12.26.06 Day 8, Mexico trip 1

We drove into Cuernavaca yesterday; it was sort of a bust. We did see Miriam (his ex- step-sister that I have a hard time liking, she is just so lame) His Ex-Step-Mom was in Puebla so we weren’t able to see her (no problema for me, I have a hard time liking her too) So we walked around the city. I saw a police truck pass us with like 4 police officers driving in the cab and I swear 30 uniformed officers packed into the pickup bed, loaded with riffles and everything. I don’t know how people don’t die all over the place down here. Nothing is safe and there are people/cars everywhere. (and garbage, really, I think Mexico needs a government program to clean up the roads, why not use inmates like they do in the U.S.? I think that is an excellent idea, Mexico Limpio, Clean Mexico could be the campaign, it is so sad to see how much trash is just laying around everywhere) I laid in my hammock last night outside in the courtyard and thought, man, it would really be hard to get away with crime down here like- robbery or killing someone, there are people everywhere, and where you don’t see them, you can hear them.

Don’t ride for an extended period of time in a car with a papaya that has been cut open, they smell like puke- enough said. (They taste like yack as well)

A sight I have seen a lot of while traveling down these freeways are old men and their machetes. I also saw the machete that Antonio cuts his yard with just laying in the grass when we went over the other night. I think people here need storage sheds to put all their crap in that nobody really wants to see. And why do men need to carry a machete when they are traveling down the road trying to hitch a ride? I would think that would make it more difficult to find one. I certainly would not pick up an old drunk Mexican and his artillery.

I met another one of Helio’s uncles yesterday- it is Marcos’s father. He lives in the house where his Aunt just died, obviously, he was married to her. He is indeed a very funny man. He is like Marcos when Marcos has had a couple beers- I don’t know if he was drunk, but he certainly acted super ultra happy, maybe he is medicated due to his loss. Levi and Helio walked over there the other day when I wasn’t with and found a remote control car on top of their fridge. Levi knew where it was and wanted to play with it again. He brought it into the other room and went to it. However, I am an American mother who is concerned when there are burning candles all over the floor- They are holding vigil for his Aunt’s passing, equipped with La Virgin statues, a little table full of knick knacks, and candles all over. I thought that was over after 9 days or something but I guess not. Helio’s family thinks I am a bit hyper when it comes to watching Levi- I am told often, oh, don’t worry, there is a gate and there are other kids out there, he’s fine. I don’t know, I just can’t let go that much. I made it back into the kitchen at Tio Marcos’s house (Marcos was obviously named after his father) where China (Jhoseline’s mother) was making breakfast. She is still here from the funeral. She wanted us to eat as well. Uh- no, that kitchen was so freaking gross. I swear, it needs more than a few wipe downs. It was filthy. On one side of the kitchen, a hutch with a small table in front and then perpendicular to that, a sink and stove, on the other side, another hutch. On the opposite end of the long galley like kitchen, the bedroom of his now deceased Aunt. At first I thought it was bunk beds but it was a bed with a full size hammock above it and an open closet at the head of the bed. I don’t think I could ever get used to living like that. It was worse than what my Grandma used to do to her apartment. It was crazy.

I slept like 10.5 hours last night. I went to bed around 9 and slept until 7:30 in the morning. Wow, how will I ever get back to a normal working life when I get back? I was laying there thinking last night, we aren’t even half way through this mess and don’t really have a plan of when we will see each other next. That is very dreary. I really hope something miraculous happens. This sort of scenario just isn’t right.

We are off to swim again at Atotonilco. We are planning to stay at the hotel there so that we can swim and sleep at our leisure. I want to finish my book and move on to the next one- big goals. I love you guys and wish so much that you were here with us, we need company, we have run out of things to say.