Cancun, Mexico

Here is what has been happening since I landed in Mexico more than a week ago…

First off Mexico is a beautiful but very hot this time of year 43 C!  Its hard to believe that in the 1970s Cancun was only a small fishing village of 120 people and only jungle. Well now it has spun around 360 degrees! It is a tourist hot spot not only in Mexico but all over the world! The rest of Mexico is different, meaning that Cancun is in full on globalization. It is catering to the tourists and only the tourists.

Going to school everyday Learning Spanish has been great! Everyday I am learning something new and different and having a lot of laughs in between. The language is very fast so you have listen closely or you will miss something completely in the explanation. Interacting the with the other students on campus is challenging but a great time to practice my Spanish. There are a lot of drawings and hand gestures taking place, common ground can usually be found. The excursions to the different industry tours have been eye opening. These have included variety of hotels learning how they function and operate.

I have experienced different sites while I have been here, the historical village of Chichen Itza built by the Mayans for example. It was mind boggling to think that this site have been around for thousands of years and still currently stands yet newly built structures are not able to withstand longevity. Also leaping off a 150 ft drop from the Ik Kil cenote was amazing! A cenote is an underground well that has emerged naturally and opened up. The water was refreshingly cool. It reminded me of Canadian summers jumping into a cold lake. Oh I almost forgot…I ate grasshoppers for the first time!!! They were delicious and covered in chili power.

Xcaret was another fantastic adventure! It is an eco tourism park filled with…flora, fauna and cave swimming! I swam with my group in the dark along river beneath the caves. It was an outer body moment. All my other senses kicked into high gear. I literally could not see anything in-front, behind or below me. Yet it was peaceful and tranquil at the same time. You learn to rely on yourself and also realize that everyone is capable of so much. Stepping outside the box and trying something new!

Lastly, my time here in Mexico is flying by fast. Emerging yourself in new things is important, otherwise I would not have been able to eat grasshoppers! I hope everyone their different trips whether they be short or long make sure they are taking it all in,whether it be getting lost, tasting new foods, meeting new people or trying something new. Do it all and do not look back!

Hasta Luego

Buenos Noches

Chloe