Some Changes - January 10, 2007

Well my parents came to Merida to visit me and it was quite a delight to have them… although I am not sure if they felt the same. Don’t get me wrong, they were happy to see “their girl” but they also got a pretty good run for their money! However, although they may have been in a bit of culture shock, I did go somewhat easy on them.

For example, while they were here I did not hang off any buses, (see photo). When this incident occurred the bus was weaving in and out of traffic, speeding down the busiest road in Merida, and honking its horn. Then there was me (a complete foreigner and “gringa” none the less), hanging off the bus with a huge smile on my face and greeting people on the streets in Spanish as I fly by them. It was great! A thrill for sure.

So even though there were some changes that I needed to make during their visit, my parents put up with me and had some adventures of their own. We hiked/rode mules for 9 miles in the Andes Mountains, rode in a Jeep for 4 hours on the edge of a cliff wondering if this is how the good Lord was going to take us home, ordering off menus in the restaurants and getting a complete surprise, experiencing prejudice, etc. They were real troopers. I’ll claim them as my loving, and fairly adventuresome, parents any day!