Finally! Internet!

Finally I have internet. Sorry if there is a lack of proper punctuation. I am on a PC in a Cafe de Internet and all of the buttons on the computer are different. The good news is that from here I can publish many photos of the trip. I will also link videos that I upload to youtube. Yesterday we went to Xcaret and it was great. In the evening we went to a show that had dancing and other stuff. Here is a video of some of the dancing.

Xcaret dancing

Xcaret flyers

We are now in Playa del Carmen. Its beachy and beautiful. Im going to go ahead and upload a bunch of recent photos from the trip in no particular order.

I have many more pictures from the trip and kids have their own. I will be encouraging them to send me what they have so I may post it and we can all take a look.

Today is our last real day on the trip. we have a large farewell dinner tonight where there will be dancing and singing.

On a personal note, I could not be happier with the way that this trip has gone. I was warned about expectations before I left. Someone, I dont remember who, told me that expectations are nothing more than visions of future failures. We must have lucked out because my expectations were exceeded in every way. Yes, we had some hiccups, but they were minor and forgettable.

We are currently in Playa del Carmen. Some of the kids love this place and others hate it. It is a polarizing place. Playa del Carmen and Cancun are beautiful places and they have shops and businesses that the shoppers love to visit. There is a lot to see and do here and I believe that it is for this reason that some of the kids love it. Culturally, however, Playa and Cancun are horrific. They define themselves by what the tourists want. They conform themselves to the preconceived notions of the tourists. Many students have noticed this. It is virtually impossible not to notice, especialy after you have just come from places like Valladolid and Merida where the culture is so alive you can feel it in the air. Instead of real mayan speakers, real ruins and hidden cenotes you get guys trying to sll you cuban cigars and marracas. Instead of homemade tortillas, frijoles, panuchos and empanadas you get burritos, tacos, hamburgers, subway and burger king. Everyone attempts to speak to you in English here and instead of seeing my group as a group of adventurous, traveling students they see them as a potential for profit. To a certain extent I feel like ending our trip like this is like following up a delicious meal with a shot of vinegar. Were I to plan this trip again I would probably spend less time in Playa. As you read this you should probably consider the lense through which I am viewing this trip. I am a teacher and I am also an adult. Viewing it through the lense of a teenager, you may find a very different perspective. Playa del Carmen is a beautiful place where one can tan on the beach, rent jet skis and eat those french fries that have been so missed. Finally the students feel that they have re-entered the modern world. I have heard many students talk about how much they have missed Netflix, Mountain Dew, French fries, etc.

What a great trip this has been! This will most likely be my final post. Thank you so much for entrusting me with your children. It has been a pleasure. I have missed my own children very much and I can only imagine how you have felt as you have sent yours parading around a foreign country.

Gracias por todo,

Senor Coughran