last days in Mazatlán

I am always amazed at how time seems to go very slow the first week in a new place, but then seems to be racing by the rest of the stay... My four weeks here in Mazatlán are almost over and I´m getting more and more sad each day :-( Just got to know some very nice people here, and now I have to leave them again... Life is not fair sometimes. But well, I chose it that way, so I guess I gotta cope with it.

Am leaving here on Sunday, and then 16-18 hours of exciting bus ride are awaiting me. I was told by my Mexican friends to better take some anti-sea-sickness-pills, as the journay goes through the canons of Durango and the street is quite narrow and curvy, so for people not used to Mexican busses driving on that kind of road for hours, it might be advisable... I decided not to play the tough one, as they told me as well that the driver would NOT stop for any sort of incident (well, except for a police control maybe). So I´ll take that pill and sit nice and relaxed in my seat for 16 hours, watching mexican comedies. Really looking forward to that ;-) The plane was too expensive, though...

Today, I´m a little bit tired - well, a lot indeed. My landlord took me out yesterday. Yes, this was an interesting experience. But as I have this thing with old guys here anyway, I thought, I might just as well agree to his offer. And he´s a nice guy and we talked a bit about cultural differences and he took me to this nice place with live rock music and made the band play some songs for me, ordered some beer for me.... Was a nice evening, except for the fact that I felt very awkward sitting there with this guy older than my dad... (And then with all the warnings about Mexicans in my head, I am never sure about people´s intentions.... Well, he obviously didn´t have any, that was nice!) But, life is all about experiences, right?!
And now I know at least for very very sure that this father-complex-girls-being-with-old-men is absolutely nothing for me.

Gotta leave you for today to attend one of my many spanish classes.
Nos vemos :-)

What is it...

... about me that I am always only approached by old guys?!?!?! On Sunday, I met this weird guy at my place, the waiter downstairs told me he really likes me (well, which I can´t really say of him...), I am good friend with our bus driver Umberto (he´s a really nice guy), another waiter wants to take me out once and then yesterday I met this guy from Houston downstairs who also started talking to me. What these "guys" have in common: they´re all between 40 and 80 (the Houston guy was really old!), weird, nice and start talking to me on the street, in the bus, wherever. I mean, not that I have any interest in any Mexican guy, but slowly I´m beginning to wonder why noone my age has ever started talking to me... Maybe it´s because older men here feel they need to sort of protect a young lone girl like me...?!?! I don´t know. But it´s starting to get a little weird. I hope the reason is not that I look that old, so those guys feel I´m more in their range... Aaaahhhhh...
Well well, I´m hungry, so I´m gonna go eat.
Michi, if you´re still reading my blog (although I´ve kept you waiting for entries for such a long time, sorry!) - long live the GOLB, what a coincidence, I mean ;-)

long time - no write

Ooops, time passed so quickly and there are so many things to see and do here! I havén´t forgotten you though, and most of the things I´ve experienced are told in detail on ballofdirt.com. Haven´t quite figured out what I´m going to use this blog for, but I guess I will just write all the remaining thoughts and impressions crossing my mind in here.
As you might have guessed, I arrived safely and am still busy adapting to the conditions here. That means, for example, trying to get used to the two " best friends" accompanying you constantly here - and no, for you that might have guessed it´s Juan and Jesús, the two Cucarrachas having visited our flat during the first days: I have to disappoint you, it´s not them, they are already dead. The constant companions I was thinking of are: sweat and smell. ANd I can tell you, there is a lot of them here! Especially a lot of different smells. And not only bad ones, well, although most of the time the heat does not really help things smelling nicely - trashcans should be passed only with holding your breath and also the street shops... I know fruits originally have a nice and refreshing smell, but after a couple of hours exposed to extrem heat and sunlight, things change a little. I was in the old town market a week ago, which is a huge hall where people sell all kinds of stuff. Among those things fruits, vegetables and: meat! I know if Werner would have been a look at this place, German food control officials would have immediately shut it down. Imagine around 35 degrees, a hundred thousand flies and inbetween stands with meat displayed openly, on ice or what was left of it... The smell nearly knocked me out. I really hope they do all the meat I´m ordering here really WELL-DONE!
Same happened when I walked past a street market where they sold see food and all that disgusting creatures in huge tubs - smelling a mixture of dirty sea water, chlorin and fish... Couldn´t stand it.
Concerning the sweat: well, I do it a lot. But I´m still having trouble getting used to the feeling of it dripping down my neck, my back,... or leaving this huge wet spot on the seat when getting of the bus... I feel disgusting, but I can´t help it, it´s soooo unbelievably hot in here ;-) I felt kind of helpless when I had to take a break at an airconditioned ATM room - just to dry...
Ok folks, gotta run to catch my school bus (feel like a firstgrader, being picked up and driven home everyday :-)
Have a great day - or night, guess for you it´s a little late now...