Another reason to love Mexico is that Mexico loves and protects
animals, especially endangered species. See the turtle farm and hatchery on Isla Mujeres. Small turtles
big turtles
future turtles
and iguanas
iguanas iguanas iguanas
I thought the “island of women” (Isla Mujeres), Mexico’s eastern most point, was somewhat a slight concession to femminism, as tiny as the island itself, but I got it all wrong as did the conquistadores when they saw all those mysterious female idols on the island. Then I came across this modern representation of the most important Mayan goddess Ixchel, the goddess of the rainbow, of water, fertility, abundance, the moon, love and medicine (maybe something like a midwife). That’s what it says on the pedestal.
Later I found drawings of the original, much fiercer looking version of this idealized, modern, European influenced representation. I bought a Mayan calender with this picture of the goddess in the middle.
Now, she is one to be respected, a warrior woman, has nothing to do with that sailor-conquistador-dirty-old-man fantasy above. Hey guys, she’s gonna eat you alive before you even say “hi” to her.
Talking about eating: now everybody knows Mexican food. I have always liked it, even before going to where you get the real real yummies. There I had it already for breakfast
Geee, I’m eating faster than my camera says click ….
….and this was my morning drink: piña, apio, nopal, perejil, sábila, chayote, pepino. Color: fresh green. I drank it even before translating the ingredients. What do you think, did it make me go psychedelic or did it cure my wrinkles? Easy! It says chayote and not payote. It might have contrasted my free radicals, had I persisted with the recipe: pineapple, celery, prickly pear cactus leaf, parsley, aloe vera, cucumber squash. Sounds like Doctor Oz gone green.
I know you are waiting to see the pyramids and ruins. I’ll get to them, sooner or later.
Cheers
Gerburg
gerburgkamm 