CARIBBEAN SKETCH BOOK

(More stories of our ten day visit to the Yucatan in January 2011)

We didn't bring back a lot of souvenirs from our trip.

Mostly because we spent a lot of time doing nothing but this.

 I did bring back a few watercolor sketches.  

We stayed in a little guest house called La Casita Sombra

behind a big condo right on the beach.

No one was in the big house so we were given the run of the patio,

the hammock and the beach chairs.  

 A short walk down a path from our bungalow put us up to our ankles in coral sand.

 We could see sailboats taking advantage of the warm breezes on the sea.

Most days the weather was passing clouds and always warm temps.

There was never a big rain storm, but there were occasional brief showers.

One time I left a painting in progress to make a visit to the loo.  

In that short time a cloud opened up with liquid sunshine.

I could hear the rain through the open windows and ran out to save my painting.

Fortunately it was just enough under the shelter of the patio.

We got supplies in the little town of Akumal.  It has a beautiful bay

sheltered from wave action by a coral reef.

Canons used for defense in earlier times point out toward the open water.

 Coconut palms shaded our beach.  We found a coconut in the sand one morning 

so DH took it inside and opened it.  We mixed the milk with fruit juice and drank it.

Then we dug out the fresh coconut meat and ate it. Yum!

The people who were staying next door offered to buy a couple of my sketches.
I said I'd think about it.  I know they could have paid good money because they mentioned
owning three homes.  They asked what gallery I had my work in.  I told them,
"The Box Under The Bed."

THINGS WE SAW IN THE MARKETS

(More stories of our ten day visit to the Yucatan in January 2011)

Since we were in a tourist region 

we saw all kinds of souvenir items in the shops.

 I think these are some kind of piñata.  The bright colors made them very tempting. 

The ones I usually see are tacky, sun faded replicas made overseas.

 Musical souvenirs

 Vivid skulls were for sale everywhere in the markets,

 and the handbags of folded paper were tantalizing.

 Baking goods

 A big variety of bottled beans, corn and asparagus

 Poffets?

 Even in the smallest stores there were massive displays 

of lotions to prevent sunburn and cause sun tan.

 We watched a lady hand-roll cigars,

and saw a whole museum devoted to tequila.

 Chocolate was invented by the Mayans and Aztecs.  

This was chocolate-lover’s heaven.

 So much chocolate and so little suitcase space

 Somehow I don’t think this dark chocolate milk packaging 

would go over too well in the states.  

And I don’t EVEN want to know where they get Choco Melvin milk.

LET IT SLIDE

Hovercraft!

Take a couple of minutes to see my little video of
sledding with the kids and grandkids at the city park.