Mexico was incredible. In fact incredible does not even begin to describe it. I want to learn Spanish and move there.

Eventually.

The trip to Mexico was rather painful. We flew out of Johannesburg to London.

We eventually got off the plane at Heathrow and my nerves kicked in. It had only been a year and a half since they kicked me out, but I didn’t have a visa (being South African you don’t need one for a holiday – apparently that’s changing) but still there was a good chance they were going to put me through the same ordeal as the last time, question me, hold me for 10 hours and send me on the next plane home to SA. I went to the immigration officer with my sister, my mom and dad had been to another one and gotten through already. They. Grilled. Me.

I thought they were going to send us both back, and felt like shit for it. If my family had not been there, and if I didn’t have so much documentation on me stating my lack of intention to stay on their horrible wet island (known as the United Kingdom) they would never have let me in. They said as much.

Once through things were cool – we met up with mates of mine from when I lived there, we went to Camden, and hit my all time favourite pub Ben Crouches Tavern . After that we headed back to a mates house and crashed there for the night, getting ready for our next 10 hour flight to Cancun, Mexico.

We woke bright and early and our Mate Rob drove us to join my folks who were staying with other friends. From there we took a taxi to Gatwick Airport and had something to chew on. We flew a chartered airline, and I would mention the name, but they might nail me for slander or something, so I won’t. A day flight that is 10 hours – is NOT cool. The hostesses were downright terrible, as in “hi I’m a 40 something woman on a power trip who will never go further than a trolley dolley and because of my Napoleonic complex I’m going to be a downright bitch and be as rude and as obnoxious I can possibly manage.” No, really. My dad flew premium class, which is a hell of a lot more expensive than cattle class ~ and his reading light wasn’t working. He mentioned this to that horrid cow and her response was “and you expect me to do whatexactly?” Seriously – that’s the tip of the iceberg. She yelled at me for not watching the demonstration, and she spoke down to me like I was a child. To say I was not impressed is an understatement. Her and the other daft bint that was on the plane would sit on either side of the aisles – and YELL across us to chat to each other about which pub they were going to that evening. They knew they were pissing me off – considering I had been a sarky bitch back to them earlier, and the old bag who was revelling in annoying me shouted to her fellow trolley dolley at one point “WHAT’S THAT LOVE – I CAN’T SEEM TO HEAR YOU” To which I had to throw in: “That’s because you’re deaf you old bitch”. It didn’t go down well. Heh.

We landed to torrential rains. Apparently it had been raining for three weeks solid. Sod’s law? Took a long drive to my Aunt and Uncles place in Puerto Aventura and got settled. It was awesome to see them again, they live in Canada, so family gatherings are few and far between.  We had a wonderful evening of catch ups and eventually collapsed into bed. The next day we woke up to no electricity. It was like we were home. Heh. The weather soon changed and Mexico was the utopia my mom had talked about. On some days we did nothing but read, lie on the beach, eat and have a few drinks. Other days we went to see ruins, dine out at gorgeous restaurants with the most spectacular views, snorkel with turtles and do the tourist thing at Playa del Carmen. The people were amazing, so friendly and not in the least bit threatening – those movies are just not right. I was expecting to find me a few Antonio Banderas lookalikes (once upon a time in Mexico, and yes, I know he is Spanish and not Mexican – but I could dream right?) but nope, them blokes just don’t do it for me. Hence the eventually thing as far as moving is concerned, I would have to take some hotties with me instead of trying to find them there.

The best part of the holiday (in Puerto) was surprising my Canadian Aunt with her other sister coming through for her 50^th as a surprise. She was beside herself and kept repeating “but you can’t be here, you have to be in class teaching!!”  the picture we got of her surprise was a classic – BIG eyes, hand to mouth and shock radiating from her. It was too fantastic for words.

