Hey guys! I know, It has been a while. I have been trying to adapt to Mexico. Everything has been so different than what we expected and planned. It has been quite a humbling experience... Okay, So let's start from where we left off.
In December it started cooling off and the weather wasn't as unbearable. Chris and I got tired of going to the beach in Vallarta after the 4th time or so. We ended up being able to borrow My aunts sisters office and work on the letter. We somehow managed to finished it towards the end. We did get a lot of help from a friend back home though, we don't know what we would have done without his help.
We spent a lot of time at my aunt Paula's house in a small town called Botadero. It's about 3 hours away from Vallarta and it really is different. The nearest 24hr store around here is 15 miles away and it's a pharmacy. I never imagined being back here for this long. I always wanted to come on vacation but I never thought that I would experience the culture this closely. "I miss potable running water" Should never be uttered by anyone. Same with "I miss sinks". The "Sink" get filled with potable water every other day because, potable water is only available every other day. The shower pumps water from a well.
I left mexico when I was 8. I guess I had forgotten about how it really was. How hard people have to work for what they have. How much kids want and take care of the little toys that they have. My little niece at her 3 years of age knows the value of things much more than any of us will in our life time. It's heart breaking when a child asks for a towel for Christmas instead of toys. I guess I would have never really known about how it truly was unless I lived it. Trust me... after taking a shower with a bucket all of the sudden the problems that I had back at home seemed very meaningless and petty.
About a half a mile from here though, there is a River where the fish migrate to the Ocean. Chris and I would go up about a mile to a path that you could go and sit on rocks and fish. Being there we saw a lot of interesting stuff like Iguanas running on water and Chris even fished a turtle! I got pretty good at fishing Rock fish and we lost a lot of hooks. The sunsets there are breathless... I wasn't able to take pictures of much after about two days because my camera slipped out of my pocket and fell into the River. I miss my camera. Not as much as a hot shower though, and I don't mean boiling water for a hot "shower".
I guess this experience wouldn't have been so different if I lived anywhere else other than California. I know they have places like this in the U.S. (not quite like this, but close). I also got to enjoy the beach near here. Chris and I got to eat seared fish that was caught that morning and relax for a little while in a hammock overlooking the beach, there was even a dog named Tecate hanging out.
Christmas came around and Chris built a BBQ out of bricks that where laying around. It was nice but not quite like Christmas... same with new years. It just wasn't the same. The food was okay though.
Finally after new years we started heading back to Juarez. On the way we met with a family friend in Aguascalientes, he was visiting and we got to spend the night there. The drive wasn't bad. It has been a month today since I turned in my waiver packet and application. I still haven't heard anything. After my appointment Chris and I stayed at the hotel for a week in case of a quick approval (obviously that didn't happen). Chris had to go back home to the U.S. and I took a plane back to Guadalajara, then a bus to Tepic... then finally my uncle dropped me off at my aunts house...
Saying goodbye to my husband has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have felt very depressed and lost without him. Specially being in such a remote place. I just hope when this is all over I get to come out a better person and at least now I know how precious things are. I'll never take anything for granted. This process is long and painful but I'm quite lucky, I have family that has welcomed me with open arms even after 18 years. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to see how different the world really is outside of the american bubble...Which until recently is all I knew. I hope Immigration laws change, families should not be ripped apart like this. And now some random pictures!
Things I've Learned:
...Despite everything, I am lucky.
4 comments:
As rough as it is right now, you are going to treasure some of these memories. The pictures are wonderful and I can't wait to hear about more of your adventures :)
I definitely treasure my first fishing experience lol I never thought that I would enjoy it so much! and be okay at it too! Actually, I think the river has soo many fish that it doesn't matter if you are good or not lol
I will try and post more often. Maybe I'll get some pictures of the local indians, they are quite interesting!
Well...the way you write about missing running water and sinks is making Mexico look like a shit hole...how about saying the town you live in is a shithole instead of the the whole country...Mexico is very modern except for its towns. FACT.
Cannot compare your town to Monterrey or any other big city.
I would hope people are smart enough to know not all of Mexico is the same. Just like the U.S. and every other country out there.
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