June 23, 2021: Day Two

Today was a regular work day for both of us, so not a lot to talk about.

We did learn that there is no natural light in the bedroom as its in the middle of the building. With all the doors closed for air conditioning purposes, I overslept a bit (8:30), which barely gave me time to catch my morning meeting.

When we figured out that the intersection of free flight and Corona-acceptance was leading us to the Yucatán, we did consider that it might be hot, but we figured: "How much hotter can it be than South Florida?" We were correct in that its really not that much hotter than South Florida, although believe it or not, the sun is even hotter than South Florida, making the disparity between the sun and the shade even more noticeable. What we failed to consider is how much hotter it would be indoors, due to the lack of air conditioning. Really, very few public places are air conditioned, which we really didn't consider. And the non-air conditioned parts of our apartment were quite a surprise.

That said we are getting used to it fairly quickly, although the bedroom breaks are welcomed.

Dinner at Chaya Maya (outdoors)

We had a nice coffee and a croissant sandwich for lunch. The place was expensive which we should have guessed because there were Americans eating there and it was air conditioned. We went around to find a beer and a snack this afternoon which proved harder than we figured. Then, we came back to the apartment for some more work and then back out for dinner.

We did learn that all of the cantinas opted to close due to Corona this and that. We are a little disappointed with that as we were looking forward to that experience.

Dinner was at a very nice place that the bartender of the snack told us about.

And so ends the second day.

Steps: 10,034

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July 18, 2021: Day Twenty-Seven

Today is Sunday. On Sundays in non-corona times, they shut down the more glamorous part of the Pasejo Montejo and allow for bike-riding. In corona times, they shut down the north-bound lane of the more glamorous part of the Pasejo Montejo to allow for bike-riding and allow the traffic to flow south like normal. We decided that this would be as good a time as any to take a walk on the Pasejo Montejo. Actually, we've been walking up and down this street ever since we came back to Mérida from Progreso. They call the road the "Champs Elysée of Mérida". I have also heard Mérida referred to as the Paris of México. Let me start by saying that I can see the resemblance, but any references to Paris are a bit of a stretch, if you've been to Paris. If you haven't been to Paris, I think maybe the resemblance might be enough. There are a lot of Haussmann-esque homes here, but unlike in Paris, they are isolated, they don't run for blocks and ...

Overview

This year, we are spending thirty-eight days in México. To be exact, the Yucatán peninsula, México. My new calling (minister) provides me with ample vacation time, which I totally mismanaged, leaving nearly half of it untaken. My contract year ends on July 31, so nothing like waiting till the last minute. I also have two weeks per year which I am to dedicate to learning and becoming a better minister. Then, I have one week of General Assembly/Ministers’ Meetings. Normally, General Assembly means travel to a convention hall somewhere, but this being Corona Year Deux, General Assembly is virtual again, meaning as long as I have internet, I’m there! Yucatan Trip Itinerary So, we took off the Tuesday before GA, which is the second of three days of Ministers meetings, which like General Assembly is also virtual. There is a gap of a few days which I’ll get some work done as well. Add it all up, and you’ve got thirty-nine days....

June 28, 2021: Day Seven

Francine had a half day of work today so we worked in the morning and then headed out on a small trek. We walked down to the beautiful malecón. Malecones are a pretty uniquely Latin American thing from my perspective. The only American word we have - and the one often used - is "boardwalk", but that's not accurate. A malecón is a pier or a sidwalk on a sea wall that runs along a seashore. This one had pedestrian paths and bike paths. I've never seen that before. It was Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, with all the glitz stripped away. Unlike the one in Guayaquíl, this one did not have a retail presence. Malecón, Campeche From the malecón we walked to the market, which turned out to be closed. Then, we got a salad lunch back in town. Later in the day it was off for a trolley tour of the city. It is quite a nice city in almost all respects. Its certainly nicer than the historic center of Mérida. Its about 1/8 the population of ...

2021 Visit to the Yucatán

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