Eventually it came time for my sister, cousin and I to head to Oaxaca. Oaxaca (pronounced wah ha ka) is inland, they are known for holding the most spectacular day of the dead festival festivities, and that’s where we were heading.  We flew from Cancun to Mexico City, from Mexico City to Oaxaca. Yes I have had enough of planes. You have no idea!! We arrived, got to our hotel and went walkies. Man, what a town, as we hit the town square, where all the activity happens, there was a parade. Kids dressed up as zombies and skeletons and all sorts of things! It was awesome J (yes yes I am twisted) We grabbed a bite to eat, had a drink and hit the hotels to get some sleep. The next day we started to organise our few days there – then hit the square again. While we were there we saw night opera’s held in the open air square, opera singers and dancers doing their thing – more festivities than you can imagine, sand carpets, parades, cemeteries filled with family celebrating the departed by bringing them all their loved items from booze to chocolate to flowers. There were mariachi bands playing at the cemeteries, there were more flowers and candles than you can imagine and everyone was festive, drinking Mezcal (tequila) and really taking the festivities to another level.  The people were yet again – so friendly, the ruins were mind blowing – the people had literally, all those years ago, used axe’s to flatten the top of a mountain and then flattened it by hand. It took 500 years just to get that right. The ball courts are just like the ones from the movie “the road to Eldorado” (ok, not exactly, but close enough, check the pictures) but the difference in the game was that it was a one on one game. If the people were unsure about going to war with another community/village/group then they would have a ball game, and they believed that the gods or war and peace would go into the two players and basically whoever won would be the decision at the end of the day as to what would happen.  The winner would then be sacrificed to the gods. Yeah – talk about a lose-lose situation.

From there we went to watch cavers doing their thing making the most divine sculptures – skeletons, lizards, flowers, birds etc that you have ever seen – and had the chance to part with some cash (no surprise there huh?) from there we went to see the famous black pottery and how that is made (more chances to wave your money goodbye) a church was next and then on to lunch. We met the most awesome Aussies on that day trip!!

We spent the evenings wandering the town, getting caught up in the parades and marches of people dressed up and dancing, eating out and basically being allowed instant access to the most incredible culture ever. This is one trip I will recommend to EVERYONE!

It was over too soon. We boarded the plane back to Mexico City, leaving the cousin in Oaxaca until his flight out the next day. Caught our flight from there to Cancun and had one day left before our flight to London. That’s a 10 hour flight – one where my sleeping pill kicked in and just as I was dozing off dinner came rumbling down the aisle, my mom woke me from my drug induced sleep, and that was any hope of getting some decent shut eye right out the window. I think I managed a few 30 min stints, but that aside, I watched my small TV – read my book – cursed the bloody sleeping pill for not working and basically got a whole bunch of grumpy going on. **sigh**

The morning we landed, and that evening we jumped onto another 10 hour flight home. Hell. Hell I tell you. BUT...I would do it again in a heart-beat to go back. God I love Mexico.  

I came back to intense band practice. We had little over two weeks to get ready for our first gig. Man did we rock that place. We played on Thursday the 27^th there was one band ahead of us called fourteen 40, they were damn good, and the lead singer, man was he a hottie!! ;) The venue was fully booked, the place had only standing room and most of that was take – all door proceeds went to charity and when we got up there, it was a pretty damn intimidating. That didn’t matter, they house went wild – people were dancing where they could find a space they shouted and screamed and a few people (who I work with, oddly enough) kept yelling that they wanted to have my babies. Heh... funny boys! I have never performed like that before, there was such energy that I went nuts on stage, and it was reciprocated 10 times over. We have now been offered a spot there at any time that we want to play, the sound engineer wants to get us signed up and record our stuff and I think we have some groupies. I was blown away. It was one of the best birthday presents I could ever have asked for. My band is made up of the 3 nicest guys out; we gel together and have only had one or two conflicts due to sleep deprivation and stress! Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

The real birthday is tomorrow (30^th) and I’m taking it easy, a very good friend of mine took me to get a back massage and a manicure today, which was brilliant! And tomorrow I’m having breakfast with another good friend, coffee and cake with the family and friends so close that they are considered family and finally I’m rounding off the day by going for drinks at a pub to see the man who first got me up to sing at the age of 15. He will be playing a gig there for the last time this year and more friends are joining me. I couldn’t be luckier when it comes to good times and good mates if I tried.

To all my spaces friends forgive my silence, there is no excuse really – I still luuuuuuuuuuuf you though ;)

xxx