Today we went on our third official excursion! We went to Celestún, a town along the Gulf of Mexico. On the way there, we went through some really little, poor pueblos. Imagine the stereotype for Mexico and that was what these villages were. It was kind of sad to think that people actually live in those circumstances.
When we got to Celestún, we went to a restaurant by the beach. We used the bathrooms to change and then got into motorboats. The town is right along the beach but fairly close is a river that empties into the ocean. The motorboat ride was long but refreshing. And we saw dolphins! I didn’t get a chance to take pictures and they weren’t super close, but it was still really cool anyway.
We rode the boats to an area that had a bunch of flamingos! It was sweet! And I learned that they get their pink color from eating shrimp. Without the shrimp, they’re white. Interesting, huh?
After seeing the flamingos, we went down a smaller river that was surrounded by forests. It made me think of the movie, Anaconda. I said that and got a glare from someone in my boat. Probably wasn’t the best time to mention that haha.
From the little river we went to a place called “Ojo de Agua” (eye of water). It’s one of the places where the fresh water empties into the salt water. It’s a tourist site where we were allowed to swim.
We only had 15 minutes and it looked gross, so I didn’t swim but while I was talking to people out of the water, I was told that the area was known to have lots of crocodiles and jaguars. And we were swimming and socializing as if no flesh-eating predators were lurking in the surrounding jungle. Luckily, no one was consumed alive but when we left, it was evident that the water was GROSS! After getting out of the water, my roommate had nasty stringy stuff on her body and her skin was sticky…so yeah. I definitely do not regret avoiding the water! During part of the time we were there, I talked to a lady from Oaxaca, Mexico. (pronounced wuh-hock-uh) I talked to her about where I’m from and why I’m in Mexico and then she told me her daughter is learning English. So she called her 16 year-old daughter over to talk to me. It was clear the girl did NOT want to talk. Her mom kept trying to force her to talk, so I asked her if she wanted to practice speaking English. She told me she doesn’t know any. Then her mom told her she should get my phone number so we can practice on the phone. Again, it was painfully clear the girl had absolutely no interest in practicing her English. So I told her mom I don’t have a phone here and she responded by saying we could email each other. So I gave the girl my email. Ten bucks says she won’t email me haha. The following several minutes were super awkward. The mom wouldn’t let her daughter go but the daughter refused to talk to me…so I was stuck in between this uncomfortable power struggle. They finally left, thank goodness!
Next, we got back in the boats and returned to the restaurant. We ate lunch there and then swam in the ocean. The restaurant was SO close to the beach! As soon as I stepped foot outside of the restaurant, I was walking in the sand. The shadow in the next picture is from the roof of the restaurant. That's how close we were. :)
The restaurant:
Well, that’s my second update for today. One more thing I want to mention is the “Michoacana.” It’s this awesome place to buy refrescos (cold drinks), helado (ice cream), and maletas (kinda like popsicles). I went for the first time on Wednesday, when my professor bought us drinks after taking us to the Mercado. How awesome is that? For class, my teacher drove us to the market, showed us around, encouraged us to chat, and paid for our drinks. Anyway, we tried “agua de chaya” and “horchata de coco.” I wish I could share these drinks with everyone. They are awesome! Agua de chaya is made from the chaya leaf. Chaya is a plant that is poisonous when eaten raw, but super healthy when cooked. The drink tastes a little bit like a mixture of lemonade and pineapple but way better. It’s one of those things that can’t be described well with words. The other drink, horchata de coco, is a creamy, coconut-flavored drink. I asked the guy at the shop what it’s made of, and he told me milk and coconut. I asked him if there was anything else and he said no. So although it obviously has plenty of sugar, I’m going to continue believing it’s just milk and coconut. Healthy, right? Delusion CAN be rewarding. It tastes just like it’s name and I love it! It’s officially my favorite drink. Ever. Before coming to Yucatán, I didn’t really like anything coconut-flavored. Here, it’s my favorite flavor. I like it even more than chocolate. I shudder to think I’m publicly declaring that admission. The ice cream, the drinks, the popsicles, everything with coconut is amazing! I learned that there is a Michoacana between bus stops on my way to school. Definitely dangerous. Imma be obese when I return to the US. I got a maleta de coco after class on Thursday. Basically, it’s a coconut popsicle but it’s way different than popsicles in the US. It’s made almost completely with shaved coconut and is very low in added sugar. It was good but melts and falls apart super quickly. Especially when I’m waiting for the bus in 100 degrees!
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