my kind of town

I am in Mexico.  No doubt about it.

Geckos chirping to attract mates.  Clear skies.  Pleasant temperatures.

But everything else today was new to me.

We were up early to catch the ferry to the mainland to pick up our rental car.  And pick it up we probably could.  It was small enough.  The tires seem to have been borrowed from a grocery trolley.

But it is just the right size for squeezing through urban traffic in Merida -- and into tight parking spaces.

The urban experience, however, was four hours in our future.  Between Cancun and Merida was a long stretch of road through the Yucatan scrub jungle.  I think I now know how a mole feels tunneling through a lawn.

Islagringo and I laughingly tried my new GPS.  Laughingly, because we could have used a ruler and a sheet of paper to draw our route.  The road is that flat and straight.

Anyone who has made the trip knows there is not much to report outside of the car.  Inside, we had a great conversation about the type of things two guys discuss on a road trip.

We are staying at La Reforma Hotel.  The hotel reminds me a lot of Venice.  Aging, but with grace.  If it came to life, it would probably be a dowager duchess.

The rooms are hardly luxurious.  But four rooms open onto a lovely terrace living space.  You can see it at the top of this post.

After checking in, we headed over to the English Library for the bloggers' conference meet and greet.  And we did exactly that. 


I met new people who write blogs I have not yet read.  I met a couple of people who have commented on my blog over the years.  And, of course, I met some people, like Jonna and Mimi, who are directly responsible for my adventure in Mexico.

For me, the most interesting aspect of these gatherings, is that we may not have met before in person, but we know each other well enough we can launch into conversations as if we had been friends for years.  Which, of course, we have.

After the meet and greet, Jonna and Mimi invited me to attend an art gallery exhibition.  Even though we have some differing views on art, it was great simply to have that type of conversation.  That, in itself, was a new Mexican experience.

I am now back in the hotel.  The hotel lobby, actually.  There is no internet in the rooms.

As soon as I finish this post, I will complete my speaker notes for tomorrow.  And head to bed.

It is going to be a full day of blogomania.