Merida Day 6 - computer virus!

I am a day late posting for Tuesday (Day 6). We turned on the computer and there was a very scary page showing. It was written in Spanish and looked very official - Policia Federalas. It said something along the lines that we had violated an Internet usage law (music download, porn etc etc, there was a whole list of possibilities) and had to pay a 2000M$ fine. Then outlined how to pay it.
We called Hannah. She said that the Mexican Police are so inefficient that she couldn't imagine this being legit. In short, she took us to her computer person, Carlos, who had the computer overnight and it is now working and has a new virus protection on it. Thank goodness for Hannah and Carlos!

So to catch up: On Monday night we went down to the Palza Grande and watched some more traditional dancing.

This time they were young people, about 8 to 14, in traditional dress doing the step dancing. Not quite as good as the
adults we saw on Saturday night, but pretty good.

It was fun to see some of them so intent on what their feet were doing and others just
having a good time performing.

 

After a few numbers they did a dance around a maypole and I was quite amazed when the older (obviously more advanced students) danced with a full beer bottle on top of their heads. Unfortunately my camera doesn't take great night pictures but hopefully these give you the idea. The next dance they did with a tray on their heads - in it was a beer and 4 full glasses - when they spun the water slopped out in a circle around each one.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday morning we had the trouble with the computer and after taking us to see Carlos and dropping the computer, Hannah drove us downtown where we booked a tour to Chichen Itza for Thursday. We walked through the restored rooms of Casa Montejo, on the square, and then had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the plaza.

This was the greeter, in traditional dress, Plaza Grande in the background.

This was called "Yukatan Snacks" on the menu, 110 M$ ($11 but we were paying for

the location!) It was plenty for the two of us.

On the topic of food, these are dead bugs. She was selling them on the street. A man
was buying the mixed nuts, in a little bag, from the other container shown here.
 I didn't see anyone buying these but she wouldn't waste her time bringing them
downtown if they didn't sell.

 

We caught the bus home and then swam, read in the hammock, had supper - what has become our usual late afternoon/evening routine.

 

 



In the evening we went to the Parque Santiago, our closest square, for a "Big Band Seranade". All the evening events we have attended are free and are frequented by Mexicans more than by tourists or ex-pats. We got there 15 minutes early so were able to get a seat - we are learning.

 

As soon as the band started to play, about half the audience got up onto the dance floor. Most had dressed up, women in heels, nice dresses, fancy blouses and shawls, men in guayaberra shirts (usually white, with pleats down the front) and panama style hats.

 

Although it was obviously a social time too, the dancing took priority and there were some very good dancers, circling the dance floor smoothly and elegantly.

Maybe next time we'll dance. This time we used every excuse in the book - bad hip, blisters but the bottom line, I think, is that we are so much taller than everyone else we would stand out and we don't dance as well as the majority out there.