Merida

This morning we went down to the Centro. We found the Main Street Cafe, a nice spot off the Centro for breakfast and had some very nicely poached eggs. We then walked over to the Mondo Maya, the Mayan Co-op where the best of Mayan goods are sold. The price is a little higher but quality is assured. We had orders to buy a Panama Hat for a friend of ours back in Canada so that was the first order of business. We then picked out a nice Guayabera Shirt for me to wear to my great niece Crystal’s wedding in July. I hate wearing ties and these shirts are the perfect substitute! While we were in the clothing department, Norma found a dress in the same Guayabera style. Upstairs we found a large serving bowl to replace one we gave away last summer. This was the forth item on our list yesterday that the little shop did not have. It hangs on the wall until it is needed for serving. Very beautiful and multi-functional. Norma again had a chance to show her negotiating skills and managed to get a very nice discount on our pile of goods!

Merida Street Musician:

Mayan Rug Weaver:

After the Mayan Co-op we called our friends Jonna and Mimi who offered to pick us up downtown and take us over to their nearby house. This is a beautiful house that is still a work in progress. There is work going on in the back yard where a pool, walkways and ponds are being constructed. The house is made out of concrete and stone, the perfect materials for this climate and keeps the house at least ten or fifteen degrees cooler than the outside temperature. It is so cool inside that Jonna and Mimi have not yet installed their air conditioning and may not ever do so. One great feature of the house that I quickly asked to use was the Molly “Pedicure Pool”!

First, a little history: about thirty years ago I broke my left ankle into six pieces. It was all put back together and the bones healed. The problem however was most of the veins that take blood out of the foot were severed causing the blood to “pool” in my lower leg. This circulation problem has caused a skin condition that has changed the colour of the skin and also causes the skin to peel into very small scale-like pieces. When my leg tans in the sun this flaking skin is very noticeable.

WELL, as luck would have it, Jonna and Mimi have a pool full of Mollies that simply love to nibble on dead skin. They have a flat stone beside the pool where I sat and hung my leg in the water. It was immediately covered with these little fish who went to work on it. It is really a weird feeling having them pick off all that skin! They were everywhere, on my legs, the soles of my feet, between my toes, everywhere! After about ten minutes, I pulled my leg out and it was like new!

The hallway and water feature:

The Pool:

The Pedicure!