Hello friends,
Sorry I didn't get out a newsletter in January. I had every intention to do so but you know what they say about "best laid plans". Within a week of each other, Satwant and I came down with what we thought was the flu. It turned out it was our first and only (as far as we know) bout of Covid. We both laid low for about three weeks. For us, only the first few days were particularly awful. After that, as some of you may know, it was just very low energy. Thankfully we seem fine now. Then, you'll see below, that preparations were needed for a previously planned trip.
Prior to falling ill, we had planned a visit to Merida, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. While sick, I wondered if we'd be able to make the trip. As a creature of routines, and especially as “the years are creeping up”, I can find travel to be challenging, and I was just getting over Covid. But... I'm determined if nothing else. Different cultures and new experiences inspire and nurture me. So, we followed through with our plans. I'm happy to say we made it. And here I am in Merida.
Steeped in Mayan culture, Merida is full of charming, colorful architecture. One finds fascinating Mayan iconography and imagery everywhere; artistic inspiration at every turn. There are also old buildings from Spanish colonial days, full of amazing craftmanship. I'm so grateful for this trip, reminding me once again of the immense beauty in the world and the truly awesome human creative spirit that infuses every culture throughout human history.
These were taken on our first morning in Merida, a pink Valentine’s Day at Rosa’s y Xocolate Restaurant.
Inspiration is everywhere. I’m particularly enamored of wonderful architecture - all kinds.
Here are just a few amazing pieces at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Anteneo de Yucatan (MACAY) that inspired me. https://macay.org/p/1/museo If interested, click on “seleccionar idioma” (lower left) for an English translation. It’s considered one of the premier contemporary art museums on the Yucatan peninsula. (I so regret being unable to upload artists’ names and detailed information for these pieces.)
On the left is Merida’s Monumento de la Patria (monument to the ancestors). On the right, I am cooling off in one of Yucatan’s many cenotes, Hacienda Mucuyche. (A cenote is an underground pool. I was fascinated to discover that the Yucatan peninsula has thousands of underground cenotes, all interconnected like a maze.) In the center, I’m savoring un jugo de naranja y pina (orange and pineapple juice) while also playing with a Mayan-inspired sketch.
I’m filled with gratitude for re-creation and re-newal. “Lord willing’ and the creek don’t rise,” we’ll connect again in March. Until then, all prayers and good wishes.