Well the closer to Christmas it gets I begin to not miss the snow.

I only have just heard about the snowstorms in Vancouver and boy am I glad I am no where to be seen.

We are in Merida now and are in high spirits. It is a beautiful town that Marina and I have really been enjoying. Although we see alot of tourists around it still feels like we are hanging with the locals. The sun is hot and boy have we been eating well. All of our pics are in front of heaping piles of food, and we usually order light.

Today being Tuesday we visited a couple of galleries in Merida, mostly having to do with Mayan civilization and we have been eating it up. We have really enjoyed talking about the Mayans at the galleries and sites we have visited. Tomorrow we go to one of the more famous sites, CHITCHEN ITZA, and there will be alot of buildings and Mayan ruins for us to sink our teeth into. It will be a full day trip after the 1.5 hour bus ride to the ruins and we hope to make it there befor the swarms of tourists descend.

Despite the fact that I fell off a horse a couple of days ag0 and Marina is still in the midst of getting and getting rid of sunburns we are doing just fine.

Chiapas and San Cristobal de Los Casas was amazing. It is a definite return date for us both. Mostly because of the ruins in Palenque.

The horse ride we took was to this town we found in our little sanctified guide book called CHAMULA. We visited a church in the town and i have to say it was one of the strangest things I have ever seen. They brought chickens in for sacraficing, although we did not see one occur it was about to happen right in front of us. It turns out the city has renounced Catholosism and only has Cathloic mass there once ever month. They prey to their own saint and depend on ancient Mayan cures for their ills. We saw families in there lighting candels on the floor in large grroups asking their saint for cures and preying. All the while chanting and drinking from coke bottles that either held coca-cola or a local drink made from corn called POCHE. Marina and I actually had some of this home-made moonshine like stuff before we headed back totown on our horses. The ride was like an hour or two long and my horse was a bit sick so when we started to gallop I have to say it was a bit of a shock to me. All I remember is slowly shifting to the side before falling off the horse. It all happened so slow. I was alright although my ego was bruised.

But that is all for now I hope to make some phone calls to the family before christmas.

hope all is well with you all.

r