pastel.html

Patty

Too cute!! Could I ever live there!! Patty you are having such an experience!! I am glad you can share it with us!! Just one question ~ is that her kitchen off the back of the house?? Outside??

[minniemex]

Patty ~ I think here in the Midwest we still have that feeling of "community" you are talking about. I can sit in front or in back of my house and still have everyone saying hello and stopping to talk. I know all the neighborhood kids. Weather keeps them in alot during the winter, but summer has them using my yard to play baseball and football even though I have no children at home anymore. Just the other night, one of the boys next door came over to help Fred shovel the driveway because he said he just felt like it.

[pattyayers]

Patty ~ I think here in the Midwest we still have that feeling of "community" you are talking about. I can sit in front or in back of my house and still have everyone saying hello and stopping to talk. I know all the neighborhood kids. Weather keeps them in alot during the winter, but summer has them using my yard to play baseball and football even though I have no children at home anymore. Just the other night, one of the boys next door came over to help Fred shovel the driveway because he said he just felt like it.

That sounds really sweet, "minniemex".

Patty

[pattyayers]

Too cute!! Could I ever live there!! Patty you are having such an experience!! I am glad you can share it with us!! Just one question ~ is that her kitchen off the back of the house?? Outside??

Yup, that's her kitchen; it's outdoors, but it has a roof. It's really not a problem, because the weather is nice almost all of the time.

I know, and I'm really enjoying it, even more now that I'm pretty much settled. This is the happiest I've been in a long time. :-) I'm delighted to be sharing it.. thanks for reading. I've gotten a little slower with the posts, because my job has been busy lately, but there will be more! :-)

Patty

[susan]

That sounds really sweet, "minniemex".

Patty
I would have to agree with Minniemex. In my neighborhood people are out on their front steps whenever whether permitting. Even this morning with 20 below windchills we were yelling to each other as we cleared snow off our driveways. I cleared my neighbors as they weren't home. My neighbors have done the same for me. We have a giant pile of snow in the middle of the cul-de- sac that the neighborhood kids play on. In the summer someone is always outside to talk to. Do we all have connecting court yards no but the cul-de-sac seems to have taken that place. I think this is very dependent on where you live but I can't remeber ever living in a neighborhood where people hibernated from one another. Certainly in the winter we are not out as much but come spring it really is a rebirth of the neighborhood connection.

However one of the things I really like about Mexico is the openess- not only the architecture but of the people as well. It is one of the things that keep me coming back.

[pattyayers]

I would have to agree with Minniemex. In my neighborhood people are out on their front steps whenever whether permitting. Even this morning with 20 below windchills we were yelling to each other as we cleared snow off our driveways. I cleared my neighbors as they weren't home. My neighbors have done the same for me. We have a giant pile of snow in the middle of the cul-de- sac that the neighborhood kids play on. In the summer someone is always outside to talk to. Do we all have connecting court yards no but the cul-de-sac seems to have taken that place. I think this is very dependent on where you live but I can't remeber ever living in a neighborhood where people hibernated from one another. Certainly in the winter we are not out as much but come spring it really is a rebirth of the neighborhood connection.

However one of the things I really like about Mexico is the openess- not only the architecture but of the people as well. It is one of the things that keep me coming back.

That sounds really nice, and I've lived some places in the U.S. where the neighbors and I talk frequently too. I didn't mean to suggest that neighborliness doesn't exist at all in the U.S. I just have seen that in general, in the U.S., people are much more closed in their houses and cars than they are in Mexico. I think it has to do with the openness of the people here, as you see, and also with economics.

Patty

[beachreader]

Hey, we have good neighbors here in Jersey as well, ya know. Just 'cuz y'all are frozen solid 8 months a year doesn't give the Upper Midwest a monopoly on neighborliness. :p

[susan]

Hey, we have good neighbors here in Jersey as well, ya know. Just 'cuz y'all are frozen solid 8 months a year doesn't give the Upper Midwest a monopoly on neighborliness. :p


Well I beg to differ- I believe it does. Surviving winter here allows us to claim everything we want to!:)

[beachreader]

Well I beg to differ- I believe it does. Surviving winter here allows us to claim everything we want to!:)


I'll wait for some Southerner to chime in here, since we're frozen for a couple of months here in Jersey, so if that's the criterion, we qualify a bit.

:D:D:D

[susan]

Hi Patty- your blog fans are patiently waiting for the next installment. Hope all is well.

[susan]

Thanks Patty for another installment. How great it must be to have all these new experiences. What a cool way to gather knowledge, just immersing yourself in a culture. Now if one could only learn math this way.:rolleyes:

[pattyayers]

Hello All,

My new project, www.OurTulum.com (http://www.ourtulum.com/), was just launched the site at the beginning of January, intending to build and maintain a large amount of useful information and magazine-like articles all on the subject of Tulum.

pattyayers.blogspot.com (http://pattyayers.blogspot.com) is still my personal blog, whereas OurTulum.com (http://www.ourtulum.com/) is a professional effort.

Thank you to everybody who has been following along regularly!

Patty