I want a baby turtle!
Hi everyone
Man some great things have happened over the past few days. I´m losing track already of which day of the week it is and how long I´ve been here. I´m finding though that there are lots of lonely times inbetween the great experiences. Each day I´ll go through lots of emotions and usually have at least one cry because of missing people, particularly James. I´m also not yet used to being comfortable with nothing to do. Some others here just hang around and go to the beach all day, that makes me feel a bit restless and bored. I think if I didn´t need the Spanish lessons I´d probably move on from here in a couple of days. It´s a fantastic place to be though so I don´t mind.
So, I did the bike tour around the island on Monday. What was I thinking, me on a bike? That hasn´t happened since I was about 12! 7 of us from the hostel went on the tour, we walked to pick up our bikes and as soon as I got on it and started wobbling across the road I remembered how crap I am at bike riding. Everyone else of course was totally cool and having no problems at all. The island is 5 miles long so in total the ride must´ve been about 8 miles, it nearly killed me. On the way there we stopped at the turtle farm, that was fantastic and I got some great pictures, this is the best one…
By this point we were halfway to the end of the island and I´d already finished my water. My little legs aren´t used to this and they were already feeling shaky. By the time we got to the end of the island I was bright pink, sweating and wheezing like an asmatic smoker. Of course I acted like I was totally fine, as everyone else seemed to be. The tip of the island is gorgeous, with lots of modern art sculptures dotted on the top of the cliff. We saw some iguanas and crabs too. Then we rode back and as we did the sun was glowing bright red as it set, amazing. The next day I could hardly sit down (I only learnt to stand up when you go over a bump about halfway into the ride) and my thighs were on fire. Still, to see the island it was worth it and at least I didn´t fall off.
Yesterday was supposed to be my first Spanish lesson. I showed up at 5pm but the teacher and another student (who works in the hostel kitchen) said we would have to cancel as they were releasing baby turtles on the beach. This was fantastic and totally unexpected. There are some pictures under the My Photos link. Hundreds of local parents and children lined up along the beach, loud music blasted out of the speakers and the kids ran around with balloons and candy floss. The turtles lay their eggs on the beach, they are then transported to the turtle farm to be looked after. When they hatch they´re brought back to the beach and the children release them into the sea. It was total chaos, georgous little kids with arms and buckets full of baby turtles. They all launched them into the sea and we watched the tiny black heads bobbing up and down as they tried desperately to swim out against the waves. Some of them got washed back in and had to be turned around again and sent back out. Out of the hundreds that were released I´m sure only a small amount made it. What a fantastic experience.
So today I´m chilling out on the beach before my first Spanish which will be tonight at 5. I think I´ll do 5 days of lessons then head South either straight to Tulum or to a little fishing village on the way there. I´m a bit nervous of doing the first travel bit so I don´t want to go too far to start with.
Tags: Mexico
October 13th, 2005 at 5:29 pm
I’ll get you a baby turtle for when you get back Honey. But you have to make sure you feed it, clean up after it and take it out for walks. But if it chews my shoes, it’s turtle soup for dinner
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
October 13th, 2005 at 6:16 pm
You’re not having a baby turtle, it wouldn’t be able to cope with the underground. you would have to take it down to the thames every morning before you went to work. poor little thing would end up like nemo.
x x x x x x x x x x x x mum
October 13th, 2005 at 7:10 pm
Hi Sharleen
Just read all the blog update since you set off……………wow, it sounds to good to be true, it’s dark, dismal and rainy here in Cumbria but reading your diary I could really feel the great atmoshere of the place - you do have a way with words you know!!!
That bike ride sounded like a killer in the heat - well done to you, did your bum ache the next day?
Glad you have a familiar face there in the early days, good luck with the spanish lessons.
Take care, I will be reading regularly to see how you are getting on.
Love Jo
x
October 15th, 2005 at 6:45 pm
Hi Shar,
Nothing written by anyone today, so here I am again, I told you I would be a pest logging onto missmaps daily, hay ho!!!
I hope you have had an interesting time since your baby turtle experience.
Hope your spanish lessons are going good.
Do let us all know when you move on, as that will be another time for you to get used to unfamilliar places.
We are all thinking of you all the time.
When anyone asks me about you I have verbal diarrhoea, so much to tell them, I then say you have only been there a week, they say” how long is she there for” I say she has another 6 months to go, they can’t believe it.
you know me Shar always tell a good story in great detail.
Helped Sarah get the pigs in yesterday OH MY GOD!!
They are funny little things, they act like dogs.
My Love to you, MUM xxxx
October 16th, 2005 at 5:57 am
Hi Sharleen
Online for recreation purposes for the first time in a while and catching up on your adventures. Sounds fun you lucky cow! The pics look absolutely amazing and if we weren’t finally seeing some sun down here I’d probably throw myself off the blacony in jealousy!
Spanish lessons huh? Dos cerveza per favorue (or somethign like that) is all you need to know!
Look forward to reading about your adventures some more! Good luck, have fun and stay safe.
Love
Bradley G
PS: James, miss you to big fella. Give yourself a hug from me!
October 16th, 2005 at 5:27 pm
Hey mate,
Travel yadda yadda, travel yadda.
On to the important stuff;
a. How much is the beer?
b. Does Tequila still taste like poo, even in Mexico?
Les
x
PS - James is doing fine, judging by the pics in the Sunday Sport this week ;O)
October 17th, 2005 at 11:46 am
MAPS!!!!!!
I saw tutles in Hawaii too!!!! But not baby ones. See even over the vast oceans we’re sharing!!
So I’m back in London and its COLD. And I have a million things to do at work, and my flat STILL HAS NO TOILET PAPER. Plus Dan broke our staircase hand rail.
But I went to Cro on Friday night and drank with James and Matt and Paul until 3am in your honour. Then had a falafel kebab in your honour also… Paul fell asleep in the restaurant. Twice. Clearly my conversation was not nearly as stimulating as I imagined it to be.
The big news is though, I snogged a Brazillian boy named Marco. I’m planning on making him fall MADLY in love with me so he’ll fly me to Brazil for Christmas with his family and then I can come and see YOU!!!!!
I’ll drop you an email soon but so far it sounds freaking amazing!! Don’t be blue thinking about us though coz we all love you and are SUPER happy (if not a little envious) you’re seeing all these awesome places!!!
Lots and lots and lots of love
J9xxxxxx
October 17th, 2005 at 1:31 pm
Hi Babes
Wow what a wonderful time your having, hope your keeping well!
Hope you can get your hands on the new kate bush album, its really good, well have only heard one song but love it!!
say Hi to the Turtles, they look really cute.
Elliott send his love as well
Love you to bits
xxxx
Abbey