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

Tulum

Bad internet! Sorry no post! We visited the ruins of Tulum yesterday and checked into our hotel in Playa del Carmen. The internet is so bad I can't post pics. I'll try to get some posted tonight or tomorrow. As of this moment we are visiting Xcaret. Xcaret is an Eco-park with rivers, snorkeling, caves, animals, etc.

Soccer!

El Paseo de los Frailes is a beautiful old street in Valladolid that leads to an old convent called El Convento de San Bernardino. We walked the street until we came to the convent and then spent some time sitting around the park in front. We noticed some kids playing soccer and started to watch and cheer for them. They needed one more player and Taylor was more than happy to join them. Next, Thomas began to play and before we knew it we were playing 5 on 5, locals vs. gringos soccer. We shall not discuss the final score but it should be stated the the gringos did score a goal.

The kids Can't resist playing with the stray dogs. I discouraged them from doing it but they would not be stopped. One particularly cute puppy charmed everyone and even joined in on the soccer game.

Cenote Zaci

Today we visited another Cenote. This one is called Zaci and is right in the middle of Valladolid. It is far less popular than Xkeken but it is also beautiful and has one thing that Xkeken does not have: cliff diving. Again when we were swimming it started getting stormy and, sure enough, the rain and thunder began. Half of Zaci is exposed to open air and it rained on those who were swimming out in the open. It was beautiful and fun.

Click here for video

Click here for another video

Ticuch and Juan Bautista

Today we visited the village of Ticuch. I have an old friend there named Juan and I've told stories about him in class many times. Juan is married to a much, much younger woman and has many children. They are a traditional maya family and they all speak Mayan. The kids treated him and his family with love and respect as he allowed them into his humble home. They listened to him tell stories, played hacky-sack with his children and some other neighbors, listened to him speak Mayan to him, and even went and shared Cokes with the family. I was very happy with the experience and I know that many of the kids were extremely happy with it also.
Here are some pics from the event and a video of Juan speaking some Mayan and Spanish.

Click here for the video

XKeken or Dzitnup. Swimming in a Cenote

After visiting Ek Balam we dropped our things off in Valladolid and went to visit the underground cavern known as Dzitnup or Xkeken. The water in the cave was beautiful and felt great as we swam in it. I heard many kids commenting that this was the coolest thing they had ever done. About 30 minutes into the swim the power went out in the cave. All of the sudden we were swimming in the dark. The only light came from the hole at the top of the cave. As we swam under the light it started to rain and a good amount came through the hole down into the cave. It was beautiful! A storm had blown down some trees and knocked out the power and that's why we were left in the dark. We swam for quite a bit longer after that until some guys came in and said it was time for us to leave. They were closing down the Cenote due to the storm. When we went down into the cave it was hot and sunny but when we came up it was cool and rainy with some really powerful thunder. I'm having a tough time posting pics but I'll do what I can.

Ek Balam

Today we left Mérida. We had a great time there. On our way to Valladolid we went the the Mayan ruins of El Balam. There isn't much to say so here are a bunch of pictures. It may be a couple of posts.