zoo adventure

 

We worked up enough energy to walk over to Centenarian Park, or locally called the zoo. It was about a 40 minute walk, which seems to be just around the corner. We walk a lot here, and without even thinking about distances. THe route took us on some new streets, and past some really pretty old houses, mostly abandoned old houses. We tried each one on mentally, to see what it would look like after we'd finished renovating them. While we both liked the end results, the idea of renovating a house doesn't appeal to either of us. We also walked past a couple of small, elegant hotels. Each one with a pretty interior courtyard, lots of bright tiles and tropical shrubbery. One day, I'm going to stay in one of those places.

The zoo is free, and occupies an huge space close to the downtown. It's a park, too, and it must be nuts here on Sunday, when all the families come out. The vendors of every kind would be there, too, which would make it a real zoo (pun intended). It was quiet today, though, even though there were plenty of school groups and parents with small kids. If you're the kind of person who gets all worked up over animals in small enclosures, don't read any further...and you certainly don't want to visit this zoo. We saw about a dozen Big Cats, two giraffes, a couple of zebra's, lots of deer, and some Yucatecan animals that look like deer. The poor cats were all pacing, bored to the extreme in their small cages. We also saw flamingos and turtles, who were not pacing. The bird house was pretty nice, but the big birds of prey, hawk and buzzard were cramped. The colorful birds had a nice place. But, the birds that made me laugh were these guineas. Common, right? Well, all I could think of when I saw them was, three little old ladies, with their navy and white polka dot crepe de chine Sunday dresses on, with lace handkerchiefs and pearls. Then, the battery died on my camera, so this is what you get from the zoo in Merida.

We are trying to formulate a plan for the next few days, while Gayle and Dale are here. Since they have so little time, we're trying to decide what is most important to do/see. We'll work on that plan tonight, on our patio, with tequila drinks in our hands. I'm sure our plans will involve a swim in a cenote.

We're back in hot water, and Augustin is without hot water or the capability to cook. The plumber couldn't get a gas tank today, so they brought Augustin's gas tank up to us until Monday, when the plumber could get another gas tank. We are probably the only tenants he'll have who would rather have gas to cook with than hot water in the shower.

I'm making a new friend with each visit to the Santana mercado, and today, I made a new friend of one of the butchers. I watched him cut a pork loin in paper thin pieces, an artist at work. The fruit and vegetable vendors all know my face, and I try to buy from them all.